In the Dark

‘In the Dark’ is a darkly humorous short story by Anton Chekhov about a couple awoken during the night by a sneezing fit. This absurdist scene quickly becomes terrifying as the wife attempts to convince her husband that a haunting figure has entered the house. Chekhov uses humour to cut the tension that rises both between the couple and for the reader. This dialogue-driven character study displays the blend of wit and morbidity that the author and playwright would later become celebrated fo...