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Club Chekhov - All Subtext, No Action

Club Chekhov - All Subtext, No Action

di Lev Lesokhin

Libri Relazioni

Stagione 1

Chekhov - The House with the Mezzanine

A remarkable story of a love that fails to take place. An idle landscape artist, who sees everything through a big-picture lens, a strict older sister acting as father figure while virtue signaling at the artist's expense, a baby sister and her mother who are acolytes of the artist, all set in a beautiful country landscape worthy of the brought to life by Chekhov's pen. The story follows a very Chekhovian path where the protagonists don't act on their desires, we see a lot of symbolism, prognostication and innuendo, but not a lot of action. The fable at the end summarizes the setting nicely.

Ward No 6 Discussion

Professor Burry and Lev Lesokhin hold a debrief about Chekhov's famous story, Ward No 6. A far-ranging discussion, commenting on the bleak nature of the landscape offered by Chekhov and the fragility of sanity, especially among thinking people thrown into the vulgar herd of a grey, provincial existence. The commentary weaves through parallels to modern corporate life, the breaking point of Nietzsche, and the philosophical musings of a somewhat-Chekhovian medical practitioner. If this story affected you, either by its dim humor or frightening conclusions, tune in to find some resonance in this discussion.

Chekhov - Ward No 6

How thin the line between craziness and sanity. How oppressive the world around us, especially for those with a delicate form of intelligence surrounded by boorish, brash, foolish people who don't appreciate education, manners, and punctiliousness. When self-promotion and self-preservation kick in, all bets are off. This longish short story by Chekhov explores the meatgrinder that faces delicate, educated men marooned in a dusty, provincial town. Oppressed by the sea of filth and ignorance, they drown in a system that inadvertently envelops these sensitive souls, without specific malice or intent. It just gradually happens through no specific fault of their own. Despite moments of mirth in the description of the town and the ambience, the story is fundamentally depressing and shows how brutal our brutish existence can become.

The Darling Discussion

Another amazing caricature by Chekhov. This time, the empathy dial is turned up to 11 and we get to see the results. The Darling is a woman whose rapturous devotion and need for meaning from relationships has a stroke of familiarity to all of us. Professor Alex Burry and Lev Lesokhin discuss this wonderful tale about a woman who does so much, yet means so little.

Chekhov - The Darling

This is a story of a young woman who gives herself entirely to her love interests. Olenka Plemyannikova loves with her whole being, sacrificing herself entirely to the person she is with - whether it's a husband, a lover or a child. Her level of empathy is insanely high, making her a caricature of codependence that many of us should be able to see, at least slightly, in ourselves. This character study is quintessential Chekhov, as he draws the caricature, injects the story with a bit of humor, and leaves any kind of judgement of Olenka to the reader. Anyone reading this story will recognize the caricature and be able to think of someone they know who suffers a similar ailment, even if to a lesser extent. Translation by Constance Garnett, read from The Portable Chekhov

Anna on the Neck Discussion

A well known caricature by Chekhov of a transactional marriage, where the young bride finds her inner power and takes control of the marriage to her wealthy, older husband. Alex and Lev pull this story apart bone by bone to discover its magic and mysteries. It feels like a real Cinderella story - but then, who is the prince? Dial into this discussion to find out!

Chekhov - Anna on the Neck

A somewhat humorous tale of transformation and intrinsic human value coming to the fore. Anna, an 18-year-old girl marries an older man for his status and money, out of love for her father. Her late mother showed her the art of elegance and trained her to act like a lady. When her new husband takes her to her first ball, she has her Cinderella moment and suddenly transforms with far-reaching benefit to everyone involved. This story of loveless marriage is told from Anna's point of view. Chekhov does a brilliant job showing the reader what happens behind the scenes in the head of a young woman. And offers an interesting caricature of a person's strength stemming from their own sense of self worth. Translation by Avrahm Yarmolinsky, read from The Portable Chekhov

Love Story - The Lady with the Dog

In this episode, Lev Lesokhin and Professor Alexander Burry dive into Anton Chekhov’s most famous love story —The Lady with the Dog. This is a heartwarming story of hidden romance that sprouts unexpectedly for both protagonists. It was written just as Chekhov himself was finding himself finally headed towards marriage and, uniquely for his time, one based on love. Our hosts discuss everything from the autobiographical overtones found in this magnificent work, to the practical foundations which set the historical context, the way Chekhov describes his scenes in so much detail with so little effort, some notes on its translations into English, and how this story actually shows action and movement on the part of its characters. The conclusions are many, but in the process of discussion we notice several themes and details that one might not pick up when reading this work on their own. This conversation is time well spent for the true Chekhov fan.

Chekhov - The Lady with the Dog

Possibly Chekhov's most famous short story. Probably his best love story. It starts as a casual encounter in a seaside resort. It flourishes a couple weeks and seems to be extinguished. But the relationship blossoms quietly as the two people are apart, living their separate lives. It's a story about the nature of love, emotional attachment, the rigid structures of everyday life that get in the way of true love. Despite some autobiographical overtones, it is one of the few Chekhov stories where something DOES happen and people DO change. It has no climax, no judgment, and no tidy ending. But it is as close to a happy ending as one can get in this situation. Translation by Avrahm Yarmolinsky, read from The Portable Chekhov Read it in the original: «Дама с собачкой» in Chekhov's own Russian, every word glossed, the English a tap away — https://languagethroughliterature.com/?open=dama

The Trilogy (Man in a Case, Gooseberries, About Love) - Part 2

In this episode, Lev Lesokhin and Alexander Burry conclude the discussion of Anton Chekhov’s “Little Trilogy”—The Man in a Case, Gooseberries, and About Love—and what makes them feel so relevant to our times. They talk about the trilogy’s shared setup. Same characters, same setting -- just people telling each other stories. They zero in on that unmistakable "cringe" factor: Belikov’s suffocating rigidity, and Ivan’s quiet disgust at his brother’s cozy, self-satisfied life. A big theme is what we’d now call “situationships”: awkward, stalled romances where nothing quite happens, from Belikov and Varenka to Alyohin and Anna. That ties into the core idea of “living in a case”. Physically, emotionally and morally. Where politeness, fear, and habit keep people stuck. Along the way, they touch on marriages, Chekhov’s moody settings (rain, darkness), and the idea of “domestic paradise” as its own kind of trap. Overall, it’s a conversation about how Chekhov captures something timeless: people knowing exactly what they want and going about it in their own, awkward ways.

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