Chekhov Becomes Chekhov: The Emergence of a Literary Genius

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Product Details
Price
$29.95  $27.85
Publisher
Pegasus Books
Publish Date
Pages
400
Dimensions
6.34 X 9.28 X 1.59 inches | 1.42 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781639362646

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About the Author
Bob Blaisdell is Professor of English at the City University of New York's Kingsborough College and the author of Creating Anna Karenina. He is a reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The Christian Science Monitor, and the editor of more than three dozen Dover literature and poetry collections, including a collection of Chekhov's love stores. He lives in New York City.
Reviews
Praise for Creating Anna Karenina:

"That Creating Anna Karenina is a major contribution to Tolstoy scholarship makes it no less of a delight to read. Blaisdell's passion for the subject, and his always-surprising discoveries about the great man and his creation, kept me turning the pages unstoppably. This is a wonderful book."--Ian Frazier, author of Travels in Siberia, staff writer at The New Yorker
"Captivating. How did Anna Karenina evolve from a trivial high-society adulteress, whom Tolstoy despised, into one of the deepest, most sensitive tragic heroines in all of literature? What happened inside Tolstoy to condition this metamorphosis? Creating Anna Karenina is a worthy companion to the novel."--Janet Fitch "Los Angeles Review of Books"
"In its study of the comings and goings of the Tolstoy household at the time of the novel's composition, Creating Anna Karenina asks if one of the world's greatest novels was in fact just as much a product of everyday minutia--like who stops by for a visit with what kind of gossip to tell--as it was the culmination of long-simmering ideas about morality and desire."

-- "The New Republic"
"A fuller understanding of any work--and especially of its creation--requires the resurrection of its creator and his milieu. Blaisdell manages to do precisely that."--Boris Dralyuk, Executive Editor, Los Angeles Review of Books, from the Foreword
"Blaisdell conjures the novelist's world, and painstakingly reveals the overlaps with the world of the novel. Tolstoy breathed in his world, and exhaled the novel."--Professor Michael Denner, Editor of Tolstoy Studies Journal
"A riveting account of Tolstoy's composition of Anna Karenina. Tolstoy comes to life as a complex individual defying easy classification. Tolstoy's fans will relish learning from, and, occasionally, arguing with Blaisdell's opinions. This passionate book is almost impossible to put down."-- "Publishers Weekly"
"A celebration of the enduring power of literary creativity. The mystery of Chekhov's genius is thrown into even sharper relief, a rare accomplishment in a genre that's often the playground of know-it-alls. Blaisdell's reading reaps handsome rewards. The author's overflowing enthusiasm never distracts from the main performance--Anton Chekhov's miraculous transformation from paid humorist to profound commentator on the human condition. As we turn the pages of Chekhov Becomes Chekhov, the author's delight is ours, too."-- "The Wall Street Journal"
"A work of love...Blaisdell's incredibly researched work is a treasure trove of insight and information for scholars and fans of Russian literature. For generations to come, it will be a staple for Chekhov studies." -- "Library Journal, starred review"
"Two years in the life and work of the Russian master, where Blaisdell draws from Chekhov's personal correspondence and references several previous biographies in conjunction with close readings of his numerous stories. Blaisdell offers meaningful insights into Chekhov's life and writing."-- "Kirkus Reviews"