A review by akross
Chekhov: The Major Plays by Anton Chekhov

3.0

I'm familiar with Russian literature's tendency to be humorously tragic. I didn't expect any more (or less) from Chekhov and wasn't disappointed. However, compared to his short stories, the plays in this book were somewhat lacking. They didn't have the blunt edge of wit that I loved about stories like Sleepy or Death of a Government Clerk. While critics can find humor in the Cherry Orchard, for me it's just not the same. It's still well-written (though the English doesn't come off as smoothly), but I just can't get that involved.