smdammen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
carmenere's review against another edition
4.0
I'll give The Madonnas of Leningrad a big thumbs up for its sad yet realistic depiction of The Siege of Leningrad and one of its survivors, Marina, an elderly woman, now suffering from another type of siege, an assault on her short term memory.
Prior to the siege, Marina was a tour guide at The Hermitage. In preparation for an attack by the Germans she then assisted in the removal of the art work she had come to love and know so well, storing it in a safe haven.
Marina was once an art student, then a tour guide at the The Hermitage in Leningrad but now, long after the horrors of The Siege, when her and her husband can enjoy life as empty nesters in Seattle and enjoy celebrations with their grandchildren, Marina begins to battle dementia. She can not recall her daughter, her husband must help her dress and cook for her but she does remember Leningrad. The suffering, the cold, the lack of food, the family and friends who did not survive and she remembers the paintings. She remembers the grand staircase, the statues, the murals on the ceiling but most of all, she remembers the Madonnas and the artists who painted them and the back stories involved with each painting.
I have read a few books concerning Alzheimer's and a couple of books regarding the siege but nothing like this novel which takes an horrendous period of time and gives it back to a survivor to live over again in her waning days. Yet, the beauty of this story lies in the memories of Art and how in the most dire of days the remembrance of what is beautiful and the ability to imagine it all again seems to act as an armor from what is bad.
Well written, mesmerizing and, of course, sad yet through the acts of people like Marina we are, once again, able to enjoy the Madonnas and so much more.
Prior to the siege, Marina was a tour guide at The Hermitage. In preparation for an attack by the Germans she then assisted in the removal of the art work she had come to love and know so well, storing it in a safe haven.
Marina was once an art student, then a tour guide at the The Hermitage in Leningrad but now, long after the horrors of The Siege, when her and her husband can enjoy life as empty nesters in Seattle and enjoy celebrations with their grandchildren, Marina begins to battle dementia. She can not recall her daughter, her husband must help her dress and cook for her but she does remember Leningrad. The suffering, the cold, the lack of food, the family and friends who did not survive and she remembers the paintings. She remembers the grand staircase, the statues, the murals on the ceiling but most of all, she remembers the Madonnas and the artists who painted them and the back stories involved with each painting.
I have read a few books concerning Alzheimer's and a couple of books regarding the siege but nothing like this novel which takes an horrendous period of time and gives it back to a survivor to live over again in her waning days. Yet, the beauty of this story lies in the memories of Art and how in the most dire of days the remembrance of what is beautiful and the ability to imagine it all again seems to act as an armor from what is bad.
Well written, mesmerizing and, of course, sad yet through the acts of people like Marina we are, once again, able to enjoy the Madonnas and so much more.
mary412's review against another edition
3.0
Just finished this book and now I'm not sure I should have recommended it to book group. The premise is so sweet [the Hermitage docent giving tours of the galleries even though the paintings are stored away during WW II], but I don't consider this a great book. Perhaps they'll love it because it's short - a pleasant change from some recent picks.
The book group did like this book. The artist in the group said the descriptions of the paintings were her favorite parts. A GoodReads reviewer suggested that the reader get a list of the paintings mentioned and look at them on a computer screen while reading the book. Excellent idea!
Two of our members have parents with Alzheimer's and they liked the depictions of Marina's inner life. Marina's family sees her confusion, but she can revisit the paintings she loved and can appreciate the beautiful view from the unfinished house of the last chapter.
I recommended this book to my other book group and they loved it! In preparation for the discussion, I read it a second time and now think it is a more significant book.
The book group did like this book. The artist in the group said the descriptions of the paintings were her favorite parts. A GoodReads reviewer suggested that the reader get a list of the paintings mentioned and look at them on a computer screen while reading the book. Excellent idea!
Two of our members have parents with Alzheimer's and they liked the depictions of Marina's inner life. Marina's family sees her confusion, but she can revisit the paintings she loved and can appreciate the beautiful view from the unfinished house of the last chapter.
I recommended this book to my other book group and they loved it! In preparation for the discussion, I read it a second time and now think it is a more significant book.
ionz_12's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
menfrommarrs's review
5.0
I'l let you discover, for yourself, the horrors of war, the tragedy of Alzheimer's Disease, the disconnection of family members that are so very realistically depicted here.
but
The next time you visit an art museum, hold out for the next tour for which Marina is the docent. It is so obvious that she is passionate about each piece, that you won't have to strain over the heads of the tourists in front of you to visualize the artwork on the wall.
but
The next time you visit an art museum, hold out for the next tour for which Marina is the docent. It is so obvious that she is passionate about each piece, that you won't have to strain over the heads of the tourists in front of you to visualize the artwork on the wall.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
5.0
Told in a series of flashbacks, this book tells the story of the Marina who was a tour guide at the Hermitage when the Germans surrounded and attacked the city for over three years. Her job then was to remove and memorize where she stored the invaluable Madonna paintings in the lower level of the museum for safekeeping, a dangerous job as bombs fell all around them and food supplies dwindled to nothing. When I visited St. Petersburg, we toured Piskaryov Memorial Cemetery, now a memorial to the 470,000 civilian and 100,000 soldiers, where the victims of the Siege are buried in mass graves. The Madonnas of Leningrad helped me begin to understand what life was like during the three-year long Siege for those who lived through it and made me think about the strength and courage of the Russian people who survived.
--Reviewed by Ellen J.
--Reviewed by Ellen J.
embo970's review against another edition
4.0
This is a beautifully written story about a woman reliving her experiences at the Russian Hermitage museum during WWII while living with Alzheimer's. Love it.
emilybookmark's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
dhilderbrand's review against another edition
4.0
This took me forever to get through. 1. The struggle of the character with alzheimers and her family were just too painful right now. 2. I have never read a book more in need of illustrations. To have published this without pictures of the paintings is a travesty. I went online often but ultimate it interrupted the flow of the book. I suspect the copyright costs of publishes with the pictures is cost prohibitive but reading it without them on the pages made it almost painful... I was missing something just like the hermitage