"Anton Chekhov, the Russian playwright and story writer, lived a short but intense life in the concluding decades of the 19th century. Left by his debt-ridden parents to manage the old household in southern Russia duing his mid-teens, he managed to finish his medical school training, pursue careers as a doctor and writer, and support much of his family for much of his short life, as well as purchase land, finance a country school, and "enjoy" many love affairs with difficult and demanding women. He died of tuberculosis undoubtedly caught from patients at the age of 44.
Rayfield's 600-page biography reads very easily and fast. It accents the life of its subject: there's very little dissection of Chekhov's writings. But the life will help readers understand the bitter humor of his plays and stories."
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!
Review Analysis of Anton Chekhov: A Life
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
job/profession:
- writer
Ethnic/Relig. of subject (inside)
- Russian
Job/profession/poverty story
Yes
Ethnic/regional/gender
Yes
ethnic of society (outside)
- Russian
Period of greatest activity?
- 1800's
Subject of Biography
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- writer
Biography of famous person?
Yes
Ethnicity
- White
Nationality
- Russian
How sensitive is this person?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other people
Physique
- physically sick
Setting
Asia/Pacific
Yes
Asian country:
- Russia
City?
Yes
Farm/Ranch?
Yes
Century:
- 19th century
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Book makes you feel?
- concerned
Commentary on society?
Yes
Commentary on
- decency
Writer's slant towards subject:
- favorable
Story of entire life, or part?
- story of nearly entire life
Pictures/Illustrations?
- A ton 16-20 B&W
How much dialogue in bio?
- significantly more descript than dialog
Lot of titilating info about love life?
Yes
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life?
- 26-50% of book
