Wednesday, January 7th


I love the short story "The Lady with the Dog". I don't know if its because I'm Russian, like Chekhov, or because the story has this circular way of flow. Don't get me wrong, I love my Jane Austen books where boy meets girl, then drama, then marriage (not to simplify Austen, more for comedic effect). With Chekhov, the story starts in a place of disdain. The male lead has no appreciation for women or their endless prattle. To him, they hold no worth. Even as this phase passes in the story, because the man does eventually learn to love women, or a specific woman, he does not find satisfaction. Much like in the film The Duchess, where it looks like the marriage is over between spouses, it remains. Both the male and female lead stay with their respective spouses, unlike how I would assume Austen to tell it. She would likely opt to have everyone happy at the conclusion. Chekhov's characters aren't so lucky.