Distant Freedom

Essay on Chekhov

By: Jacques Ranciere, Steven Corcoran (Translator)

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Paperback | 22 May 2025 | Edition Number 1

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120 Pages

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19.0 x 12.5 x 1.4

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Chekhov’s short stories offer a subtle yet powerful message: that there is potential for change in our lives. Contrary to the image of a desolate soul, they reveal Chekhov as a beacon of hope and freedom. His narratives delve into the very essence of time, juxtaposing the relentless monotony of servitude with the glimmering moments that fracture this cycle, hinting at the existence of a different, more liberated existence. This is the way to approach all these brief tales of lost lives, nights filled with tears and joy, landscapes, or love, against the cynicism of those who believe time is destined to replicate the same. In these glimmers, new forms of life arise—noble and sensible shapes that we might already be nearing and occasionally perceive.

Jacques Ranciere, using Chekhov’s stories as a lens, sees literature not as a source of knowledge but as a catalyst for reshaping emotions. It’s about reframing our experience of sadness, urging us towards a different life. He unveils the profound capability of literature: positioning us within the landscape of freedom, transparent about the distance it holds from our reality, yet unwavering in the standards it sets, inviting us to strive towards them.

Industry Reviews

"This essay has more insights than many critical studies ten times as long: as a discussion of Chekhov's 'open endings' it sheds light, with original perceptions, not just on the major works, but shorter gems overlooked by other critics."
Donald Rayfield, Queen Mary University of London

"This is an exquisite instalment in Ranciere' political aesthetics and poetics in which his own writing reverberates with the same plangent yearning that he finds in Chekhov's short fiction. A must for any student of Chekhov or political aesthetics."
J.M. Bernstein, New School for Social Research

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