英国著名作家毛姆认为：“在最好的评论家的心目中，没有一个人的小说占有比契诃夫更高的位置。”作为小说大家，契诃夫的成就是巨大的，他的作品或嘲弄官场人生，调侃人生闹剧，亦庄亦谐，妙趣横生，几乎触及到了当时俄国社会的各个阶层：农民、教员、医生、孩子、军人、商人、地主、小公务员……契诃夫以大爱者的胸怀来包容着、理解着他笔下的人物，他准确仔细地讲述着他们，同时从抒情诗的高度为他们的存在作辩护。通过《一个官员之死》、《套中人》、《苦恼》、《万卡》等作品，不仅能看到凡俗生活隐藏下的悲剧，也能看到含泪的微笑之后的亮光；不仅能看到极具质感的小情节和情节之下的生活真相，也能看到隐藏于真相之下的雄阔的历史轨迹和现实走向。(According to the famous British writer Maugham, "In the hearts of best critics, no one has a higher position than Anton Chekhov and his novels". As the master novelist, Chekhov made the greatest achievements. His works mock official life, or make fun of ridiculous life, involving almost all social classes in Russia: peasants, teachers, doctors, servicemen, merchants, land owners and junior public servant... With greatest love and understanding of figures in his novels, he accurately told their stories while defending for their existence just like writing lyric poetry. In his novels the Death of A Government Clerk, the Man in the Case, Misery and Vanka, etc. readers can not only find tragedy in normal life, but also find the lights emitted from the smiles in tears; identify the truth of life in the plots, and the splendid history and reality hidden under the truth.)