Kaksintaistelu

Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich, 1860-1904Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.2

Word count: 234K words
Chapters: 24

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Kaksintaistelu by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. Author: Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich, 1860-1904. Language: Finnish. Class: PG: Language and Literatures: Slavic (including Russian), Languages and Literature. Release Date: Feb 17, 2013

Editor's review

The Duel is an often underrated novella among Chekhov's longer fiction. This Finnish translation, released free by Project Gutenberg, gives Finnish-language readers and Chekhov scholars a convenient electronic text. The story revolves around an apparently inevitable duel, yet devotes much of its space to the characters' inner hesitation, self-justification, and moral inertia. Readers can see Chekhov's signature restraint: he does not rush to judge his characters but lets them gradually reveal their weakness and sincerity through everyday dialogue and monologue. For readers familiar with Chekhov's plays, this work deepens their understanding of his narrative art; for those studying Finnish or comparative literature, it is a moderately long text in language that is not overly difficult. One caveat: this is the Finnish version, so Chinese readers who do not know Finnish will find it better as supplementary reading alongside the original than as a first choice.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature lovers familiar with Chekhov's plays who want to explore his fiction
Language learners studying Finnish who need a medium-length literary text
Comparative literature readers working on Russian literature or Nordic translation
Readers who enjoy novellas with delicate psychological portraiture and restrained plotting

Not a good fit for

General readers who do not know Finnish and only want a Chinese translation
Genre-fiction readers who prefer strong plots and fast pacing
Action-oriented readers expecting dramatic duel scenes

Reading tips

Read a Chinese translation first to grasp the plot, then compare it with the Finnish original to feel the rhythm of the language.
Pay attention to how the protagonist's phrasing changes each time he justifies himself; that is the key to understanding the character.
Read it alongside other Chekhov novellas to observe his habitual handling of moral dilemmas.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese?

No. This edition is a Finnish translation released by Project Gutenberg, and the text is in Finnish. Chinese readers need reading knowledge of Finnish or should use it alongside a Chinese translation.

Can I read it without any Finnish?

Your reading experience will be very limited. It is better to find a Chinese translation first to understand the story, then use this edition as language-learning or comparative material rather than as a stand-alone read.

Is this a good starting point for Chekhov?

Not the most typical choice for beginners. Chekhov's short stories and four major plays are more often recommended to first-time readers; The Duel suits readers who have already read some Chekhov and want a deeper look at his psychological narrative.

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About the author

Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich, 1860-1904 Author

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904) was a renowned Russian short-story writer and playwright. The collection holds forty of his works, including Uncle Vanya, The Sea-Gull, The Schoolmistress, and Other Stories, The Witch, and Other Stories, as well as a compilation of his short stories and his letters. His plays are often set in country life, revealing beneath its quiet surface the characters' inner sorrows and hopes; his short stories are concise and restrained, uncovering human nature and the spirit of the age through ordinary incidents. Though his works here are often classed as inspirational growth, they are better seen as profound observations of life's predicaments. Public information is limited, so biographical details are omitted.