“How to Write Like Chekhov: Advice and Inspiration from His Own Letters and Work”
By Piero Brunello and Lena Lencek
   

AUGUSTA, GA - Taking advice from a master and displaying it for the world of would-be writers, Piero Brunello and Lena Lencek offer an exploration of advice in the work of Anton Chekhov in “How to Write like Chekhov:  Advice and Inspiration Straight from his own Letters and Work.” 

Co-edited and introduced by Piero Brunello and Lena Lencek, this work is a masterpiece of writing advice compiled from a thorough examination of Chekhov’s work. Brunello, a professor of social history at the University of Venice in Italy, offers an experienced eye for analysis while the translation talents of Lencek, a professor of Russian and the Humanities at Reed College in Oregon, apply the work of a master before an English-speaking audience with a touch of precision that speaks to true professionalism and commitment to a craft. 

A master of trivial details, Chekhov’s work is some of the more interesting in recent history. The author of four plays and a variety of short stories still taught in college classrooms across the world, Chekhov’s mark on the literary world is characterized by his ability to say the most with the least amount of words and phrases. In this tradition, he offered a glorious collection of tidbits that the editors have collected into a priceless volume of information.

Offering suggestions for the construction of plots, the organization of characters, how, when, where, and how much to write and not write, and a collection of other details, this work creates an educational opportunity few passionate writers will be able to resist. In so doing, this work opens a door to new ideas and thoughts based on an ingenious writers’ past life and writing experience. 

Collected with intricate precision and a calming attention to detail Anton himself would probably have appreciated, this work is a perfect companion for writers at any stage of the craft. Including both priceless, well-known quotes and lesser-known observations, the editors invite us all into the mind of a classic for a lesson ranging throughout the many intricacies of the craft. 

Throughout the work, readers will find a colorful journey painted even in the smallest of quotations left behind by a talent sorely missed, and deeply celebrated to this very day.

Brunello, Piero and Lena Lencek.  “How to Write like Chekhov:  Advice and Inspiration from his own Letters and Work.”  Cambridge, Massachusetts:  Da Capo Press Lifelong Books (A member of the Perseus Books Group).  2008.  210pp.  $14.95 Paper.  ISBN:  9781569242599.