Critical response to "Gooseberries" has been overwhelmingly positive. The story is praised for its complexity in content and form and for Chekhov's controlled presentation of his characters and themes. Relating the story to Chekhov's fiction in general, Milton A. Mays of Southern Humanities Review notes that it is "one of Chekhov's finest stories, and one which is central to an important thematic pattern in the author's work as a whole." Sean O'Faolain of Short Story remarks that "Gooseberries" is

one of the loveliest of stories. So much irony; so much humor; so kind and understanding; and wrapped up in the most delicate poetic mood. It is probably one of the most perfect stories in the whole of the world's literature.

As one of Chekhov's mature works, "Gooseberries" demonstrates his ability to address complex subject matters in subtle, realistic ways. Simon Baker in Reference Guide to Short...