The Cook's Wedding by Anton Chekhov

Name: The Cook's Wedding
Author: Anton Chekhov

The story follows the Cook, a middle-aged man who has been working for a wealthy family for many years. One day, he decides to get married to a young woman from his village. However, the family objects to their marriage, citing the difference in social status and age. The Cook is undeterred and insists on marrying the woman of his choice. In the end, he elopes with her, leaving behind his job and the life he knew.

By Anton Chekhov · First published 1896 · Genre: Short Stories, Classics, Drama · 2,401 words

First lines

Grisha, a little urchin of seven, stood at the kitchen door with his eye at the keyhole, watching and listening. Something was taking place in the kitchen that seemed to him very strange and that he had never seen happen before. At the table on which the meat and onions were usually chopped sat a huge, burly peasant in a long coachman's coat. His hair and beard were red, and a large drop of perspiration hung from the tip of his nose. He was holding his saucer on the outstretched fingers of his right hand and, as he supped his tea, was nibbling a lump of sugar so noisily that the goose-flesh started out on Grisha's back. On a grimy stool opposite him sat Grisha's old nurse, Aksinia. She also was drinking tea; her mien was serious and at the same time radiant with triumph. Pelagia, the cook, was busy over the stove and seemed to be endeavouring to conceal her face by every possible means. Grisha could see that it was fairly on fire, burning hot, and flooded in turn with every colour of the rainbow from dark purple to a deathly pallor. The cook was constantly catching up knives, forks, stove-wood, and dish-rags in her trembling hands, and was bustling about and grumbling and making a great racket without accomplishing anything. She did not once glance toward the table at which the other two were sitting, and replied to the nurse's questions abruptly and roughly without ever turning her head in their direction.

What this Textopian page supports

The Cook's Wedding is listed on Textopian as a short story by Anton Chekhov, dated 1896 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: 1896 CE
Language: English
Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Drama, Literary Fiction, Satire
Length: 2,401 words
Structure: 1 section, 48 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Short Stories — The book consists of various unrelated narratives, characteristic of the short story genre.
Classics — The book written by Anton Chekhov, a renowned Russian playwright and short-story writer, is considered a classic piece of literature.
Drama — Chekhov’s writing often draws on dramatic repetition, escalating tension and character conflicts, common to the drama genre.
Literary Fiction — Chekhov offers a deep exploration of character psyche and societal norms, typical to literary fiction genre.