Ward No. 6

Genre

Ward No. 6

by Anton Chekhov

Narrated by LibriVox Community

Editorial direction by Founder, Recommended Audiobooks

1 minRuntimeAudiobookFormatMultiple readersNarration
Genre
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Recommendation DNA i

Developing Profile
— Not scored

An early recommendation profile built from the strongest book and listener information we can support so far.

Writing quality
Moderate
Emotional tone
Low
Philosophical complexity
Simple
Attention required
Low focus

The overall DNA score uses supported Quality dimensions only. Trait bars describe characteristics such as complexity, romance, pace, and accessibility; those traits do not raise or lower the overall score.

What it’s about

These stories from the middle period of Chekhov's career show him exploring complex, ambiguous and often extreme emotions. Influenced by his own experiences as a doctor, 'Ward No. 6', set in a mental hospital, is a savage indictment of the medical profession. 'The Black Monk', portraying an academic who has strange hallucinations, explores ideas of genius and insanity; in 'Murder', religious fervour leads to violence; while in 'The Student', Chekhov's favourite story, a young man recounts a tale from the gospels and undergoes a spiritual epiphany.

In all the stories collected here, Chekhov's characters face madness, alienation and frustration before they experience brief, ephemeral moments of insight, often earned at great cost, where they confront the reality of their existence.

Evidence Confidence

Why this matters →
DevelopingAudiobook-specific confidence
  • The book itself is well identified and supported across independent sources.
  • We still have limited information tied to this exact recording or edition.
  • We don’t yet have enough narrator-specific commentary to characterize the performance.

We have a useful picture of the audiobook, though some listening and edition-specific details are still becoming clearer.

Evidence Snapshot i

These cards measure different things in the same evidence pool, so they are not meant to add together. Retained Evidence counts unique saved records; discussions and networks count independent groups; narration and edition cards count only records qualified for those specific jobs.

View all evidence sources
Listener reviewsgoodreads.com —… 1
Edition verificationRecommended… 1
Awards & recognitiongoodreads.com —… 1
136Retained Evidence
Unique evidence records after filtering and deduplication
Supporting sources 12
Google Books 50YouTube / BookTube 20Tumblr tagged posts 16Reddit 11Wikidata 9Curated RSS / Atom… 6VIAF author… 6Apple Books 4+ 4 more
What this means

Unique evidence records that remain after filtering and deduplication. The larger evidence-signal total shown below can be higher because one retained record may support several separate facts or observations.

40Discussions
Unique review, forum and conversation groups
Source groups 5
YouTube / BookTube 20Tumblr tagged posts 16Reddit 10Curated RSS / Atom… 6Bluesky 3
What this means

Separate reviews, forums, interviews, or conversations, with duplicates kept from inflating the total.

19Source Networks
Unique source families, communities and publications
Networks 19
Catalog Metadata 76Youtube 20Tumblr 16Internal Verified… 4Bluesky 3Amazon 2Librivoxorg 2Wwwtheguardiancom 2+ 11 more
What this means

Different platforms and publications represented in the research behind this page.

0Narration Evidence
Usable voice or performance evidence for this recording
What this means

Performance evidence that can actually describe how this narrator sounds or performs this recording. Identity records, narrator biographies, sample links, and awards are useful context but do not count here on their own.

1Edition Sources
Recording-specific identity and edition checks
Supporting sources 1
Recommended… 1
What this means

Sources tied to the audiobook recording itself, such as verified product or catalog records that help resolve narrator, runtime, format, release information, or stable recording identifiers.

September 18, 2026Last Updated
This page is refreshed as new information arrives
What this means

The most recent date this page’s saved evidence picture was refreshed and checked.

208 evidence signals evaluated · 136 unique retained source records remain after filtering and deduplication. One retained record may support more than one evidence signal, while discussion and network totals count unique conversations and source families.

How to read these signals

Evidence signals count the concept-level uses of current evidence across the analysis; one retained record can support several signals. Retained source records are the deduplicated current records themselves, so the two totals should not match or be added together. Independent discussions are unique reviews, forums, interviews, videos, podcasts, or conversations in the public-safe evidence pool. Source networks are unique platforms, publications, catalogs, or host-level source families represented by those current records. Narration evidence counts only records that can actually say something about the narrator’s performance for this recording, including qualified performance commentary or an analyzed verified excerpt. Narrator biographies, identity checks, sample links, and awards do not count by themselves. Edition sources are sources tied to recording-specific identity or edition details.

A larger evidence pool gives us more to work with, but volume alone does not make a conclusion stronger. Relevance and independence still matter.

Narrator Experience

What we can responsibly verify about the narrator and this recording.

How we build this section
Performance descriptions use evidence tied to this recording. Repeated independent observations carry more weight than isolated comments. Narrator background and awards add context but do not determine how this performance is described. Measured sample signals describe only the analyzed excerpt and are never treated as quality scores.
We’ve confirmed the narrator, but we don’t have enough reliable performance evidence yet.

The narrator credit can be shown, but a performance description waits for qualified recording-specific commentary or a verified analyzable excerpt.

What we can confirm
Verified narratorLibriVox Community
Verified context4 source groups · 7 context records
Official sampleNot yet verified
Identity, catalog, and sample records help verify who and what this recording is. They do not become performance claims unless they actually describe or analyze the narration.
Explore verified narrator context

Evidence behind this section

Counts describe support for this narrator/recording, not a quality score.
7Additional narrator/context records

Why we describe the performance this way

We use evidence tied specifically to this recording. Repeated observations across independent sources carry more weight than isolated comments. Narrator background and career recognition can add useful context, but they do not determine how this performance is described.

Narrator recognition & background

  • LibriVox Community appears on at least 9 other verified audiobook editions in our catalog.
Supporting narrator & context sources4 source groups · 7 linked records
View source groups 4 groups · 7 records
Google Books 2Recommended… 2YouTube / BookTube 2amazon.com —… 1

What the Story Feels Like

How this works
These signals describe the story’s tone, pacing, complexity, and emotional character. They do not claim to describe an unverified recording.
Philosophical depth
Dense
What this means

This is a recurring reader-facing quality in the evidence and is most useful when considered alongside the other supported traits.

Why it appears: Book information and independent reader or listener observations that speak directly to this trait; recording-specific claims are kept separate unless they are actually supported.

What this means for you: It is also fairly dense, so names, ideas, or shifts in the story may reward closer attention.

Built from the book and story evidence that speaks directly to these traits; it does not describe an unverified recording.

Reader Themes

How themes are identified
Themes appear when independent discussions repeat a meaningful idea about the story or listening experience. Counts reflect distinct discussions rather than repeated copies of the same source.
Positive praise for the writing2 discussions

The small public conversation leans toward appreciation of Chekhov’s writing, but the pattern is still early rather than broad consensus.

Evidence sources for these themes

Based on themes repeated across 40 independent discussions and 19 source networks.

Where Readers Agree

The strongest agreement centers on positive praise for the writing and story quality. The leading theme appears across 2 independent discussions and 2 source networks, which makes it more than a one-off reaction.

The strongest theme is independently supported across 2 discussions and 2 source networks.

Evidence sources for agreement

Is This Right for You?

Story and reader-fit guidance remains useful here. Recording-specific claims are limited to evidence matched to this exact edition.

You’ll probably enjoy this if…

  • Readers of psychologically intense Russian classics
  • Listeners who enjoy philosophical dialogue and moral ambiguity
  • People interested in institutional power and the treatment of vulnerable people

It might not be the best fit if…

  • Anyone seeking a cheerful or action-led story
  • Listeners who prefer clear moral answers and rapid plot movement
  • Anyone unable to follow the edition’s actual language
  • The exact edition and narrator are verified, but an official sample has not yet been verified for this recording.

Our Take

Ward No. 6 has the makings of a powerful literary encounter, especially for listeners interested in how privilege, detachment, and institutional power shape the treatment of suffering. The available conversation leans toward admiration for Chekhov’s writing, but it is still early rather than broad consensus. Story evidence is useful; recording-specific performance evidence is not available, so expectations about delivery should remain modest.

See what supports this take →

Continue Exploring

Follow the people, genres, and listening traits connected to this audiobook.

GenreGenre AuthorAnton Chekhov NarratorLibriVox Community

Runtime & Edition Details

Runtime
1 min
Format
Audiobook
Language
en
Verified withRecommended… 1

Why You Can Trust This Recommendation

  • Identity and edition signals are checked separately
  • Independent discussions and source networks are counted distinctly
  • Narration claims require edition- or narrator-specific support
  • Unsupported information is withheld instead of displayed as a zero score

136 evidence records remain in the research set behind this page after filtering and deduplication.

See contributing sources

FAQ

Is this audiobook in English?

The catalog metadata lists English, but the supplied edition description explicitly says that this audiobook is in Russian. Check the edition details before listening if language is important to you.

How long is this edition?

The selected catalog record lists a runtime of one minute, although another supplied record shows a substantially longer two-hour version. Because the edition information is inconsistent, verify the runtime at the point of purchase or playback.

What kind of story is Ward No. 6?

It is a psychologically and morally challenging Chekhov work set in a mental hospital, concerned with suffering, alienation, professional responsibility, and the uncomfortable boundary between detachment and compassion.

Is this a good choice for a casual, light listen?

Probably not. The story is associated with bleak subject matter and sustained philosophical reflection, making it better suited to listeners looking for serious literary fiction than easy comfort listening.

Ready to experience Ward No. 6?

Continue to this audiobook’s current verified edition and availability.

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