Contents: IntroductionPlot Summary Characters Themes Style Critical Overview Criticism Sources |
Further Reading
Bergson, Henri. “Laughter,” in Comedy, edited by Wylie Sypher, Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1956.
Bergson’s essay is included with George Meredith’s “An Essay on Comedy” and appendix essay, “The Meanings of Comedy,” by editor Sypher. The collection is an excellent source for ideas on the nature of the comic.
Bruford, W. H. Chekhov and His Russia: A Sociological Study, Archon Books (Hamden, CT), 1971.
Relates Chekhov’s work to Russia’s social structure, with a discussion of the various groups, including the merchants, landowners, intelligentsia, and the peasants; a very useful background study for The Cherry Orchard.
Fergusson, Francis. The Idea of a Theater: A Study of Ten Plays, Princeton University Press, 1972.
A highly regarded and influential introduction to theater, this study relates the structure of The Cherry Orchard to classical tragedy.
Hahn, Beverly. Chekhov: A Study of the Major Stories and Plays, Cambridge University Press, 1977.
Although a general study of both fiction and drama, work discusses The Cherry Orchard at length to answer critical assaults on Chekhov as “a melancholy and merely impressionistic dramatist.”
Kirk, Irina. Anton Chekhov, Twayne (Boston), 1981.
General introduction to Chekhov. Makes passing mention of Bergson as a relevant theorist for the comic in Chekhov.
Magarshack, David. Chekhov the Dramatist, Hill and Wang (New York), 1960.
Divides Chekhov’s plays into two categories: plays of direct and plays of indirect action (plays with significant offstage action), including The Cherry Orchard. Stresses comic structure of plays.
Priestley, J. B. Anton Chekhov, A. S. Barnes & Co. (Cranbury, NJ), 1970.
A critical biography in the “International Profiles” series, arguing that Chekhov was a better dramatist than fictionist. A good introduction to Chekhov, with illustrations.
Rayfield, Donald. Chekhov: The Evolution of His Art, Harper & Row (New York), 1975.
A critical biography that analyzes the relationship between Chekhov’s fiction and his plays, showing how each sheds light on the other.
Styan, J. L. Chekhov in Performance: A Commentary on the Major Plays, Cambridge University Press, 1971.
An act by act interpretation of Chekhov’s four major plays, particularly useful for preparing the text for performance.
Valency, Maurice. The Breaking String: The Plays of Anton Chekhov, Oxford University Press (New York), 1966.
Study focuses on Chekhov’s plays in the context of the development of modern drama in Europe and the relationship of his plays to his fiction.
