"The Black Monk" is a short story by Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...

, written in 1894 while Chekhov was living in the village of Melikhove. The story tells of two tragic years in the life of scholar and artist Andrey Vasil'ich Kovrin.

Plot

This story follows the character Andrey Kovrin, a Russian scholar who is seemingly brilliant. In the beginning of the story, Kovrin is overworked and his nerves are off. He decides to take a vacation to a horticulture center he used to visit when he was younger. The place is gorgeous, and is run by an old man and his middle aged daughter. Both think very highly of Kovrin and are very excited for his arrival. Kovrin learns how much work it is to take care of the garden, and grows an appreciation for it. Then he starts seeing a black monk, goes crazy, and dies. It is an excellent story and is highly regarded by scholars.

External links

• "The Black Monk" full text.