Reading Journal - The Lady with the Dog : Anton Chekhov(1898)

Rating : 9/10

<The Lady with the Dog> was one of those books where there isn't a lot to think about, but nevertheless made me think a lot. The main characters are Gurov and Anna Sergeyevna, who are both two people on vacation and very much sick of their respective spouses. They meet on vacation, and soon become friends who develop feelings towards each other. Gurov tempts Anna into having an affair, but the two have to part ways to go home. Gurov realizes that Anna is the only person he ever loved sincerely, and he goes to her hometown, where the story ends with an open ending. Most of the books that I have read in recent years weren't ones that the protagonists were themselves involved in illicit affairs, but to read one in a long time was a very interesting experience. Also, although 'having an affair' is immoral, aside from questioning the morality of the relationship I found myself connecting with the two characters in that they had obviously made a mistake in marriage. I felt that the novel was written in a way that the readers could relate to why the two people were committing adultery, even though it was clearly wrong. That gave me a lot to think about while reading the novel, and the open ending added to my speculation on whether the love would last or die. All in all I had a great time reading the book.