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Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov Quotes

Physician

Anton Chekhov, born on January 29, 1860, was a prominent Russian physician and short story writer. His works are renowned for their profound psychological insights and critical portrayal of social realities. Chekhov's short stories have had a profound impact on literature both in Russia and around the world.

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All People Ifs Men Writing Knows Literature Should Two Thinking Persons Years Artist Life Lying Doe Firsts Happiness Looks Seems Want

Famous Anton Chekhov Quotes

“Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress. When I get fed up with one, I spend the night with the other. Though it is irregular, it is less boring this way, and besides, neither of them loses anything through my infidelity.”

Literature Wife Medicine Infidelity Mistress Playwright Doctor Anton Chekhov Irregular Less Boring

Author:Anton Chekhov

“When all is said and done, no literature can outdo the cynicism of real life; you won't intoxicate with one glass someone who has already drunk up a whole barrel.”

Said Real Done Whole Literature Glasses Real Life Drunk Cynicism Drunkenness Barrels Said And Done

Author:Anton Chekhov

“There are people whom even children's literature would corrupt. They read with particular enjoyment the piquant passages in the Psalter and in the Wisdom of Solomon.”

People Children Literature Particular Enjoyment Passages Solomon Children's Literature

Author:Anton Chekhov

“The bourgeoisie is very fond of so-called practical types and novels with happy endings, since they soothe it with the idea that one can both accumulate capital and preserve innocence, be a beast and at the same time be happy...”

Thinking Stills Happiness Literature Novel Fine Type Greed Innocence Beast Acquire Happy Endings Bourgeoisie Lulls

Author:Anton Chekhov

“In my head there is a whole army of people asking to be let out and waiting for the word of command.”

People Whole Literature Army Command Pleading

Author:Anton Chekhov

“I don't like being successful; the subjects which sit in my head are annoyed and jealous of what has already been written.”

Ideas Care Success Literature Written Sitting Don't Care I Don't Care Annoyed Envious

Author:Anton Chekhov

“To describe drunkenness for the colorful vocabulary is rather cynical. There is nothing easier than to capitalize on drunkards.”

Literature Easier Drinking Cynical Vocabulary Drunkenness Colorful Drunkards

Author:Anton Chekhov

“Is it our job to judge? The gendarme, policemen and bureaucrats have been especially prepared by fate for that job. Our job is towrite, and only to write.”

Writing Has Beens Jobs Literature Fate Judging Prepared Policemen Bureaucrats

Author:Anton Chekhov

“Pharisaism, obtuseness and tyranny reign not only in the homes of merchants and in jails; I see it in science, in literature, and among youth. I consider any emblem or label a prejudice.... My holy of holies is the human body, health, intellect, talent, inspiration, love and the most absolute of freedoms, the freedom from force and falsity in whatever forms they might appear.”

“Medicine is my lawful wife and literature my mistress; when I get tired of one, I spend the night with the other.”

Science Night Literature Wife Tired Medicine Profession Medical Mistress Medical Science Medical Education

Author:Anton Chekhov

“Doctors are just the same as lawyers; the only difference is that lawyers merely rob you, whereas doctors rob you and kill you too.”

Humor Funny Law Literature Differences Doctors Lawyer Medical Robbery Robbing Black Humor

Author:Anton Chekhov

“Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.”

Values Literature Knowledge Practice Technology Marketing Advertising Knowledge Education Education And Knowledge Learning Knowledge

Author:Anton Chekhov

“The world perishes not from bandits and fires, but from hatred, hostility, and all these petty squabbles.”

World Literature Fire Hatred Petty Hostility Bandits Squabbles

Author:Anton Chekhov

“When a woman isn't beautiful, people always say, 'You have lovely eyes, you have lovely hair.'”

People Eye Beautiful Literature Hair Lovely Beautiful People Lovely Eyes

Author:Anton Chekhov

“A good upbringing means not that you won't spill sauce on the tablecloth, but that you won't notice it when someone else does.”

Mean Doe Literature Upbringing Sauce Spills Good Upbringing

Author:Anton Chekhov

“There is nothing new in art except talent.”

Art Literature Talent Genius Nothing New New Talent

Author:Anton Chekhov

“Life does not agree with philosophy: There is no happiness that is not idleness, and only what is useless is pleasurable.”

Doe Philosophy Literature Agree Useless Idleness

Author:Anton Chekhov

“No psychologist should pretend to understand what he does not understand... Only fools and charlatans know everything and understand nothing.”

Knows Should Doe Literature Psychology Fool Psychologist Fake People Charlatans

Author:Anton Chekhov

“The University brings out all abilities, including incapability.”

Literature Ability Including University Incapability

Author:Anton Chekhov

“Reason and justice tell me there's more love for humanity in electricity and steam than in chastity and vegetarianism.”

Life Reason Science Humanity Literature Justice Electricity Vegetarianism Steam Chastity Love For Humanity

Author:Anton Chekhov

“Money, like vodka, turns a person into an eccentric.”

Persons Turns Literature Eccentric Vodka

Author:Anton Chekhov

“When you're thirsty and it seems that you could drink the entire ocean that's faith; when you start to drink and finish only a glass or two that's science.”

Two Seems Literature Drink Ocean Glasses Thirsty Eyeglasses

Author:Anton Chekhov

“It's easier to write about Socrates than about a young woman or a cook.”

Writing Young Literature Easier Cooks Young Women

Author:Anton Chekhov

“When an actor has money he doesn't send letters, he sends telegrams.”

Actors Literature Money Letters Telegrams

Author:Anton Chekhov

“All of life and human relations have become so incomprehensibly complex that, when you think about it, it becomes terrifying and your heart stands still.”

Thinking Humans Heart Stills Literature Relation Complexes Scary Human Relations

Author:Anton Chekhov

“I feel more confident and more satisfied when I reflect that I have two professions and not one. Medicine is my lawful wife and literature is my mistress. When I get tired of one I spend the night with the other. Though it's disorderly it's not so dull, and besides, neither really loses anything, through my infidelity.”

Feels Two Night Literature Loses Wife Tired Medicine Profession Satisfied Dull Infidelity Mistress

Author:Anton Chekhov

“We learn about life not from plusses alone, but from minuses as well.”

Wells Literature

Author:Anton Chekhov

“I agree that one can't dispense with the reins and the whip altogether, for knaves find their way even into literature, but no thinking will discover a better police for literature than the critics and the author's own conscience.”

Literature Force Effort Conscience Criticism Police Despite Best Effort Police Force

Author:Anton Chekhov

“I am writing a play which I probably will not finish until the end of November. I am writing it with considerable pleasure, though I sin frightfully against the conventions of the stage. It is a comedy with three female parts, six male, four acts, a landscape (view of the lake), lots of talk on literature, little action and tons of love.”

Love Writing Littles Ends Play Action Three Literature Sin Pleasure Views Comedy Four Stage Six Female Males Landscape Lakes Conventions November

Author:Anton Chekhov

“But if you had asked him what his work was, he would look candidly and openly at you with his large bright eyes through his gold pincenez, and would answer in a soft, velvety, lisping baritone: "My work is literature."”

Ifs Looks Eye Literature Work Answers Gold Bright Eyes Baritones

Book:Delphi Complete Works of Anton Chekhov (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of Anton Chekhov (Illustrated)