Maxim Gorki is one of the most interesting of Russian writers. His
books have that flavour of the soil and that courageous spirit of
vagabondage and social independence which is so rare and valuable a
quality in literature.
"Foma Gordyeff" is, after Dostoievsky's masterpieces, the most
suggestive and arresting of Russian stories. That paralysis of the
will which descends like an evil cloud upon Foma and at the same time
seems to cause the ground to open under his feet and precipitate him
into mysterious depths of nothingness, is at once tragically
significant of certain aspects of the Russian soul and full of
mysterious warnings to all those modern spirits in whom the power of
action is "sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought."
For those who have been "fooled to the top of their bent" by the
stupidities and brutalities of the crowd there is a savage
satisfaction in reading of Foma's insane outbursts of misanthropy.
51. TCHEKOFF--SEAGULL. _Tchekoff's plays and short stories are
published by Scribners in admirable translations_.
Tchekoff is one of the gentlest and sweetest tempered of Russian
writers. There is in him a genuine graciousness, a politeness of soul,
an innate delicacy, which is not touched--as such qualities often are
in the work of Turgeniev--with any kind of self-conscious Olympianism.
A doctor, a consumptive, and a passionate lover of children, there is
a whimsical humanity about all that Tchekoff writes which has a
singular and quite special appeal.
The "Seagull" is a play full of delicate subtleties and dreamy
glimpses of shy humane wisdom. The manner in which outward things--the
mere background and scenery of the play--are used to deepen and
enhance the dramatic interest is a thing peculiarly characteristic of
this author. Tchekoff has that kind of imaginative sensibility which
makes every material object one encounters significant with spiritual
intimations.
The mere business of plot--whether in his plays or stories--is not the
important matter. The important matter is a certain sudden and
pathetic illumination thrown upon the essential truth by some casual
grouping of persons or of things--some emphatic or symbolic
gesture--some significant movement among the silent "listeners."