The bishop and other stories

The Bishop and Other Stories (1919) is a collection of short stories by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. The title story of the collection, originally published in 1902, finds the author at his most introspective. Written while Chekhov was dealing with the long term effects of tuberculosis, a period in which he began to accept the inevitability of his own death, “The Bishop” is a meditative story that follows a dedicated man who, in the face of oblivion, wants nothing more than to go about his work to the best of his ability.

“The Bishop” is the story of a man named Pyotr. Set during Easter Week, it begins while Pyotr is passing out palms at a service on the night before Palm Sunday. As he begins to feel faint, he sees his mother—whose presence he did not expect—and begins to cry. Over the next several days, Pyotr goes about his duties, caring for the sick and dying, officiating at the local cathedral, and meeting with his colleagues, all while growing sicker and increasingly irritable. As he succumbs to typhoid fever, his mother and his faith are all he has left in a world that will soon forget him. “The Letter” is a similarly religious, earlier story in which a conversation between two priests, Father Orlov and Father Anastasi, is interrupted by the deacon. As the three discuss what is to be done with the deacon’s wayward son, the difference between morality and mercy is illuminated for all to see. The Bishop and Other Stories is a collection of seven short works of fiction by Russian literary icon Anton Chekhov.