HermitshChekhov Entire

Letter · 1888

To N. A. Khlopov, 22 March 1888. Moscow.

Н. А. ХЛОПОВУ, 22 марта 1888 г. Москва.

Headnote

1 Written from Moscow on March 22, 1888, this short letter is a follow-up to Chekhov’s earlier correspondence with the aspiring writer Nikolai Afanasyevich Khlopov, reporting on the fate of two of Khlopov’s stories. Chekhov has just read Khlopov’s newest story – rushed, in the hour before catching a train – and judges it better written than an earlier piece, "The Eleventh"; he has passed it directly to the publisher Suvorin, who has promised to read it soon.

2 On "The Eleventh," Chekhov relays discouraging news from the poet Aleksei Pleshcheev: the journal "Severny Vestnik" already has a backlog of short stories and could not run it for months, perhaps a year. The story has since been passed along to the critic Viktor Burenin. Chekhov closes by encouraging Khlopov’s ambition to write for the Petersburg press, urging persistence, and signing off with wry apology for the unsolicited advice.

March 22, 1888. Moscow.
22 марта 1888 г. Москва.
22.
22.
Dear Nikolai Afanasyevich! I read your story yesterday, as soon as I received it: one or two hours before my train left. I did not get to the last two little pages – there was no time – but I find it better – that is, better written – than "The Eleventh." I put it into Suvorin’s own hands. He, for his part, promised to read it very soon.
Уважаемый Николай Афанасьевич! Я прочел Ваш рассказ вчера, когда получил: за 1–2 часа до отхода поезда. Двух последних страничек я не прочел – было некогда, – но нахожу, что он лучше т. е. написан лучше "Одиннадцатого". Я отдал его в собственные) руки Суворина. Сей последний обещал прочесть его в самом скором времени.
Now, about "The Eleventh." Here is an excerpt for you from old Pleshcheev’s letter: "It is a little story, written not without humor, and one that might be printed in the ’Severny Vestnik,’ but there is such a heap of little stories lying there already – a whole pile – that there’s no telling when it would run. Perhaps in six months, perhaps in a year, and that, I should think, would hardly suit the author?"
Теперь об "Одиннадцатом". Вот Вам выписка из письма старика Плещеева: "Это рассказец, написанный не без юмора и который бы можно напечатать в "Сев вестн", но там столько маленьких рассказов лежит – целый ворох,– что неизвестно, когда бы он пошел. Может быть, через полгода, через год, а автору это, вероятно, было бы не на руку?"
"The Eleventh" is with Burenin now.
"Одиннадцатый" теперь у Буренина.
That is all I know. I am glad of your wish to work in Petersburg, and for my part I sincerely wish you success, and more persistence in that direction... Given stubbornness and persistence, and a little less faintheartedness before setbacks, your affairs will come right – I am ready to vouch for it, for you have talent.
Вот и всё, что мне известно. Вашему желанию работать в Питере я радуюсь и в свою очередь искренно желаю успеха и побольше настойчивости в этом направлении... Были бы упрямство и настойчивость, поменьше малодушия перед неудачами, и дело Ваше пойдет на лад – готов ручаться, ибо Вы талантливы.
Forgive the sermon from your well-wisher.
Простите за мораль Вашего доброжелателя.

Cite this passage

To N. A. Khlopov, 22 March 1888. Moscow.

Pick a format and click Copy. The permalink jumps any reader to this exact section.

Support this project

Free to read here. Buy the ebook to support the work.

Ebook coming soon

The ebook edition in this language is on its way.(English)