Letters of Anton Chekhov (Tchekhov) - Penn State University

Letters of Anton Chekhov to His Family and Friends with biographical sketchForgive me, I so like your story that I am ready to write you adozen sheets, though I know I can tell you nothing new or good ….I restrain myself and am silent, fearing to bore you and to say somethingsilly.I will say once more that your story is magnificent. The publicfinds it “vague,” but to a writer who gloats over every line suchvagueness is more transparent than holy water …. Hard as I tried Icould detect only two small blots, even those are rather farfetched!(1) I think that at the beginning of the story the feeling of cold issoon blunted in the reader and becomes habitual, owing to the frequentrepetition of the word “cold,” and (2), the word “glossy” isrepeated too often.There is nothing else I could find, and I feel that as one is alwaysfeeling the need of refreshing models, “Karelin’s Dream” is a splendidevent in my existence as an author. This is why I could notcontain myself and ventured to put before you some of my thoughtsand impressions.There is little good I can say about myself. I write not what I wantto be writing, and I have not enough energy or solitude to write asyou advised me …. There are many good subjects jostling in myhead—and that is all. I am sustained by hopes of the future, andwatch the present slip fruitlessly away.Forgive this long letter, and accept the sincere good wishes of yourdevotedA. CHEKHOV.70