The Wife
WRITTEN BY:
Anton Chekhov
NARRATED BY:
Michael Scott
In this classic short story, Chekhov takes a snapshot of the Russian life, illuminating the harsh complexities and yet subtle simplicities that interact seamlessly together. The cold and gloom of the Russian environment cannot compare to the relationship that Pavel Andreitch, a rich aristocratic, has with his wife, who is no longer in love, or even tolerant of her husband, although helplessly reliant on his financial support. Their disintegrating relationship is set to the backdrop of the starving peasants of the lower classes, illuminating the perennial tension of an egotistical, self-centered man and the struggling goodness of a woman who cares about more than just herself.
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ThoughtAudio PDF Transcript: TA0069_Wife_AntonChekhov
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Anton Chekhov & Wife Olga
This Russian writer and playwright is considered to be one of the greatest short-story writers in world history. His prolific bibliography includes plays, short stories, novellas, non fiction and letters. Chekhov was a bachelor until age 41 and shortly before his own marriage he is quoted in a letter as saying, “By all means I will be married if you wish it. But on these conditions: everything must be as it has been hitherto—that is, she must live in Moscow while I live in the country, and I will come and see her… give me a wife who, like the moon, won’t appear in my sky every day.”