The Darling (1899) tells the story of Olenka, a woman whose identity completely dissolves into whoever she happens to love at the time — a quality Chekhov treats with such delicate ambiguity that Tolstoy, who admired the story greatly, praised it for opposite reasons from what Chekhov intended. It is a masterclass in narrative irony and the complexity of sympathy.
The other stories in this collection are equally rewarding. This free EPUB download is your invitation to spend time with one of literature’s most enduringly compelling authors.