The Schoolmaster and Other Stories

What It's About

The Schoolmaster and Other Stories is the eleventh volume in the thirteen-volume Tales of Chekhov series, Constance Garnett's landmark translation of Chekhov's short fiction. It gathers close to thirty stories, many of them very brief, offering a series of vignettes of Russian provincial life: minor officials, teachers, tradesmen, and townspeople caught in small, telling moments. Stories such as "The Schoolmaster," "Enemies," and "Betrothed" sit alongside shorter comic sketches like "Overdoing It" and "The Orator," giving the collection a lighter, more anecdotal feel than some of Chekhov's better-known longer works.

Key Concepts

Running through the collection are Chekhov's familiar preoccupations: the pettiness and pretension of provincial bureaucracy, the disappointments of ordinary working life, and the gap between how people present themselves and who they really are. Many of the stories work as brief comic sketches built around a single absurd situation or exchange, while others - particularly the title story - carry a quieter, more melancholy undertone about unfulfilled lives.

About the Author

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian physician, dramatist, and short story writer, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of short fiction. Born in Taganrog to a family of modest means - his father had been born a serf - he trained as a doctor at Moscow University, initially writing stories to help support his family. He went on to become one of Russia's most celebrated authors and playwrights, though he continued to practise medicine for much of his life.

About This Edition

This is a 1921 translation by Constance Garnett.