Short Stories by Anton Chekhov: About Truth, Freedom, Happiness, and Love 1st edition

A timeless observation of the human condition from one of the best story writers in the history of world literature. Chekhov's characteristic mix of humour and poignancy united by the themes of truth, freedom, happiness and love in the 14 story collection presented in this book.

Chekhov himself described his work as comic satire: 'All I wanted was to say honestly to people: 'Have a look at yourselves and see how bad and dreary your lives are!' The important thing is that people should realize that, for when they do, they will most certainly create another and better life for themselves. I will not live to see it, but I know that it will be quite different, quite unlike our present life.'

'Happiness does not exist and should not exist. And if there is purpose in life, this purpose should not be our personal happiness, it should be about something more intelligent, something more divine', commented Leo Tolstoy after reading Chekhov's trilogy included in this book.

Where does love come from?
How far questions of personal happiness are of consequence in love?

Each story in this collection brings us close Chekhov's vision and understanding of complex human relationships. Chekhov's own relationship with Miss Avilova formed the basis for his story About Love. Miss Avilova compared Chekhov with 'busy bee who flies about and is happy to collect honey from just about anything on its way' upon publication of this story and Chekhov quickly responded to Miss Avilova, 'You are being unkind towards your busy bee. The bee first sees bright beautiful flowers and only then collects honey from them'.

Contents
01 A Tragic Actor
02 In A Strange Land
03 Oh! The Public
04 The Looking Glass
05 Her Husband
06 Talent
07 Anyuta
08 The Helpmate
09 Ivan Matveyich
10 Polinka
11 Overdoing It
12 About Truth
13 About Freedom
14 About Love

From Anton Chekhov's Stories in this collection:

Suggestion plays a great part in love affairs, and still more in getting married.

You endure insult and humiliation, and dare not openly say that you are on the side of the honest and the free, and you lie and smile yourself; and all that for the sake of a crust of bread, for the sake of a warm corner, for the sake of a wretched little worthless rank in the service. No, one can't go on living like this.

A man does not need six feet of earth or a farm, but the whole globe, all nature, where he can have room to display all the qualities and peculiarities of his free spirit.

Money, like vodka, makes a man queer.

Don't be calm and contented, don't let yourself be put to sleep! While you are young, strong, confident, be not weary in well-doing! There is no happiness, and there ought not to be; but if there is a meaning and an object in life, that meaning and object is not our happiness, it is something greater and more divine. Do good!

We ought, as the doctors say, to individualize each case.

When you love you must either, in your reasonings about that love, start from what is highest, from what is more important than happiness or unhappiness, sin or virtue in their accepted meaning, or you must not reason at all.