A Joke by Anton Chekhov (1886)

Name: A Joke
Author: Anton Chekhov

The story follows a man named Ivan Dukhanin who tells a joke to a group of friends at a party. The joke is about a man who buys a horse but then realizes he has no place to keep it, so he sells it to his neighbor for a high price. The friends find the joke hilarious, but Ivan becomes increasingly agitated and defensive as they continue to laugh at him. Eventually, he storms out of the party, leaving his friends in confusion. Now, please provide your next request or question.

By Anton Chekhov · First published 1886 · Genre: Short Story, Classic, Russian Literature · 1,977 words

First lines

It was noon of a bright winter's day. The air was crisp with frost, and Nadia, who was walking beside me, found her curls and the delicate down on her upper lip silvered with her own breath. We stood at the summit of a high hill. The ground fell away at our feet in a steep incline which reflected the sun's rays like a mirror. Near us lay a little sled brightly upholstered with red.

"Let us coast down, Nadia!" I begged. "Just once! I promise you nothing will happen."

What this Textopian page supports

A Joke is listed on Textopian as a short story by Anton Chekhov, dated 1886 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: Anton Chekhov
Date: 1886 CE
Language: English
Genres: Short Story, Classic, Russian Literature, Literary Fiction, Drama
Length: 1,977 words
Structure: 1 section, 43 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

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Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Short Story — The novel 'A Joke' is a brief narrative or prose tale by Anton Checkov.
Classic — Anton Chekhov is a recognized author in classical literature.
Russian Literature — The story 'A Joke' is a part of Russian literature, written by Russian playwright and short-story writer, Anton Checkov.
Literary Fiction — Based on the plot and themes, the story falls into the category of literary fiction which emphasizes style, psychological depth and introspection.