本卷收入契诃夫1892年至1895年创作的中短篇小说17篇，其中包括《大学生》、《挂在脖子上的安娜》、《带阁楼的房子》等名篇。在《大学生》中，作者通过主人公神学院学生在感受难节去孤老太婆家给她讲圣经故事，刻画了大学生的美好心灵。《挂在脖子上的安娜》描写年轻官吏婚后通过妻子对长官的阿谀奉承而得到一枚二等安娜勋章，讽刺主人公一心往上爬的心态。《带阁楼的房子》揭露了沙皇制度对人的才能、幸福的毁灭，讽刺了于事无补的改良主义。 (About 17 short and medium-length novels composed by Cheknov in 1892-1895 are collected in this volume, including The College Student, Anna on the Neck and The House with the Balcony". In The College Student, the student from the divinity school came to the lonely aged people and told him the bible story. The good spirit of college students are displayed. In Anna on the Neck, a young official obtained a second-class Anna medal through the flattery of his wife to the executive. This story mocked the protagonist's mentality to be high-ranked. The House with Loft revealed the destruction of tsar system to people's talent and happiness and mocked the unhelpful reformism.)