Book Series Guide

Anton Chekhov

Author guide

Anton Chekhov Books in Order

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904) was a Russian physician, playwright, novelist, novella writer, and master of the modern short story. Writing alongside his medical career, he developed an influential style marked by ambiguity, subtext, emotional restraint, and close observation of ordinary life. His major dramatic works include Ivanov, The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard; his prose includes The Steppe, Ward No. 6, The Duel, Peasants, and numerous short-story collections. He also wrote the nonfiction account Sakhalin Island after visiting the penal colony in 1890.

realismshort fictiondramasatirenonfiction

Catalog record updated .

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Cover of The Cherry Orchard

The Cherry Orchard

A concise entry point to Chekhov's mature dramatic style and themes.

Cover of The Seagull

The Seagull

A foundational modern drama that introduces his use of subtext and ensemble structure.

Cover of The Steppe

The Steppe

A major novella demonstrating the breadth of Chekhov's mature prose.

Cover of Ward No. 6

Ward No. 6

A powerful, self-contained example of his psychological and social realism.

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (9)
  1. The Shooting Party

    novel · 1884

    When a young woman dies during a shooting party at the country estate of a dissolute count, a magistrate is called upon to investigate. The mystery deepens and suspicion falls more widely as it emerges that the dead woman was at the…

  2. The Unnecessary Victory

    novella · 1882

  3. The Steppe

    novella · 1888

    Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian short story writer and a playwright. His playwriting career produced four classics, while his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics. Chekhov practiced as a…

  4. The Duel

    novella · 1891

    First published in 1891, this morality tale pits a zoologist scientist, a government worker, his mistress, a deacon, and a physician against one another in a verbal battle of wits and ethics that explodes into a violent contest: the duel.…

  5. The Story of an Unknown Man

    novella · 1893

  6. Three Years

    novella · 1895

  7. My Life

    novella · 1896

  8. Sakhalin Island

    nonfiction · 1895

  9. Notebooks

    nonfiction · 1914

Short fiction (24)
  1. Late-Blooming Flowers

    novelette · 1882

  2. A Living Chattel

    novelette · 1882

  3. Lights

    novelette · 1888

  4. The Party

    novelette · 1888

  5. A Dreary Story

    novelette · 1889

  6. Ward No. 6

    novelette · 1892

  7. The Wife

    novelette · 1892

    «Жена́» — рассказ Антона Павловича Чехова. Написан в 1892 году, впервые опубликован в 1892 году в журнале «Северный вестник» № 1 с подписью «Антон Чехов».

  8. The Black Monk

    novelette · 1894

    When Andrey Korvin returns to the home he grew up in, his former guardian Yegor welcomes him with enthusiasm, excited to share his life’s work—his expansive garden—with his former ward. Korvin soon begins courting Yegor’s daughter, Tanya,…

  9. A Woman's Kingdom

    novelette · 1894

  10. Murder

    novelette · 1895

  11. Peasants

    novelette · 1897

  12. In the Ravine

    novelette · 1900

  13. The Prank

    short-story-collection · 2015

  14. The Tales of Melpomene

    short-story-collection · 1884

  15. Motley Stories

    short-story-collection · 1886

  16. In the Twilight

    short-story-collection · 1887

    Contains: In the Twilight, Dreams, A Trivial Occurrence, A Bad Business, At Home, The Witch, Verochka, In Court, A Restless Guest, The Requiem, On the Road, Misfortune, An Event, Agafya, Enemies, A Nightmare, On Easter Eve

  17. Innocent Speeches

    short-story-collection · 1887

  18. Stories

    short-story-collection · 1888

  19. Children

    short-story-collection · 1889

  20. Gloomy People

    short-story-collection · 1890

  21. Ward No. 6

    short-story-collection · 1893

  22. Novellas and Stories

    short-story-collection · 1894

  23. Peasants and My Life

    short-story-collection · 1897

  24. Stories

    short-story-collection · 1901

Plays (17)
  1. Platonov (Untitled Play)

    play · 1923

    C'est encore au lycée qu'Anton Palovitch Tchekhov, né en 1860 à Taganrog, un petit port du sud de la Russie, écrit une longue pièce que nous connaissons maintenant sous le titre de Platonov (le titre original, absent du manuscrit, semble…

  2. Ivanov

    play · 1887

    "In Ivanov, Anton Chekhov's first full-length play, Chekhov created a portrait of a man plagued with self-doubt and despair. Considered one of Chekhov's most elusive characters, he seeks more in life than the self-absorption and ennui he…

  3. The Wood Demon

    play · 1889

  4. The Seagull

    play · 1896

    The scene is laid in the park on SORIN'S estate. A broad avenue of trees leads away from the audience toward a lake which lies lost in the depths of the park. The avenue is obstructed by a rough stage, temporarily erected for the…

  5. Uncle Vanya

    play · 1899

    Uncle Vanya is one of Anton Checkov's four major plays. It was first performed in 1900, the year after its publication, under direction by the celebrated Konstantin Stanislavski. The text reworks an earlier play by Checkov, The Wood…

  6. Three Sisters

    play · 1901

    "Senelick's accomplishment is astounding."--Library Journal

  7. The Cherry Orchard

    play · 1904

    ""Pevear and Volokhonsky are at once scrupulous translators and vivid stylists of English."-The New YorkerThere have always been two versions of Chekhov's heartrending and humorous masterwork: the one with which we are all familiar,…

  8. On the High Road

    play · 1884

  9. On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco

    play · 1886

  10. Swansong

    play · 1887

  11. The Bear

    play · 1888

  12. A Marriage Proposal

    play · 1889

  13. A Tragedian in Spite of Himself

    play · 1889

  14. The Wedding

    play · 1889

  15. Tatiana Repina

    play · 1889

  16. The Night before the Trial

    play · 1886

  17. The Anniversary

    play · 1891

Frequently asked questions about Anton Chekhov

When and where was Anton Chekhov born, and when did he die?

Chekhov was born in Taganrog, Russia, on January 17, 1860, and died in Badenweiler, Germany, on July 2, 1904. These dates are January 29 and July 15, respectively, in the Gregorian calendar.

Sources: encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)

Who was Anton Chekhov?

Anton Chekhov was a Russian physician, short-story writer, and dramatist. He is considered one of the major short-story writers and playwrights of modern times.

Source: encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)

Was Anton Chekhov a doctor as well as a writer?

Yes. Chekhov studied medicine at Moscow University, practiced as a physician, and continued providing free medical care while pursuing his literary career.

Sources: med.stanford.edu (opens in a new tab)encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)

What influenced Anton Chekhov’s writing?

Chekhov was influenced by Russian realist traditions and by Leo Tolstoy’s moral and philosophical ideas, though his experience investigating conditions on Sakhalin Island led him to question some of Tolstoy’s views. His medical work also sharpened his attention to human suffering and behavior.

Sources: encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)med.stanford.edu (opens in a new tab)

What honors did Anton Chekhov receive, and why is he still important?

Chekhov received the Academy of Sciences’ Pushkin Prize in 1888 and was elected to the Imperial Academy in 1900. His economical, psychologically focused fiction and innovative drama helped establish the modern short story and strongly influenced later writers.

Sources: encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)academic.oup.com (opens in a new tab)