# In a bookstore. A story

de Overwood Henry

MMMDCCXX. In a bookstore. A story. - November 21, 2025.

In a bookstore. A story.


One day, Sergei Sergeievich saw a list of short stories by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov online. Perhaps there were about five hundred of these short stories.


After reading Anton Chekhov's biography, Sergei Sergeievich had such idea: go to a bookstore and to try find a complete collection of Chekhov's short stories.


That would be convenient! The author of Chekhov's biography mentions Chekhov's short stories. Sergei Sergeievich had read some of these stories (which are mentioned in the Chekhov's biography). And some of them he hadn't. It would be convenient: instead of going online to find a story, he could open a book (a collection of stories) and find the short story he needed.


Sergei Sergeievich went to a bookstore. A month or two ago, in this very store-after receiving information about an unexpected, seemingly created out of air, utility debt of fifty thousand rubles, and after delving into the topic of pension tranches-he had purchased several useful (paper) laws on pensions.


An attractive girl in glasses was searching among various shelves (betwixt other books) for these pension laws.


The interest in a pension laws - it is not the same as the interest in, let say, Konstantin Balmont's poetry or in a collection of love poems. So, Sergei Sergeievich tried to create a positive atmosphere with a few compliments. In response to the compliments, the girl in glasses looked at Sergei Sergeievich strangely. A girl's such glance heightened his interest.


Some time later, Sergei Sergeievich, (already) immersed in the topic of pension transfers, visited the same bookstore to buy a few folders (for official papers). He again saw the attractive girl in glasses. This time, he didn't limit himself to compliments, but hinted at the possibility of visiting a nearby café. He received a strange look (glance) in response.


But today, when he tried to find a complete collection of Chekhov's short stories, the attractive girl in glasses wasn't in the store. Apparently, she had been swept away by a River of Time.


Sergei Sergeievich explained to the salesgirl (present at the workplace) that he wanted to find a complete collection of Chekhov's short stories, and the girl began searching.


Sergei Sergeievich recalled what the author of Chekhov's biography wrote about Chekhov's book "Motley Stories."


"Motley Stories" appeared during Chekhov's transition from Leykin (the boss of magazine "Oskolki" ('Fragments')) to Suvorin (the chief of the newspaper " Novoye Vremya," of a (book) publishing house, of a chain of bookstores... - the chief of a "vertically integrated holding company," in modern parlance).


Chekhov fell into Leykin's hands after moving from Taganrog to Moscow. (At first) Chekhov had no money, no decent housing, no necessary connections, no way to navigate in a Moscow life or to understand it.


Moreover, the talented writer Chekhov did not (in the initial period) have any understanding of how the wheels of this literary (newspaper and magazine) machine turned (rotated): publishing houses, the sales system, royalties, competitors, a passing through censorship bodies, and so on and so forth.


Leykin mentored Chekhov (and taught Chekhov to write [Nikolai Leykin, in 1880, before he began collaborating with Anton Chekhov, published - for example - the short story "The Amateur Doctor"]. Leykin tried to distance (to far away) (of) Chekhov from other newspapers and magazines. (He "was jealous"). Sensitive to the overall situation of Chekhov and of Chekhov's family, and using a "dotting payments" for (after) literary assignments, Leykin ensured that Chekhov was working effectively in favor of Leykin and the magazine "Oskolki" ('Fragments'). A newcomer to Moscow life, Chekhov asked ("petitioned") Leykin not only about himself but also for his (Chekhov's) two older brothers. Such requests strengthened the working relationship between Leykin and Anton Chekhov. Collaboration between Leikin and Chekhov was in the period 1882-1887. At first this collaboration was active, later it became the episodic one.


Chekhov's "transition" from Leykin to Suvorin was accompanied by a gathering (consolidation) of Chekhov's previously written short stories. These stories were collected and published under a common cover ("Motley Stories" - 77 stories; published in 1886). Some biographers believe that the publication was carried out according Leykin's terms (conditions).


A salesgirl found one of Chekhov's short story collections. It was a small collection-how many stories were in it: 10? The girl delivered another collection: according the table of contents this one contained no more than 20 stories.


Sergei Sergeievich felt someone standing behind his back. He turned around and looked behind himself.


A black uniform. On the uniform were some kind of stripes, symbols.


Sergei Sergeievich looked at the owner of the uniform more closely. On one of the stripes, he saw the word "security."


Somehow unclear. No matter how many times Sergei Sergeievich visited this bookstore, there were always either no customers at all, or only one, two, or three. Who and from whom and from what should he protect? (Perhaps a Chekhov fan (reader) came from the jewelry store to the bookstore?)


But there's no time to think about the man in uniform.


The salesgirl brought two thick collections of Chekhov's short stories. Good, beautifully published books. Sergei Sergeievich glances at the table of contents. Very interesting: unpublished stories by Chekhov have been presented in one of these books.


But Sergei Sergeievich's goal is to find, to buy a complete collection of Chekhov's short stories! 500 short stories! Well, maybe not 500, but at least 250.


The salesgirl looks at the computer screen, moving the mouse and cursor. (Prices for Chekhov's collections: approximately from 250 to 750 rubles). Sergei Sergeievich and the man in black uniform look at the girl. They are looking attentively at the computer, at the books brought by the girl.


Sergei Sergeievich isn't the only one, who is interested in Chekhov's work!


Here, on the computer screen, is the line: Anton Chekhov. A Collection of Stories. Price: 1,500 rubles. This collection must be quite large, - perhaps 250 stories, may be 500?


The author of Chekhov's biography informs readers about the contents of Chekhov's stories. He (only) admires some stories, while briefly recounting others. But he quotes the story 'Sergeant Prishibeyev' ("Unter-officer Prishibeyev") almost in its entirety.


Yes, a good story! Do not gather, people, (for communication, for interaction), more than a one person! Disperse!


The salesgirl brings a collection of Chekhov's short stories; price 1,500 rubles. This collection is wrapped in a transparent plastic cover. But through the transparent film, everyone can read the information: there are 40 stories in the collection. Apparently, the price of this collection is due to the large number of illustrations.


There are some good collections of Chekhov's short stories in this bookstore. Without of the 50,000 (fifty thousand) ruble utility debt that was created as if out of air, Sergei Sergeievich could have bought a book with Chekhov's unpublished stories. But maybe the (previously) purchased pension laws will yield a positive result?


Well... Sergei Sergeievich will-if necessary-read Chekhov's stories online (not in paper editions).


Without any compliments towards address of any person, Sergei Sergeievich leaves the bookstore.


November 21, 2025, 21:47 (9:47 PM)


Translation from Russian into English: November 23, 2025, 08:53

Владимир Владимирович Залесский ' В книжном магазине. Рассказ. '


{3749. В книжном магазине. Рассказ. - 21 ноября 2025 г.

MMMDCCXX. In a bookstore. A story. - November 21, 2025.


Vladimir Zalessky Internet-bibliotheca. Интернет-библиотека Владимира Залесского}