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Short, Sharp, and Heartbreaking: Why Chekhov Still Matters
The Art of Subtlety: How Chekhov’s Short Stories Reveal the Secrets of Great Storytelling
Fiction has many forms. That’s what makes it highly attractive, interesting and curious, it draws us into other worlds that we never thought of existing.
There are easy books to read. There are hard books to read. I know people who read a hard to read book because their curiosity is motivated by finding out what the author wanted to say. They do find out, their brain is wired for story, and their curiosity is endless.
The easy reading bestseller format of writing drives me nuts. It’s mostly impossible to enjoy a book that is written like a business report of who said what, and why they did it. At least show me how they did it, how they felt, and how it affected their their lives.
Then I can feel something while I read.
Long narratives in novels that we can immerse ourselves in and forget all our mundane worldly worries, or the short story that grips us and won’t let go. We walk away after an hour’s reading, and the short story still lingers in our minds. Its strength and presence won’t leave us.
