Three Years

Synopsis

Three Years (Russian: Три года, romanized: Tri goda) is an 1895 novella by Anton Chekhov originally published in the January and February 1895 issues of Russkaya Mysl. At 130 pages it is Chekhov's second-longest narrative. Three Years is Anton Chekhov's heartfelt attempt to create a "novel of Moscow life." In it, he paints a poignant portrait of the struggles and frustrations that go hand in hand with human relationships. Away from his native Moscow to care for his ailing sister, Laptev falls instantly in love with Yulia Sergeyevna, the daughter of the local doctor. She in turn feels nothing for him, but convinces herself it would be doing him a gross disservice to refuse his proposal. So begins the unequal marriage between the two, a marriage that will bring a bitter and desperate sorrow to them both. Yet as the years go by, and as they face and overcome tragedy together, they learn to value each other in new ways, and so restore their faith in the redemptive power of time. The story takes a negative position on the progress of society, featuring individuals of the merchant and factory owner class and their workers, without offering political solutions.

Text license: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Details

Type

Book

Release date

January 1, 1895

Genres

short novel

Created by

Anton Chekhov

Cover: Wikimedia Commons · редакция журнала "Русская мысль" · Public domain · Source