Home / Authors / 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.

Filter quotes by topic

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

“While you're playing cards with a regular guy or having a bite to eat with him, he seems a peaceable, good-humoured and not entirely dense person. But just begin a conversation with him about something inedible, politics or science, for instance, and he ends up in a deadend or starts in on such an obtuse and base philosophy that you can only wave your hand and leave.”

Persons Ends Philosophy Hands Seems Guy Conversation Wave Cards Instance Bites Dense Playing Cards

Author:Anton Chekhov

“Silence accompanies the most significant expressions of happiness and unhappiness: those in love understand one another best when silent, while the most heated and impassioned speech at a graveside touches only outsiders, but seems cold and inconsequential to the widow and children of the deceased.”

Children Seems Silence Expression Cold Speech Silent Significant Unhappiness Outsiders Widows Accompany Inconsequential Deceased Impassioned

Author:Anton Chekhov

“What seems to us serious, significant and important will, in future times, be forgotten or won't seem important at all.”

Important Seems Serious Forgotten Significant Future Time

Author:Anton Chekhov

“It seems to me that all of the evil in life comes from idleness, boredom, and psychic emptiness, but all of that is inevitable when you become accustomed to living at others' expense.”

Seems Evil Inevitable Boredom Emptiness Expenses Psychics Accustomed Idleness

Author:Anton Chekhov

“Nothing lulls and inebriates like money; when you have a lot, the world seems a better place than it actually is.”

World Seems Money Better Place Lulls

Author:Anton Chekhov

“Dear, sweet, unforgettable childhood! Why does this irrevocable time, forever departed, seem brighter, more festive and richer than it actually was?”

Doe Seems Forever Childhood Sweet Dear Idealism Brighter Departed Unforgettable Irrevocable Festive

Author:Anton Chekhov

“In all my life I never met anyone so frivolous as you two, so crazy and unbusinesslike. I tell you in plain Russian your property is going to be sold and you don't seem to understand what I say.”

Two Seems Crazy Mets Property Frivolous

Book:Ten Plays

Source: Ten Plays

“Oh, I have now a mania for shortness. Whatever I read - my own or other people's works - it all seems to me not short enough.”

People Enough Seems My Own Working It Mania Shortness

Author:Anton Chekhov

“What truth? You see where truth is, and where untruth is, but I seem to have lost my sight and see nothing. You boldly settle all important questions, but tell me, dear, isn't it because you're young, because you haven't had time to suffer till you settled a single one of your questions? You boldly look forward, isn't it because you cannot foresee or expect anything terrible, because so far life has been hidden from your young eyes? You are bolder, more honest, deeper than we are, but think only, be just a little magnanimous, and have mercy on me.”

Source: The Collected Works of Anton Chekhov: Novellas, Short Stories, Plays, Letters & Diary: Three Sisters, Seagull , The Shooting Party, Uncle Vanya, Cherry Orchard, Chameleon, Tripping Tongue, On The Road, Vanka, Ward No. Six, Swedish Match, Nightmare, Bear, Reluctant Hero, Joy…

“A naive man is nothing better than a fool. But you women contrive to be naive in such a way that in you it seems sweet, and gentle, and proper, and not as silly as it really is.”

Men Way Seems Sweet Fool Silly Gentle Naive

Book:Delphi Complete Works of Anton Chekhov (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of Anton Chekhov (Illustrated)

“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

“When one longs for a drink, it seems as though one could drink a whole ocean-that is faith; but when one begins to drink, one can only drink altogether two glasses-that is science.”

Two Whole Seems Science Faith Drink Ocean Accounts Glasses

Book:The Life and Genius of Anton Chekhov: Letters, Diary, Reminiscences and Biography: Assorted Collection of Autobiographical Writings of the Renowned Russian Author and Playwright of Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, The Three Sisters and The Seagull

Source: The Life and Genius of Anton Chekhov: Letters, Diary, Reminiscences and Biography: Assorted Collection of Autobiographical Writings of the Renowned Russian Author and Playwright of Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, The Three Sisters and The Seagull

“When you describe the miserable and unfortunate, and want to make the reader feel pity, try to be somewhat colder - that seems to give a kind of background to another's grief, against which it stands out more clearly. Whereas in your story the characters cry and you sigh. Yes, be more cold. ... The more objective you are, the stronger will be the impression you make.”

Want Giving Feels Trying Kind Character Stories Seems Grief Kindness Cry Cold Reader Stronger Backgrounds Impression Objectives Pity Crafts Miserable Unfortunate Standing Out Sigh

Author:Anton Chekhov

“It always seems to the brothers and the father that their brother or son didn't marry the right person.”

Persons Seems Father Son Brother Sister Right Person

Author:Anton Chekhov