In Exile by Anton Chekhov (1892)

Name: In Exile
Author: Anton Chekhov

The story follows the life of a former nobleman named Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin, who has been reduced to living in a small village after losing his fortune and social status. He becomes obsessed with a young woman named Lizaveta, who is also living in the village, and spends much of the story trying to win her affections. However, their relationship is complicated by Golyadkin's own insecurities and Lizaveta's indifference towards him. The story explores themes of social class, identity, and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world.

By Anton Chekhov · First published 1892 · Genre: Short Story, Literary Fiction, Drama · 4,416 words

First lines

Old Semión, nicknamed Wiseacre, and a young Tartar, whom nobody knew by name, sat by the bonfire at the side of the river. The other three ferrymen lay in the hut. Semión, an old man of sixty, gaunt and toothless, but broad-shouldered and healthy in appearance, was drunk; he would have been asleep long ago if it had not been for the flagon in his pocket, and his fear that his companions in the hut might ask him for vodka. The Tartar was ill and tired; and sat there, wrapped up in his rags, holding forth on the glories of life in Simbirsk, and boasting of the handsome and clever wife he had left behind him. He was about twenty-five years old, but now in the light of the camp fire his pale face, with its melancholy and sickly expression, seemed the face of a lad.

What this Textopian page supports

In Exile is listed on Textopian as a short story by Anton Chekhov, dated 1892 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: 1892 CE
Language: English
Genres: Short Story, Literary Fiction, Drama, Realism
Length: 4,416 words
Structure: 1 section, 57 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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Genres

Short Story — The book 'In Exile' is a single, concise narrative written by Anton Chekhov, which aligns it with the genre of short stories.
Literary Fiction — The book delves into deep psychological and philosophical themes through ordinary events and characters, which is characteristic of literary fiction.
Drama — Chekhov's work often focuses on internal conflict and the human condition, placing it within the drama genre.
Realism — The book is marked by an emphasis on the depicting of life as it really is, mirroring the style of realism.