424 Results with the "Fiction" genre
-
Chapter
IN THE COACH-HOUSE
In a dimly lit coach-house surrounded by the nocturnal quiet of a large estate, a group consisting of Stepan the coachman, Mihailo the house-porter, Alyoshka the coachman's grandson, and Nikandr, a septuagenarian salt herring vendor, gather for a casual game of "kings" in the shadows of carriages and sleighs. The game's camaraderie is punctuated by the ringing of the gate—a call to the porter, revealing a grim situation in the master's household: a tragic incident involving a fatal gunshot. As the night…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
-
-
Chapter
PANIC FEARS
In "Panic Fears," the narrator recounts three distinct episodes of terror experienced during his lifetime. The first instance unfolds on a motionless July evening as he drives to the station for newspapers. Along a secluded road, enveloped in twilight and stillness, he is struck by a haunting vision: a mysterious light flickering atop a village belfry, in a place devoid of logical explanations for such a phenomenon. Despite attempting rationalizations, a gripping fear takes hold, amplified by the desolate…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
-
-
Chapter
THE BET
On an autumn night, reflecting back fifteen years, a banker recalls a party where capital punishment was debated. The consensus among the guests, mainly intellectuals and journalists, was a disapproval of the death penalty, preferring life imprisonment as more humane. The banker disagreed, arguing that immediate death was more merciful. A young lawyer then expressed his preference for life in prison over execution. This ignited a fervent debate leading the banker to impulsively bet two million that the…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
-
-
Chapter
A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
The chapter presents a deeply moving narrative centered on Vassilyev, a law student in Moscow, who is introduced to the harrowing world of prostitution by his friends, the medical student Mayer and the artist Rybnikov. Initially ignorant and naive about the realities of "fallen women," Vassilyev's experience in S. Street's brothels profoundly affects him, leading him into a severe emotional and psychological crisis. Despite his friends' more detached or frivolous attitudes towards the encounters, Vassilyev…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
-
-
Chapter
THE HEAD-GARDENER’S STORY
In the serene setting of Count N.'s greenhouses during an April morning, a sale of flowers brings together a landowner, a timber merchant, and the narrator, where they engage in light chatter amidst the unfolding beauty of the flora being prepared for them. The head-gardener, Mihail Karlovitch, a man of Swedish-Russian heritage, revered and considered knowledgeable by those around, listens intently to the discussions, hoping to glean new knowledge or engage in meaningful conversation, particularly about…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
-
-
Chapter
MISERY
In the bleak twilight, amidst swirling snowflakes, Iona Potapov sits motionless, cloaked in white, on his sledge. The world around him bustles with life, yet he and his horse remain still, engulfed in their own silence, contemplating their detachment from the familiar to the chaotic city life. Hours pass without a single fare, until finally, an impatient officer beckons Iona to Vyborgskaya, sparking a brief encounter filled with disconnection and misunderstanding. Despite Iona's attempt to share his grief…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
-
-
Chapter
THE BEAUTIES
In "The Beauties," the narrator reminisces about two distinct encounters with extraordinary beauty that deeply moved him. The first account is a tender memory from his youth, traveling through the arid Don region with his grandfather, where they stop at an Armenian village. Here, he meets Masha, the Armenian's daughter, whose astounding beauty creates a profound sense of melancholy and longing within him. Despite the stifling heat and the dullness of their surroundings, Masha's appearance injects a moment…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
-
-
Chapter
CHAMPAGNE
In the vignette "Champagne: A Wayfarer's Story" from "The Schoolmistress and Other Stories," the narrator recounts his desolate existence as a railway station employee in a remote, uninhabited part of southwestern Russia. Life at the station is marked by isolation, with the only human interactions being brief glimpses of passengers through train windows and the company of his wife, a deaf telegraph clerk, and a few watchmen. The narrator's only solace in this desolation comes from drinking drugged vodka…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
-
-
Chapter
THE SHOEMAKER AND THE DEVIL
On Christmas Eve, a hardworking but poor shoemaker named Fyodor Nilov laments his lot in life as he finishes a pair of boots for a disturbing and peculiar customer from Kolokolny Lane. Consumed by thoughts of inequality and frustration with his poverty, Fyodor finds himself confronting the bizarre reality of his customer—who turns out to be the devil—with a horse-like hoof for a foot. Seeing an opportunity, Fyodor strikes a deal with the devil, asking to be made rich in exchange for his soul. The…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
-
-
Chapter
AFTER THE THEATRE
After witnessing a performance of "Yevgeny Onyegin," Nadya Zelenin, a 16-year-old girl, is swept up in the romantic and tragic elements of the story. Inspired by the character Tatyana, she hastily sets about writing a dramatic and heartfelt letter, pretending to address it to a loved one as Tatyana did, professing unrequited love and the turmoil it brings. She imagines the letter is directed at Gorny, an officer, and Gruzdev, a student, both of whom are purported to love her. However, Nadya is caught up in…-
43.4 K • Ongoing
-
- Previous 1 … 20 21 22 … 34 Next
