Impressionistic and bold, the nine stories in this collection frame the middle period of Chekhovs career. Exploring both complicated and intense emotions, Chekhov presents a world without simple answers or universal truths. Ward No. 6 is a savage indictment of the medical profession. The Black Monk, the story of a scholar who has strange hallucinations, explores ideas of genius and insanity. A Womans Kingdom and Three Years show women discovering that money, marriage, and choices do not necessarily bring happiness. In Murder religious fervor leads to violence, while in The Student a young man recounts a tale from the gospels and undergoes a sudden spiritual epiphany. Also in this volume are The Grasshopper, Adriana, and The Two Volodyas.