Why did Rosemary love this book?
This is a wonderfully lively and revealing investigation into the life and work of Anton Chekhov. The book is also partly the story of Janet Malcolm’s pilgrimage to the cities in Russia where Chekhov lived and worked.
Her reading of Chekhov’s work is complemented by events from Chekhov’s personal life and letters. I have been a fan of Janet Malcolm for years because I’m captivated by her searing intelligence, her keen eye, and her ironic wit.
On her pilgrimage to Russia, Malcolm’s complicated relationship with her controlling Russian guide offers some truly hilarious moments.
2 authors picked Reading Chekhov as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
To illuminate the mysterious greatness of Anton Chekhov’s writings, Janet Malcolm takes on three roles: literary critic, biographer, and journalist. Her close readings of the stories and plays are interwoven with episodes from Chekhov’s life and framed by an account of Malcolm’s journey to St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Yalta. She writes of Chekhov’s childhood, his relationships, his travels, his early success, and his self-imposed “exile”—always with an eye to connecting them to themes and characters in his work. Lovers of Chekhov as well as those new to his work will be transfixed by Reading Chekhov.