| One of my favorite stories. My head was reeling after I read it. The ending is beautiful. It cleared my head for a moment. "The Bet" is vintage Chekhov. There are certain stories that help people to refocus their lives, and to see things truthfully. "The Bet" is one of those stories. | |
 Posted 2003-03-13 08:15:42
I understand that you think by writing this it sends the message to appreciate life for what it is, but all of us (people), even the one who wrote this is human, and humans have desires that cannot be changed or wheeled by knowledge. Humans sub-consiously live off of instinct. No matter how depressing it gets, we are all just animals. | |
Posted 2003-03-13 08:15:42
Great, great story but didn't do anything to dissuade me from thinking hermitude might be a good idea! | |
Posted 2003-03-30 07:04:28
Good story. An alternative ending could be that after reading and studying so much, he would understand how man thinks. Fearing for his life, write the letter but still collect the money. | |
Posted 2003-05-15 13:26:44
As an avid short story reader I am rarely taken aback by comtemporary writers. This piece was brilliant. The style of writing reminded me very much of Dostoevsky. B.L. Williams, New Orleans, LA | |
Posted 2003-05-15 14:27:09
I must be going crazy. "Comtemporay" is not what I meant to say (see comment above). B.L. Williams | |
Posted 2003-08-23 14:40:33
I taught and reviewed this story with adults with mental illness. They had a difficulty understanding it. However, they enjoyed it and now understand captial punishment. | |
Posted 2003-10-07 03:04:00
the bet is a good story. it tells of a man who believes that the death penalty is worse than life in prison, but spending 15 years in prison makes him feel bitter toward the world. excellent story A rating. | |
Posted 2003-10-27 14:54:13
I read this for an english assingment i think the theme is ambiguous what do you think it is | |
Posted 2003-12-16 23:10:43
i read it for english, and it makes you think, what would happen if you read more books or study that much more and just passed your years learning, could you accomplish that much or possibly gain 2 million dollers?WHo knos?Good story by the way. | |
Posted 2004-02-08 17:57:17
IT IS CLEAR FROM THE ENDING OF THIS STORY THAT THE AUTHOR THOUGHT DEEPLY ABOUT THE TRUE MEANING OF LIFE--"STONEWALLS DO NOT A PRISON MAKE, NOR IRON BARS A CAGE" (SHAKESPEAR) | |
Posted 2004-02-09 20:30:47
I think that this story is fantastic, it keeps you interested from start to finish, very well constructed and written, thank you for the read! | |
Posted 2004-05-04 14:10:57
awesome story but i was hoping for a better ending | |
Posted 2004-06-13 15:01:52
The story was great. Theme of this story is just like this: You must appreciate each and every single thing in life. | |
Posted 2004-07-19 18:22:51
It is perfection, in not being so. | |
Posted 2004-08-11 02:01:54
An amazing fable that manages in a tiny space to pack all the spiritual history of the human race. The ending is utterly sublime. A life affirming - and changing - story. | |
Posted 2004-08-12 14:28:55
Chekhov proves in "the bet" that there is no difference between life imprisonment and capital punishment. The young lawyer learns that life and death are equal. Did you expect him to walk on water at the end? | |
Posted 2004-08-30 09:55:15
Very interesting and intellectual. Young readers take time to comprehend it. Makes the readers think and learn more about life and death and also man its self. | |
Posted 2004-08-30 09:58:06
I didnt really understand the bet.Im only in 7th | |
Posted 2004-08-30 09:59:12
Although I am only in the 7th grade I loved this short story.this shows both relationships between life and death and chritianity and witchcraft.This is a wonderful story. | |
Posted 2004-09-12 15:17:05
many people don't know this but there is a missing part to this story that most short stories anthologies leave out. this story is divided into 2 parts. there is 3rd part that i believe explains everything else. i'm in search for this third part to this story | |
Posted 2004-09-26 05:38:38
The story is truly amazing. It delicately touches the topic of life and death with a special dash of great style by the author. Though a bit hard to comprehend, after a time of much attention and thought, it's wonderful to absorb the revelations of the true meanings of contentment and the real value of living... | |
Posted 2004-10-20 11:25:36
It was a very interesting story. | |
Posted 2004-10-20 15:07:12
it is very great story full of the meaning of life but indirect way also it is a complicated story because it does not show the main theme. | |
Posted 2004-10-24 17:38:05
excellent story has plenty of hidden meaning and is full of excitement. | |
Posted 2004-10-25 21:41:49
it was ok, it deffinetly wasn't my faverit book ever but it wasn't that bed, it was rather bland, it was fine while you read it but after it you just get a bored feeling from it. | |
Posted 2004-10-29 00:52:59
What I took from the story is that the young lawyer was no more a prisoner than the banker. The lawyer relished life and love from within the books that fit through the window. He lived countless adventures and saw sites within his mind's eye. Whereas, the aging banker squandered his fortune and had problems when the market dropped. Therefore, who had the worse prison? Yes, the lawyer learned to despise the world of man because he felt it was a lie. I feel that what the lawyer was getting at was that we don't need capital punishment because we are already incarcerated in our own minds. | |
Posted 2004-11-28 01:49:49
Very good story, although I am quite certain the writer already knew that. Many people might say the theme of the story presents a bitter perspective towards life. But does it really? isn't life bitter? Think about it, all the things we have are just hollow images that we chose to grasp for the sake of not feeling loneliness..we are not permanent nor infinate so everything we have are washed out dreams.. Nice ending,..its authentic and not a false hope for reality......:) | |
Posted 2005-01-01 03:15:33
The story is not about moral teaching. It is about human ignorance, pride, and character growth. | |
Posted 2005-01-12 22:14:02
This story is a well worth book. It shows that time is walubale and sould not be wasted. | |
Posted 2005-01-25 18:50:20
One of the best stories ever written! It really changes your perspective on life. We spend so much time trying to prove things to each other instead of living life. | |
Posted 2005-02-18 12:53:25
I first read this story in high school, without really understanding it, but it's stuck with me since. Now, a little older and wiser, I understand it better. It's more of a parable than a story. It's an interesting idea, told simply. It's not exactly a great story, but it's one that makes you think and stays with you for a long time. | |
Posted 2005-02-28 22:01:52
very well written. I just don't get the fact that the lawyer would give up the money. He could of jsut gave it to charity | |
Posted 2005-03-04 02:37:19
it was really a good way of warning the careless human-being to pay attention to the golden times of the life all the time . | |
Posted 2005-03-15 22:29:38
"The Bet" was one of Chekhov's best short stories, in my opinion but there's hardly anything out there about it. It clearly talks of how the banker symbolizes the Russian government and the lawyer is the common man. The banker was the one in captitvity, the lawyer could use and exercise his mind all he wanted. The lawyer was better for this. | |
Posted 2005-04-22 12:53:48
The end could be well appreciated at the time it was written. but after 100 years, i don't think that this is the right ending. the poor lawyers who had stacked 15 years must have gain the KNOWLEDGE of having (infact earning )his 2 million. After all this is the corporate world. :) | |
Posted 2005-05-21 13:51:12
This book is confusing on one side but makes you think on the other side. It helps you focus on things that we sometimes lose the sight of. It shows you thst there is more to life then money or wealth. | |
Posted 2005-05-27 16:44:31
one of the best short stories ever written...chekov in his best..gives a reader a hundred ways to interpret the story but eventually the reader interprets what chekov really wants him to......life is short,dont fight for petty things like money.. | |
