Joyce Carol Oates's “The Lady with the Pet Dog” is a modern American retelling of a classic Russian story, “The Lady with the Little Dog,”...

While readers of modern literature may enjoy Oates's short story because of its stylistic approach (which is more in vogue with its use of common, ordinary characters and the vernacular and the stylish ambiguities of post-modern literature, along with the more feminist slant), the story written by the consummate craftsman, Anton Chekhov, is arguably stylistically superior. That this style is worthy of merit to modern readers is proven by the success of the modern author Raymond Carver, who has long admired and imitated Chekhov's economical style.

In contrast to the literary reflexivity--Oates recounts at length the introspection of her female character--Chekhov keeps his narrative to what one review calls "a concise evocation of the complexity of an intimate relationship." He uses minor details to support emotional states rather than describing the state in a conventional manner. Further, Chekhov's descriptions of nature reflect a character's emotions. For instance, in the first section of the story, after Gurov and Anna Sergeyevna dine in Yalta, they walk and talk to each other, and their conversation is composed of remarks about nature that reflect their feelings:

...the water was of a soft warm lilac hue, and there was a golden streak from the moon upon it. They talked of how sultry it was after a hot day.

Another subtlety of Chekhov's story is his use of impersonal constructions that suggest the subjectivity of the perceptions of the characters. For example, such phrases as "it seemed" and "it appeared" preface what Anna and Gurov perceive. Clearly, there is an artistry to Chekhov's creation of memorable settings that contributes greatly to creating mood. For instance, while the two lovers are in Oreanda, Chekhov writes,

Sitting beside a young woman who in the dawn seemed so lovely, soothed and spellbound in these magical surroundings--the sea, mountains, clouds, the open sky--Gurov thought how in reality everything is beautiful in this world when one reflects....

Chekhov's switching to the first person at times in the narrative, such as in this passage, also serves to place emphasis upon the genuine affection of the lovers. Interestingly, Chekhov's signature "zero ending" is not unlike the ending written by Joyce Carol Oates; they both suggest new beginnings, although Oates's seems, perhaps, more optimistic. 

In summation, the stylistic devices of Chekhov are more definitive and, for this reason, some readers may prefer it to the story of Oates.