The Chekhov Collection of Short Stories

By: Anton Chekhov

Narrated by: Richard Armitage

Whilst Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) is perhaps best for his plays such as Uncle Vanya and The Seagull, he was also a prolific author of short stories.

In this exclusive collection, Audible presents six of his most-celebrated short stories, chosen and performed by Richard Armitage.

Richard, whose interest in the work of Chekhov was sparked by his appearance as Astrov in a stage production of Uncle Vanya, also introduces the collection with a brief overview of each of the stories and his thoughts on why Chekhov’s short stories are not to be missed.

The collection contains the following stories:

'Ward 6'

In a mental asylum, a patient comes into conflict with a director of the institution.

'The Kiss'

During a party, a man becomes infatuated by a woman who accidentally kisses him in the dark.

'Betrothed'

A young woman strives to asset her independence by choosing education over an arranged marriage.

'The Black Monk'

An ageing scholar experiences strange hallucinations.

Is he a genius, or is he insane?

'Neighbours'

A beautiful young woman subverts society expectations by going to live with her neighbour, an older, married man.

'The Student'

A depressed young student has his spirits lifted by recounting an religious story to two strangers.

Public Domain (P)2020 Audible, Ltd

Inspired

Chekov’s inner worlds are endlessly entrancing and insightful. I hope we are friends when I reach heaven.

Outstanding reading of truly remarkable stories

Highly recommend. Read by master. Written by genius, a bit dark and dreary in subject matter, but pierce to the core of basic questions about what this time in the life of ours signifies.

Chekhov, get your gun.

I saw this was available in the Audible Plus catalog and that Richard Armitage was narrating, so I thought, "why not." All I know about Chekhov is "Chekhov's Gun" and I thought one of these stories would feature thee gun.

None of theses stories had a gun but they were still great. All the short stories were quite sad and explored themes of loneliness, mental health, immortality and religion.

There was one moment that made me laugh. In 'The Kiss' a man asks, "Excuse me, I understand about the bosom, but how could you see the lips if it was dark?"

I liked many other quotes too and I enjoyed this listen.

5 out of 5 Chekhov's Guns.

Incredible narrator.

The stories are very melancholy and some even sad. Chechovs’ ability to to enter the soul of his contemporaries is amazing. What makes this listen incredible is Richard Armitage’s incredible narration.

Animated storytelling

Armitage is great as always, switches between characters via the voices he uses making it quite easy to follow. Chekhov’s stories are probing, often unsettling. Great stuff.

Hörenswert

Sprecher ausgezeichnet, sehr einfühlsam, schafft es, jeder Rolle seine bzw. ihre eigene Stimme zu geben. Letzte Geschichte relativ kurz und bereitet der Lesung ein etwas abruptes Ende.

Wonderful

What a wonderful collection of stories, especially “Neighbours.” Excellent narration. I’ll look for more by Richard Armitage.

Always perfect! The Russian Guy De Mopassant.

So ordinary life yet so deep. It reaffirms that truth comes from within and there is little need to travel to find it.

Perfect voice for Chekhovian angst

The reader delivers the despair and longing and hope in these novellas in a way way that makes me want to read more Chekhov and even listen to this entire performance again.

Best narrated audibook I've heard

I've listened to a few hundred audibooks, and am picky about what I choose.

Chekhov. Check. World master storyteller.

Armitage clearly studied the stories and thought about how to do each. He flawlessly created appropriate characterizations quite distinct from one another, and the lines between dialogue were delivered with perfect dramatic care. And no overacting. You fall completely into the story, forgetting that it is a story being read to you.