Hörspiele - Hoerspiele

Welcome to the world of great Russian classics. You're about to meet the audio version of Anton Chekhov’s story, "The man in the case" (rus: "Chelovek v futlyare").

Please note: the audiobook is in Russian language

“The man in the case” story is about Belikov, a classical Greek language teacher.

Belikov’s main anxiety is following the written rules, and any digression from the regulations makes him feel fear, discomfort and depression. His fears have not only existential roots, but mostly social. Belikov’s obsession is that his actions might be considered as improper by his senior officers.

Following this approach, he always supresses any social events, human emotions and external influences, always covering himself with warm coat, hat and has cotton-covered ears.

Burkin, the storyteller in Chekhov’s text, describes Belikov by comic phrases, with considerable degree of grotesqueness. Chekhov, nevertheless, sees in Belikov a tragic, dangerous deformation of human personality and is concerned about influence of such kind of persons in the society.

In this story Chekhov deals with one’s life dissatisfaction, and lack of real freedom, which was not considered forbidden, although not completely permitted.