"The Russian-born biographer Henri Tryout presents the lives of the Russian novelists with the vividness and drama they brought to their own fiction. With Chekhov, . . . he creates an indelible portrait of the writer closest to his own temperament and the most modern of the Russian masters." from book jacket

"My father began my education or, to put it more simply, began to beat me, before I reached the age of five," wrote Anton Chekhov of his earliest memories. "Every morning as I awoke, my first thought was, 'Will I be beaten today?'"

The grandson of a serf and the son of a fanatically religious and domineering father, young Chekhov had a hard start to life. Often forced to work in his father's store instead of studying, Chekhov was at first a mediocre student. But soon he saw that the way to lift himself and his family out of poverty and degrading circumstances was by becoming a professional. He studied to be a doctor, and began writing and publishing scads of humorous short stories as a way to make a little income. He would later often refer to his profession as a doctor as his wife, and his writing as his mistress.

Despite his treatment at his father's hands and the dissolute lives of his two older brothers, Anton accepted that it has his job to take care of the family, and took responsibility for supporting them (including his five siblings). Despite the financial burden, Anton often treated patients for free, and spent a great deal of time working for the common good: building schools, libraries, a sanitarium, raising money for famine victims, and acting as a public health officer during cholera outbreaks. He believed that a better future would be built through good works, not through political action or religious interventions.

A firm believer in science and an agnostic, it was surprising that he admired Tolstoy greatly, and the two grew to visit one another and have long conversations. Chekhov was closest with Gorky and Bunin, two other great Russian authors, although these two looked up to Chekhov the way Chekhov did to Tolstoy. Tolstoy often berated Chekhov for not imbuing his works with a moral message, and others chivied him for not taking a political stance. But Chekhov was a staunch believer that the author's job was to hold a mirror up to life and to let the reader make what conclusions (and take what actions) they would. Troyat wrote that there was "no intellectual force-feeding, there is complicity" between Chekhov and his readers.

The sincerity and moderation in his works, mirrored his personal life. Self-effacing and retiring, Chekhov hated emotional outpourings. He never turned away a visitor or a young author looking for help, but found them exhausting too. Never happy staying in one place long, he was constantly changing residences from dacha to Moscow or Petersburg, the Crimea, Europe. He enjoyed the company of witty women, but always pulled away when they got too close. He loved attending the theater, but never felt as though he were a good playwright. And often his plays were misunderstood or misrepresented at first, and it was often only when the public embraced them that the critics came around.

Unfortunately all of his adult life, Chekhov suffered from tuberculosis and other illnesses. He carried a leather pouch into which he would spit or cough blood, but for years refused treatment. He was solicitous of his patients, but not of himself. By ignoring his illness, he both focused on living and avoided the emotional attentions of others. Troyat writes, "As much as he delighted in seeing the theater resemble life, he despised seeing life resemble the theater." When Chekhov finally did fall in love and marry in 1901 at the age of 41, he was in the last stages of his life. His wife, a vibrant actress named Olga, continued to pursue her career in Moscow, while Chekhov became less and less able to leave Yalta. He died at the age of 44, a tremendously esteemed, though not well-remunerated, author.

I loved this biography, not only because the story of Chekhov's life was interesting, but because Troyat's writing and treatment of his subject is so well-done. Replete with quotations from Chekhov's library of letters (also translated by Heim), Troyat moves seamlessly between Chekhov's words and his own. Troyat keeps himself in the background, yet creates a narrative that is warm and enjoyable to read. I look forward to reading more of Troyat's many biographies and hope to try some of his novels as well. As for Chekhov, I have a much greater appreciation for the man, as well as his writing. ( )

Superbe. C'est un experience d'illumination de trouver que Tchekhov, un des plus grands maitres de la littérature, était aussi un homme de charme, loyauté et générosité. Et comme Shakespeare, d'origine très humble, une preuve que la genie n'a pas besoin de famille élevée, ni d'éducation priviligée. Et parmi les fanatiques russes de religion (ici principalement Tolstoy) et de révolution politique (Gorky parmi ses amis), il gardait une vue de l'univers sceptique, matérialiste, mais plein d'espoir .
Troyat a réussi d'entrer dans la vie intérieur de son sujet, ses passions et ses souffrances et de décrire son milieu familiale et social avec un clarité admirable et un style élégant. Je crois qu'il est moins qu'un grand romancier mais, certes, un grand biographe. ( )

Biografie van Anton Pavlovitsj Tsjechov (1860-1904), grotendeels gebaseerd op briefwisselingen met familie en vrienden. Tsjechov, afkomstig uit een familie van vrijgemaakte slaven en later zelf bezitter van een landgoed, was al op jonge leeftijd kostwinner voor het ouderlijk gezin en leidde een zeer arbeidzaam leven als arts en schrijver om den brode.
De uitgave bevat wat slordigheden (zoals 1985 waar 1895 moet staan) en de vertaling is soms knullig (zoals in de zin: 'Geen van beiden durfde kritiek uitoefenen op de gewoonten van de oude jongen').
Troyat heeft veel aandacht voor details aangaande de ontvangst van in het bijzonder het theaterwerk van de schrijver, zijn vele reizen in en buiten Rusland, zijn moeizame verhouding tot veel vrouwen en de ontwikkeling van zijn ziekte (tbc). Onderhoudende biografie, soms wat wijdlopig, zonder echter saai te worden.
Interessant is de beschrijving van de vriendschappelijke verhouding met de oudere Tolstoj. De schrijvers respecteerden en bewonderden elkaar, al waren er ook verschillen van inzicht. Zo stelde Tsjechov zich politiek zoveel mogelijk neutraal op; hij was in tegenstelling tot Tolstoj, reeds bij leven een goeroe voor veel Russen, van mening dat een kunstenaar zich niet hoeft te mengen in openbare aangelegenheden. Tolstoj vond het toneelwerk van Tsjechov niets, maar was een groot liefhebber van zijn verhalen. Hij had de door hem meest geliefde persoonlijk laten inbinden en herlas ze vaak. ( )

This is a beautifully written biography about a beautiful doctor, writer, man. As always, Troyat's biography reads nearly like a novel. By the end I had become completely enamored with Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, and his vision. ( )