The Huntsman

"The Huntsman" is an 1885 short story by Anton Chekhov. Publication The story was first published on 1 August (o.s. 18 July) 1885 in Peterburgskaya Gazeta (Issue No. 194), signed A. Chekhonte (А. Чехонте). It featured in all the 14 editions of Chekhov's 1886 collection Motley Stories (Пёстрые рассказы), first published in Saint Petersburg in 1886, and was included by the author into Volume 3 of the original edition of the Collected Works by A.P. Chekhov, published by Adolf Marks in 1899–1901. History "The Huntsman" made a strong impression upon Dmitry Grigorovich, who in a 25 March 1886 letter expressed his delight and urged Chekhov to leave the humorous genre behind and concentrate on more serious issues. In his 28 March reply Chekhov admitted that up until then he'd never taken his literary exercises seriously. "I cannot recall one single story that would have taken me more than one day to write, and 'The Huntsman' that you've liked so much, had been written actually, in a bath!" Not only was Grigorovich infatuated with the story, he made sure it would in a way improve its author's career prospects. Alexander Lazarev-Gruzinsky in his memoirs quoted Chekhov as once having told him: "Apparently, right after my 'Huntsman' had appeared in 'St Petersburg Gazette', Grigorovich visited Suvorin and said: 'Alexey Sergeyevich, please do invite Chekhov to Novoye Vremya. Just you read his 'Huntsman'. It would be a crime for you not to get this man!' Suvorin contacted Kurepin, from whom I received an invitation by letter, to join Novoye Vremya!"