The story opens with a boy Mitya Kuldarov running to his parent’s apartment his schoolboy brothers are asleep while his sister is busy reading a novel. Knopf, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. It is also available as part of a short story collection called Fifty Two Stories published by Alfred A. The story is one of his earlier works, published way back in 1883. Or so I thought.Īnd came along Chekhov and his short story aptly called Joy. I know my limits, and I feel that I would never define joy or even agree with someone’s definition of it. Joy is something abstract, and sometimes I go nuts imagining philosophers of ‘yore poring over huge fat books trying to develop an all-encompassing definition of Joy. I have had all of those images appearing in my mind at some point or the other on my at-work daydreaming sprees.īut the fascinating thing about joy was that the images were not as consistent as those that appeared when I imagined a trading room or even a grocery store. Let’s just say ‘Joy’ what images come to mind now?ĭepending on your age, it might be your favorite ice cream, your favorite dress, your favorite person, your favorite travel destination, your favorite cake, or maybe even your favorite pillow.

It’s scary how consistently the same themes appear in those images, regardless of the setting I imagine them in.

Phones ringing everywhere, some papers stacked at desks and some flying around, everyone stressed, clocks displaying times from all major time zones, someone going berserk at the dealer on the phone, etc. If I say imagine ‘trading room’, what images come to mind?Įvery time someone says the words, if you ask me, a very consistent set of images appear before my eyes.

Anton chekhov a visit to friends pdf