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adw7984's review against another edition
4.0
I’m not going to lie, this book took quite awhile for me to get into the story. However, once I did I found the story of Tonya and the grandmothers to be quite interesting. It was amazing to me that three generations of women (including Sofia) could come together and make their own family. I love that!
Chizhova paints quite a dreary picture of life in the Soviet Union. Sometimes it is hard to separate life in the US from what you’re reading, but the writing was so amazing that I was full immersed in day-to-day Russian life.
The way the story wrapped up was actually quite satisfying to me. We learned of Sofia’s current life and what happened after her mother died.
Don’t let the small size of this book fool you. You will need a bit of time to read this book to truly grasp the story and savor it.
This book was provided for the participation of Confessions of a Bookaholic in the book tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Chizhova paints quite a dreary picture of life in the Soviet Union. Sometimes it is hard to separate life in the US from what you’re reading, but the writing was so amazing that I was full immersed in day-to-day Russian life.
The way the story wrapped up was actually quite satisfying to me. We learned of Sofia’s current life and what happened after her mother died.
Don’t let the small size of this book fool you. You will need a bit of time to read this book to truly grasp the story and savor it.
This book was provided for the participation of Confessions of a Bookaholic in the book tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
nunuseli's review against another edition
4.0
‘El tiempo sin ventanas’ de Elena Chizhova es una novela contemporánea (escrita en el año 2009) pero con gusto clásico. Ambientada en el San Petersburgo soviético de principios de los 60, está protagonizada por una madre soltera, su hija que no habla y que se comunica a través de sus dibujos, y tres abuelas que se han quedado completamente solas y sólo se tienen las unas a las otras. Estas cinco mujeres formaran una atípica familia, se ayudarán entre si (mientras la madre va a trabajar a la fábrica, las abuelas cuidan de la niña, y en realidad al final todas acabarán cuidando unas de las otras), se querrán y formarán una unidad compacta para intentar sobrevivir, porque ya se sabe que es más fácil resistir si formas parte de un grupo que si vas en solitario.
Es una obra muy triste: las protagonistas las han pasado y siguen pasándolas canutas. Y aún así, está llena de tanta ternura que hay momentos que casi parece una obra optimista. La madre se mata trabajando, las abuelas han perdido a todos sus hijos y familiares queridos porque el estado se los ha quitado de en medio (pero de esto no se habla nunca en voz alta), hay escasez de muchas cosas (pero más que nada de libertad), y la amenaza de un final trágico plana siempre sobre sus cabezas. Y aún así, hay tanto amor en estas páginas que te da la sensación de que es una novela esperanzadora. Es una obra sobre supervivencia, falta de libertad, mujeres fuertes que no se rinden nunca, y sobre cómo la infancia puede ser un paraíso por más que el mundo que te rodee esté lleno de crueldad.
Me encanta la forma en que las historias que cuentan las abuelas se introducen no sólo dentro de la obra sino también dentro de la imaginación de la niña, distorsionando a veces su percepción de la realidad. Me encanta lo carismáticos y bien trazados que están los personajes de las tres abuelas, que al principio parecen todas iguales pero poco a poco, a medida que nos adentramos en su pasado particular, van ganando en matices. Pero también me encanta el coraje y la valentía de la madre. Y luego está la forma en que la trama se va desenvolviendo, de una forma natural y a la vez mesurada, con una precisión perfecta. Y, lo repito, finalmente está la ternura (que no cursilería). En definitiva, es una auténtica pequeña joya; de las que ya no se hacen.
Es una obra muy triste: las protagonistas las han pasado y siguen pasándolas canutas. Y aún así, está llena de tanta ternura que hay momentos que casi parece una obra optimista. La madre se mata trabajando, las abuelas han perdido a todos sus hijos y familiares queridos porque el estado se los ha quitado de en medio (pero de esto no se habla nunca en voz alta), hay escasez de muchas cosas (pero más que nada de libertad), y la amenaza de un final trágico plana siempre sobre sus cabezas. Y aún así, hay tanto amor en estas páginas que te da la sensación de que es una novela esperanzadora. Es una obra sobre supervivencia, falta de libertad, mujeres fuertes que no se rinden nunca, y sobre cómo la infancia puede ser un paraíso por más que el mundo que te rodee esté lleno de crueldad.
Me encanta la forma en que las historias que cuentan las abuelas se introducen no sólo dentro de la obra sino también dentro de la imaginación de la niña, distorsionando a veces su percepción de la realidad. Me encanta lo carismáticos y bien trazados que están los personajes de las tres abuelas, que al principio parecen todas iguales pero poco a poco, a medida que nos adentramos en su pasado particular, van ganando en matices. Pero también me encanta el coraje y la valentía de la madre. Y luego está la forma en que la trama se va desenvolviendo, de una forma natural y a la vez mesurada, con una precisión perfecta. Y, lo repito, finalmente está la ternura (que no cursilería). En definitiva, es una auténtica pequeña joya; de las que ya no se hacen.
ejordan24's review against another edition
4.0
I really appreciate receiving from Glagoslav Book Club a PDF copy of The Time of Women by Elena Chizhova. I sometimes had difficulty following what was exactly happening in the story because of this author's style of writing. Fairy tales and fantasy would be intertwined with remembrances by different family members and significant others, probably helping each one to cope with difficulties faced. Regardless of my occasional confusion,I found this novel particularly interesting. It familiarized the reader with how one Russian family struggled after the war to survive. It also provided insight into a period in history with which I was unfamiliar. The characters were most definitely memorable.
anyu's review against another edition
4.0
I wish some aspects of the story and setting had been explored more in depth, but I liked the elusive writing and the structure of this novel. This is probably more of a 3-star book, but it's a story that revolves around a mother and her daughter and the three grandmothers who help raise her, and I really like books in which all the main characters are women, and books in which old women get to be main characters, and to get both at once is a rare treat.
zenaide's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
abookishaffair's review
4.0
3.5. Russia is such a fascinating place to me. Soviet era Russia is especially fascinating to me. It was interesting to see how each generation saw Soviet Russia differently. The grannies have seen the country change from the Bolshevik Revolution to Communism's hold over the country during the middle of the 20th century. They are retired now. Then you have Antonina, a young woman, who must work in the factory. She is lucky enough to share an apartment with the grannies who take care of her daughter. You get a lot of different perspectives in the book, which is really interesting.
This book is sort of a really subtle day-in-the-life kind of story. It's quiet but a great way to gain some insight into some normal Soviet life.
I also really liked the setting of the book. You get a good feeling for what living in the city must have been like under Communism. You get to really feel what it was like to have to live with people who were strangers at first but who become family. You get to feel what it was like to work in a factory like Antonina does.
One thing that was very confusing about the book was all of the switches between the different characters narrating. There isn't a really clear delineation between who is narrating and where their narration stops and begins. It was very confusing. It definitely took a little away from the book. The book was still very enjoyable but I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who was talking.
Bottom line: A good historical fiction!
This book is sort of a really subtle day-in-the-life kind of story. It's quiet but a great way to gain some insight into some normal Soviet life.
I also really liked the setting of the book. You get a good feeling for what living in the city must have been like under Communism. You get to really feel what it was like to have to live with people who were strangers at first but who become family. You get to feel what it was like to work in a factory like Antonina does.
One thing that was very confusing about the book was all of the switches between the different characters narrating. There isn't a really clear delineation between who is narrating and where their narration stops and begins. It was very confusing. It definitely took a little away from the book. The book was still very enjoyable but I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who was talking.
Bottom line: A good historical fiction!
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