Ward No. 6

Book excerpt: A haunting tale, Russian author Anton Chekhov’s ‘Ward No.6’ tells the story of Ragin, the head doctor in a provincial town’s mental institution. Frustrated by his banal surroundings and what he perceives as a lack of intelligent company, he turns to one of his patients, Gromov, with whom he can express his distaste for what his life has become. The townspeople grow suspicious of the time the doctor is spending with his patient, and so concoct a devious plan to get rid of him. A tale of existential crisis, neglect, and suffering, this is a poignant tale for readers contemplating life's big questions. Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian playwright and novelist, best known for his short stories. His literary career began with short, humorous sketches, written to help support his poverty-stricken family. His work soon caught the eye of distinguished Russian writer Dmitry Grigorovich, and in 1888 Chekhov was awarded the Pushkin Prize for his short story collection ‘At Dusk’. Chekhov became a playwright too and authored the famous and much-adapted plays ‘Uncle Vanya’, ‘The Seagull’ and ‘The Cherry Orchard’ around the turn of the century. Leo Tolstoy was one of many admirers of his work. Chekhov remained a practicing medical doctor throughout his literary career and died from tuberculosis in 1904.