In Reading Chekhov Janet Malcolm takes on three roles: literary critic, biographer and journalist. Her close readings of the stories and plays are interwoven with episodes from Chekhov's life and framed by an account of a recent journey she made to St Petersburg. Writing of Chekhov's life, Malcolm demonstrates how the shadow of death that hovered over most of his literary career - he became consumptive in his 20s and died in his 40s - is almost everywhere reflected in the work. She writes of his childhood, his relationship with his family, his marriage, his travels, his early success, his exile to Yalta - always with an eye to connecting them to the themes and characters of the stories and plays.

John Bayley, one of the world's leading experts on Chekhov, describes this new look at Chekhov as 'moving, illuminating and funny', and I can endorse this heartily. Janet Malcolm's voyage into Chekhov's literary life is framed by a recent journey she made to St Petersburg, and is made fascinating by her own personal encounters and thoughts. She shows how the consumption which took hold of him in his 20s, killing him at 44, overshadowed his life and affected his career as a writer. I found it making me want to re-read yet again his short stories (the plays I know well) which are so brilliant and so full of warmth and humanity. This is a delightful and helpful addition to the books on the great Russian writer.

Janet Malcolm's previous books include In the Freud Archives and The Silent Woman: Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. She lives in New York.