Anton Chekhov

The young lawyer. A wealthy banker. And the bet of a lifetime. Imprisoned for life or ending life - which is the more humane? The lawyer truly believes in life at any cost so the banker sets a wager. Fifteen years of imprisonment for two million. The lawyer accepts his life behind a closed door with the promise of his reward. What could be better? What could be worse? Freedom, money, death. What price life?

The Bet

At a banker’s party fifteen years ago, a young lawyer defends the position that life in prison is far less humane than capital punishment. The banker disagrees and proposes they bet—two million rubles in exchange for fifteen years of solitary confinement. The terms of their agreement allow the lawyer to have access to books, food, and wine, and over the course of his imprisonment, he reads widely. Nearing the end of the fifteen years, the banker comes to realize that he will be ruined by the lawyer’s winning of the bet, and both men find their lives changed by the lessons that the bet has taught them. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

Short Story

Ilse

The Bet is a story with a thought-provoking premise, build around the debate of what is worse: life imprisonment or a swift execution? Throughout the story we follow a young lawyer who's set up in solitary confinement for fifteen years, and the stages he cycles through to the twist at the end made for a fascinating read. Definitely one I can recommend you check out (while I'm doing the same with Chekhov's other stories)!

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

And Other Stories

Neil Murray

This is a very short (10 minutes short!) read but what it lacks in length it makes up for in punch!

A classic collection of tales by the acclaimed Russian playwright and author universally recognized as a master of the modern short story. In “The Bet,” partygoers strike up a debate regarding the humanity of capital punishment versus life imprisonment, which causes a two-million-ruble wager to be struck between a lawyer and a banker. The lawyer, arguing in favor of life imprisonment, agrees to spend fifteen years in total isolation in a guest room on the banker’s property. Granted only basic necessities, he staves off loneliness and depression by reading, studying, playing piano, and drinking wine. Meanwhile, the banker experiences the follies of fortune, leading him to a desperate and dastardly decision . . . Other stories in this volume include “A Tedious Story,” “The Fit,” “Misfortune,” “After the Theatre,” “That Wretched Boy,” “Enemies,” “A Trifling Occurrence,” “A Gentleman Friend,” “Overwhelming Sensations,” “Expensive Lessons,” “A Living Calendar,” and “Old Age.”

The Bet

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