The Lady with the Dog

Name: The Lady with the Dog
Author: Anton Chekhov

The Lady with the Dog is a short story by Anton Chekhov, first published in 1899. It tells the story of an adulterous affair between a middle-aged man, Dmitry Gurov, and a young woman, Anna Sergeyevna, whom he meets while vacationing in Yalta. The story begins with Gurov, a bored and unhappy banker from Moscow, taking a holiday in Yalta. While there, he meets Anna, a married woman from a small town. Despite their differences in age and social status, the two become attracted to each other and begin an affair. The two meet secretly in various locations around Yalta, and eventually Gurov falls in love with Anna. He begins to dream of a future with her, but Anna is hesitant to leave her husband and family. Eventually, Gurov decides to return to Moscow, and Anna returns to her small town. The story ends with Gurov and Anna both reflecting on their relationship and the impossibility of a future together. Despite the fact that they can never be together, they both feel a deep connection to each other. The story ends with Gurov walking away with his dog, and Anna watching him from a distance.

By Anton Chekhov · First published 1899 · Genre: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Drama · 4 chapters · 6,638 words

First lines

IT was said that a new person had appeared on the sea-front: a lady with a little dog. Dmitri Dmitritch Gurov, who had by then been a fortnight at Yalta, and so was fairly at home there, had begun to take an interest in new arrivals. Sitting in Verney's pavilion, he saw, walking on the sea-front, a fair-haired young lady of medium height, wearing a _béret_; a white Pomeranian dog was running behind her.

And afterwards he met her in the public gardens and in the square several times a day. She was walking alone, always wearing the same _béret_, and always with the same white dog; no one knew who she was, and every one called her simply "the lady with the dog."

What this Textopian page supports

The Lady with the Dog is listed on Textopian as a short story by Anton Chekhov, dated 1899 CE.

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Work type: Short story
Author: Anton Chekhov
Date: 1899 CE
Language: English
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Drama, Literary Fiction
Length: 6,638 words
Structure: 4 chapters, 135 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Realistic Fiction — The Lady with the Dog is a realistic story about two people who fall in love despite their different social statuses and the obstacles they face in their relationship.
Romance — The Lady with the Dog is a romantic story about two people who fall in love and must overcome the obstacles in their way to be together.
Drama — The Lady with the Dog is a dramatic story that follows the struggles of two people in love and the obstacles they must overcome to be together.
Literary Fiction — The Lady with the Dog is a literary work that explores themes of love, social class, and morality through the story of two people in love.