Ivanov (1889) is a drama in four acts by Russian writer Anton Chekhov.
Written in ten days, the play premiered in 1887 at Moscow's Korsh
Theatre and was initially a failure due to its rushed composition,
production issues, and significant changes made to Chekhov's script.
Disappointed but far from discouraged, Chekhov reworked the play to his
satisfaction, and the edited version premiered to rave reviews in St.
Petersburg in 1889.
The play follows a man named Nikolai Ivanov and his wife Anna Petrovna.
Deeply in debt, Ivanov is unable to pay for the recommended treatment
for his wife's tuberculosis, which requires an extended stay in Crimea.
When Ivanov leaves his estate to visit the Lebedev's, a wealthy
socialite family to whom he is indebted, Anna and Lvov secretly follow
him. There, he is seduced by the Lebedev's daughter Sasha, who confesses
her love for him and convinces Ivanov to betray his wife. Anna witnesses
their act in secret, and later confronts the man for whom she gave up
her religion, family, and inheritance to marry. Incensed, Ivanov reveals
to her the true nature of her illness, and the reality of his depravity
is revealed. As the play concludes, Lvov decides that in order to
prevent Ivanov from ruining the lives of others, he must be willing to
risk his own. Ivanov is a psychologically intense drama by Anton
Chekhov, a master storyteller whose characters always seem to lurk at
the limit of decency, and yet remain fearfully human.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Anton Chekhov's Ivanov is a classic of Russian
literature reimagined for modern readers.
