100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

The Schoolmistress and Other Stories

Series: Mint Editions
3.95 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 283 ratings, 18 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Schoolmistress and Other Stories is a compelling collection of twenty-one short stories by Anton Chekhov, exploring the lives of ordinary people facing harsh realities in late 19th-century Russia. The title story follows Maria Vasilyevna, a weary schoolmistress returning to her remote village through biting cold and harsh conditions, reflecting on her bleak existence. Another notable story, "A Nervous Breakdown," presents a young law student confronting the stark moral contrasts of Moscow's red-light district, grappling with despair and idealism. Throughout the collection, Chekhov offers poignant vignettes of human struggle, marked by unsparing realism yet illuminated by subtle glimmers of hope.
Read More
Format: Hardback
$2999
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This collection will resonate with readers interested in classic Russian literature and those who appreciate stories rich in psychological depth and social critique. Ideal for fans of historical fiction and literary short stories seeking thoughtful, character-driven narratives.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Schoolmistress and Other Stories (1920) is a collection of short stories by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. "The Schoolmistress" was written in 1897 and published in an issue of Moscow's daily newspaper Russkiye Vedomosti. Even for Chekhov, whose work is characteristically bleak and noted for its unsparing realism, the title story of this collection is particularly hopeless. And yet, reading it alongside these other stories by a true icon of world and Russian literature, one cannot help but feel a sense of hope, remindedβ€”as Chekhov's readers almost invariably areβ€”of the light one finds in even the darkest of places.

"The Schoolmistress," which Chekhov wrote in Nice, is a brief story that follows Maria Vasilyevna as she returns to the village where she lives and works after collecting her pay in town. On the way, her cart nearly overturns, and she is forced to get out in the middle of a freezing river. To dry off, she takes a break at a local tavern, where she meets the formerly handsome Khanov, a landlord of her acquaintance. As she continues on her journey, she muses on her lot in life. Beset with memories and regrets, she struggles to make it home to a life she can hardly bear.

"A Nervous Breakdown," originally published in 1889, is the story of a young law student who reluctantly agrees to accompany his friends on a night in Moscow's red-light district. Overwhelmed with despair and guilt, he struggles to reconcile what he sees with his own idealistic sense of the world. These are only two of the twenty-one works collected in The Schoolmistress and Other Stories, which showcase the immense talents of Anton Chekhov, an icon of Russian literature.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

Series: Mint Editions

View all
  • Scientific and Horrific Stories
    Scientific and Horrific Stories is a collection of short fiction by H. G. Wells. Despite his humble beginnings as the son of English servants, H. G. Wells would become one of the most revered writers of his day. His stories of adventure, utopia, and terror inspired such vastly different figures as Vladimir Nabokov, Winston Churchill, Jorge Luis Borges, and Sinclair...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Sylvie and Bruno Concluded
    Sylvie and Bruno Concluded (1893) is a novel by Lewis Carroll. Originally conceived as a pair of short stories published in Aunt Judy's Magazine in 1867, Sylvie and Bruno eventually became a full-length, two-volume novel. Although less popular than his Alice books, the novel remains a powerful example of Carroll's imaginative range and ability to capture the surreal nature of...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Betram Cope's Year
    Bertram Cope's Year (1919) is a novel by Henry Blake Fuller. Having established himself as a leading figure in Chicago's burgeoning literary scene, Fullerβ€”a pioneer of American realist fictionβ€”produced this late masterpiece, often considered one of the nation's earliest homosexual novels. Both profound and funny, Bertram Cope's Year is a classic campus story that critiques the social lives of academics...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Great Expectations
    One of Charles Dickens' most acclaimed works, Great Expectations displays the author at the peak of his skills, working a collection of vivid characters through a sprawling plot studded with richly drawn scenes. First appearing in 1861, Great Expectations offers a bounty of the pleasures only this author can provide. This is the sweeping story of Pip, an orphan growing...
    Hardback
    $5499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Leave it to Psmith
    Psmith (the p is silent) is a man of contrasts. He is overly confident, but smart, and prone to mischief, but resourceful enough to get himself out of trouble. Down on his luck and out of a job, Psmith meets Eve Halliday in the middle of a downpour. Immediately drawn to her beauty, Psmith decides to help Eve get out...
    Hardback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Bishop and Other Stories
    The Bishop and Other Stories (1919) is a collection of short stories by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. The title story of the collection, originally published in 1902, finds the author at his most introspective. Written while Chekhov was dealing with the long-term effects of tuberculosis, a period in which he began to accept the inevitability of his own death, "The...
    Hardback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse
    The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1916) is a novel by Vicente Blasco IbÑñez. Published at the height of his career as a popular Spanish author, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was adapted into a 1921 silent film starring Rudolph Valentino and later into a 1962 feature directed by Vincente Minelli. In 1919, the novel became a bestseller in...
    Hardback
    $4499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Lady with the Dog and Other Stories
    The Lady with the Dog and Other Stories (1917) is a collection of nine stories by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. Recognised today as foundational for the development of the modern short story, Anton Chekhov has transcended Russian literature to become one of the most popular and acclaimed authors in history, in any language. This collection includes "The Lady with the...
    Hardback
    $5400
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Mark of Zorro
    The Mark of Zorro (1924) is a novel by Johnston McCulley. Originally published as The Curse of Capistrano (1919), McCulley's novel was re-released to capitalise on the success of the 1920 silent film of the same name starring Douglas Fairbanks. Beloved by generations of readers and moviegoers alike, Zorro is recognised as a symbol of justice and rebellion throughout the...
    Hardback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Martian
    The Martian (1898) is a novel by George du Maurier. Published posthumously, du Maurier's final novel is a semi-autobiographical account of his struggle with vision loss, incorporating elements of fantasy and fairy tale fiction. Originally serialized in Harper's Magazine, The Martian is a powerful story of romance, tragedy, and redemption. "When so great a man dies, it is generally found...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Reign of Greed
    The Reign of Greed (1891) is a novel by Jose Rizal. Published in Belgium, the novel was a sequel to Touch Me Not (1887), both of which were written in Spanish. Blending aspects of his own life story with his critique of Spanish imperialism in the Philippines, Rizal continues the journey of Crisostomo Ibarra from centrist reformer to revolutionary leader....
    Hardback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Scarlet Letter
    The Scarlet Letter is so terrible in its pictures of diseased human nature as to produce most questionable delights. The reader's interest never flags for a moment... Hawthorne, when you have studied him, will be very precious to you. He will have plunged you into melancholy, he will have overshadowed you with black forebodings, he will almost have crushed you...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781513205502

Publisher: Mint Editions

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 09 September 2021

Country: United States

Imprint: Mint Editions

Illustration: Illustrations

Contributors:

  • Contributions by Mint Editions
  • Contributions by Mint Editions

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 162

About the Author

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian doctor, short-story writer, and playwright. Born in the port city of Taganrog, Chekhov was the third child of Pavel, a grocer and devout Christian, and Yevgeniya, a natural storyteller. His father, a violent and arrogant man, abused his wife and children and would serve as the inspiration for many of the writer’s most tyrannical and hypocritical characters. Chekhov studied at the Greek School in Taganrog, where he learned Ancient Greek. In 1876, his father’s debts forced the family to relocate to Moscow, where they lived in poverty while Anton remained in Taganrog to settle their finances and finish his studies. During this time, he worked odd jobs while reading extensively and composing his first written works. He joined his family in Moscow in 1879, pursuing a medical degree while writing short stories for entertainment and to support his parents and siblings. In 1876, after finishing his degree and contracting tuberculosis, he began writing for St. Petersburg’s Novoye Vremya, a popular paper which helped him to launch his literary career and gain financial independence. A friend and colleague of Leo Tolstoy, Maxim Gorky, and Ivan Bunin, Chekhov is remembered today for his skillful observations of everyday Russian life, his deeply psychological character studies, and his mastery of language and the rhythms of conversation.

Also by Anton Chekhov

View all
  • Fifty-Two Stories
    A masterfully rendered volume of Chekhov's stories from famed translators Pevear and Volokhonsky. Chekhov's genius left an indelible impact on every literary form in which he wrote, but none more so than short fiction. Now renowned translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky give us their superb renderings of fifty-two Chekhov stories. These stories, which span the full arc of his...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Nervous Breakdown
    46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946 \"I did have hallucinations, but did they harm anyone? Who did they harm, that's what I'd like to know!'
    Paperback
    $999
    Backorder
    Ships mid August
  • About Love
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics β€” irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Widely considered to be one of the greatest ever writers of the form, Anton Chekhov's short stories offer unforgettable character, crystalline expression, and a beautiful, quiet uncertainty. Collected here are five of his very best...
    Hardback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Lady with the Dog and Other Stories
    The Lady with the Dog and Other Stories (1917) is a collection of nine stories by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. Recognised today as foundational for the development of the modern short story, Anton Chekhov has transcended Russian literature to become one of the most popular and acclaimed authors in history, in any language. This collection includes "The Lady with the...
    Hardback
    $5400
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Schoolmistress and Other Stories
    The Schoolmistress and Other Stories (1920) is a collection of short stories by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. "The Schoolmistress" was written in 1897 and published in an issue of Moscow's daily newspaper Russkiye Vedomosti. Even for Chekhov, whose work is characteristically bleak and noted for its unsparing realism, the title story of this collection is particularly hopeless. And yet, reading...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Lady with the Dog and Other Stories (riverrun editions)
    A man and woman fall in love in a seaside town. The only trouble is, they're both married to other people. A schoolmaster is scandalized by his sweetheart riding a bicycle. A woman falls in love with a series of men, each of whom leaves her in different ways. Chekhov's stories capture Russian provincial life in the late nineteenth century...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Willow and Other Stories
    Old Arkhip sits every day by the roots of a wizened, hunchbacked willow, fishing and exchanging whispered stories with the ancient tree. One of these takes Arkhip three decades back in time, to a quiet day in early spring when a strange encounter shook him momentarily from the rural bliss in which he lived, catapulting him into a world of...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Duel and Other Stories (riverrun editions)
    A married woman restlessly seeks a deeper love. An insomniac ponders the meagreness of his life. A man loses the respect of his family because of a counterfeit coin. A duel of wits escalates into a clash of cultures - and more. The Duel and Other Stories is the second in an exclusive three-volume edition of Chekhov's stories. Encompassing the...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Bishop and Other Stories
    The Bishop and Other Stories (1919) is a collection of short stories by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. The title story of the collection, originally published in 1902, finds the author at his most introspective. Written while Chekhov was dealing with the long-term effects of tuberculosis, a period in which he began to accept the inevitability of his own death, "The...
    Hardback
    $2999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Shooting Party
    When a young woman dies during a shooting party at the country estate of a dissolute count, a magistrate is called upon to investigate. The mystery deepens and suspicion falls more widely as it emerges that the dead woman was at the centre of a tangled web of relationships: with her elderly husband, with the lecherous count, and with the...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Steppe and Other Stories, 1887-91
    This collection of Chekhov's finest early writing reveals a young writer mastering the art of the short story. The Steppe, which established his reputation, is the unforgettable tale of a boy's journey to a new school in Kiev, travelling through majestic landscapes towards an unknown destiny. Gusev depicts an ocean voyage, where the sea takes on a terrifying, primeval power;...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Plays
    At a time when the Russian theatre was dominated by formulaic melodramas and farces, Chekhov created a new sort of drama that laid bare the everyday lives, loves and yearnings of ordinary people. Ivanov depicts a man stifled by inactivity and lost idealism, and The Seagull contrasts a young man's selfish romanticism with the stoicism of a woman cruelly abandoned...
    Paperback
    $2399
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

More from Historical Fiction

View all
  • New Release
    The Parisian Chapter
    From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library and The Librarians of Rue de Picardie comes a charming and cinematic novel following a young woman from Montana who lands a job in the American Library in Paris, where she discovers the power of storytelling and writes her own Parisian chapter.'Stirring and rich with detail' New York Times...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Inferno
    AD 60. Nero Claudius Caesar is Emperor. He is feared for his temper. He is known to be intoxicated by the power he wields. And why not? The Roman Empire stretches from the wilds of Britain to the deserts of Parthia. Nero is god of all he surveys. Yet dangerous traitors lie close at hand. Generals commanding legions. Senators whispering...
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Circle of Days
    From the master of epic fiction comes the deeply human story of one of the world's greatest mysteries: the building of Stonehenge. A FLINT MINER WITH A GIFT Seft, a talented flint miner, walks the Great Plain in the high summer heat, to witness the rituals that signal the start of a new year. He is there to trade his...
    Hardback
    $4499
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Soldier's Daughter
    The heart-stopping new blockbuster by the bestselling author of The Fallen Woman. Violet Nash has grown up in the shadows of her father Charlie's shattered dreams. It's been years since he walked away from the battlefields of France, a WWI hero but his heart in tatters, only to see it broken all over again in the worst way possible. In...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Girl with the Suitcase
    The enthralling new novel from the 10-million-copy, No. 1 bestselling author. London 1941 When Mary meets a glamorous stranger named Elizabeth, she realises their lives couldn't be more different. But when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground, Mary's life is set to change forever. After waking up in hospital, injured but alive, the nurse mistakes her for...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Lost Bookshop
    Evie Woods' stunning new novel The Story Collector is available now. The Echo of Old Books meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets. β€˜The thing about books,’ she said β€˜is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’ On a quiet street in...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2500
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • All the Diamonds in Paris
    Kristin Harmel is firmly in the top echelon of WW2 storytellers - HEATHER MORRIS A master storyteller - SANTA MONTEFIORE The best at sweeping historical drama - KELLY HARMS A dazzling diamond of a novel - HAZEL GAYNOR * Paris, 1942: Anabel Martinet is a jewel thief, descended from a family that has spent centuries stealing from the unkind and...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Listeners
    β€˜By turns a beautiful love story, a fascinating glimpse into the horrors of history and a haunting tale of loyalty and courage. A marvel of storytelling’ CHRIS WHITAKER, bestselling author of All the Colours of the Dark The Avallon Hotel offers unrivalled luxury in the wild Appalachian Mountains, its curative sweetwater washing away the troubles of high society. June 'Hoss'...
    Paperback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Song of Achilles
    The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a brilliantly crafted retelling of the ancient Greek epic of Achilles and Patroclus, transforming the classical myth into a profoundly moving love story. Set against the richly depicted backdrop of Greece during the heroically tumultuous age, the narrative follows Patroclus, an awkward and exiled young prince, who is taken to the court...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Cardinal
    Step into the thrill and intrigue of Tudor England in the rich, compelling new novel from Sunday Times bestseller Alison Weir. Alison Weir makes history come alive as no one else BARBARA ERSKINE AN EXTRAORDINARY RISE TO POWER. A TRAGIC FALL FROM GRACE. It begins with young Tom Wolsey, the bright and brilliant son of a Suffolk tradesman, sent to...
    Paperback
    $3400
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Mythos
    Mythos by Stephen Fry is a compelling retelling of the classic Greek myths, reimagined with a wit and elegance that only Fry can deliver. This volume transports the reader to a world where mortals intertwine with the divine, and the timeless tales unfold in a spellbinding narrative that captures the imagination. From the cosmogonyβ€”the birth of the cosmosβ€”to the exploits...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    15% off
    The Four Winds
    Kristin Hannah is a classic storyteller and The Four Winds sees her at the top of her game - Matt Haig Powerful and compelling - Delia Owens, number one international bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing A story of love, family, unbreakable bonds, bravery and hope. I loved this book so much! - Christy Lefteri, bestselling author of The...
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.