I first encountered Chekhov when I read The Portable Chekhov short story collection. As amazing as those stories are, I had been waiting to introduce myself to what has made him one of the great masters of the arts: his plays. This play, like most Russian art of the 19th century is realism and the influence of Leo Tolstoy is obvious. But unlike Tolstoy, whose works always strived to impart greater ideals and truths to his audience, to preach. Chekhov is not a preacher, but a doctor and he goes about his characters diagnosing instead of trying to "save." 
 This play has the format of any rom-com, but instead of playing it for laughs and reconciliation it is played for drama. The characters are all either artists or connected to arts and letters in some way. My favorite character is Masha, who was too real and close to home for me...I will leave it there. The ensemble cast is filled with characters who want for someone or something unrequited. I read this while still digesting One Hundred Years of Solitude, so I could not help but notice the overlap when it came to the concept of solitude and the realism in-general. If you enjoy Russian literature and want to find that next step, the plays of Chekhov are there waiting for you. 
 This was the first time I really went about reading a play translated, that was not in ancient Greek. I read this play as a part of The Major Plays