THE SHORT STORIES OF ANTON PAVLOVICH CHEKHOV The Kiss, The Two Volodyas, Fear, The Lady with the Dog, The Darling, Chameleon, Oysters, Chekhov: A

The subtlety and grace of Chekhov were never more apparent than in this collection of seven of his most interesting stories, including "The Kiss," "Fear," and "The Two Volodyas." It is richly done, with lifelike sound effects and a delicate musical score woven skillfully into Charlton Griffin's impeccable narration. Griffin creates both fine characterizations and the intimate tone of the master storyteller. His reading is languid and cosmopolitan, filled with the fin-de-siecle ennui that is so characteristically Chekhov, while at the same time deeply evocative. Many short stories are typically difficult to follow in audio, because they are so tightly written, but this production is such a full sensory experience that attention never wavers. One can only hope that Audio Connoisseur intends to complete this collection. P.E.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/ JAN 02]