The Duel and Other Stories

Chekhov, a renowned Russian short story writer and playwright, uniquely blended his medical career with literature, famously referring to medicine as his "lawful wife" and literature as his "mistress." Although he initially distanced himself from theater after the mixed reception of The Seagull, his works were later celebrated by the Moscow Art Theatre. Chekhov's innovative style featured early stream-of-consciousness techniques and a departure from conventional story structures, making his contributions to literature and drama highly influential.