quackalacka's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexual content, War, Grief, Child death, Genocide, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol, Antisemitism, Blood, Addiction, Animal death, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
matildahasopinions's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
mverdoorn's review against another edition
4.0
Two books this long had to be an epic undertaking. The part at the House of Arts dragged a little too much for me, and Marina continued to make epically bad decisions. But like book 1, you really feel like you were right there - this time in port revolutionary Russia, which must have been really horrific.
dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
4.0
Content warning: death of child(ren), torture
A second long slog of a book in this series, but one with many rewards. Fitch's beautiful use of language, lost in her book Paint It Black, comes back in this series. This is an epic on Russian history, so be prepared to keep track of M A N Y characters. Marina's seemingly boundless tenacity to just live is inspiring.
A second long slog of a book in this series, but one with many rewards. Fitch's beautiful use of language, lost in her book Paint It Black, comes back in this series. This is an epic on Russian history, so be prepared to keep track of M A N Y characters. Marina's seemingly boundless tenacity to just live is inspiring.
jessreads82's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
The revolution of marina m was set in the fast paced world of the Soviet revolution in Russia—marina was growing up abd learning who she was in that world.
Chimes of the lost cathedral has marina more grown up and thinking ahead for her baby as well as herself. I really enjoyed the beginning, but when the tragedy struck I felt blindsided and didn’t want to continue to listen to this book. I did continue on, but felt the story was a lot slower after that. Marina jumping from one man to another and never really learning who she was. It seemed she needed a man constantly for her place in the world. Abs maybe that’s the reality of when abs where she lived, but I found myself listening at a much faster pace to get the book done
The revolution of marina m was set in the fast paced world of the Soviet revolution in Russia—marina was growing up abd learning who she was in that world.
Chimes of the lost cathedral has marina more grown up and thinking ahead for her baby as well as herself. I really enjoyed the beginning, but when the tragedy struck I felt blindsided and didn’t want to continue to listen to this book. I did continue on, but felt the story was a lot slower after that. Marina jumping from one man to another and never really learning who she was. It seemed she needed a man constantly for her place in the world. Abs maybe that’s the reality of when abs where she lived, but I found myself listening at a much faster pace to get the book done
raaahella's review against another edition
5.0
The book covered so much tragedy and loss. I am not sure where to begin, but I truly hope this is not the end. It was amazing for her to see so much insight into herself as the character Marina. She goes through regular evolution in life, and it gestures towards the meaning that we are made up of our past experiences.
There us so much death is this time, I can't believe how long those people held out and survived in Russia during 1920. Knowing this is a historical fiction title makes me cringe to know much of the details are based on facts that happened to humans living through this time.
What ultimate heartbreak though, to have survived Iskra's death, her father's and in the last book her little brothers and to finally be reunited with her true passionate love. She only then figured out that he was not faithful and never would be. It was always gain in life for Koyla.
There were some instances in the book that didn't add up. It was difficult to go back and match ideas, thoughts or story lines, as I listened to the audio book. But there was two times in the book where she mentioned the rings of Saturn. The first time I heard her say Koyla gave them to her when they were to be 'wed,' sometime during the last book. But then near the end it was actually Ganyea who gave them to her when they actually were wed. This is only one example of the kind of mix ups I felt were happening from the first book to the second. Though this may be blamed on my memory. I read the first book when it came out in January of 2018 and though this book came out in July of this year, I only got to finishing it in September.
Here's hoping for another book, as I do appreciate the story line.
There us so much death is this time, I can't believe how long those people held out and survived in Russia during 1920. Knowing this is a historical fiction title makes me cringe to know much of the details are based on facts that happened to humans living through this time.
What ultimate heartbreak though, to have survived Iskra's death, her father's and in the last book her little brothers and to finally be reunited with her true passionate love. She only then figured out that he was not faithful and never would be. It was always gain in life for Koyla.
There were some instances in the book that didn't add up. It was difficult to go back and match ideas, thoughts or story lines, as I listened to the audio book. But there was two times in the book where she mentioned the rings of Saturn. The first time I heard her say Koyla gave them to her when they were to be 'wed,' sometime during the last book. But then near the end it was actually Ganyea who gave them to her when they actually were wed. This is only one example of the kind of mix ups I felt were happening from the first book to the second. Though this may be blamed on my memory. I read the first book when it came out in January of 2018 and though this book came out in July of this year, I only got to finishing it in September.
Here's hoping for another book, as I do appreciate the story line.
novelhistorian's review against another edition
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.