About Anton Chekhov: One of Russia's greatest writers, Chekhov began his career writing jokes and anecdotes for popular magazines to support himself while he studied to become a doctor. Between 1888 and his death he single-handedly revolutionized both the drama and the short story. Near the end of his life he married an actress, Olga Knipper. He died from tuberculosis in 1904, age 44.
About this project: Constance Garnett translated and published 13 volumes of Chekhov stories in the years 1916-1922. Unfortunately, the order of the stories is almost random, and in the last volume Mrs. Garnett stated: "I regret that it is impossible to obtain the necessary information for a chronological list of all Tchehov's works." This site presents all 201 stories in the order of their publication in Russia.
About the notes: I have added notes to explain both the cultural practices of 19th century Russia and the occasional Britishisms that Mrs. Garnett used in her translations. Passages marked in blue have an explantory note at the end of the story. I am particularly indebted to Edgar H. Lehrman's A Handbook to 86 of Chekhov's Stories and Ronald Hingley's notes in the Oxford Chekhov (Volumes 4-9). A complete list of Constance Garnett's translations of Russian literature is here.
For those new to Chekhov: Reading the stories in order is a wonderful experience; however, I recommend beginning with a few humorous stories, such as "Oh! the Public!" (39), "The Orator" (92), and "A Transgression" (124). Next try one of Chekhov's most moving stories, "Misery" (45). Among the longer stories, I suggest beginning with "Ward No. 6" (166), "The Duel" (160), and "The Steppe" (148), which contains the most famous thunderstorm in literature. Finally, be sure to read the famous trilogy made of "The Man in a Case" (189), "Gooseberries" (190), and "About Love" (191).