Laevsky is a dissipated romantic given to gambling and flirtation. He has run off to the sea with another man's wife and quickly grown tired of her, but two obstacles block his route to escape: he is broke, and he faces the absolute enmity of Von Koren, an arrogant zoologist and former friend who can no longer tolerate Laevsky's irresponsibility. Soon Laevsky confronts Von Koren, accusing him of meddling in his affairs, but Von Koren maneuvers a criticism...

The retired general Buldeyev, suffering from a toothache, has tried all possible means of treating it, to no avail. He is not willing, though, to remove the tooth, so some cure is to be found. The steward, Ivan Evseyevich, remembers he knew once an extremely gifted 'tooth conjurer', who used to just 'turn toward the window and spit, and the pain would go in a minute'. Now living in Saratov, the wonder doctor makes his living by spit-related way of...

Mashenka, a young girl who had only just finished her studies at a boarding school, returning from a walk to the house of the Kushkins, with whom she was living as a governess, found the household in a terrible turmoil. Mihailo, the porter who opened the door to her, was excited and red as a crab.

Revolving around philosophical and social conflicts, this story is set in a provincial mental asylum and explores the interactions occurring between a doctor and the members of his town. Andrey Yefimitch Ragin is the head doctor of a small town and although his position is favorable, he finds himself distressed with the mediocrity surrounding him. His deep desire to be submerged in intellectual conversation is satisfied by one of the patients in the...

There was a sharp snapping frost and the curls on Nadenka's temples and the down on her upper lip were covered with silvery frost. She was holding my arm and we were standing on a high hill. From where we stood to the ground below there stretched a smooth sloping descent in which the sun was reflected as in a looking-glass. Beside us was a little sledge lined with bright red cloth.

Young upper class artist believes in not helping the poor while spending his days doing nothing of consequence, essentially living a futile existence. Lida is his polar opposite and argues with him as she organizes subscription campaigns for the poor, makes charity drives, and tries to change the local government. Lida's younger sister Genya is vacant and undeveloped, both physically and emotionally. She can be easily swayed by either Lida or the...

Kashtanka, a young foxey-looking mongrel, belonging to a carpenter drunkard named Luka Alexandrovich gets lost through her own 'improper behaviour', frightened by a military band on the street. If she had been a human being she would have certainly thought: 'No, it is impossible to live like this! I must shoot myself! A stranger comes out, feels sorry for the lost dog and, delighted with her funny looks, takes her to his place where he treats her...

This edition features Anton Chekhov's The Duel in both English and Russian languages for those interested in advancing language skills, learning or simply digging into finer detail of the original Chekhov masterpiece. Laevsky is a dissipated romantic given to gambling and flirtation. He has run off to the sea with another man's wife and quickly grown tired of her, but two obstacles block his route to escape: he is broke, and he faces the absolute...

The wife of a former collegiate assessor walks into a bank and demands the missing pay of her dismissed husband. 'I am a weak, defenseless woman', she reasons. She repeats this endlessly, exhausts the already exhausted and gout afflicted bank manager and the rest of his staff. In the end she gets the requested money from the bank manager's own wallet, but like a recovering addict getting a taste of some smack, she wants more…

Young widow Popova receives a visitor who asks to repay debts of her former husband. Smirnov has an urgent need for money in order to repay his own bank loans the next morning and is refusing to leave. After heated emotional exchange Smirnov suggests a duel notwithstanding that Popova being a woman does not even know how to handle guns. But she does not give up and accepts the challenge. One thing leads to another and shortly after we find them both...