Funnier than you may think

Apologies for the enforced absence of Bookhound over the past few weeks, a combination of being cut off accidentally by a telecoms company, and a nasty case of bad drains meant that I haven't touched a computer in nearly a fortnight. Nor, sadly, have I had a huge amount of time to read as much as I would like. However I very much enjoyed chortling my way through 50 of Chekhov's comic short stories.

The edition I read was a revised and expanded version of Harvey Pitcher's earlier translation of these stories - many of them from early in Chekhov's career. I first came across Chekhov as an A-level Theatre Studies student reading The Seagull. I've always enjoyed Chekhov. He was my introduction to Russian literature, which I came to love (perhaps less Bookhound, more BookBorzoi). But I have had problems in seeing the funny side of Chekhov. Many of these tales however are an out-and-out delight.

A dreadful night had me squawking with hilarity, while The Burbot had lovely elements of slapstick. As with just about any anthology not all stories are equal. Some are markedly better than others. But it's a great introduction to the comedic world of Chekhov. Well worth a read.