The Black Monk by Anton Chekhov

The Black Monk is a novella written by Anton Chekhov in 1893. It tells the story of a young man named Ivan who becomes obsessed with a mysterious black monk he encounters while on a journey. Despite the monk's enigmatic nature, Ivan becomes increasingly fixated on him and feels compelled to follow him. The novella explores themes of obsession, spirituality, and the human desire for meaning and purpose in life.

By Anton Chekhov · First published 1893 · Genre: Gothic Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Psychological Fiction · 14,308 words

First lines

Andrei Vasilyevitch Kovrin, Magister, had worn himself out, and unsettled his nerves. He made no effort to undergo regular treatment; but only incidentally, over a bottle of wine, spoke to his friend the doctor; and his friend the doctor advised him to spend all the spring and summer in the country. And in the nick of time came a long letter from Tánya Pesótsky, asking him to come and stay with her father at Borisovka. He decided to go.

• Open reader

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Genres

• Gothic Fiction — The use of the supernatural, macabre, and dark atmosphere in the plot aligns with the conventions of Gothic Fiction.
• Supernatural Fiction — The figure of the Black Monk is a supernatural being, which is central to the story.
• Psychological Fiction — The book delves deeply into the mind of the protagonist, portraying mental and emotional states for exploration of the human psyche.
• Short Story — The Black Monk is a short story in format, typically focusing on a single character and theme.

Tags

psychological thriller · gothic fiction · supernatural horror · mystery · suspense · Russian literature · short story · classic · literary fiction · psychoanalysis · inner turmoil · mental illness

What this Textopian page supports

The Black Monk is listed on Textopian as a novella by Anton Chekhov, dated 1893 CE.

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

• Work type: Novella
• Author: Anton Chekhov
• Date: 1893 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Gothic Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Short Story, Russian Literature
• Length: 14,308 words
• Structure: 1 section, 204 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Black Monk by Anton Chekhov
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

More by Anton Chekhov

• The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories (1900)
• The Party and Other Stories (1900)
• The Cook's Wedding and Other Stories (1900)
• The Bishop and Other Stories (1900)
• The Duel and Other Stories (1900)
• The Schoolmistress and Other Stories (1900)
• The Wife and Other Stories (1900)
• The Witch and Other Stories (1900)
• All works by Anton Chekhov