The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Chekhov, Anton. “Three Years.” Vintage Books, 2005.

The novella opens with Alexei Fyodorovich Laptev waiting in a church for his love, Yulia Sergeevna Belavin, to emerge. He walks her back to her father’s place. Her Father, Dr. Sergei Borisych Belavin, is looking after Nina, Alexei’s sister. After some awkward conversation, Alexei returns home. He stops by his sister’s room before dining with her husband, Panaurov.

The next day, Alexei visits the Belavins, supposedly to return a parasol to Yulia. Overcome by the intensity of his passion, he proposes to her on the spot. Taken aback, she rejects him. Once he leaves, Yulia is overcome with guilt. She worries God will punish her for rejecting a perfectly nice suitor.

Yulia visits the Laptevs the next day. She chats with Nina awhile before asking Laptev to walk her home. Dr. Sergei Borisych soon heads out. Yulia tells Laptev that she accepts his proposal. They embrace. Laptev can sense she has no love for him but feels trapped now.

From then on, Laptev visits the Belavins regularly. Throughout the engagement, he feels he acts strange and false. He even visits Panaurov at his mistress’ house one day, something he would never normally do. Laptev and Yulia are wed in September. Before they leave, Nina makes them promise to take her daughters, Sasha and Lida, should she die. Already in the train ride to Moscow, the newlyweds regret their decision.

The Laptevs are a merchant family. They own a warehouse where their employees are treated poorly. Laptev’s brother and father oversee the business. One day, Laptev takes Yulia to see them at their family home, Pyanitskaya. Laptev’s brother Fyodor welcomes her at once. Only Old Fyodor Stepanych, Laptev’s father, grumbles about his permission never being asked.

One evening at a symphony with his wife and friend Kostya, Laptev bumps into an old flame: Polina Nikolaevna Rassudina. She demands that they have tea after the symphony, saying that Laptev owes her an explanation. She is too proud to accept Laptev’s offer of going to a restaurant. At Polina’s apartment, she makes them tea and rants about her job as a music teacher. Polina is clearly stressed and overworked. She passionately admonishes Laptev for marrying another before fainting. Laptev waits for her to wake up before saying goodbye.

All the way home, Laptev regrets not marrying Polina instead. He reflects that he does not know his wife at all. The next day, Polina sends Laptev his things to the warehouse with a goodbye note.

One night, Nina tells Sasha the story of how Kostya came into their lives. He was an orphan they took in after his drunkard father died. Now, Kostya is a lawyer and lives in an apartment he rents in Laptev’s Moscow home. Sensing her mother is seriously unwell, she rushes to her father’s mistress’ house. Together, they rush home in time for Nina’s death. The girls wail.

Sasha and Lida have a hard time adjusting to life in Laptev’s home. They cry one morning after Laptev and Kostya attempt to teach them religion, prompting Yulia to take them out for a drive. At dinner, the family discusses Fyodor, who has been acting strange as of late. The girls wait for Panaurov, who finally arrives at nightfall. He stays with them only one night before returning to Petersburg.

Yartsev and Kish, friends of Laptev’s, visit often. They come over for dinner one night when Fyodor is there as well. Fyodor suggests to Laptev that he go into politics. Laptev sees that this is what Fyodor secretly wants. The men discuss progress and labor. Laptev argues that being rich is useless; he cannot help anyone. Disgusted, Yulia says that helping the poor is the easiest thing of all. Everyone feels uncomfortable. After dinner, the group heads out for a drive without Laptev, who usually prefers to stay in. Feeling scorned by his friends, Laptev wanders Moscow looking for him. When he gets home that night, he asks Yulia to hide her hatred for him in front of their guests. Each confesses how unhappy they are. Yulia decides to visit her father in her hometown.

Yulia takes the train with Panaurov, who flirts with her and kisses her. She quickly wearies of her hometown. She realizes how much she has changed since she left.Yulia returns to Moscow the next day.

One afternoon, the whole Laptev household visits an art gallery. Yulia is struck by a painting of a field at sunset. She envisions herself walking along that field’s path forever. She struggles to communicate her feelings to the others. In May, the Laptevs move to their summer house in Sokolniki. Yulia is pregnant.

A year later, Yartsev and Kostya are visiting the Laptevs at Sokolniki. Yulia tells them that her daughter Olga is her first true love. The men are infected with Yulia’s inner peace. Still, they miss Moscow and return home that night. A week later, they receive news that Olga died from diphtheria.

After Olga’s death, Laptev occupies himself with charity work while Yulia spends most of her time crying at Kostya’s. Polina visits Laptev one day, then persuades him to pay some of her students’ bills. They head to Yartsev’s, where Polina plays the piano. Laptev visits Yartsev daily until Polina tells him he is hindering Yartsev’s progress as a scholar. A few days later, Yartsev tells Laptev that Polina is moving in with him.

Panaurov’s mistress visits the Laptev one day during the winter. She begs for money. After she leaves, Fyodor comes. He shows off an educational article he wrote. Laptev calls it complete nonsense, starting an argument between the two that ends with Fyodor in tears.

Later that winter, Fyodor is diagnosed with mental illness. Old Fyodor Stepanych goes blind. This leaves only Laptev to look after the warehouse, depressing him greatly. Laptev does his best to make improvements at the warehouse but struggles against the salesclerks’ lack of cooperation.

When visiting Yulia at a dacha, Laptev observes how she and Yartsev look at each other. He wonders what is in store for them all.