Freedom from Violence and Lies: Anton Chekhov’s Life and Writings

Anton Chekhov's stories and plays endure as outstanding modern literary works, and his life was no less dramatic, rising from poor beginnings to become a writer, physician and philanthropist. In this new biography Michael C. Finke analyses Chekhov's major stories, plays, and non-fiction in the context of his life, fleshing out the key features of Chekhov's poetics of prose and drama, and revealing key continuities across genres as well as between the lesser-known early writings and the later works. An excellent resource for readers new to Chekhov, this book also presents much material new to scholarship, and is an accessible, comprehensive overview of one of the greatest writers of short fiction in history.

About the Author :
Michael C. Finke is Professor Emeritus of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is author or editor of many books on Chekhov including Seeing Chekhov: Life and Art (2005).

Review :
Although it would be grossly reductionist to call Michael C. Finke’s superb new life of Anton Chekhov, Freedom from Violence and Lies, a “political biography”, the book’s title is in fact drawn from what Finke calls the author’s “most famous statement about the relationship between politics and literature” . . . Whatever one makes of Chekhov's stance on artistic freedom, of his chafing at being pigeonholed, Finke does a marvellous job of threading the theme through the man's life and work . . . In some 240 pages, Finke limns a nuanced, multi-dimensional, moving portrait of Chekhov. In this essential, gripping book, Michael Finke combines biography and criticism with rare sensitivity and authority within a slight, action-packed 200 pages . . . Finke's book shows why Chekhov's life – as a writer, doctor and public figure – matters. Drawing upon new sources . . . and offering fresh readings of the epistolary and memoir literature, he tells the story of a man embedded in the social and intellectual culture of his time, and a writer whose works remain relevant in contexts unimaginable during his lifetime. Chekhov’s development as a short story writer and dramatist is neatly traced, and Finke offers apt analyses of major works . . . In the end, readers see Chekhov as an admirable figure struggling to finish The Cherry Orchard while dying, and as a man who gave unstintingly of himself to his family, his friends, the poor, and budding writers. The result is a solid starting point for those less familiar with Chekhov Finke's biography is in some ways classically Chekhovian: it is relatively brief, studiously objective, and in most respects exhibits a crystalline clarity. Finke writes clearly and offers intelligent analysis of Chekhov’s stories and plays . . . useful for the general reader curious to learn more about this master of Russian literature. Finke’s new book is a welcome addition to the literature on such an important writer . . . Notable in Finke’s book are his clear and readable style, his balance between recounting Chekhov’s brief life (he died at 44) and analyzing his most notable prose and plays, his emphasis on Chekhov’s distrust of all ideologies, and the significance of Chekhov’s medical and philanthropic activities. Recommended A crown achievement of his life-time engagement with Chekhov, Finke’s concise biography tells a compelling and comprehensive story of the Russian writer’s life and work. Written with surgical precision and creative sensitivity, this highly readable book pulsates with a multitude of insights into Chekhov as a person and an artist. Freedom from Violence and Lies will be a treasure for anyone interested in Russian literature and this great beloved writer. This valuable guide to the last great Russian writer of the nineteenth century achieves an exceptional balance between the life and the work. A wealth of biographical detail is harmoniously intertwined with rich analysis of Chekhov’s literary work, abounding with original and perspicacious interpretations. Chekhov’s life is studied in its two parallel streams – those of a writer’s career and of a medical professional. The latter further reveals competing lines of travail: as a practicing doctor, as a philanthropist, and as a student of the history and sociology of health care. The reader will enjoy a charming image of the writer, but also frequent, delicate reflections on the unique problems a scholar of Chekhov encounters, fascinating excavations into the deeper reaches of Chekhov’s work, and subtle commentaries on his poetics. An intellectual endeavor of considerable complexity, Finke’s book will have a distinguished place amidst the vast literature on Chekhov. Finke’s book offers both a superb introduction for the uninitiated and a substantive contribution to the scholarly corpus . . . his discussions of particular works are nothing short of luminous in analytical depth and insight – and yet, they are invaluable above all in the kind of process they model for approaching Chekhov’s work at large. In this deft movement between part and whole, Finke uncovers productive strategies for juxtaposing and integrating the disparate elements of Chekhov’s textual world, for discerning resonance, forging connections, and letting the music sound . . . Truly, in every respect, Michael Finke’s treatment of Chekhov’s literary work is a tour de force.