Three Years is a novella written at the end of the 19th century and paints a picture of Moscow life at that time. It recounts the story of the marriage of a man called Laptev who, on leaving Moscow to care for his sick sister, falls in love with a woman called Yulia Sergeyevna, the daughter of the local doctor. They marry, even though Yulia initially feels nothing for Laptev. Chekhov is regarded as one of Russia's finest writers.