Celebrity Chekhov

When one considers the many types of media vying for the public's attention, it's no wonder that book enthusiasts worry about the future of reading. Within that group is a smaller contingent that frets over the prospects of a readership for canonical works of literature. In Celebrity Chekhov, New Yorker editor Greenman (e.g., Please Step Back) swaps out the characters in Anton Chekhov's short fiction for modern celebrities. While there is a certain charm in having Paris Hilton speak as though she had a 19th-century Russian aristocrat stuck in her throat, the novelty wears thin in fairly short order. But as an idea, it seems extensible, even franchisable. One shouldn't be surprised to see this volume followed by reworkings of Austen, Hemingway, and other authors in a way that makes us rethink our reservations about the demise of print culture.