Five Plays: Ivanov, The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard (Oxford World's Classics) | 
 enlarge | Author: Anton Chekhov
Creator: Ronald Hingley
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $8.95
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Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 105804
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 0199536694
Dewey Decimal Number: 891.723
EAN: 9780199536696
ASIN: 0199536694
Publication Date: September 1, 2008
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Condition: Brand new item. Over 4 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Few left in stock - order soon. Code: O20081127203846D
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Product Description
Chekhov's worldwide reputation as a dramatist rests on five great plays: Ivanov, The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard. All are presented in this collection, taken from the authoritative Oxford Chekhov, in Ronald Hingley's acclaimed translation. Hingley has also written an introduction specifically for this volume in which he provides a detailed history of Chekhov's involvement in the theater and an assessment of his accomplishment as a dramatist.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
Why Not? June 9, 2008
Although I only bought this edition because I needed for a class and the School bookstore was sold out, why not write a review? After all, Amazon.com asked me to...
Since I only read the "Cherry Orchard", I'll focus on that. The play concerns an old aristocratic family who is facing the foreclosure of their ancenstrl estate. Their solution? Wait for something random to occur. Neither the matriarch Mrs. Ranevsky or her brother Gayev have any inclination to lift a finger to save the estate, much to the chagrin of Lopahkin and Trofimov, who continually offer advice. It's a quick play, and actually quite funny (according to my professor, Chekov only saw one production of the "Cherry Orchard" and complained it was too dark, that it should be more comedic).
So if you're stuck for something to read this summer and decide you don't have anything to prove in the literary world (unlike me who has decided to read the unabridged version of "Les Miserables)...why not read a Chekov play?
Chekhov plays April 11, 2007
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Plays in general have a tendency to be overly-dramatic. Thus the name "drama". Chekhov definitely used this drama aspect to enhance his plays. He succeeded with some, making them dramatic, awe-inspiring, and amazing. Others? Less so.
I enjoyed reading all of these plays, and I won't deny that. Some, however, are harder to read and to understand than others. It's especially difficult to remember what character is which in each play, especially since in Ivanov, all the names are long and complex. While good plays themselves, I constantly had to flip back to the character list just to remember who that is, a problem rarely found in other plays, such as Ibsen's works.
The plays themselves are good. Each one has its own charm and interest. They're a pleasant read, but a difficult one. It's not something you can just breeze through. Reading these plays needs time and effort, which may be too much for some. If you're looking for any old Chekhov, settle for his stories, like "Ward number six", or even his short little stories. If you're looking for plays (not Shakespeare, that is), go for Ibsen. If you think you can handle this, take it on, but be warned that this is not an easy read.
 Nice, but not Chekhov March 28, 2003
14 out of 17 found this review helpful
This translation is a nice effort -- at rewriting the original, extremely subtle text as a modern English drama according to the tastes and limitations of the translator. If you're looking to capture the true genius of Chekhov, try another.
 Uncle Vanya the greatest play of the last century November 20, 2002
4 out of 9 found this review helpful
There are only two modern dramatists that are masters one is Peter Shaffer who wrote the maliciously marvelous Amadeus and the plays of Anton Chekhov the best of which is uncle vanya, the best dipiction of real life its tragedy, its joy and its drama. From the Tolstoyan Astrov, to the depressed Vanya, to the beautiful but vain Yelena. This is a play about life...all people can relate to it in some way and I think Chekhov's philosophy of life is...sublime
Uncle Vanya was my personal favorite March 18, 2000
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
Anton Chekhov was a writer who was able to capture the essence of life and inter-personal relationships in his stories. His writing is simple yet powerful and emotionally affecting. Uncle Vanya deals with envy, male-female relationships, despair, and takes a look at life from a realist perspective.
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