Anton Chekhov: A Brother's Memoir »

Mikhail Chekhov (1865-1936) was a writer and novelist in his own right, as well as Anton's assistant and secretary. His role as his brother’s biographer began in 1905 when he was asked to share his recollections in a Moscow magazine. Mikhail died in Yalta in 1936 at the age of 71.

Eugene Alper has been a translator for over twenty years and his work includes five major plays by Anton Chekhov (with Professor Carl Mueller), a memoir about Anton Chekhov (by Isaak Altshuller), and movie scripts and interviews for Paramount and Universal.

In a style reminiscent of Anton Chekhov himself—realistic, intimate, and dynamic—Mikhail Chekhov shares unparalleled memories and insights, transporting readers into the world of the Chekhov family. He visits the places where his brother lived and worked and introduces the people he knew and loved, Leo Tolstoy and Piotr Tchaikovsky among them. As a unique eyewitness to the beloved writer's formative years and his artistic maturity, Mikhail Chekhov shows here first-hand the events that inspired the plots for The Seagull, The Black Monk, and The Steppe, among other enduring works. Captivating, surprising, and a joy to read, this memoir reveals the remarkable life of one the most masterful storytellers of our time.

Publishers Weekly

In 1905, the year after his older brother Anton's death, Mikhail Chekhov began publishing a series of biographical recollections about his famous sibling . More than 20 years later, the younger Chekhov compiled many of the most important stories from his collections into this volume, appearing here in English for the first time. In Alper's competent translation, Mikhail provides some useful and interesting glimpses into the Chekhov family life and his older brother's personality and playful sense of humor. He also relates events behind the plots of some of Anton's more famous stories and of his play, The Seagull. In a fit of madness, and perhaps jealousy, a friend of Anton's went out to the lake with his shotgun, killed a seagull, and threw the dead bird at the feet of his lover, without any explanation. But this volume reveals as much about Mikhail as about his celebrated brother, so the book will appeal only to deeply devoted Chekhov fans who have not been able to read Mikhail's recollections in Russian . (Jan.)

Our Ancestry

• Our Childhood in Taganrog

• The Early Years in Moscow

• The Moscow Literary Magazines

• The Young Doctor

• The First Plays

• Recognition

• Anton’s Travels

• Melikhovo

• The Final Years