Glad you thought so. I think the stories are a better pure reading experience than the plays, because he's so good at efficiently characterizing and describing people.
Excellent story. I really enjoyed the story and I thought Chekhov was so effective in describing how the doctor recognized how inhumane the conditions were for the patients but had to become one to realize it. He literally couldn’t see it, completely lacking in empathy until then. I would say self-absorbed. Also fascinating how his path to being labeled insane took hold after the decision of a couple of people questioning his visits to Gromov and it is impossible to stop once these rumors, suggestions start to take hold. Such a rich story.
The first few paragraphs of the story read like an old-school 60 Minutes exposé, Mike Wallace walking us into some horrific situation. “Let us go down the narrow path that leads to the annex and see what is going on inside.” I really appreciate your takes on these dark pieces, how you remind us of the humanity and the light in Chekhov’s work. I grew quite fond of Ivan Dmitrich Gromov. Paranoid, yes, but feisty. And though the postmaster turned out to be far from the trusted friend we first thought he was, he spoke one of the loveliest lines. “Come along, we’ll dust off the old days.”
Thanks, James. I think I might have appreciated Ward No. 6 more at a different time. I’m not in a good headspace for such darkness. Remind me to tell you sometime about an internship that I did on a psych ward in a state hospital. As awful as Nikita was, I think I met a couple of modern-day figures cut from the same cloth…
I have a friend who worked as a. EMT for years and I was telling him about this story. He said that there are institutions today that have not advanced much from the conditions Chekhov described. Sad
Words are wind, philosophy is privilidged and immortality a dream until you've walked in another's (hospital) shoes. One must see and experience fire to understand it. Other people, sometimes unwittingly, are objects, and othered, until you're new ward inmate no. 6. Full circle and rewarding. Thank you, Louise's Gentleman, for Chekhovember.
"words are wind"--I associate that with the Song of Ice and Fire books. But it applies to many situations, doesn't it. Ward No. 6 is practically a Poe story in a way. (I think I said that in the video). Thanks so much for participating!
Yes, words are wind but not yet the Winds of Winter. Shame on me for piling on. GRRM owes us nothing. "And Louise she's alright, just near, she's delicate, seems like the mirror," Gentleman with the Little Dog, thanks so much for Chekhovember. I'm new to Russian literature so Anton Chekhov was a needed foot in the door, I just hope it doesn't turn out to be Ward no. 6, my favorite of the five. The plays, like a kite without wind, never got off the ground, the short stories were surface-level but Ward no. 6 is one I want to return to: a full circle story with plenty to explore and ponder (to you Donoghue). Though I don't read Russian, Constance Garnett's translation was efficient & effective (though I was somewhat vexed by her constant use of "vex" and "vexation"). Inside Chekhov's Ward No. 6, I felt in the hands of an adept author. Thanks again, James.
Good day, James. I've been re-reading Alan Moore's early works like V for Vendetta, Miracle Man, Watchmen, The Killing Joke,and Swamp Thing, comics that changed the mainstream comic book medium, over 40 years ago. I don't know if you've read V for Vendetta or seen the disappointing film adaptation, but there is a poignant story arc where Evey, a teenage girl, is arrested, imprisoned, and tortured by the police in order to make her give up the terrorist, V. Unbeknownst to her is that it isn't the police that are doing this to her but V himself. He is doing it to make her understand what he and others went through in the concentration camps, and most importantly, to use it as way for her to break out of her own mental prison. She is able to, but the question remains at the end of the brilliant comic, whether the British people will be able to do the same. In Ward No. 6, it's significant that the staff, the doctors, and even his friend, think the Doctor must be mad due to spending time with Gromov, who is sensible some of the time, and insightful of the human predicament most of the time. The real madness is in the complacency and indifference by the community to the human suffering in places like Ward 6.
Excellent insights GV. I've only seen the film of V for Vendetta. Was not that impressed either. I did recently acquire a copy of From Hell, I think by the same author.
@@JamesRuchala From Hell is excellent. The only trouble i had with it was Campbell's artwork. I liked it, but sometimes it was hard to tell apart the female characters, which is extremely important in the narrative. Alan Moore wrote a companion book which I recommend. From Hell is a challenging book, but the companion volume helps to better understand it. V for Vendetta was initially published in an anthology called Warrior Magazine in England. in 1982. Moore was also writing Marvel/Miracle Man in it as well. Both changed the super hero medium in the U.S. when the rights to those stories were acquired by Eclipse and DC comics in the mid 80's. I was a kid when I discovered Warrior Magazine, having no idea what it was, but V and Miracle/Marvel Man intrigued me. I was just beginning to read comics and what i found in Warrior Magazine wasn't Legion of Super Heroes, Batman, X-Men, Teen Titans, mainstream super hero stories I was reading as well at the time. Moore rightly gets credit for changing the medium with Watchmen in 1986, but the blueprints were in V for Vendetta and Miracle/Marvel Man. In 1983 DC comics asked him to take over the writing for Swamp Thing. He wrote it as a horror story. Remarkable piece of work
Great story, so glad I read it. I didnt pick up on the heavy vodka and unsanitary pickles for some reason. It fits in so well with his malaise. The doctor was so easy to criticize, but quite sympathetic as well. So many gray characters.
What _is_ that opening? 3rd person omniscient?!!? 😅 I enjoyed the story, very much. Altho it's "dark," there are several humorus scenes and ideas and talk: "They need people like me to fill the dungeons," a character says something like that! I liked that he was a voracious reader, too. 📚
I loved it so much! It was so good. My favorite so far.
Glad you thought so. I think the stories are a better pure reading experience than the plays, because he's so good at efficiently characterizing and describing people.
Excellent story. I really enjoyed the story and I thought Chekhov was so effective in describing how the doctor recognized how inhumane the conditions were for the patients but had to become one to realize it. He literally couldn’t see it, completely lacking in empathy until then. I would say self-absorbed. Also fascinating how his path to being labeled insane took hold after the decision of a couple of people questioning his visits to Gromov and it is impossible to stop once these rumors, suggestions start to take hold. Such a rich story.
Glad you got so much out of it. It is rich and bears re reading
The first few paragraphs of the story read like an old-school 60 Minutes exposé, Mike Wallace walking us into some horrific situation. “Let us go down the narrow path that leads to the annex and see what is going on inside.” I really appreciate your takes on these dark pieces, how you remind us of the humanity and the light in Chekhov’s work. I grew quite fond of Ivan Dmitrich Gromov. Paranoid, yes, but feisty. And though the postmaster turned out to be far from the trusted friend we first thought he was, he spoke one of the loveliest lines. “Come along, we’ll dust off the old days.”
Gromov is a touching and pathetic figure that I couldn't help but feel for, even though I sort of envied the life of the lazy doctor.
Yeah, i got the 60 minutes vibe early too. Or maybe, "Yefimitch found himself....in the Twilight Zone."
Thanks, James. I think I might have appreciated Ward No. 6 more at a different time. I’m not in a good headspace for such darkness. Remind me to tell you sometime about an internship that I did on a psych ward in a state hospital. As awful as Nikita was, I think I met a couple of modern-day figures cut from the same cloth…
I have a friend who worked as a. EMT for years and I was telling him about this story. He said that there are institutions today that have not advanced much from the conditions Chekhov described. Sad
@ it really is.
Words are wind, philosophy is privilidged and immortality a dream until you've walked in another's (hospital) shoes. One must see and experience fire to understand it. Other people, sometimes unwittingly, are objects, and othered, until you're new ward inmate no. 6. Full circle and rewarding. Thank you, Louise's Gentleman, for Chekhovember.
"words are wind"--I associate that with the Song of Ice and Fire books. But it applies to many situations, doesn't it. Ward No. 6 is practically a Poe story in a way. (I think I said that in the video). Thanks so much for participating!
Yes, words are wind but not yet the Winds of Winter. Shame on me for piling on. GRRM owes us nothing.
"And Louise she's alright, just near,
she's delicate, seems like the mirror,"
Gentleman with the Little Dog, thanks so much for Chekhovember. I'm new to Russian literature so Anton Chekhov was a needed foot in the door, I just hope it doesn't turn out to be Ward no. 6, my favorite of the five. The plays, like a kite without wind, never got off the ground, the short stories were surface-level but Ward no. 6 is one I want to return to: a full circle story with plenty to explore and ponder (to you Donoghue). Though I don't read Russian, Constance Garnett's translation was efficient & effective (though I was somewhat vexed by her constant use of "vex" and "vexation"). Inside Chekhov's Ward No. 6, I felt in the hands of an adept author. Thanks again, James.
Good day, James. I've been re-reading Alan Moore's early works like V for Vendetta, Miracle Man, Watchmen, The Killing Joke,and Swamp Thing, comics that changed the mainstream comic book medium, over 40 years ago. I don't know if you've read V for Vendetta or seen the disappointing film adaptation, but there is a poignant story arc where Evey, a teenage girl, is arrested, imprisoned, and tortured by the police in order to make her give up the terrorist, V. Unbeknownst to her is that it isn't the police that are doing this to her but V himself. He is doing it to make her understand what he and others went through in the concentration camps, and most importantly, to use it as way for her to break out of her own mental prison. She is able to, but the question remains at the end of the brilliant comic, whether the British people will be able to do the same. In Ward No. 6, it's significant that the staff, the doctors, and even his friend, think the Doctor must be mad due to spending time with Gromov, who is sensible some of the time, and insightful of the human predicament most of the time. The real madness is in the complacency and indifference by the community to the human suffering in places like Ward 6.
Excellent insights GV. I've only seen the film of V for Vendetta. Was not that impressed either. I did recently acquire a copy of From Hell, I think by the same author.
@@JamesRuchala From Hell is excellent. The only trouble i had with it was Campbell's artwork. I liked it, but sometimes it was hard to tell apart the female characters, which is extremely important in the narrative. Alan Moore wrote a companion book which I recommend. From Hell is a challenging book, but the companion volume helps to better understand it.
V for Vendetta was initially published in an anthology called Warrior Magazine in England. in 1982. Moore was also writing Marvel/Miracle Man in it as well. Both changed the super hero medium in the U.S. when the rights to those stories were acquired by Eclipse and DC comics in the mid 80's. I was a kid when I discovered Warrior Magazine, having no idea what it was, but V and Miracle/Marvel Man intrigued me. I was just beginning to read comics and what i found in Warrior Magazine wasn't Legion of Super Heroes, Batman, X-Men, Teen Titans, mainstream super hero stories I was reading as well at the time. Moore rightly gets credit for changing the medium with Watchmen in 1986, but the blueprints were in V for Vendetta and Miracle/Marvel Man. In 1983 DC comics asked him to take over the writing for Swamp Thing. He wrote it as a horror story. Remarkable piece of work
Great story, so glad I read it. I didnt pick up on the heavy vodka and unsanitary pickles for some reason. It fits in so well with his malaise. The doctor was so easy to criticize, but quite sympathetic as well. So many gray characters.
It's just a little dust on the pickle.
What _is_ that opening? 3rd person omniscient?!!? 😅 I enjoyed the story, very much. Altho it's "dark," there are several humorus scenes and ideas and talk: "They need people like me to fill the dungeons," a character says something like that! I liked that he was a voracious reader, too. 📚
They could have gone back and forth, a la Magic Mountain, for another forty pages and I wouldn't mind.