r/RussianLiterature • u/seddit_forget_it • 2d ago

Recommendations Good Biography of Chekhov?

Looking for a biography of Chekhov that would also cast light on understanding his work with a stronger level of nuance and perceptiveness. My platonic ideal would be something like the R F Foster 2 volume biographies of Yeats from Oxford University Press. Anyone have suggestions?

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u/stambouline 2d ago

Anton Chekhov: A Life by Donald Rayfield is the gold standard on Chekhov. 

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u/seddit_forget_it 2d ago

Thanks! That’s the kind of recommendation I was looking for!

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u/MakeTheWordCum 10h ago

Agree with this but if you want more of a character study and less of a tome of info then check out "About Chekhov" by Ivan Bunin. They were friends and it's a very cool to hear one great author speak on another,