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A review by jessreadthis
The Provincial Lady in Russia by E.M. Delafield
4.0
I wish I had spoken my mind, just once, in the U.S.S.R Even though I know that nobody would have paid any attention to it, and even though it occurs to me to wonder whether I am absolutely certain of what my mind really is, concerning the new Russia.
I wouldn't say this novel is particularly funny. There are indeed humorous scenes and conversations. However, there is an underlying bleakness and concern to it. It's not at all like the other Provincial Lady books. Which is fitting since it was never meant to be The Provincial Lady in Russia. This is E.M. Delafield in Russia. Her American publisher changed the title as readers recognized "The Provincial Lady" and that sells copies.
Delafield balked a bit about going. She tried to explain there isn't anything funny about Russia to the deaf ears of her publisher. He insists it must be done as no one has written anything funny about Russia yet . He plans on sending her there for six months. They compromise on four. So Delafield sets off traveling "hard class" and visits various cities in Russia and spends time on a Collective Farm. (think commune type farm)
I am rather uneducated in the workings of the U.S.S.R. I didn't know they abolished the naming of days. I didn't realize the focus was on work and productivity with little time for recreation/creativity. I commiserated with Delafield and her fellow travelers as they had to wait 40 minutes for food to arrive. One fellow traveler covertly tips the waiter and experiences the luxury of hot toast at breakfast. The train delays, impassable roads, lack of luxury goods like lipstick/soap/nylons, and even basic goods like rubber and food that doesn't give one bouts of incapacitating gastrointestinal distress. Humorously, a small paragraph is written with travelers' varying advice for cures for said G.I. distress. It was a fascinating read for me. But I also felt Delafield's concern. Her concern for lack of education on broader topics and even religion as literature to the children. Her sorrow over the the tragic manner the Tsar and his family were killed, the inability to speak her mind to anyone. The quiet frustration over the dogmatic ideology the Intourists speak even in the face of logic.
At the end of the book, Delafield really wants to wrap up her journey by speaking her mind to someone of her experiences. She makes several attempts to initiate that conversation and is met with lectures and dogma in return. So she remains quiet but in the end wonders at what would she say if she did have the opportunity? I feel like, us the faceless readers to her, are the ones she got to speak her mind to. We saw her curiosity, humor, and ability to make life seem more interesting that it is sometimes. I highly recommend this one if you are a fan of Delafield the author. If you are seeking a book in the similar vein to The Provincial Lady series- this isn't it.
I wouldn't say this novel is particularly funny. There are indeed humorous scenes and conversations. However, there is an underlying bleakness and concern to it. It's not at all like the other Provincial Lady books. Which is fitting since it was never meant to be The Provincial Lady in Russia. This is E.M. Delafield in Russia. Her American publisher changed the title as readers recognized "The Provincial Lady" and that sells copies.
Delafield balked a bit about going. She tried to explain there isn't anything funny about Russia to the deaf ears of her publisher. He insists it must be done as no one has written anything funny about Russia yet . He plans on sending her there for six months. They compromise on four. So Delafield sets off traveling "hard class" and visits various cities in Russia and spends time on a Collective Farm. (think commune type farm)
I am rather uneducated in the workings of the U.S.S.R. I didn't know they abolished the naming of days. I didn't realize the focus was on work and productivity with little time for recreation/creativity. I commiserated with Delafield and her fellow travelers as they had to wait 40 minutes for food to arrive. One fellow traveler covertly tips the waiter and experiences the luxury of hot toast at breakfast. The train delays, impassable roads, lack of luxury goods like lipstick/soap/nylons, and even basic goods like rubber and food that doesn't give one bouts of incapacitating gastrointestinal distress. Humorously, a small paragraph is written with travelers' varying advice for cures for said G.I. distress. It was a fascinating read for me. But I also felt Delafield's concern. Her concern for lack of education on broader topics and even religion as literature to the children. Her sorrow over the the tragic manner the Tsar and his family were killed, the inability to speak her mind to anyone. The quiet frustration over the dogmatic ideology the Intourists speak even in the face of logic.
At the end of the book, Delafield really wants to wrap up her journey by speaking her mind to someone of her experiences. She makes several attempts to initiate that conversation and is met with lectures and dogma in return. So she remains quiet but in the end wonders at what would she say if she did have the opportunity? I feel like, us the faceless readers to her, are the ones she got to speak her mind to. We saw her curiosity, humor, and ability to make life seem more interesting that it is sometimes. I highly recommend this one if you are a fan of Delafield the author. If you are seeking a book in the similar vein to The Provincial Lady series- this isn't it.