Name This Russian Novel

October 26, 2009 12:44 PM

Trying to remember the title of a tragicomic Russian novel I had just begun reading 5 years ago, before it somehow disappeared. From what I remember, the main character was an older woman who refused to adapt to the post-communist societal changes in Russia. It followed her story as she faced the changing landscape, and persecution in the face of her commitment to the old ideals.
posted by thegreatfleecircus to media & arts (14 comments total)

I keep thinking you're thinking of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard… is that it?
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 12:54 PM on October 26

No answer for the OP, but I can attest THE CHERRY ORCHARD is not it -- sounds like the wrong time-frame (THE CHERRY ORCHARD wouldn't have been POST-Communist, certainly).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:07 PM on October 26

That's what I figured, but suggested it anyway just in case the OP was mistaken on the time period. :-)
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 1:09 PM on October 26

Question forwarded to my friend who, I just found out, is pretty seriously into post-Soviet Russian lit. Will let you know if she comes up with anything useful.
posted by Naberius at 1:52 PM on October 26

Can you remember anything else? More details might help.
posted by Behemoth at 2:11 PM on October 26

I also forwarded it to a friend who is seriously into post-Soviet Russian lit; she said it sounded familiar but couldn't pin it down. Obviously, if she does pin it down, you'll be the first to know.
posted by languagehat at 4:26 PM on October 26

My friend gives the same response as languagehat's. (You don't suppose? Nah...)

She said it sounded vaguely familiar, but not something she'd read. She also noted that, paraphrasing, Russia's younger generation often seems so intent on turning their back on the communist past that that's all post-Soviet writers can talk about. Hanging on to it seemed an unusual theme to her.
posted by Naberius at 4:31 PM on October 26

My friend wrote back suggesting Liudmila Petrushevskaya's The Time: Night:

It fits about half the characteristics (tragicomic, older woman, societal changes) and has been translated into English, so it might be a decent bet. I pasted in a description that I wrote for a workshop:

This short novel is one woman’s long rant, chronicling, through the story of one extended family, the breakdown in society in the late Soviet period. Much of this narrative is difficult to take: it can be graphic, rather whiny, and a little repetitious. The novella has many redeeming features, though, including a lot of dark humor and the very truth of the story – although I can’t quite say that the narrator is Everywoman, I met many, many who sounded a lot like her in their bitterness. What I find most impressive is that Petrushevskaya was able to sustain her tone throughout the whole piece.

posted by languagehat at 8:21 AM on October 27

Sorry, none of the responses so far are correct... I'll know the title when I see it! Also, the novel was NOT from the woman's point of view. Excuse this rambling language, but the whole tone was 'what do you do with someone who a few years earlier would have been a pillar of political virtue, but by simply not flippantly changing her position -like everyone else around her- now has to be awkwardly torn down by the same exact people she used work with in the name of Communism.' The woman seemed somewhat naive in her commitment, rather than calculating and sophisticated.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 9:44 AM on October 27

I'm the friend languagehat referred to... with your new information, thegreatfleecircus, I think your lost book might be Vladimir Voinovich's Monumental Propaganda, about a woman who keeps a Stalin statue in her apartment. She certainly doesn't change her position! I enjoyed the book.
posted by lizoksbookshelf at 9:59 AM on October 27 [1 favorite]

If you don't get your answer here, another place to try may be the SEELANGS listserv. It's mostly populated by professors and grad students, but I doubt they'll object to you posting your question.
posted by Behemoth at 10:00 AM on October 27

That's it, lizoksbookshelf! Many thanks.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 11:43 AM on October 27

Also, thanks to everyone for putting out feelers! This has been plaguing me for years.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 11:48 AM on October 27

You're welcome, thegreatfleecircus. Enjoy the book if you resume your reading!
posted by lizoksbookshelf at 4:20 PM on October 27