Nothing is more beautiful or frightening than an incoming storm.
Or several. Here in Northern California we are expecting another atmospheric river. The next time you hear from me, I might have gills.
“The open doors of small shops and taverns gaped wearily out at God’s world, like many hungry jaws.” From Chameleon
Meanwhile, closer to the ground, signs of Spring. Whenever the weather is as gloomy and grey as it has been, I’m drawn … once again and forever more to … Anton Chekhov. I’ve had a crush on him since I was a teenager … before the Beatles, before the Stones, there was Chekhov.
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was not only one of Russia’s most celebrated authors, he was also a doctor and a humanitarian. The misery he often wrote about, he’d seen first hand.
“This poor, foolish queer creature, whom I loved the more warmly the more ragged and dirty his smart summer overcoat became, had come to Moscow, five months before, to look for a job as copying-clerk.” From Oysters
“It seems to me that in the presence of Anton Pavlovich everyone felt an unconscious desire to be simpler, more truthful, more himself ... ” Maxim Gorky, after visiting Chekhov in his dying days
I’ve read that in Russia he is still most famous for the “comics” (100 word articles written under strict deadlines for newspaper). They’ve been described as “uninspired sneers at the weaknesses and follies of mankind,” “a sanctuary of every kind of vulgarity and bad taste,” “trivial buffoonery,” “lacking the normal gift of nonsense,” and finally, “unworthy of translation.” Ouch! But hey, we all have to start somewhere.
Are you drawn to read about long dead Russian authors on dark and dreary days? Or am I strange?
“Any idiot can face a crisis; it’s the day to day living that knocks you out.” Anton Chekhov
Saying nothing in particular 
We’ve been watching your crazy weather out that way. Poor California can’t catch a break.
No signs of spring for us I’m afraid…
So far it hasn’t been as bad as expected here but it’s really bad along the coast and the mountains are getting hammered.
Tomorrow’s supposed to be a doozy, buckle up. I don’t think I have ever read any long dead Russian authors, actually…
The Russian writers can be challenging to read – I will admit a few of them are a little too much for me but Chekhov wrote primarily short, character driven stories.
Hi Jan,
Like you, I had a Russian period. It was a sort of requirement for my education. I was told that the heart of literature was with the English, the soul with the French, and the liver with the Russians. When I asked about the gall bladder, the professor said, oh, that’s Russian too … excess acid and all of that, and then I realized he had been drinking in his office. It was a small school and the afternoons were quiet. His wife had divorced him. She was half Russian, but he said it was the worst half and he used to tell me about Russian women poisoning their husbands and I really liked him. You would have too. He often wore a cape in bad weather. Duke
In high school I had a friend who loved Crime and Punishment (like me – he was a college professor’s kid and we were all reading books we couldn’t possibly understand and wouldn’t for a long time) He didn’t like Chekhov I think because he was jealous! He fancied himself a tortured poet whom women couldn’t resist. Yes, I would have enjoyed your professor!
Beautiful shots. We have had our share of the rain, here on the East Coast…but, we are nowhere near Spring.
I must confess that I know little of Russian authors. I have heard of Gorky Park, thanks to the band Scorpions.
The only Russian author most people have even heard about is Tolstoy and that’s because they have made a few of his books into movies.
Ok. War and Peace, Anna Karenina…
“Are you drawn to read about long dead Russian authors on dark and dreary days? Or am I strange?”
Actually, Jan, your thoughts on Russian authors make me want to read about them. Thanks!
(Storms are coming to central California, too. Oh me, oh my. A good time for reading.)
Make sure to hunker down – I think Central Cal is supposed to get the worst!
My wife and I are at the Oregon coast right now. Lovely sunset and the sounds of the crashing surf. Our storms will not doubt come.
Love the sound of the crashing surf! Storms on the coast can be very exciting.
It’s not strange at all! There’s something captivating about diving into the works of long-dead Russian authors, especially on dark and dreary days.
Thanks! It’s easier to understand their work when the weather is so …. Russian!
I’ve never read Chekov, although I did go through a phase many years ago of reading Russian authors. I hadn’t realised he had such a short life; he was obviously very productive.
Yes he was. He liked to say his wife was his medical practice and his mistress was his writing. I think the two just wore him out.
If that’s how he felt about it, I can see his point!
Hi. I hope the storms turn out to be nowhere near as bad as predicted.
Thanks! It’s pretty dreary here but so far not the complete disaster they expected – further south that’s not the story.
Second picture is amazing. Great shot. 👍
Thank you – I shot the picture without looking at the sun otherwise I would have been blinded.
I read the Russians mostly when I was in College. Still have them on my shelves. Just read “La mouette”, the seagull is it in English. Also read Soljenitsyn… Russia is a very different culture. I wonder whether reading the Russians again would help me understand what is going on now?
😉
Unlike other Russian authors, Chekhov wasn’t from a aristocratic family and he also wasn’t particularly religious. So his short stories are focused on everyday Russian life – generally the stupidity and cruelty of rich over the poor.
And that is eternal isn’t it? We had Lucn on Sunday with one of our daughters. Nice outside terrace. Good place, good food. As we arrived, there was an old man playing guitar on the street. Common. He had his amplifier a bit loud. Ok. One of the clients got up, practically threw 3 banknotes at the musician 200’s or 500’s, judging by the colour and told him to beat it… The guy packed. I was mad…
That’s true – you never know.
Nothing I could do though. This country is too violent. The client might have been packing for all I know… Sigh,
Hi Jan, I am drawn to reading long dead authors whatever the weather. I can’t say they are necessarily Russian. They are most commonly British or American, but I am currently reading A Town Like Alice which is Australian.
Books set in Australia always have that frontier feeling to me. Men against the elements! But then I haven’t read too many other than The Thorn Birds. I’ll be interested in your review!
This book is very frontier styled but the MC is. Woman.
While I agree with the ending Chekhov quote, I’ve never once in my life been drawn to reading any dead Russian author. Only read Solzhenitsyn’s Ivan Denisovich because I had to in high school. However I applaud you for your reading habit. Good for you, not for me.
Unlike most Russian authors, Chekhov wrote mostly short stories and so he’s a bit easier to take. BTW – I just tried to read Agatha Christie and couldn’t! To me, she kind of read like Tolstoy – too many characters with too many pet names.
I don’t know if I’d like AC now as an adult or not. Interesting observation. It’s been years…
Interesting… I have not read Chekhov, and I appreciate the glimpse you’ve shared.
I’d like to read more, but I also like drawing and sewing which takes up my nights. So, thank you for this!
Hope you haven’t had to form gills, and that you and yours are okay!
Of course! They are classics.
Chekhov, Gorky, Gogol, Pushkin, Turgenev, Nabokov, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy….you name it. I love how they engage in political, social, religious and moral debates through their storytelling.
Not to mention all the family fireworks!