The Beauties by Anton Chekhov

Name: The Beauties
Author: Anton Chekhov

This work is a collection of short stories that explore the lives and relationships of various individuals in late 19th-century Russia. The stories are characterized by their nuanced portrayals of middle-class Russians struggling with social conventions, moral ambiguity, and personal disillusionment. Themes include the constraints of societal expectations, the search for meaning and authenticity, and the tension between tradition and modernity. Through his characters' experiences, Chekhov critiques the social norms and values of his time, revealing a sense of disconnection and spiritual emptiness that pervades Russian society.

By Anton Chekhov · Genre: Literary Fiction, Realism, Coming-of-Age · 2 chapters · 3,835 words

First lines

I remember, when I was a high school boy in the fifth or sixth class, I was driving with my grandfather from the village of Bolshoe Kryepkoe in the Don region to Rostov-on-the-Don. It was a sultry, languidly dreary day of August. Our eyes were glued together, and our mouths were parched from the heat and the dry burning wind which drove clouds of dust to meet us; one did not want to look or speak or think, and when our drowsy driver, a Little Russian called Karpo, swung his whip at the horses and lashed me on my cap, I did not protest or utter a sound, but only, rousing myself from half-slumber, gazed mildly and dejectedly into the distance to see whether there was a village visible through the dust. We stopped to feed the horses in a big Armenian village at a rich Armenian's whom my grandfather knew. Never in my life have I seen a greater caricature than that Armenian. Imagine a little shaven head with thick overhanging eyebrows, a beak of a nose, long gray mustaches, and a wide mouth with a long cherry-wood chibouk sticking out of it. This little head was clumsily attached to a lean hunchback carcass attired in a fantastic garb, a short red jacket, and full bright blue trousers. This figure walked straddling its legs and shuffling with its slippers, spoke without taking the chibouk out of its mouth, and behaved with truly Armenian dignity, not smiling, but staring with wide-open eyes and trying to take as little notice as possible of its guests.

What this Textopian page supports

The Beauties is listed on Textopian as a short story by Anton Chekhov, dated Date unknown.

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: Date unknown
Language: English
Genres: Literary Fiction, Realism, Coming-of-Age, Short Story, Romanticism
Length: 3,835 words
Structure: 2 chapters, 43 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Literary Fiction — The work explores deep themes of beauty, longing, and the human experience through rich character introspection and detailed descriptions.
Realism — The narrative presents a realistic portrayal of life, focusing on ordinary characters and their emotional responses to beauty and existence.
Coming-of-Age — The protagonist's reflections on beauty and his emotional journey signify a transition from childhood to a more complex understanding of life.
Short Story — The work is a concise narrative that encapsulates a moment in time, typical of the short story format.