by Paul Taylor

Created on: July 16, 2009

Personally, I have found 'The Black Monk' to contain a very inspiring quote:

*THE BLACK MONK*

Young successful academic Andrei Kovrin has been instructed by his friend, a Doctor, to take a break from his job as a psychology lecturer given the nervous symptoms he claimed to be experiencing one night, over a glass of wine. The residence he chooses for his period of recooperation is that of his old mentor and prevalent father-figure, Pesotsky. Finding himself ever more infatuated with Pesotsky's daughter, Tania, he grows to love strolling around their orchard garden with her, his life seeming to begin to make sense, until one day he recalls hearing a myth, (he doesn't remember where,) a tale of an ancient spectral monk walking the earth, mysteriously hovering through deserts and cities, transcending even the laws of physics and seemingly aimlessly wandering the Universe, over surfaces of stars and planets, signifying the end of days. The effect that this rumour of unknown origin has upon Kovrin proves devastating.

This psychological thriller is a masterpiece before its time, exploring such diverse themes as alienation, loneliness, madness, death, love, inspiration, the divine, existentialism, and perhaps most importantly, the questionable virtues of being suspicious of one's own happiness. To give an impression of the latter theme, here is one of the more poignant passages in the story, in which Kovrin is anxiously conversing with The Black Monk;

*QUOTATION*

"The Romans used to say: Mens sana in corpore sano.*"

"Not everything the Greeks and the Romans said is true. Exaltation, enthusiasm, ecstasy-all that distinguishes prophets, poets, martyrs for the idea, from the common folk-is repellent to the animal side of man-that is, his physical health. I repeat, if you want to be healthy and normal, go to the common herd."

* 'a healthy mind in a healthy body.'

*
It is not just such brave challenges to conventional and generally-accepted logical frameworks that Chekhov excels in. Surprisingly enough he superbly employs a technique unseen in much of his previous works, such as The Wife, and Uncle Vanya. In The Black Monk, Chekhov includes near-Wordsworthian descriptions of natural beauty, making not only articulate and astute observations about the manicured yet somehow Bacchanalian properties of Pestosky's Orchard, but also passionate and poetic accounts of its aesthetic qualities.
There is a real element of juxtapostion throughout the book's dialogue. The subtle change in form from the mundane and functional conversations between Kovrin, Pesotsky and Tania, to the well-observed and jarringly fantastical dynamics that take place between Kovrin and The Black Monk are remarkably exciting.

Overall, this is an exceptionally well-layered book, with many varying themes, salient points and outstanding narrative, which as well as being as whimsical and "un-put-downable" as a psychological thriller can be, gives real insight into the nature of the then-contemporary academic Russian lifestyle.

Imaginative and detailed - A damn good read.

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