Glad to reach the end of this. Although there were some moments of insight into human nature, many of these short stories were just depressing focusing on Chekov's very bleak view of human nature. I would say that Chekov's portrayal of how people think and behave rings true, but I have absolutely no desire to spend more time in Chekov's story telling company. ( )

First, Heald is an exceptional narrator, with a wide range of voices and emotions. He brings these characters to life. The stories, as I've become used to from Chekhov, are mostly character studies, with plot being secondary. These characters are eccentric, and the stories tend to focus on their flaws. Sometimes the results are hilarious, as when a traveler, afraid that his coachman may rob him, starts to boast about carrying three revolvers and so on. Sometimes, the results are tragicomic, as when a man tries and tries to apologize for sneezing on an important official. But all of these characters in the end are actual human beings we can probably identify with. I feel that reading (or listening to) Chekhov also adds to my depth of understanding of Russian history and culture. ( )