Category: Fiction

  • Do You “Speak Easy”?

    Do You “Speak Easy”?

    I love the sitcom Seinfeld very much, at least the first few seasons. A lot of wisdom in my life comes straight from the TV show.  The Contest aside (the most famous episode of Seinfeld), there are lots of things worth remembering from that show, but one that hit home was the one from Seinfeld’s comic…

  • The Lottery by Maria Edgeworth: Summary and Review

    The Lottery by Maria Edgeworth: Summary and Review

    Did you know they had lotteries back in the 1800s? I didn’t.  So I was intrigued when I laid my eyes on The Lottery, written by Maria Edgeworth.  And thus began my 48-page journey into the exploration of lottery and its perception amongst the masses – then and now. The Lottery by Maria Edgeworth: Summary and…

  • Ladies by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review

    Ladies by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review

    Let’s consider the following two statements: I’m surprised I didn’t think of it sooner! Listen, here’s what I can offer you.. Next week the clerk at our orphanage is going to retire.If you like, you can take his post! There you are! I have no post for you! None, none! Leave me alone! Don’t torment…

  • Before the Wedding by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review

    Before the Wedding by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review

    Unmarried girls are crazy to get married, but they are the only ones, because it is no good at all. I’m married, I should know. Give it time; you’ll see for yourself. If you are interested in reading plenty of (good) advice like the one above, you should pick up Anton Chekhov’s short story called Before…

  • A Little Joke by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis

    A Little Joke by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis

    This is the time of the year when love is everywhere, absolutely everywhere!  You just can’t miss the red roses, the greeting cards lining up the aisles everywhere you go. You might also be getting those subtle hints from your partner, your love interest, in anticipation of the gifts they are expecting, come the 14th…

  • Grisha by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review

    Grisha by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review

    Chekhov’s short story Grisha explores the innocent and colorful world of a toddler. The heartwarming story is one of his earlier works, published in 1886. It is also available as part of a short story collection called Fifty Two stories published by Alfred A Knopf, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Grisha: Summary and Plot Analysis The story…

  • Reading by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review

    Reading by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review

    Reading means a lot! A whole lot! Read, and you’ll see at once how sharply your horizons change. And you can get hold of books anywhere. This excerpt from Chekhov’s short story Reading is a hilarious take on reading and people’s perception about this habit. The story is one of his earlier works, published in 1884. It…

  • Spring by Anton Chekhov: Review and Analysis

    Spring by Anton Chekhov: Review and Analysis

    Gustav Mahler, the famous Austro-Bohemian romantic composer, once said: “Spring won’t let me stay in the house any longer. I must get out and breathe the air deeply again.” I see myself nodding at this; I bet you do, too, in all likelihood. But not Chekhov’s protagonist from his short story called the Spring. This excerpt…

  • Anguish by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Review

    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…

  • A Slip-Up by Anton Chekhov: Summary and Analysis

    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…