The Shooting Party (2006) by Anton Chekhov, illustrated by Francis Mosley and published by the Folio Society, is a sumptuous edition of the Russian master’s early crime-tinged novel—a darkly comic tale of obsession, betrayal, and murder among the decaying aristocracy of 19th-century rural Russia. Written in 1884–85, the story unfolds during a chaotic hunting party on a country estate, where a magistrate’s investigation into a fatal shooting exposes the frivolity, lust, and despair beneath the surface of polite society. Chekhov’s razor-sharp satire and psychological insight shine in this precursor to his later masterpieces.
Francis Mosley’s haunting woodcut-style illustrations amplify the novella’s tension and atmosphere, capturing the autumnal gloom of the setting and the moral ambiguity of its characters. The Folio Society’s edition—bound in cloth with a printed slipcase, gilt details, and crisp typography—elevates the text into a collector’s objet d’art.
A gem for Chekhov devotees and lovers of finely crafted books, this edition marries literary brilliance with visual artistry, revealing the seeds of the author’s genius.
