“The most comprehensive treatment of Chekhov’s thought to date, linking his famous poetics of understatement to enduring philosophical questions. This is a mature work of scholarship, organically structured, intellectually stimulating, and highly readable, presenting a series of bracing new interpretations at perfect pitch. Any reader of Chekhov should read this book.”—Carol Apollonio, author of Simply Chekhov
“A comprehensive and multifaceted study of Chekhov’s plays, Staging Existence underscores the subtle connection between Chekhov the thinker and Chekhov the artist, making the persuasive case that one cannot be understood without the other. Exhaustively researched, lucidly written, and convincingly argued, this is one of the most important studies of Chekhov in recent decades.”—Radislav Lapushin, author of “Dew on the Grass”: The Poetics of Inbetweenness in Chekhov
“Erudite and substantial. . . . Offers a clear-eyed critique of a polarized society caught in a self-destructive tailspin. Chekhov is present here as a valuable antidote not just to his own time, but possibly to ours as well. . . . We can perceive Chekhov’s distinctive form of activism, a combination of social conscience and mental vigilance, reminding us that we need to learn how to hold irreconcilable realities together.”—The Russian Review