The Chekhov that emerges from these insightful essays is a warm, generous, and deeply empathetic man. Appropriately, Lapushin concludes the scintillating volume by shedding light on the open ending of Chekhov’s two last letters and his enduring legacy. Chekhov’s Letters is as rigorous in its scholarship as it is delightful in its creative detours. One only wishes that more individual letters were covered, but given the sheer volume of Chekhov’s correspondence, that would be impossible. This marvelous book instructs, entertains, and inspires to delve into the letters themselves.