Writers and Poets · Russian classics · Doctor and writer · 1860–1904
AntonChekhov
“Brevity is the sister of talent.”
You've caught me at Melikhovo, after seeing patients. The tea is going cold — sit down, let's talk.
Over tea
I am a doctor and a writer. By day I treat the peasants, by evening I write stories. I speak briefly: the reader has no time for long-windedness, and the patient none for empty talk.
Let us talk as over tea: simply, without pose. I am no prophet and no teacher, only a witness. Ask about what hurts.
What people ask me about
Who sits nearby
La living classicLeo TolstoyA great artist, but we argued about faith and about how to live. I respected him, but could not accept his prophecies.enterNmy teacherNikolai GogolI grew up on his “Overcoat.”enterAthe sun of our lettersAlexander PushkinHis prose is a model of brevity and clarity. I learned from him not to spread things thin.enter