The Talnikov Family

This was a short but interesting read. I greatly enjoyed the relationship between the siblings, and the way they managed to find some happiness despite their unpleasant upbringing was really sweet. I could tell it was modelled on the author's life. In this way it lacked a bit of structure at times, which makes sense if it was based on real events. I'd recommend this to someone who already enjoys some Russian literature.

this was a super interesting read! brief but intense, i feel as though it makes for a superb discussion alongside the greater russian classics of the nineteenth century — i’d definitely recommend this one to those into russian history, culture & literature.

‘The Talnikov Family’ written by Avdotya Panaeva and translated by Fiona Bell shares the lives of the highly dysfunctional, abusive, and often violent Talkinov family. The novel primarily follows daughter Natasha and her many siblings. As their story unfolds, we see how harsh their upbringing is. However, even as cruel and horrible as the adults in their lives are to them, they find little ways to find joy within their tragic lives. This novel has moments of despair, pain, and cruelty but also wit, strength, and courage. This was a fantastic read and I devoured it within a days time, highly recommend.
Thank you Columbia University Press and Netgally for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

We are plunged into the life of an unhappy family, immediate as the story begins. Our narrator is one of the daughters in a family of numerous children, and describes her life from her earliest memories to her leaving the house at around 17 years of age. The setting is sometime in the mid 19th century, and we experience Russian families of the time in a way that at least I have not seen previously (having read most of Dostoyevsky, Chekhov, Turgenev, Leskov, Gogol, and many others). The author doesn't dwell on big ideas or calamities, but rather explores the horror of a loveless childhood, and the mechanisms for survival.

I loved the book - it's perhaps among the most poignant works of fiction coming from Russia, especially from that period, that I've read. It's significantly ahead of its time in choosing to describe reality as it might have been for many children during that period - abuse, violence, dejection, and emotional angst. There is no redemption here, and no higher cause. It is literary realism par excellence, written by a woman, who was clearly an exceptionally courageous talent at her time (and today!). Mind you - this is not feminist literature, nor is it about the empowerment of women. It's about families and their toxicity as evidence in the minutiae of the day to day.

The writing is dynamic and energetic - the story grabs hold of the reader and doesn't let go. Something always happens, and the emotional connection to the protagonist is profound. She comes across as a multi dimensional character, who comes to life in every single sentence she writes and action she takes.

I highly recommend to any fan of Russian literature - it's a lesser known gem that needs much more recognition, as it completes a complex picture of reality during that time. I also recommend it to anyone who is interested in family sagas.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.