Gooseberries

In Anton Chekhov’s haunting short story Gooseberries, a rain-soaked evening in the Russian countryside becomes the backdrop for a quietly devastating tale of comfort, delusion, and moral awakening. As Ivan Ivanovitch and his companion seek shelter in a landowner’s estate, a simple conversation unfolds into a powerful monologue about happiness, privilege, and the unseen suffering that underpins contentment.

Chekhov masterfully juxtaposes the rustic idyll of country life with a piercing reflection on the ethics of retreating from the world’s troubles. With its melancholic beauty, quiet irony, and philosophical weight, Gooseberries is a profound meditation on the illusion of peace and the price of personal fulfillment. Narrated with eloquent sensitivity by Ian Turrell, this classic resonates more deeply than ever in an age still divided between comfort and conscience.