Small Fry (short story)
"Small Fry" (Russian: Мелюзга, romanized: Melyuzga) is a short story by Anton Chekhov originally published by Oskolki magazine on 25 (old style: 12) March 1885 (No. 12 issue), signed A. Chekhonte (А. Чехонте). It featured in all the 14 editions of Chekhov's 1886 collection Motley Stories (Пёстрые рассказы) which came out in Saint Petersburg in 1886, and was included by Chekhov into Volume 3 of his Collected Works, published by Adolf Marks in 1899–1901.[1]
| "Small Fry" | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anton Chekhov |
| Original title | "Мелюзга" |
| Translator | Constance Garnett |
| Country | Russia |
| Language | Russian |
| Published in | Oskolki |
| Publication date | 12 March 1885 |
| Published in English | 1918 |
Synopsis
The petty clerk Nevyrazimov, sitting in his office on the Easter Eve in the company of a cockroach scurrying the table, muses upon what he might do to make it in the world (steal big money or perhaps report on somebody to the secret police) but comes to the conclusion that such deeds would be beyond his abilities. Disgusted with the feeling of his own unworthiness he takes it out on the cockroach and "feels better".
References
- Shub, E. M. Commentaries to Мелюзга. The Works by A.P. Chekhov in 12 volumes. Khudozhestvennaya Literatura. Moscow, 1960. Vol. 3, p. 492
External links
- Мелюзга. Original Russian text
- Small Fry, Constance Garnett's 1918 translation. The Schoolmistress and Other Stories.
