Title: A Slander
Date Read: 13 October 2008
Word Count: 1438
Briefly: At his daughter’s wedding Serge Kapitonich Ahineev gets wrongly accused of committing an immoral act. Can he clear his name before the gossip spreads?
Afterthoughts: This is the best Chekhov short I’ve read so far. A great story, with a tight prose and a thoughtful ending.
Notable Quote: “Marfa went up to one of the benches and cautiously lifted a piece of greasy newspaper. Under the paper on an immense dish there reposed a huge sturgeon, masked in jelly and decorated with capers, olives, and carrots. Ahineev gazed at the sturgeon and gasped. His face beamed, he turned his eyes up. He bent down and with his lips emitted the sound of an ungreased wheel. After standing a moment he snapped his fingers with delight and once more smacked his lips.”
Rating: 
*Story read as part of my Checking Off The Chekhov Shorts reading challenge.
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