Ward No. 6 and Other Stories (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

I'm not sure everybody in this section is reviewing the same book. Some other reviews make mention of there being twenty stories in the compilation. I read the Oxford World's Classics edition, ISBN 0-19-283733-8, which comprises seven stories: THE BUTTERFLY WARD NUMBER SIX ARIADNE A DREARY STORY NEIGHBORS AN ANONYMOUS STORY and DOCTOR STARTSEV These are not upbeat tales. I guess the common thread running through them is a very life-weary feel. Chekov does a good job depicting the hardships of 19th century Russia. The title story concerns itself with country doctor Ragin who would rather talk philosophy with mental patients in Ward Six than round on his other cases. Enter an upstart new doctor Khobotov fresh from the city, who covets Ragin's easy practice. Over time, townspeople start to wonder whether Ragin's prolonged association with the mental patients signifies that he himself may actually be mentally ill. The brilliance of the storytelling is in the uncertainties... could Ragin actually be mentally ill? is this a ploy by Khobotov to usurp Ragin's appointment? is Averanovich Ragin's friend or foe? Although this parable is quite short (47 pages), the complexities running through it are more like what I would expect from a much longer work. "The Butterfly" and "Ariadne" and "An Anonymouys Story" are cautionary tales about romances built on poor foundations. "Doctor Startsev" is a variation on this theme- a romance which had potential, but which was never allowed to blossom. In "A Dreary Story", an accomplished academic looks back on his career with disillusionment, and contempt for most of his peers. In that respect, it reminds me of that old movie "The Browning Version". Unfortunately, "Dreary Story" is, in fact, dreary - and offers none of the uplifting redemption that "Browning Version" does. If you liked Tolstoy's Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories: the Raid Woodfelling Three Deaths Polikushka the Death of Ivan Ilyich after the Ball the Forged Coupon, you should enjoy these selections

Chekov brings a warmth and "fleshiness" to Russian fiction that is not so prominent in the works of other authors. This collection of short stories provides a big taste of 18th and 19th century Russian peasant life. Characters are real people, with humor and sadness, dedication and flightiness, and most of all roots in the ground. For the stories, I really loved the book. Because of Chekov's insistent realism, the pain and pleasure of these fictional characters were just as real as if I were reading a biography. The editing and organization of the stories is flawless, with each story leading positioned well with the story before and after it. What I found disappointing was the commentary in the preface and the afterword and "study guide". Compare the rich and complete commentary of Penguin Classic's Crime and Punishment to the vapid and wholly uninteresting opinion piece of Barnes and Noble's Ward No. 6. In the former, the commentator provides context, insight, and relevant information regarding the story to follow. That commentary makes the book richer and more enjoyable. The latter (this book) commentary provides no such context, no insight, and not a shred of relevant information regarding the stories, Chekov, of related literature. It seems to be little more than a hack-job criticism of Super-realism and the author's own biases. The study section at the end is again more of the same. The followup questions focus on the commentary rather than the text, so students are turned against the author for his style rather than towards the value of the literature itself. The short blurb about some Katherine Mansfield seems wholly out of place with neither relevancy to the stories nor connection to the commentary. I recommend the book for its stories, but skip everything preceding and following.

Chekhov is considered to be one of the greatest short story writers in the world. His short novels and short stories are powerful, intense, different, and meaningful. This book has one of the best of these stories, the very intense "Ward Number Six". "Ward Number Six" feels like it's a full story by itself. It is, after all, around 45 pages long. Not a full novel, perhaps, but certainly a complete story. What is nice about it, is that it's interesting, drawing, and we get to know the characters well. It's written in Chekhov's typical good writing style, so that's also a plus. The other stories here too are interesting. "The Butterfly", for example, is a sort of sad little story, but still good. "Ariadne", however, stands above as the strangest story I've ever read. It's told as a story someone told the narrarator, so at some point it just ends, because the rest hasn't happened yet. While a fascinating story, it's funny how it just ENDS. My only disappointment is that it's so short of a collection. Considering the fact that "Ward Number Six" takes up most of the pages, there are few other stories here. I suppose it's because Oxford World Classics also have other Chekhov collections published and want readers to buy as many as possible. That's quite frustrating. That is the reason for the 4 star rating. It's a nice collection, but I wish there could be a collection with more than a handful of stories.

This volume contains six stories by Chekhov , Ward Six, The Duel, A Dull Story, My Life, The Name- Day Party, In the Ravine. It is translated by Ann Dunnigan and has an insightful afterword by Rufus W. Mathewson. I have been reading a lot of Chekhov lately, and have also written a number of reviews on his story collections. However I now have the sense that I have previously missed completely an important side of Chekhov, if not a very attractive one. I have previously tended to see Chekhov as an author who shows great sympathy and even love for his characters, whose careful description of their pains and sufferings comes out of his own strong identification with them. But here I sense something quite different . In the title story ' The Ward' Chekhov presents a picture of a small - town's insane asylum. He presents a picture of the aristocratic and lonely supervisor , Dr. Andrei Yefimych Ragin and of the various inmates .As is usually the case with Chekhov the descriptions of the characters are lively and moving, and give insight not only in regard to their physical presence, but their moral and spiritual state. In the course of this story we see much of the cruelty, irrationality and absurdity of the world. This is often the case in Chekhov's stories. There is also in this story the kind of intellectual dialogue between the only two of its characters capable of this Ragin, and Ivan Dmitrich- a kind of dialogue that Russian literature so excels at. These dialogues illuminate character and provide metaphysical depth. In this particular story the main character comes to suffer a tremendous injustice, and in the end be confined to the very same asylum he once managed. The story like so many of Chekhov's story holds the reader , amuses the reader, gives the reader a glance at life and characters in a way never seen before. In other words there is another Chekhov classic well worth reading. My own problem is that in this work( rightly or wrongly, and importantly or not) I sensed not simply the cruelty of circumstance, fate and life , a cruelty so often the theme of Chekhov's work- I also sensed a certain cruelty in the author himself, in the voice of the story. Again this may not be important to other readers. For me however it is. For while it may not impinge upon Chekhov's literary greatness it does impinge upon my sense of his moral worthiness. And here I am made to think of how often in Russian literature characters go from one extreme to another, and how the most kind can become in an instant the most cruel. But again and most importantly for the reader. There are not so many great works, and not so many literary classics. 'Ward Six' is one of them.

I am a junior doc and enjoying reading these stories after work. Conditions is hospitals are better then those Chekhov described and no-one wears frock coats anymore, but the things that are said in Ward number 6 resonate with things you hear disaffected doctors saying. Short engaging stories. Ideal for a week of nights.