“Once upon a time there lived in Moscow a man called Vladimir Semyonitch Liadovsky.”
Wow, Chekhov was in fine form with this short story! A narrator relates a story of a literary man trained at law, Vladimir Semyonitch Liadovsky, and his sister, Vera Semyonovna, a listless woman who has been disappointed in life. At the start of the story, Vladimir has compassion and love for his sister, who had her new husband die, survived a suicide attempt, and now is living with him, quietly revering his talents.
