The Slanderer

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

3.8

Word count: 7.7K words
Chapters: 1

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.The Slanderer by Anton Pavlovich ChekhovAuthor: Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich, 1860-1904,Language: English, Class: PG: Language and Literatures: Slavic (including Russian), Languages and Literature, Release Date: Oct 17, 2007

Editor's review

Chekhov's early short story "The Slanderer" is brief, yet it already reveals the satirical touch that would become his hallmark: a misunderstanding sparked by idle gossip is amplified through the self-interested calculations of bureaucrats and townsfolk until it produces absurd consequences. Its value lies in the economy with which it sketches the chain reaction of credulity, vanity, and buck-passing in human nature, making the reader laugh while feeling a slight chill. It works well as an entry point into Chekhov's world—short, tightly plotted, and clear in its satirical intent—and is also suited to classroom discussion of how rumors ferment within social relationships. The English translation is concise, driven largely by dialogue, and easy to read. It should be noted that this is an early apprentice piece, still some distance from the depth of his mature work; readers should not judge it by the standard of stories like "The Lady with the Dog." As a public-domain e-book, it is ideal for reading in one sitting on a commute or between classes, then returning to savor the details.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers new to Chekhov who want to start with a short story
Those interested in satire and the observation of human nature
Teachers and students who need short material for classroom discussion
Learners who want to keep up their reading habit with short English texts

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting the depth and restraint of Chekhov's mature period
Readers who prefer full-length narratives and have little patience for short sketches
Beginners who need detailed notes or a Chinese translation alongside

Reading tips

Read straight through the first time to follow the plot; on the second pass, note the evasion and self-justification in the characters' dialogue
After reading, trace each step by which the rumor spreads out of control and map the chain of relationships among the characters
Read it alongside other early Chekhov stories to observe how his satirical technique evolved
Try reading the dialogue passages aloud to feel the rhythm and subtext

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

How long is this story, and how long does it take to read?

It is an early Chekhov short story, very brief; the English original can usually be read in one sitting, in roughly twenty to forty minutes. It suits a single reading in spare moments and is easy to reread for details.

Why is it said to embody Chekhov's satirical style?

The story revolves around how a piece of gossip is amplified, retold, and exploited by various characters out of self-interest. It does not rely on exaggerated plot but on dialogue driven by the characters' self-interested calculations to build a sense of absurdity. This method of revealing human weakness through everyday trivialities is characteristic of Chekhov's satire.

Is the English version difficult to read?

The translation is concise, consisting mainly of dialogue and scene description, with uncomplicated sentence structures; an intermediate level of English is enough to read it smoothly. A few period expressions may require a dictionary but do not hinder overall comprehension.

Is it suitable as discussion material in class?

Yes. It is short and thematically focused, making it easy to read and discuss within a class period. Questions can be designed around rumor spreading, bureaucratic psychology, and credulity and buck-passing in social relationships; it also works as a model for analyzing satirical writing.

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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.