Chekhov Becomes Chekhov: The Emergence of a Literary Genius

A revelatory portrait of Chekhov during the most extraordinary artistic surge of his life.

In 1886, a twenty-six-year-old Anton Chekhov was publishing short stories, humor pieces, and articles at an astonishing rate, and was still a practicing physician. Yet as he honed his craft and continued to draw inspiration from the vivid characters in his own life, he found himself—to his surprise and occasional embarrassment—admired by a growing legion of fans, including Tolstoy himself.

He had not...