The Beginning of an Idea (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: John McGahern
- First Published: 1978
- Type of Plot: Realism
- Time of Work: The 1960's
- Setting: Paris, France and rural Spain
- Principal Characters: Eva Lindberg, Arvo Meri, Manolo
- Genres: Short fiction
- Subjects: 1960’s, France or French people, Love or romance, Sex or sexuality, Twentieth century, Authors or writers, Escapes, Rape, Adultery, Success or failure, Eastern Europe or eastern Europeans, Western Europe or western Europeans, Russia or Russian people, Naivete, Spain or Spanish people
- Locales: Spain, Paris, France
The Story
“The Beginning of an Idea” is a story about a French woman's abortive attempt to fulfill her ambition to write an imaginary life of the Russian author Anton Chekhov. It begins with a passage from Eva Lindberg's notes, repeated throughout the story, about how the word “oysters” was chalked on the side of the wagon that brought Chekhov's body to Moscow for burial. His body was carried in the oyster wagon to preserve it from the heat.
Also among Eva's notes is an almost full translation of a very short story by Chekhov entitled “Oysters.” The Chekhov...
[The entire page is 1442 words long]
