In 'The Death of a Civil Servant', an administrative clerk accidentally
sneezes on a hierarchical superior at the opera, which results in great
embarrassment and hilarious and futile attempts at atonement. The other
short stories included in this volume, 'A Calculated Marriage', 'The
Culprit', 'The Exclamation Mark', 'The Speech-Maker', 'Who Is to Blame?'
and 'A Defenceless Creature' are in the same absurdly comical vein.
This short collection shows Chekhov in an amusing, playful light, poking
fun at the greed, sycophancy and ignorance of his characters, with the
moral detachment that also characterizes his major, serious works.