Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) is primarily known to Americans as a brilliant playwright of late 19th-century soulful Russian malaise. But he also wrote farces for the stage, as well as collections of short stories, from early comedic sketches to the more serious fare that defined his mature style. According to British scholar Bartlett (Wagner and Russia
), Chekhov's range grew out of a restless spirit of adventure and love of travel. Bartlett calls her biography "deliberately impressionistic," which is an apt description, since she organizes it by place, from her subject's childhood on the steppes to Moscow, the far reaches of Siberia and beyond. This can lead to some confusion and the necessity to return to the same events repeatedly, but the book succeeds in ways that chronological biographies cannot. Using Chekhov's correspondence with relatives, editors and friends, as well as a knowledge of the geography and history of the Russian empire, Bartlett brings an era to life. Although long trapped by the official Soviet account of his life, Chekhov is here revealed as a man deeply attached to both natural settings and his relationships with the people around him. B&w photos. (Mar. 1)
