Russian Novel/Authors Fan?

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Permalink Reply by Malinda on May 29, 2010 at 1:10pm

Guess I'm more of a geek than I orignally thought!! Lol! Madonnas of Lenigrad? Tell me someone out there has read this book??? Please......:0)

Permalink Reply by Treebyleaf on May 29, 2010 at 10:13pm

Dear Malinda,
Only the good kind of geek-- both my husband and I have been profoundly moved by Russian literature. Thank you for the recommendation for Madonnas of Leningrad.

Permalink Reply by Malinda on May 29, 2010 at 10:28pm

Yay!!! A fellow Russian lit lover!!!! Madonna's of Lennigrad is an easy read but interesting because the author tossed in some "art" elements. Read it and then listen to Shostakovich's 7th Symphony - the Leningrad Symphony. In the first movement you can hear the invasion - then the second and third movements draaaggg - because the siege lasts 900 days. But the fourth movement (sometimes that is the only one I listen to) is like 15 minutes long and it is this great music about triumph over adversity. The last 2 or 3 minutes are the best music I've ever heard... I have the book, let me know if you want me to forward it to you....my pleasure!!

Permalink Reply by Treebyleaf on May 29, 2010 at 10:53pm

I'll grab it from the library tomorrow-- Best Beloved is certain to have the music for me to listen to.

Permalink Reply by Malinda on May 29, 2010 at 10:55pm

Debra Dean's first novel, The Madonnas of Leningrad, tells the story of Marina, a docent at the State Hermitage Museum during the 900 day Siege of Leningrad. Marina's clear and detailed recollections of the Hermitage collection and the war are interspersed with her current dementia-impaired life in Seattle, Washington as she prepares to attend a granddaughter's wedding. The novel uses the vivid memories of the past to contrast with the struggles of an Alzheimer's victim in dealing with everyday life. The book is recommended for anyone interested in art history, specifically the Hermitage collections, the history of the Eastern Front (World War II), psychological fiction dealing with elderly people and immigrants.

Permalink Reply by Eleanor Rigby on February 26, 2011 at 5:16pm

Haven't read it yet, but it sounds like a good recommendation.  The Russian Lit I've read dates to an earlier period, and like with most things I read, I prefer and tend to stick to Short Stories.  Russia has no shortage of Short Stories - Dostoyevsky included!