Chekhov’s stories are difficult to write about. Even professional literary critics will often preface their analyses by reminding readers of the subtle, delicate, nuanced nature of Chekhov’s innovations. Imagine my delight then when, in the context of our WR 100 seminar on nineteenth century Russian literary masterpieces, I sat down to read Sandya Kola’s final paper. It is an ambitious and original investigation into one of Chekhov’s most famous—and most studied—stories, “The Lady with the Little Dog.” The psychological depth of this piece is matched by Sandya’s careful and inspired attention to Chekhov’s poetics, scene by scene, detail by detail. Using two important critical studies to frame her argument, Sandya does a wonderful job balancing their insights with her own, and comes up with a convincing conclusion about ways in which Chekhov’s characters are truly individuals.
— MARIA GAPOTCHENKO
WR 100: Russian Literary Masterpieces