Typhoid (story)

A.P. Chekhov's story “Typhoid (short story)” was written in 1887, first published in 1887 in the Petersburg newspaper No. 80 of March 23 in the department “Flying notes” signed by A. Chekhonte, in 1888 it was printed in the collection "Stories," entered the publication of A.F. Marx. For the collection of stories, the author amended the story.

During Chekhov's life, the story was translated into English, Bulgarian, Hungarian, German, Serbo-Croatian, Slovak, Finnish, French and Czech.

The idea of ​​the story is connected with Chekhov’s trip to St. Petersburg. Chekhov’s brother, Alexander, called in a writer to treat his wife with typhoid. Chekhov wrote to M.V. Kiseleva: “Petersburg impressed me as a city of death. I drove into it with a frightened imagination, met two coffins on the way, and my brother found typhus. From typhus he went to Leikin and found out that “just” the Leukin doorman died on the go from typhoid fever. I’m going to the exhibition, there, as luck would have it, all the ladies in mourning come across. ”

The critic D.P. Golitsyn liked the story. He wrote in a letter to the author: “For the first time, the other day, I read your story“ Typhoid ”and I must tell you that this is an excellent thing. In general, as I understand it, you have a wonderful gift for “plots”, and original themes are teeming with your head ” ^[1] .

V. A. Tikhonov considered the work one of Chekhov’s most profound: “A man who comprehended the beauty of“ Holy Night ”can still be only a poet, full of inspiration, sensitive, gentle, but a poet. A deep and thin observer will understand “Enemies” and “Witch” and much more. The contemplator will not pass without a trace along the Steppe. The psychologist and “On the Way” and “Home” will follow every twist of the human soul. The psychopathologist restructures both “Typhoid” and “Seizure” ” ^[2] .

I.A. Bunin , noting the depth of psychological analysis, attributed the story to Chekhov's best work. He noted: "Of course, the work of the doctor gave him a lot in this regard."

Among the negative reviews is the opinion of the critic K. K. Arsenyev, who attributed the story to those works that are “too poor in content and individual beauties, sometimes forming the main force of Chekhov’s essays” ^[3] .

The critic K. Govorov believed that Chekhov’s task was to show the "ups and downs of recovery." This task turned out to be a "children's" for the writer. The critic Medvedsky discovered "the complete inability of the author to psychology" ^[4] .

• Klimov, a young lieutenant.
• Katya, Klimov’s sister, is an eighteen-year-old girl.
• Doctor, a solid blackbeard man.

The story begins with a description of the trip of the young lieutenant Klimov in the mail train from St. Petersburg to Moscow. He felt abnormal, his mouth was dry, his head was foggy, his thoughts wandered as if outside the skull. A man was sitting next to him - a Chukhonite or a Swede. Klimov argued what kind of "nasty people." They only occupy a place on the globe. What are they for? ”He also wanted to think“ about the French and Italians, but the memory of these peoples evoked in him the idea for some reason only about organ grinders, naked women and foreign oleographies. ” Chukhonets was trying to talk to him, but the officer referred to the disease.

When the train arrived, the officer hired a cab and arrived home. Doctors were called to him, but he was getting worse. Sister prayed for his recovery. A few days passed. Klimov woke up from oblivion, he felt better. Aunt said he had typhus. Then he began to look for Katya’s sister, but it turned out that she had contracted typhoid fever from Klimov and died. From this message, the lieutenant's joy of recovery was replaced by a feeling of irreparable loss.

• Chekhov A.P. Typhus (short story) // Chekhov A.P. Complete Works and Letters: In 30 vols. Works: In 18 vol. Institute of World Lite. them. A. M. Gorky. - M .: Nauka, 1974-1982.
• Voir Dictionnaire Tchekhov, Page 294, Françoise Darnal-Lesné, Édition L'Harmattan, 2010, ISBN 978,2296,1343.5 .
• Fièvre typhoïde traduit par Édouard Parayre, Bibliothèque de la pléiade, Édition Gallimard, 1970, ISBN 2-07-010550-4 .

• Chekhov A.P. Typhus (story) . Original Russian text
• Performance based on Chekhov’s story “Typhus”