talking of him, and there was consequently great curiosity about his new
play. The performance was, however, only partially a success; the audience,
divided into two parties, hissed vigorously and clapped noisily. For a long
time afterwards the newspapers were full of discussions of the character
and personality of the hero, while the novelty of the dramatic method
attracted great attention.

In January, 1889, the play was performed at the Alexandrinsky Theatre in
Petersburg and the controversy broke out again.

"Ivanov" was the turning-point in Chekhov's mental development, and
literary career. He took up his position definitely as a writer, though his
brass plate continued to hang on the door. Shortly after writing "Ivanov,"
he wrote a one-act play called "The Bear." The following season Solovtsev,
who had taken the chief character in "The Bear," opened a theatre of his
own in Moscow, which was not at first a success. He appealed to Chekhov to
save him with a play for Christmas, which was only ten days off. Chekhov
set to work and wrote an act every day. The play was produced in time, but
the author was never satisfied with it, and after a short, very successful
run took it off the stage. Several years later he completely remodelled it
and produced it as "Uncle Vanya" at the Art Theatre in Moscow. At this time
he was writing a long novel, of which he often dreamed aloud, and which he
liked to talk about. He was for several years writing at this novel, but no
doubt finally destroyed it, as no trace of it could be found after his
death. He wanted it to embody his views on life, opinions which he
expressed in a letter to Plestcheyev in these words:

"I am not a Liberal, not a Conservative.... I should have liked to have
been a free artist and nothing more--and I regret that God has not given me
the strength to be one. I hate lying and violence in all their forms--the