One of a generation on the brink of tremendous social upheaval, Anton Chekhov (1860-1904), despite his flashes of humour, paints in his plays an essentially tragic picture of Russian society. The plays in this volume--Ivanov, The Cherry Orchard, The Seagull, Uncle Vania and The Three Sisters, together with three one-act "jests" - all display Chechkov's overwhelming sense of the tedium and futility of everyday life. Yet his representation of human relationships is infinitely sympathetic, and each play contains at least one character who expresses Chekhov's hope for a brighter future.

Contents:

• Ivanov
• The Seagull
• Uncle Vanya
• The Three Sisters
• The Cherry Orchard
• The Bear
• The Proposal
• A Jubilee