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Classics That Made a Difference

Books that have stood the test of time, loved by Oprah, Gwyneth, Julia and more...
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The Portable Chekhov by Anton Chekhov
9 of 32

The Portable Chekhov by Anton Chekhov

Chekhov—shall I be blunt?—is the greatest short story writer who ever lived. In "Gooseberries" he offers the perfect distillation of the writer's aspiration: "Every happy man should have someone with a little hammer at his door to knock and remind him that there are unhappy people, and that, however happy he may be, life will sooner or later show its claws." In story after story, Chekhov, in the role of that man with the hammer, urges us to be gentle with one another, and honest with ourselves.

— George Saunders

See all the books that made a difference to George Saunders

From the July 2009 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine
9 of 32

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