Supreme among the world's short story writers, Anton Chekhov is here represented by twenty-two of his most characteristic tales. For their range and variety, for their acuteness of observation and for their simple humanity, these stories reveal the fullest powers of his genius. Chekhov's unfailing insight into the lives of ordinary people, his ability to dramatize the most commonplace situations and his gentle humor made him not only one of the greatest of short-story writers but also one of the most beloved.