CHEKHOV, Anton Pavlovich (1860-1904; as "Antosha Chekhonte"). Skazki Mel'pomeny. Shest' razskazov. [The Tales of Melpomene. Six Short Stories.] Moscow: A. Levenson, 1884.

The rare first edition of Chekhov's first published book. RBH records only four copies having been offered at auction (including the Kiseleva, Falktoft, and Eden Martin copies). All six stories in this collection are united by one theme: the theater. Chekhov's first appearance in print, while he was in medical school, was in the St. Petersburg periodical Strekoza [Dragonfly] in March 1880. His contributions were signed "Antosha Chekhonte," a nickname he acquired in Taganrog, his birthplace. Kilgour 225; Smirnov-Sokol'skii 1225 ("survives in only very few examples").

Octavo (173 x 113mm). In Russian. (Scattered foxing, a few leaves rehinged, pp.19-20 torn with upper quarter of leaf replaced and about 25 words in facsimile, faint crease to top corner of last pages.) Contemporary cloth-backed marbled boards (lightly rubbed). Provenance: Dmitry Modestovich Ostafieva (bookplate and supralibros).