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novelhistorian's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Despite the hardships as the revolution devolves into civil war, Marina lives as fully as she can under the circumstances, which means, in part, that she has many love affairs. Sexual freedom belongs to her own revolution, and though I sense a sharper feminist edge in the previous volume than I do here, you can see still see it. Marina searches for partners who understand how please a woman, and she points out where the Bolsheviks have reneged on promises to value women’s contributions to their society as well as men’s.
For all that, though, I think The Revolution of Marina M. does better. Much as I like the later narrative, it’s got too much in it, not all of which fits comfortably. Marina’s penchant for argumentation seems forced at times; would she really be that careless? But the real problem is the overall approach. Chimes feels less coherent and incisive than its predecessor, and I can think of at least one plot point that’s both predictable and convenient, though Fitch integrates it emotionally. Though this book is somewhat shorter than its older sibling, it feels longer, maybe because I sense that the author is saying, “Okay, now, let me show you this.”
To be fair, I like a lot of the this. Aside from the gripping account of untold sufferings, when Marina meets literary lights like Anna Akhmatova, Maxim Gorky, and Osip Mandelstam, plus many more whose names I didn’t know, I get that keen sense of betrayal among writers who numbered among the first Russians to support Lenin, for all the good it did them or their country.
In that regard, I suspect the author intends a jab at cancel culture, considering how much discussion there is of politics perverting art. I'm there.
For all that, though, I think The Revolution of Marina M. does better. Much as I like the later narrative, it’s got too much in it, not all of which fits comfortably. Marina’s penchant for argumentation seems forced at times; would she really be that careless? But the real problem is the overall approach. Chimes feels less coherent and incisive than its predecessor, and I can think of at least one plot point that’s both predictable and convenient, though Fitch integrates it emotionally. Though this book is somewhat shorter than its older sibling, it feels longer, maybe because I sense that the author is saying, “Okay, now, let me show you this.”
To be fair, I like a lot of the this. Aside from the gripping account of untold sufferings, when Marina meets literary lights like Anna Akhmatova, Maxim Gorky, and Osip Mandelstam, plus many more whose names I didn’t know, I get that keen sense of betrayal among writers who numbered among the first Russians to support Lenin, for all the good it did them or their country.
In that regard, I suspect the author intends a jab at cancel culture, considering how much discussion there is of politics perverting art. I'm there.
kkelley18's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
abbyhutchinson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
camscampbell's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this so much. I studied Russian literature at university, including a module on Akhmatova, so I have a lot of context from which to draw. It was fascinating to see these characters' coming to life.
Amazing choice of narrator in Yelena Shmulenson.
Amazing choice of narrator in Yelena Shmulenson.
maisiesmom's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sallydem's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
katiedavis's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
maxs0008's review
5.0
I love all of Janet Fitch’s work. Her knack for language and storytelling are undeniably beautiful, weaving culture, art, and history in with the characters like a poem in itself. The Marina books contain the same beauty I’ve read and reread in White Oleander and Paint it Black, but the details from the Russian Revolution are an additional layer that took my breath away. I felt like I was living in the revolutionary times with Marina, and learned so much more than I ever did in history classes. The extensive and careful research Janet dedicated herself to are evident and so worthwhile. This is a deliciously rich story woven with so many layers and characters. Inspiring and daring, Marina grew into what she was always meant for, the captain of her own ship.
writerrhiannon's review against another edition
5.0
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Spending time with the main character of this book was like reuniting and spending time with an old friend...a lot of time. Because at 730 pages, Chimes of a Lost Cathedral took me forever to finish, just like its predecessor, 2017's The Revolution of Marina M (which was 816 pages). It's hard not to use words like "sweeping epic" to describe this tome spanning from the spring of 1919 to the fall of 1921, during the Russian Civil War. The stories, relationships, and Marina's persistence kept me reading but I will be honest that a lot of the political clashes and beliefs were hard for me to decipher. If you've read The Revolution of Marina M., you will also understand that Fitch will gut you with her descriptions of humanity's darkness, so much so that I needed to step away from the story and have a drink after a devastating event that occurred just before the book's halfway point.
The novel opens with 19-year-old pregnant Marina Makarova traveling through the Russian countryside searching for a place to give birth to her child and follows her on her return to Petrograd, which is mostly deserted yet teeming with orphans. "Now fully a woman, she takes on the challenge of caring for these Civil War orphans, until they become the tool of tragedy from an unexpected direction. But despite the ordeal of war and revolution, betrayal and privation and unimaginable loss, Marina at last emerges as the poet she was always meant to be."
I would recommend this novel (and The Revolution of Marina M) to lovers of Russian history, the Romanov family, and Cherise Wolas' novel The Resurrection of Joan Ashby.
Spending time with the main character of this book was like reuniting and spending time with an old friend...a lot of time. Because at 730 pages, Chimes of a Lost Cathedral took me forever to finish, just like its predecessor, 2017's The Revolution of Marina M (which was 816 pages). It's hard not to use words like "sweeping epic" to describe this tome spanning from the spring of 1919 to the fall of 1921, during the Russian Civil War. The stories, relationships, and Marina's persistence kept me reading but I will be honest that a lot of the political clashes and beliefs were hard for me to decipher. If you've read The Revolution of Marina M., you will also understand that Fitch will gut you with her descriptions of humanity's darkness, so much so that I needed to step away from the story and have a drink after a devastating event that occurred just before the book's halfway point.
The novel opens with 19-year-old pregnant Marina Makarova traveling through the Russian countryside searching for a place to give birth to her child and follows her on her return to Petrograd, which is mostly deserted yet teeming with orphans. "Now fully a woman, she takes on the challenge of caring for these Civil War orphans, until they become the tool of tragedy from an unexpected direction. But despite the ordeal of war and revolution, betrayal and privation and unimaginable loss, Marina at last emerges as the poet she was always meant to be."
I would recommend this novel (and The Revolution of Marina M) to lovers of Russian history, the Romanov family, and Cherise Wolas' novel The Resurrection of Joan Ashby.
rennish's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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