V sumerkakh (In the Twilight)

Reading notes

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 3 June 1887. Babkino. §20 "In the Twilight"

  Chekhov's own gloss on the title of his forthcoming collection: an allegory in which life itself is the "twilight" (сумрак/сумерки), and the ideal reader takes up the book to read at day's end, resting from daytime labor -- one of Chekhov's rare direct authorial commentaries on a title's intended meaning.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 12 August 1887. Babkino. §2 my book

  Chekhov's story collection "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight"), published by Suvorin in 1887; Anton is chasing down his author's copies via Alexander in Petersburg.

• To N. A. Leikin, 21 August 1887. Babkino. §10 "In the Twilight"

  "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight"), Chekhov's first substantial story collection, published by Suvorin in 1887; Chekhov is asking Leikin to advertise it in "Oskolki" even though, as he notes in section 14, he does not yet have a copy of it himself.

• To M. V. Kiseleva, 13 September 1887. Moscow. §4 "In the Twilight" is doing not badly.

  Chekhov's story collection "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight"), published by Suvorin earlier in 1887 and soon to win the Pushkin Prize; "doing not badly" is characteristic understatement about a book that was, in fact, a considerable success.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 25 September 1887. Moscow. §17 Twilight

  "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight"), Chekhov's first substantial story collection, published by Suvorin in 1887; this letter tracks its early Moscow sales and promotion.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 25 September 1887. Moscow. §20 Twilight

  A further promotional instruction for "In the Twilight," this time a front-page advertisement in the Peterburgskaya Gazeta.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 10–12 October 1887. Moscow. §11 Twilight

  "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight"), Chekhov's 1887 story collection, whose office sales figures he asks his brother to inquire after.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 21 October 1887. Moscow. §7 Twilight

  Chekhov's newly published story collection In the Twilight, which he asks Alexander to hand-deliver to a rival journal's office for review.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 24 October 1887. Moscow. §15 Sumerki

  "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight"), Chekhov's first substantial story collection, published by Suvorin in 1887; Chekhov is asking after its production costs and print run.

• To A. S. Lazarev, 22 March 1888. Moscow. §7 a second edition of "Twilight,"

  V sumerkakh ("In the Twilight"), Chekhov's first substantial story collection, published by Suvorin in 1887; a second edition was already warranted within a year.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 24 March 1888. Moscow. §14 Twilight

  Chekhov's first substantial story collection (V sumerkakh), published by Suvorin in 1887; this letter concerns settling accounts on its first printing and preparing its second edition.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 24 March 1888. Moscow. §15 Twilight

  The second edition of "Twilight," whose contents and ordering the mock-clerical opening of this letter (sections 3-11) purports to instruct.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 4 April 1888. Moscow. §3 "In the Twilight"

  Chekhov's story collection V sumerkakh ("In the Twilight"), published by Suvorin in 1887; Chekhov is chasing down author's copies from the shop.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 4 April 1888. Moscow. §4 "In the Twilight,"

  The forthcoming second edition of "In the Twilight," whose paper stock Chekhov instructs Alexander to keep cheap, as with the first printing.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 4 April 1888. Moscow. §6 "In the Twilight"

  Chekhov instructs that the copies be sent on by registered parcel post.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 11–12 April 1888. Moscow. §6 "Twilight"

  Chekhov checks whether a prior request -- to be credited or counted against "Twilight" -- was carried out; the point of the query is not fully recoverable from the letter alone.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 11–12 April 1888. Moscow. §7 "Twilight."

  The second edition of "Twilight," whose printing Chekhov wants announced in Novoye Vremya's regular Monday notices -- continuing the business begun in/406/408.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 11–12 April 1888. Moscow. §8 "Twilight,"

  Listed again among the back-cover advertisements, alongside "Motley Stories" and the new "Stories."

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 18–24 April 1888. Moscow. §3 "Twilight"

  V sumerkakh (In the Twilight), Chekhov's story collection published by Suvorin in 1887; Chekhov insists it is time to go ahead and print it rather than have Alexander defer to the shop's hesitation.

• To N. A. Leikin, 23 April 1888. Moscow. §9 in exchange for my "Twilight."

  "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight"), Chekhov's own 1887 story collection, which he offers as trade for a replacement copy of the stolen "Stukin and Khrustalnikov."

• To A. I. Leman, 30 April 1888. Moscow. §5 "In the Twilight"

  Chekhov's 1887 story collection published by Suvorin; Chekhov mentions its forthcoming second edition, along with a second volume of his Novoye Vremya stories, before the letter breaks off unfinished.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 1888. Sumy. §5 my book

  Chekhov's forthcoming story collection "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight"), whose distribution to reviewers and friends is the main business of this letter; it would go on to win the Pushkin Prize later in 1888.

• To I. L. Leontyev, 9 June 1888. Sumy. §7 My little book has come out

  "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight"), Chekhov's story collection, whose distribution to friends and reviewers -- including, per letter 435, a copy for Shcheglov via Alexander -- was underway around this time; it went on to win the Pushkin Prize later in 1888.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 24 July 1888. Parokhod "Yunona". §6 I'm waiting for news of the second edition of "Twilight."

  "Twilight" (V sumerkakh) is Chekhov's own 1887 story collection, published by Suvorin; the second edition's announcement is the news Chekhov is awaiting, not a work of Alexander's.

• To D. V. Grigorovich, 9 October 1888. Moscow. §5 The prize

  The 1888 Pushkin Prize ("half prize") of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, awarded in October 1888 for Chekhov's 1887 story collection "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight"); anchored here to the awarded work itself, as no separate award/institution entity exists in the corpus for the prize.

• To D. T. Savelyev, 4 February 1889. Moscow. §6 two of the books are entirely sold out and are being printed in a new edition

  The two books awaiting reprint are the third edition of "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight") and the second edition of "Rasskazy" ("Stories"), both reissued in 1889; see also.

• To Al. P. Chekhov, 25 February 1889. Moscow. §6 Bindings for "Twilight"

  Chekhov's 1887 story collection "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight"), published by Suvorin. The bindings in question were mistakenly stamped with the name "A. N. Chekhov" instead of Chekhov's own name -- a misprint Chekhov refuses to let pass, treating it (\S6-7) as carelessness with Suvorin's firm's property and interests as much as his own.

• To K. S. Barantsevich, 22 April 1889. Moscow. §7 "In the Twilight"?

  "В сумерках", Chekhov's own 1887 story collection, here being informally circulated to friends via a family courier -- the Lintvaryov son -- rather than sold; the same work discussed at greater length regarding its printing in.

• To A. S. Suvorin, May 1889. Sumy. §7 there is neither "Twilight" nor "Stories"

  "V sumerkakh" ("In the Twilight"), Chekhov's 1887 story collection published by Suvorin; here reported as out of stock at the Sumy station bookcase.

• To I. P. Chekhov, 27 January 1891. Petersburg. §5 In the Twilight

  \textit{В сумерках} ("In the Twilight," 1887), Chekhov's second story collection, awarded the Pushkin Prize in 1888; reaching a fifth edition by 1891, evidence of Chekhov's now well-established commercial success as reported here.