Read By: Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky
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Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky on their selections:
Chekhov\\u2019s story \\u201cThe Beggar\\u201d was written in 1887, when Chekhov was 27. This was the moment in his life when he was turning from his early comic sketches to something a bit more serious. But the comedy is still there, of course.\\u202f We chose it because it is essentially a dialogue between a successful, well-off lawyer and a ne\\u2019er-do-well. It has a delightful surprise ending.\\u202f
For our second text, we\\u2019ve chosen two passages from \\u201cThe Pearl Necklace\\u201d by Nikolai Leskov. Leskov is one of the great masters of Russian storytelling, from the generation between Tolstoy/Dostoevsky and Chekhov. In fact, Chekhov was introduced to him in Moscow in 1883, and they got along well, though Leskov could be difficult. Chekhov has even been called Leskov\\u2019s successor.\\u202f\\u202f
Again, we\\u2019ve chosen passages that are dialogues\\u2014this time, even more appropriately, between a husband and wife.\\u202f
Fifty-Two Stories at IndieBound
The Enchanted Wanderer at IndieBound
Music: "Shift of Currents" by Blue Dot Sessions // CC BY-NC 2.0
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