I will be the first to admit to anyone that I was initially not the biggest fan of "The Lady with the Pet Dog". This is probably because I read the Oate's version first and it didn't strike my fancy after reading it so I was slightly turned off to the idea of reading another version of the same story. But after reading it and discussing this story in class today, I have a new appreciation for the Chekhov's style of writing; the way he intertwines everyday "small talk" with profound epiphanies makes the story very rich and intriguing. This hit me like a ton of bricks today. I mean, here I was, reading what is considered one of the greatest short stories of all time and all I can see is the big picture - the overall story of infidelity and promiscuity when I should have been
paying attention to the smaller details that make this work of literature unfold so beautifully. In my mind, "The Lady with the Pet Dog" was being told from the perspective of an unknown person who was in the backdrop, eavesdropping on this affair and all of the couple's encounters. As if this unknown narrator could read into the minds of Dmitri and Anna.
This "unknown" makes very matter-of-fact observations all the while tapping into their deeper emotions.
There was one part, however, that reminded me of a song as we were discussing it in class. It reminded me of the part where Gurov begins to feel haunted by the memory of the woman he surprisingly still longs for... and begins to follow her.
There are days when outside your window
I see my reflection as I slowly pass
And I long for this mirrored perspective
When we'll be lovers, lovers at last
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