The Duel

In a sleepy seaside town in the Caucasus, Ivan Laevsky is trapped. He lives with Nadezhda, the woman he once loved, in a haze of debt and self-loathing, unable to leave or commit. Enter the coldly rational zoologist Von Koren, who sees Laevsky as a parasite on society and openly calls for his ruin. Their mutual contempt escalates into a duel that will test their courage, their convictions, and their humanity. But beneath the surface, both men are running from something—and the shots they fire may change everything. Chekhov's masterful novella of honor, hypocrisy, and the chance for renewal is reimagined in vivid, modern language for today's reader. Part of Timeless Classics.