Rating: 
Summary: 5 for Chekhov, 3 for Translators
Review: These stories are dream-like glimpses into lives. There is no overarching philosophy behind them, only pathos. They say life is mysterious, transcient, often ugly, nevertheless beautiful. That's Chekhov, the consummate artist.But I found the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation a little dry compared to the Garnett. Not familiar with Russian myself, I can't say if the P/V is truer to the original or not. It probably is because Garnett's Russian wasn't all too reliable, but she had a better ear. Her English is smoother, more idiomatic. e.g. From "The Darling" P/V : "tears occasionally came to her eyes. In the end, Kukin's misfortunes touched her, and she fell in love with him." Garnett : "sometimes tears came into her eyes. In the end his misfortunes touched her, she grew to love him." Sometimes is less stuffy than occasionally. "Kukin" instead of his is stilting. "She grew to love him" just plain sounds better.
Rating:
Summary: 5 for Chekhov, 3 for Translators
Review: These stories are dream-like glimpses into lives. They say life is mysterious, transcient, often ugly, nevertheless beautiful. That's Chekhov, the consummate artist.
But I found the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation a little dry compared to the Garnett. Not familiar with Russian myself, I can't say if the P/V is truer to the original or not. It probably is because Garnett's Russian wasn't all too reliable, but she had a better ear. Her English is smoother, more idiomatic.
e.g. From "The Darling"
P/V : "tears occasionally came to her eyes. In the end, Kukin's misfortunes touched her, and she fell in love with him."
Garnett : "sometimes tears came into her eyes. In the end his misfortunes touched her, she grew to love him."
Sometimes is less stuffy than occasionally. "Kukin" instead of his is stilting. "She grew to love him" just plain sounds better.
Rating: 
Summary: A fine selection
Review: These thirty stories provide not only a superb sampling of Chekhov's talent, but also - I'm assured - the finest translations available. I'm no expert, but I found the proof was in the reading: though they contain many of the same stories, this collection is vastly more enjoyable than "The Essential Tales of Chekhov" (translated by Constance Garnett and edited by Richard Ford). The translations by Peaver and Volokhonsky are somehow much fresher, lighter, subtler, but without losing any of the dark reality they depict. I ploughed through Ford's collection with difficulty, but the Peaver/Volokhonsky edition was a delight. Helpfully supplemented by end notes, dates of composition and a learned introduction, this edition clearly tracks the development and deviations of Chekhov's talent: short, satirical character studies and tragi-comic romances sit comfortably alongside stories which more seriously and sympathetically explore the nineteenth-century Russian way of life. The longer stories such as 'Ward No.6' and 'A Boring Story' are particularly impressive but, for me, it's in the later stories such as 'The Lady With the Little Dog', 'A Medical Case' and 'The Fiancée' that Chekhov really hits the mark. Like most of the grim offerings of Russian literature, Chekhov's stories aren't for everyone. They render a sobering portrait of pre-Revolutionary Russia: a world of oppressive poverty, cruel winters, loveless marriages, and a remarkable number of consumptive relatives lying on stoves. And those looking for gripping plots or surprise endings should look elsewhere. But those who appreciate delicate observations, 'slice-of-life' narratives, and the occasional epiphany, will find plenty to enjoy here.
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