These stories were my first introduction to Chekhov. They are a selection of 13 short stories - the cover describes them as 'Essential stories', so I don't know whether that means that someone has selected these as superior or more important than others of his? I always love to read the blurb in books about the author and his background, but there was nothing at all in this, just a photograph of him, and then straight into the stories. So I've googled him and, in short, he was born in 1860 in Russia, the son of a grocer. He started writing short pieces for a magazine under a pen name, and then went on to write major works such as 'The Seagull', as well as continuing his short-story writing. He died from tuberculosis at the age of 44.
I'm not usually a fan of short stories, I like to get my teeth stuck into a plot and see characters grow, but there was something calming and untroubling about these short stories. Sometimes I thought characters from one short story were appearing in another because of the similarity of some of the Russian names, and I quite liked that idea, even though I think I was mistaken about it. All the stories are, I believe, set in Russia and cross all classes. There are stories of peasants, stories of aristocrats and of soldiers, but in all cases it is made obvious that of course everyone is human and has the same feelings. The stories are romantic, moving, real. Chekhov has a definite art of describing emotion, whether the person in question is male or female. Even though you obviously assume the stories are set in the time of writing, ie the late 1800s, because they are stories of human emotion and feeling, they could actually be describing modern day characters.
A wonderful collection.
I'm not going to say much about this book apart from this - if there's only one book you read this year, make it this one. I gush over it to everyone at work, I recommend it in our recommends bay, I'm excited for any customer reading it for the first time. It was a Radio 2 book club book and went down very well with the readers there too. The writing is superb, the story is entertaining, the characters are exciting. The 'gentleman' in the title is Count Alexander Rostov who, in 1922 and because of his background and beliefs, is put under house arrest and sent to live out the rest of his days in the hotel Metropol in Moscow. We witness Russian history over the years through his eyes, as he learns about it only through newspapers or for the changing habits and customers of the grand hotel. From being a rich artistocrat living in a large house, he is now living in an attic room of the hotel, but in all ways he is a true gentleman.
A wonderful and unforgettable read.
Rendezvous in Russia
by Lauren St John
This is the third in the Laura Marlin mysteries series (after Dead Man's Cove, Kidnap in the Caribbean, and Kentucky Thriller), which sees Laura, Tariq and Skye caught up in another adventure involving the notorious Straight A's gang. Our three heroes become film stars as they are cast as extras in a movie where a priceless piece of art is stolen from a museum in Russia. However, scenes become more fact than fiction, and Laura finds herself closer to Mr A, the evil boss of the Straight A's, than she ever wished to be.
It's another exciting page turner from Lauren St John - I've loved all her series (The White Giraffe, Laura Marlin, The One Dollar Horse). She has a great ability of drawing you in from the first page so you are instantly hooked. I urge everyone to read all her books!
