The Essential Tales of Chekhov

Of the two hundred stories that Anton Chekhov wrote, the twenty stories that appear in this extraordinary collection were personally chosen by Richard Ford - an accomplished storyteller in his own right. Included are the familiar masterpieces - The Kiss, The Darling, and The Lady with the Dog - as well as several brilliant lesser-known tales. These stories, ordered from 1886 to 1899, are drawn from Chekhov's most fruitful years as a short-story writer. A truly balanced selection, they exhibit the qualities that make Chekhov one of the greatest fiction writers of all time: his gift for detail, dialogue, and humor; his emotional perception and compassion; and his understanding that life's most important moments are often the most overlooked. 337 pages.