The Fiancee

The diversity of the stories in this collection is great, their psychological depth and philosophical richness even greater. Chekhov(1860-1904) composed most of the stories in the 1890s, although "The Fiancee", written at the same time as his dramatic masterpiece, The cherry Orchard, was not completed until 1903; "The Fiancee" represents a turning point in Chekhov's career, with the high note of optimism and with its heroine, Nadya, "a positive woman of action", who ultimately rejects philistine materialism for a life of hard work and self-denial.