Title: A Pink Stocking
Date Read: 1st June 2010
Briefly: Agitated and at his wits end with almost everything, Pavel Petrovitch Somov demands to see the letter that his wife has been penning for two hours. He is shocked to discover that despite it spanning six pages, the letter – which is to her sister Varya – contains nothing of worth, and that it is littered with errors in grammar and spelling. A cue then for Somov to spill forth a tirade of verbal abuse directed towards his wife.
Afterthoughts: This is a reasonably humorous tale from Chekhov which more than anything explores the sex and class divide in terms of education. On the one hand there’s Somov, highly educated and stuffy, and on the other his poor wife, who’s only vocation in life, according to Somov, is to love her husband, to bear children, and to mix salad. It’s a touchy subject for a writer to explore, I’m sure. But Chekhov does so using his usual brand of humour. Definitely one worth reading.
Notable Quote:
Rating: 
*Story read as part of my Checkin’ Off The Chekhov Shorts reading challenge.
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