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A review by david_rhee
The Golovlyov Family: Shchedrin by Shchedrin
5.0
The Golovliov Family, also titled A Family of Noblemen, is a stunning portrait of a family estate where death reigns over life, where a family is impoverished by the pursuit of riches, and where children are given a stone instead of bread. A sinister devouring evil leaves a steady wake throughout the whole narration, and vile humor buoys the reader's attention as if Saltykov were intentionally setting him up for what turns out to be a brilliant denouement.
Many forms of evil take root in most of the characters. No one is considered remotely likable. The despotic Arina Petrovna Golovliov even emerges as an object of pity (sometimes) and the reader can catch himself rooting for her...but that only comes about because of how horrible everyone else is. Porphyry Golovliov, the aptly nicknamed "Bloodsucker," is probably the most demonic personality I have ever come across in all of literature. He possesses an unrivaled ability to sense the approaching death of someone from whom he can extract property. His mind never stops calculating potential gain of even the smallest increment. The worst of it all is that he attempts to justify everything he does with a woefully warped conception of God and providence.
The trail of destruction is so continual and pronounced that the reader all the while might suspect Saltykov is trying only to challenge himself to paint the most disgusting portrait imaginable. This is far from the truth, however. The conclusion is the reason why I ranked this novel among the best I've read. The final discovery made by Porphyry of where all his calculation, gorging, hoarding, and neglect of his brothers and sisters ultimately leads and how it is expressed by the author greatly shook me. I have mentioned to others not a few times that I consider the best literature to be parables of philosophy and divine conceptions, and though I don't remember it ever being quoted this book can serve as a masterful expression of the Lord Jesus' words,
"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" (Matthew 8:36)
Many forms of evil take root in most of the characters. No one is considered remotely likable. The despotic Arina Petrovna Golovliov even emerges as an object of pity (sometimes) and the reader can catch himself rooting for her...but that only comes about because of how horrible everyone else is. Porphyry Golovliov, the aptly nicknamed "Bloodsucker," is probably the most demonic personality I have ever come across in all of literature. He possesses an unrivaled ability to sense the approaching death of someone from whom he can extract property. His mind never stops calculating potential gain of even the smallest increment. The worst of it all is that he attempts to justify everything he does with a woefully warped conception of God and providence.
The trail of destruction is so continual and pronounced that the reader all the while might suspect Saltykov is trying only to challenge himself to paint the most disgusting portrait imaginable. This is far from the truth, however. The conclusion is the reason why I ranked this novel among the best I've read. The final discovery made by Porphyry of where all his calculation, gorging, hoarding, and neglect of his brothers and sisters ultimately leads and how it is expressed by the author greatly shook me. I have mentioned to others not a few times that I consider the best literature to be parables of philosophy and divine conceptions, and though I don't remember it ever being quoted this book can serve as a masterful expression of the Lord Jesus' words,
"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" (Matthew 8:36)