Ivanov (1889) is a drama in four acts by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. Written in ten days, the play premiered in 1887 at Moscow’s Korsh Theatre and was initially a failure due to its rushed composition, production issues, and significant changes made to Chekhov’s script. Disappointed but far from discouraged, Chekhov reworked the play to his satisfaction, and the edited version premiered to rave reviews in St. Petersburg in 1889.
The play follows a man named Nikolai Ivanov and his wife Anna Petrovna. Deeply in debt, Ivanov is unable to pay for the recommended treatment for his wife’s tuberculosis, which requires an extended stay in Crimea. When Ivanov leaves his estate to visit the Lebedev’s, a wealthy socialite family to whom he is indebted, Anna and Lvov secretly follow him. There, he is seduced by the Lebedev’s daughter Sasha, who confesses her love for him and convinces Ivanov to betray his wife. Anna witnesses their act in secret, and later confronts the man for whom she gave up her religion, family, and inheritance to marry. Incensed, Ivanov reveals to her the true nature of her illness, and the reality of his depravity is revealed. As the play concludes, Lvov decides that in order to prevent Ivanov from ruining the lives of others, he must be willing to risk his own. Ivanov is a psychologically intense drama by Anton Chekhov, a master storyteller whose characters always seem to lurk at the limit of decency, and yet remain fearfully human.
This edition of Anton Chekhov’s Ivanov is a classic of Russian literature reimagined for modern readers.
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About the author
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian doctor, short-story writer, and playwright. Born in the port city of Taganrog, Chekhov was the third child of Pavel, a grocer and devout Christian, and Yevgeniya, a natural storyteller. His father, a violent and arrogant man, abused his wife and children and would serve as the inspiration for many of the writer’s most tyrannical and hypocritical characters. Chekhov studied at the Greek School in Taganrog, where he learned Ancient Greek. In 1876, his father’s debts forced the family to relocate to Moscow, where they lived in poverty while Anton remained in Taganrog to settle their finances and finish his studies. During this time, he worked odd jobs while reading extensively and composing his first written works. He joined his family in Moscow in 1879, pursuing a medical degree while writing short stories for entertainment and to support his parents and siblings. In 1876, after finishing his degree and contracting tuberculosis, he began writing for St. Petersburg’s Novoye Vremya, a popular paper which helped him to launch his literary career and gain financial independence. A friend and colleague of Leo Tolstoy, Maxim Gorky, and Ivan Bunin, Chekhov is remembered today for his skillful observations of everyday Russian life, his deeply psychological character studies, and his mastery of language and the rhythms of conversation.More ebooks from the same author(s) / Editor
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