These critically hailed translations of The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters and the other Chekhov plays are the only ones in English by a Russian-language scholar who is also a veteran Chekhovian actor.
Without compromising the spirit of the text, Paul Schmidt accurately translates Chekhov's entire theatrical canon, rescuing the humor "lost" in most academic translations while respecting the historical context and original social climate.
Schmidt's translations of Chekhov have been successfully staged all over the U.S. by such theatrical directors as Lee Strasberg, Elizabeth Swados, Peter Sellars and Robert Wilson. Critics have hailed these translations as making Chekhov fully accessible to American audiences. They are also accurate — Schmidt has been described as "the gold standard in Russian-English translation" by Michael Holquist of the Russian department at Yale University.
Stressing that the playwright's language "is ordinary language," The Plays of Anton Chekov: A New Translation by Paul Schmidt, presents "up-to-date" versions of 12 plays and sketches, including The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard.
| Introduction | 1 | |
| Swan Song | 9 | |
| The Bear | 19 | |
| The Proposal | 35 | |
| Ivanov | 51 | |
| The Seagull | 109 | |
| A Reluctant Tragic Hero | 165 | |
| The Wedding Reception | 175 | |
| The Festivities | 191 | |
| Uncle Vanya | 207 | |
| Three Sisters | 257 | |
| The Dangers of Tobacco | 323 | |
| The Cherry Orchard | 331 |
aedwards
Posted March 30, 2009
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I'm a big fan of the plays of Anton Chekhov and right now I'm taking an acting class that is centered around him and his more famous works. This translation has shown me new ways to think of the things discussed in Chekhov's seemingly difficult to understand work. This version of Three Sisters is probably my favorite version of the classic play! I like to think of this book as the middle school or high school level translation which means it's just easier for the everyday person to understand :) However if you're looking for a version that's probably a little closer to the original, it's uses more eloquent language and requires more interpretation try the 'Peguin Classics' version that's translated by Peter Carson! Enjoy!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Zebuobo
Posted March 24, 2012
Very good translation into American English.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Stringbean53
Posted April 25, 2011
Paul Schmidt's is the first translation into English which penetrates to the elusive genius, shuttling between comedy and tragedy, which marks Chekhov's great plays. No translation can be letter perfect and in a few places Mr. Schmidt misses the mark, but in so many ways this supplies a missing element which prior translations as good as they were, lacked.
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Posted May 2, 2010
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Overview
These critically hailed translations of The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters and the other Chekhov plays are the only ones in English by a Russian-language scholar who is also a veteran Chekhovian actor.
Without compromising the spirit of the text, Paul Schmidt accurately translates Chekhov's entire theatrical canon, rescuing the humor "lost" in most academic translations while respecting the historical context and original social ...