Ward No. 6 and Other Stories (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

Ward No. 6 and Other Stories (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LI&&RWard No. 6 and Other Stories&&L/I&&R, by &&LSTRONG&&RAnton Chekhov&&L/B&&R, is part of the &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R&&LI&&R &&L/I&&Rseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R: &&LDIV&&R New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars - Biographies of the authors - Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events - Footnotes and endnotes - Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work - Comments by other famous authors - Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations - Bibliographies for further reading - Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics &&L/I&&Rpulls together a constellation of influences―biographical, historical, and literary―to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LSTRONG&&R&&L/B&&R &&L/DIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LSTRONG&&RAnton Chekhov&&L/B&&R invented the modern short story. With writing that is concise, realistic, and evocative, he became a sort of photographer in words, less interested in plot than in the subtleties of mood and atmosphere, and the telling detail. His characters, always vividly drawn, come from all walks of life and often seem to be caught up in a world they don’t quite understand. &&L/DIV&&R&&LP&&REarly in his brief literary career, Chekhov outlined in a letter to his brother his idea of the ingredients of a good short story. Arguing against moral judgments and political, economic, or social commentary, he wrote, “To describe . . . you need . . . to free yourself from the personal expression. . . . Subjectivity is a terrible thing.” Instead, he favored objectivity, truthfulness, originality, compassion, and brevity. Although his writing developed and matured, he remained largely faithful to these principles. &&L/P&&R&&LP&&RThis new selection of twenty-three stories explores the entire range of Chekhov’s short fiction, from early sketches, such as “The Cook’s Wedding” (1885) and “On the Road” (1886) to late works, such as “In the Ravine” (1900) and “The Bishop" (1902). &&LI&&RWard No. 6 and Other Stories&&L/I&&R includes some of his most popular tales, such as the title story and “The Lady with the Dog” (1899), as well as several lesser-known works, no less masterful in their composition. &&L/P&&R&&LP&&R&&LB&&RDavid Plante&&L/B&&R is a Professor of Writing at Columbia University. He is the author of many novels, including &&LI&&RThe Ghost of Henry James, The Family&&L/I&&R (nominated for the National Book Award), and &&LI&&RThe Woods&&L/I&&R. He has been a contributor to &&LI&&RThe New Yorker, Esquir&&L/I&&Re, and &&LI&&RVogue&&L/I&&R, and a reviewer and features writer for the &&LI&&RNew York Times Book Review&&L/I&&R. &&L/P&&R David Plante is a Professor of Writing at Columbia University. He is the author of many novels, including The Ghost of Henry James, The Family (nominated for the National Book Award), and The Woods . He has been a contributor to The New Yorker, Esquir e, and Vogue , and a reviewer and features writer for the New York Times Book Review . From David Plante's Introduction to Ward No. 6 and Other Stories Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born in 1860, and from his earliest childhood his father was, I believe, the greatest influence on him as a man and as a writer. As brutal as his father was, he was not stupid, and he insisted on the education of his children, assuming as a matter of course that his sons would somehow go on to university. And, dogmatic in his religious beliefs, he had a substantial collection of religious books that indicate his faith was informed by study. But Pavel Egorovich had bad luck. Circumstances beyond his control-a newly built railroad shifted the entire economy of the town to his drastic disadvantage-led to his having to close the grocery shop and to his escaping to Moscow, where his two elder sons were already studying, to avoid debtors' prison. There, he was only able to find work as a clerk in a warehouse (how interesting that Laptev in "Three Years" remembers working in a warehouse!), and his will was broken. It was at this point that his son Anton took over the responsibility of the family. Anton was sixteen, the same age as his father when he was freed from being a serf. Still a student in Tanganrog, he sold family furniture to pay for the fare of his mother and a younger brother and sister to Moscow, and, though not a very brilliant student himself, he tutored other students to earn money to s