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Anguish by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
My son’s dead, but I’m alive…It’s a wonder, death mixed up the doors, instead of coming to me, she went to my son… This excerpt from Chekhov’s short story Anguish explores the themes of grief, loneliness, and poverty in an indifferent society. The story is one of his earlier works published in 1886. It is also available… Read more
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“And How Do You Make That?”
Do you happen to have a friend that defies all logic, all natural laws of human sustenance, and dare I add, all sanity? The bond between their couches (or beds) and their bodies are so strong that nothing other than an immediate threat to their life will cause them to break it. Unless you are… Read more
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A Slip-Up by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
Be happy, my dears! Oh! You are taking from me my only treasure! Love my daughter, be good to her! Something you would expect to be said in a marriage ceremony. And it almost was. Welcome to another Chekhov short story with a twist. This excerpt from Chekhov’s short story A Slip Up is a hilarious take… Read more
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An Educated Blockhead by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
I don’t know about you, but I have had the privilege of seeing many of these creatures over the years—more than I would like. Having said that, I think I have the full potential to be one, too; I have proven to myself on occasions that I might be worthy of the crown. Hopefully, that… Read more
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The Exclamation Mark by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
In the closed eyes of a dozing Perekladin, a fiery comma flew like a meteor. The golden commas spun around and raced off to one side. They were replaced by fiery periods. This excerpt is from Chekhov’s short story Exclamation Point and is one of his earlier works, published way back in 1885. It is also available… Read more
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In a Foreign Land By Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
You are talking to a friend from a different country. And suddenly, he mentions something about your country that makes your jaw drop. Your friend seems sensible enough in all other areas of his life. You wonder to yourself: maybe just this one time, I would let it slip. Some days pass, you meet again,… Read more
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The Cook Gets Married by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Why do you want to get everyone married? What business is it of yours? Let them get married as they like. This might sound familiar from a sitcom, or a movie, or a drama. This excerpt from Chekhov’s short story ‘The Cook Gets Married’, a.k.a ‘The Cook’s Wedding’, is a hilarious take on marriages in general and arranged… Read more
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Fat and Skinny by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
Every now and then, I would see some images being circulated in the media, beginning with ‘Happiness is..’ so and so. Eating, drinking, sleeping, talking, you name it. All of those apply to me, by the way. Occasionally, all at the same time. Aside from that, maybe, meeting an old friend I haven’t seen in a… Read more
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Joy by Anton Chekhov: Summary, Analysis and Review
If I say imagine ‘trading room’, what images come to mind? Every time someone says the words, if you ask me, a very consistent set of images appear before my eyes. Phones ringing everywhere, some papers stacked at desks and some flying around, everyone stressed, clocks displaying times from all major time zones, someone going… Read more
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1001 Passions, or a Dreadful Night by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Yesterday my second son was born, I was so happy I hanged myself. I read this, and I was completely creeped out. What! Really? Until the dormant little me kicked in, saying it could have been a dream.. and yes, it was. Thankfully! Not mine, but of the protagonist from Chekhov’s short story 1001 Passions or… Read more
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In a Train Car by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Travel is so delightful. You get to know people so quickly and so well. So intimately, when you travel. I just adore travel! Being a colossal travel freak, I found myself nodding like crazy when I read this, and it is never a dull ride with Chekhov on the side! ( Sorry, bad rhymes! I… Read more
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A Letter to a Learned Neighbor By Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
For if man, the ruler of the world, the smartest of all breathing creatures, descended from the stupid and ignorant ape, then we would have a tail and a beastly voice. It sounds like something an innocent kid might ask before having been introduced to evolution. Or probably a very, very older person, whom you… Read more
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Temperaments by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Scamps, Ramp Scallions and ne’er-do-wells are all of sanguine temperament. It is not recommended to sleep in the same room with anyone who is a sanguine: He’ll tell you jokes all night, and if he does not know any jokes, he will criticize his relatives or else tell lies. He will die of a disease… Read more
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A Sinner from Toledo by Anton Chekhov: Review and Analysis
A Sinner from Toledo, the short story from Anton Chekhov, was first published in late 1881 in an illustrated literary, art and humor magazine called the Spectator. It is now available as part of a short story collection called Prank published by The New York Review books translated by Maria Bloshteyn. A Sinner from Toledo: Summary and Plot… Read more
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Confession – or Olya, Zhenya, Zoya: A Letter by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
Everything in the world, and my life, in particular, is governed by chance. Only chance! And chance is a despot. Sounds like a ‘why me?’, doesn’t it? This is a remark by the protagonist of Chekhov’s short story called Confession – or Olya, Zhenya, Zoya: A Letter. It was first published in March 1882 in Alarm Clock,… Read more
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Chase Two Rabbits, Catch None by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
No, this is not a treatise on efficient goal-setting. Or is it? Chase Two Rabbits, Catch None is a short story by Anton Chekhov that was first published in May 1880 in a magazine called Dragonfly. It is available as part of a short story collection published by New York Review books translated by Maria Bloshteyn.… Read more
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St. Peter’s Day by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
The story St. Peter’s day was published in June 1881. He initially called it 29th of June and very playfully dedicated it to hunters that don’t shoot well and the ones that don’t shoot. This story from Chekhov’s early writing days is part of a short story collection called ‘The Prank.’ For those of you curious ones out there,… Read more
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Papa by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
No dumpling, not a word about punishment, this is not our boy’s fault. They are all out to get him. I don’t mean to brag here, but I can’t thank my stars enough for having a mother who specializes in overlooking all my faults. This excerpt from Chekhov’s story Papa is such a pleasant reminder of that.… Read more
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Artists’ Wives by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
You know what single girls and young widows? Don’t you go marry an artist. “May tarnation strike them,” As the Ukrainians say. This is Chekhov’s closing advice from Artists’ Wives. This short story, first published in late 1880 in St. Petersburg daily paper, was written under the pseudonym “Don Antonio Chekhonte,” The story, sometimes assumed… Read more
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Dreams by Anton Chekhov: Summary, Analysis and Review
“The peasants called up a picture of a free life such as they had never lived; whether they vaguely recalled the images of stories heard long ago or whether notions of a free life had been handed down to them with their flesh and blood from far-off free ancestors, God knows!” Isn’t it funny that… Read more
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The New Villa by Anton Chekhov: Summary, Analysis and Review
We treat you humanely, repay us in the same coin. What comes to mind when you read this? Who do you think would have said this in a conversation between a rich and a poor man? Enter Anton Chekhov’s The New Villa. This is a short story Chekhov wrote way back in 1899. It is… Read more
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The Post by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
Have you ever been in a one-sided conversation with someone? You might have been the enthusiastic participant or the disinterested one. I apologize in advance if it brought back memories of such a misfortune striking you on a date night! Let me grab my scattered thoughts and try to paint a better picture for you.… Read more
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Peasant Wives by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis
“I took him for my soul’s salvation” – Matvey Savitch tells Drudya, in Chekhov’s Peasant Wives. You might read such a thing and your first guess would probably be that the character must be a highly conscientious person. Aren’t you in for a surprise! Peasant Wives, is a short story by Anton Chekhov, that was… Read more
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The Witch by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review
“A witch is a witch” – Savely, the Sexton says to his wife Raissa, in Chekhov’s ‘The Witch’. Husband calling the wife a witch, is nothing we haven’t heard before. What’s new and refreshing, is a little Chekhov spin on it. “The Witch” (Vedma) was first published in March 1886 in Novoye Vremya (Issue No.… Read more
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No Act of Kindness, No Matter How Small, is Ever Wasted: Aesop
Growing up, Aesop’s fables were my constant companion- in and out of school. The very first illustrated copy that I owned was an abridged version for kids that contained a dozen short stories. The Hare and the Tortoise, Crow and the Pitcher, Bell and the cat were some of the predominant few that are probably… Read more
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The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman: Summary and Review
Imagine a room. Now imagine living there for a long time without having anything to do. For those of you who are millennials – Imagine a world without phones or any electronic devices. If you are one of those very social people – your knee-jerk reaction would be, “No way in hell am I going… Read more
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The Model Millionaire by Oscar Wilde: Summary and Review
Has it ever happened to you that you tipped someone you shouldn’t have tipped in the first place, or that you asked a saleswoman for help who you thought was one, but was actually a shopper like you? Do you remember the look on their faces when you did that? It’s likely that they stared… Read more
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Tower of Babylon by Ted Chiang: Summary Explained and Review
“It is true that we work with the purest of aims, but that doesn’t mean we have worked wisely.” With his award-winning short story, Tower of Babylon, Ted Chiang takes us on an exhilarating exploration of the age-old myth of the Tower of Babel. In this science fiction short story, Ted Chiang challenges the principles… Read more
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Happiness by Anton Chekhov: Summary, Analysis and Review
You may not be an Eckhart Tolle fan, but you do not need to be one to see the meaning in this. “Don’t seek happiness. If you seek it, you won’t find it, because seeking is the antithesis of happiness. Happiness is ever elusive, but freedom from unhappiness is attainable now, by facing what is… Read more
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Crazy Glue by Etgar Keret: Summary, Analysis and Review
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you read these two words: Crazy glue I bet you can recall at least an incident or two about crazy glue – maybe you were the victim to whom the ‘crazy glue’ happened, or you were the one that gave someone their ‘crazy glue’ moment. There… Read more
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Charles by Shirley Jackson: Summary, Analysis and Review
For those of you that loved The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, here comes another tale, less fictional and more realistic, atleast to the relatively new parents out there. It’s about Shirley Jackson’s early trysts with raising children that were, more often than not, outside her comprehension and control. Loosely based on events from her own… Read more
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The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro: Summary and Review
Where would your mind take you if someone said the words ‘the love of a good woman’ to you? If your mind quickly takes you to classic romantic movies of yore, a wife tirelessly sacrificing her life for her husband, you are the same as the rest of us. What’s more is that this titular… Read more
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Taming the Bicycle by Mark Twain: Summary, Analysis and Review
I wonder what your first thoughts were looking at the title of the story. Maybe a memory from childhood or a snapshot of some TV program where the protagonist ended up in a ditch, not able to control their bicycle? Well, just when you thought you had seen it all and laughed all you could at… Read more
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The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde: Summary, Analysis and Review
The Happy Prince is a short story written by Oscar Wilde. It is the story of a compassionate statue and how it falls in love with a bird which is separated from its flock. Every now and then, I feel myself drawn to children’s books – mostly because I am drawn to children; things about… Read more
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The Five Boons of Life By Mark Twain: Summary, Analysis and Review
The Five Boons of Life is a short story by Mark Twain published as part of his collection, The 30000 Bequest and Other Stories. It’s different from his other stories in that it does not have our humorous Mark Twain saying things that make us grin like idiots in awe of his wit, but something… Read more
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The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde: Summary and Analysis
The Canterville Ghost is a short story written by Oscar Wilde. It was first published in 1887. Unknown to many, this was his first published prose fiction work. Contrary to what the title of the story may suggest, this is a humorous story at the core of which lies the differences in the American and… Read more
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Sweet and Low by Nick White: Summary, Analysis and Review
Sweet and Low is a short story written by Nick White. The story revolves around the life of a young boy Forney, who, having recently lost his father, is coming to terms with a life with his mother – a mother he doesn’t especially feel close to. With the feeling of love comes the dread.… Read more
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A Helpless Situation by Mark Twain: Summary and Plot Analysis
Have you ever been in a situation when you were approached by a distant relative of a friend of a friend’s friend, whom you don’t know and have never heard of before, and they asked you for a favor? If so, A Helpless Situation by Mark Twain is sure to take you for a stroll… Read more
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The Loudest Voice by Grace Paley: Summary, Analysis and Review
The Loudest Voice is a short story by Grace Paley, published as part of her short story collection – Little Disturbances of Man, back in 1959. The story captures the world of a young Jewish girl living and learning about a life of balance between her roots and the world that she currently lives in.… Read more
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A Californian’s Tale by Mark Twain: Summary, Analysis and Review
A Californian’s Tale is a short story published as part of his short story collection. Written towards the tail end of his career, this short story sometimes seems a reflection of sorrows from his own life at that time. A Californian’s Tale by Mark Twain: Summary and Plot Analysis The story narrated by an unnamed traveler… Read more
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Mister Yummy by Stephen King: Summary, Analysis and Review
Mister Yummy is a short story written by Stephen King. It was first published in 2015, as part of his short story collection The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. Mister Yummy: Summary and Plot Analysis The story is set at Lakeview Assisted Living Center and details the last days in the life of an elderly homosexual… Read more
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A Telephonic Conversation by Mark Twain: Summary and Review
A Telephonic Conversation is a short story written by Mark Twain. It talks about a telephonic conversation that ensues between a woman and her friend, a Mrs.Bagley, while the woman’s husband passively listens to a one-sided conversation writing an article on a philosophical subject in the meantime. Telephone What comes to mind when you read… Read more
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Memento Mori by Jonathan Nolan: Summary, Analysis and Review
Memento Mori is a short story written by Jonathan Nolan. In this short story, he takes time and its relationship with a man to a whole new level, and introduces the reader to to what he calls a ‘ten-minute man’. “Believing the lie that time will heal all wounds is just a nice way of… Read more
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Jakarta by Alice Munro: Plot Summary, Analysis & Review
Jakarta, a short story by Alice Munro, first appeared as part of her collection of short stories in Love of a Good Woman. Jakarta: Plot Summary and Analysis The story is set in Vancouver and spans over three decades, starting in the 1950s and lasting until 1990s. It is narrated in a back and forth… Read more
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Was It Heaven? Or Hell? by Mark Twain: Summary and Review
Was it Heaven? Or Hell? is a short story that was published in early 1900s as part of Mark Twain’s short story collection The 30000 Bequest. As a child, have you ever been told not to lie? Or lying is bad? Or lying brings you terrible misfortune? Lying is possibly the worst thing that you… Read more
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Goodbye and Good Luck: Summary, Plot Analysis, Review
Goodbye and Goodluck is a short story written by Grace Paley that was published in her collection called The Little Disturbances of Man by Doubleday in 1959. One of the more known stories from her collection, this story is a heartwarming tale of a woman in pursuit of love and her struggles with tradition in… Read more
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A Dog’s Tale by Mark Twain: Summary, Analysis and Review
A Dog’s Tale is a short story written by Mark Twain. It was first published in 1903. The story is told from the perspective of a dog and narrates the journey of a dog’s life.. Mark Twain had once said: If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite… Read more
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In the Penal Colony by Franz Kafka: Summary, Analysis, Review
In the Penal Colony, also known as “In der Strafkolonie” in German, is a short story written by Franz Kafka. First published in October 1919, this story has seen massive popularity and has been adapted widely around the world with film, chamber operas and plays to its name. In the Penal Colony: Summary and Plot… Read more
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The 30000 Bequest by Mark Twain: Summary and Review
The 30000 Bequest is a short story written by renowned American author Mark Twain. It was first published in a collection of short stories. This story revolves around the devastating effects of union of fantasy and finance. Picture this: You are walking down the street mindlessly and you suddenly come across a beautiful young woman.… Read more
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Hell Is The Absence Of God: Summary, Analysis and Review
Hell is the Absence of God is a short story (novellete) written by Ted Chiang. First published in 2001, this story primarily revolves around Neil Fisk, a recent widower, who lost his beloved wife in the aftermath of an Angel’s visitation. “Obedience, he might have managed, but sincere, heart-felt love (for God)? That was a… Read more
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