{"product_id":"the-prank-the-best-of-young-chekhov-paperback","title":"The Prank: The Best of Young Chekhov - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eAnton Chekhov\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eMaria Bloshteyn\u003c\/b\u003e (Translator), \u003cb\u003eNikolay Chekhov\u003c\/b\u003e (Illustrator)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTwelve early comedic short stories by the Russian master of the form.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAn NYRB Classics Original \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Prank\u003c\/i\u003e is Chekhov's own selection of the best of his early work, the first book he put together and the first book he hoped to publish. Assembled in 1882, with illustrations by Nikolay Chekhov, the book was then presented to the censor for approval--which was denied. Now, more than a hundred and thirty years later, \u003ci\u003eThe Prank\u003c\/i\u003e appears here for the first time in any language. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAt the start of his twenties, when he was still in medical school, Anton Chekhov was also busily setting himself up as a prolific and popular writer. Appearing in a wide range of periodicals, his shrewd, stinging, funny stories and sketches turned a mocking eye on the mating rituals and money-grubbing habits of the middle classes, the pretensions of aspiring artists and writers, bureaucratic corruption, drunken clowning, provincial ignorance, petty cruelty--on Russian life, in short. Chekhov was already developing his distinctive ear for spoken language, its opacities and evasions, the clich s we shelter behind and the clich s that betray us. The lively stories in \u003ci\u003eThe Prank\u003c\/i\u003e feature both the themes and the characteristic tone that make Chekhov among the most influential and beloved of modern writers.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAnton Chekhov\u003c\/b\u003e (1860-1904), the son of a grocer and a former serf, worked as a physician and ran an open clinic for the poor, while also writing the plays and short stories that have established him as one of the greatest figures in Russian literature. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eMaria Bloshteyn\u003c\/b\u003e was born in Saint Petersburg and emigrated to Canada when she was nine years old. She is a Russian-English translator and scholar and the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Making of a Counter-Culture Icon: Henry Miller's Dostoevsky\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in Toronto. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eNikolay Chekhov\u003c\/b\u003e (1858-1889), older brother of Anton, studied art at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. His drawings frequently accompanied his brother's early published stories. Although considered the most promising of the three Chekhov brothers in his youth, Nikolay's alcoholism and habit of sleeping in the streets precipitated his death from tuberculosis at the age of thirty-one.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 144\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.4 x 8 x 5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 28, 2015\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51771222360352,"sku":"9781590178362","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/bb358e6695594b4b69a95ff2617782db.webp?v=1780383466","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-prank-the-best-of-young-chekhov-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}