Chekhov Becomes Chekhov: The Emergence of a Literary Genius

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

A revelatory portrait of Chekhov during the most extraordinary artistic surge of his life.

In 1886, a twenty-six-year-old Anton Chekhov waspublishing short stories, humor pieces, and articles at an astonishing rate, and was still a practicing physician. Yet as he honed his craft and continued to draw inspiration from the vivid characters in his own life, he found himselfto his surprise and occasional embarrassmentadmired by a growinglegion of fans, including Tolstoy himself.

He had not yet succumbed to the ravages of tuberculosis. He was a lively, frank, and funny correspondent and a dedicated mentor. And asBob Blaisdelldiscovers, his vivid articles, stories, and plays from this periodwhen read in conjunction with his correspondencebecome a psychological and emotional secret diary.

When Chekhov struggled with his increasingly fraught engagement, young couples are continually making their raucous way in and out of relationships on the page.When hewas overtaxed by his medical duties, his doctor characters explode or implode.Chekhovs talented but drunken older brothers and Chekhovs domineering father became transmuted into characters, yet their emergence from their family's serfdom is roiling beneath the surface.

Chekhov could crystalize the human foibles of the people he knew into some of the most memorable figures in literature and drama.

InChekhov Becomes Chekhov,Blaisdell astutely examines the psychological portraits of Chekhov'sdistinct, carefully observed characters and how they reflect back on their creator during a period when there seemed to be nothing between his imagination and the paper he was writing upon.

Reviews

"[Chekhov Becomes Chekhov] captures the turn in Chekhovs life. Blaisdells entertaining book traces this change in Chekhovs self-perception and allows us to trace the emergence of a literary genius." * The New York Review of Books *
"Absorbing, pleasurable, and as unaffected as its subject. [Blaisdell] doesnt simply (as the title promises) explain how Chekhov came to be Chekhov but rather how impossible it was for him to become anybody else.Its the sort of book that dedicated readers rarely find, one that doesnt presume to teach us about Chekhov so much as simply enjoy him. It is like reading along with a fellow lover of Chekhov, attentive to the nuances of the life behind the work."



-- Scott Bradfield * The New Republic *
A celebration of the enduring power of literary creativity. The mystery of Chekhovs genius is thrown into even sharper relief, a rare accomplishment in a genre thats often the playground of know-it-alls. Blaisdells reading reaps handsome rewards. The authors overflowing enthusiasm never distracts from the main performanceAnton Chekhovs miraculous transformation from paid humorist to profound commentator on the human condition. As we turn the pages of Chekhov Becomes Chekhov, the authors delight is ours, too. * The Wall Street Journal *
"A work of love...Blaisdells incredibly researched work is a treasure trove of insight and information for scholars and fans of Russian literature. For generations to come, it will be a staple for Chekhov studies." * Library Journal, starred review *
Two years in the life and work of the Russian master, where Blaisdell draws from Chekhovs personal correspondence and references several previous biographies in conjunction with close readings of his numerous stories. Blaisdell offers meaningful insights into Chekhovs life and writing. * Kirkus Reviews *
"A penetrating take on Anton Chekhov's development as a writer. Blaisdell seamlessly blends biography and critical analysis to offer a bracing look at a formative period in the life of a literary legend. The result is a stirring portrait of an artist coming into his own." * Publishers Weekly *
Praise forCreating Anna Karenina:

"ThatCreating Anna Kareninais a major contribution to Tolstoy scholarship makes it no less of a delight to read. Blaisdell's passion for the subject, and his always-surprising discoveries about the great man and his creation, kept me turning the pages unstoppably. This is a wonderful book." -- Ian Frazier, author of Travels in Siberia, staff writer at The New Yorker
Captivating.How did Anna Karenina evolve from a trivial high-society adulteress, whom Tolstoy despised, into one of the deepest, most sensitive tragic heroines in all of literature What happened inside Tolstoy to condition this metamorphosisCreating Anna Kareninais a worthy companion to the novel." -- Janet Fitch * Los Angeles Review of Books *
"In its study of the comings and goings of the Tolstoy household at the time of the novels composition,Creating Anna Kareninaasks if one of the worlds greatest novels was in fact just as much a product of everyday minutialike who stops by for a visit with what kind of gossip to tellas it was the culmination of long-simmering ideas about morality and desire."

* The New Republic *
"A fuller understanding of any workand especially of its creationrequires the resurrection of its creator and his milieu. Blaisdell manages to do precisely that." -- Boris Dralyuk, Executive Editor, Los Angeles Review of Books, from the Foreword

Author Bio

Bob Blaisdellis Professor of English at the City University of New Yorks Kingsborough College and the author ofCreating Anna Karenina. He is a reviewer for theSan Francisco Chronicle,theLos Angeles Review of Books,The Christian Science Monitor, and the editor of more than three dozen Dover literature and poetry collections, including a collection of Chekhov's love stores. He lives in New York City.