My Life is the Story of a Country Boy

Author's name: Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov, widely regarded as the greatest short story writer of all time, was also a master of the novel. His most celebrated creation, the delightfully racy My Life, depicts the story of a rebellious young man so disgusted with bourgeois society that he gives up living among the working classes, only to find himself confronted with the morally and mentally fatal effects of provincial life. It is also part commentary on Tolstoy's philosophy, and has an autobiographical aspect set against Chekhov's small-town backdrop. But most importantly, it features Chekhov at his most accomplished, displaying all his famous strengths: vivid characters, limited but telling detail, brilliant psychological observation, and one of his most poignant themes: the struggle of youth to maintain idealism against increasing isolation.