This collection contains some of the most important of his earliest and shortest comic sketches, as well as examples of his great, mature works.
Throughout, the doctor-turned-writer displays compassion for human suffering and misfortune, but is always able to see the comical, even farcical aspects of the human condition. Chekhov sees an depicts life with unwavering honesty and truthfulness, although a clear moral sense can be detected beneath his apparent objectivity.