Celebrity Chekhov by Ben Greenman

Celebrity Chekhov

Stories by Anton Chekhov, Celebritized by Ben Greenman

224 pages, on sale now

From the day I began working with him, I have constantly marveled at Ben Greenman. As a fast reader and writer, it’s always exciting and a little intimidating to meet someone even faster. But aside from being the quickest email responder I’ve ever encountered, Ben is also an incredibly talented author (and spelling bee champion.) In Celebrity Chekhov, he takes the stories of Anton Chekhov and repopulates them with celebrities like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Conan O’Brien, and more. It’s incredibly wacky, yet also surprisingly heartfelt. You can get a better idea of what this book is like from this exclusive “excerpt” appearing now on Nerve.com. And for those of you who love Letters with Character, the site where you can write letters to your favorite literary characters, look out for a celebrity edition coming soon.

Book Description

Q: What do Tiger, Paris, Lindsay, Alec, and Oprah have in common with the enduring characters of Anton Chekhov?
A: Love, loss, pride, yearning, heartbreak, renewal, transcendence: the very stuff of life.

The immortal stories of Anton Chekhov have long entranced readers with their insights into the universal truths of human behavior . . . but you've never read them quite like this.

• Former friends Nicole and Paris exchange prickly pleasantries in "Tall and Short."
• Talk-show host Dave narrowly averts another potential domestic crisis in "A Transgression."
• Reality star Kim shares her newfound notoriety with Khloe and Kourtney in "Joy."

In a witty, graceful, and revelatory feat of literary reinvention, acclaimed novelist and humorist Ben Greenman takes nineteen of Chekhov's greatest stories and recasts them with some of the best-known luminaries of our time—with eye-opening, and oddly ennobling, results.

What I Can Tell You:

I read this book last night in about 2 hours. It was so fun and witty. Until today, I had no idea who Chekhov was.  My Russian girlfriend told me that he was Anton Chekhov one of the greatest short story writers in the world! While I am not big on short stories, because of the celebrity name dropping I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lindsay Lohan, Stephen Colbert, Eminem, Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, Letterman, Tiger, etc grace these stories and now I am interested in hearing more about Anton Chekhov. If nothing else, that is what this book will do; introduce people to a Anton Chekhov.

I thought it was a really fun read and a great way to waste away precious hours.

Except:

"Before setting off for her audition, Lindsay Lohan kissed all the movie posters. Her stomach felt as though it were upside down; there was a chill at her heart, while the heart itself throbbed and stood still with terror before the unknown. What would she get that day? An offer? A callback? Six times she went to her mother for her blessing, and, as she went out, asked her sister to pray for her. On the way to the audition she gave a homeless man five dollars, in the hope that that five dollars would atone for her ignorance, and that she would not forget her lines or what her character was feeling."

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary book for my honest opinion.