My Life: The Story of a Provincial
Anton Chekhov
Read by Expatriate
A provincial youth of wealth and noble status refuses to employ himself in the typical occupations of the higher classes, thus acquiring a reputation as a lazy good-for-nothing. In reality, he is intensely sensitive to the injustices perpetrated by his social class upon the working classes of town and country, and resolves to become a common laborer, taking employment as a house painter and ikon gilder. All classes of society around him respond to this revolutionary action with bewilderment and ridicule, even the lowest workmen feeling threatened by this insolent shaking of the cosmic structure. Possibly Chekhov's most passionate outcry against the corruption and hypocrisy of every class of conventional society, "My Life" resonates with an Ibsenesque outrage and frustration of powerful relevance to twenty-first century life. (Summary by Expatriate) (3 hr 41 min)
Chapters
Chapter 01 | 18:37 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 02 | 15:31 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 03 | 14:33 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 04 | 7:55 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 05 | 10:35 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 06 | 11:59 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 07 | 20:03 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 08 | 7:49 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 09 | 14:31 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 10 | 11:08 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 11 | 3:33 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 12 | 11:58 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 13 | 12:51 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 14 | 4:09 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 15 | 4:52 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 16 | 11:57 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 17 | 7:18 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 18 | 7:24 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 19 | 19:01 | Read by Expatriate |
Chapter 20 | 5:58 | Read by Expatriate |
Reviews
Interesting novella, good reader
Chandini
A very good example of period Russian slice of life in one way and a good discussion of societal classes and what's truly important in life in another. Expatriate does an excellent job making the Russian names sound correct (to someone who doesn't speak Russian anyway) clear, and understandable. However, in Chapter 19 he repeats a paragraph starting around "It was clear he still loved..." no big deal just something he may want to re-record. A major lesson to be learned whether you agree with the main character giving up his noble status to work as a house painter and farmer or not is that you should follow your conscience. When everyone begs him to stop disgracing himself and his family he asks how to do that when he's only following the dictates of his conscience.
A not so sad tale nicely read. A young man full of hope for huma
Mary Ann Mays