The Lady with the Dog is a short story by Anton Chekhov published in 1899. In the seaside resort of Yalta, Dmitri Gurov, a bored Moscow banker who has had many affairs, meets Anna Sergeyevna, a young married woman walking her little dog. What begins as a holiday romance becomes, to his surprise, a deep love.
The story
Gurov, unhappily married, sees Anna on the promenade at Yalta and begins an affair with her. When she leaves, he expects to forget her quickly.
Back in Moscow, he cannot stop thinking of her and travels to her provincial town to find her. They begin meeting secretly, with no idea how their story can end.
Chekhov's art
Chekhov tells the story with restraint, through small details: a slice of watermelon, the grey fence of Anna's house, the sea at dawn.
The open ending, in which the lovers know their hardest trials are just beginning, is typical of his refusal to give easy answers.
The translation
The English translation by Constance Garnett, in The Tales of Chekhov, made the story known to English readers in the early twentieth century.
It is often cited as one of the greatest short stories ever written, and has inspired many writers and films.
Anecdotes
Written in Yalta
Chekhov wrote the story in Yalta, where he had moved because of his tuberculosis. He knew the town's promenade and its visitors well.
Nabokov's praise
Vladimir Nabokov counted The Lady with the Dog among the greatest short stories ever written and analysed it in his lectures on Russian literature.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the story begin?
In Yalta, a resort on the Black Sea.
Who is Gurov?
A Moscow banker who falls in love with Anna.
When was the story published?
In 1899.