As a rule, I am totally rubbish at taking part in, and sticking to, any kind of reading challenge. Whether it’s someone’s reading week, or a readalong, or just making my own plan and following it through, I pretty much always fail. So when I approached a recent Twitter readalong – which I really *did* want to take part in! – I had little confidence I would see it through. However, I’m pleased to report that not only did I stick to the schedule, but also that this turned out to be the perfect way to read the book in question! 😀
The book is “Like Water and Other Stories” by Olga Zilberbourg, her English-language debut published in 2019 by wtaw press. Zilberbourg was born in what was then Leningrad, USSR, but grew up in what reverted to St. Petersburg in 1991 and now lives in California. As well as publishing three Russian-language collections of stories, she serves as a consulting editor at Narrative Magazine and as a co-facilitator of the San Francisco Writers Workshop. She also runs the excellent Punctured Lines blog with Yelena Furman, taking a feminist look at literature from the former Soviet Union. For clarity’s sake, I should say that Olga was kind enough to send me a copy of her book, for which I am *very* grateful. I sensed that it would be my sort of book, and it certainly is, and so to have a copy directly from the author is a real treat – thank you, Olga. The Twitter readalong was organised under the hashtag #Zilberbourg2021 by Reem @PaperPills and the reading schedule was put together by Kim @joiedevivre9 – thank you both, ladies, for the motivation!
“Like Water” collects together a series of short works, varying in length from half a page to several pages long. In these, Zilberbourg explores a real range of tales and right from the start the stories are stunning. The collection opens with Rubicon which slips through time and place, as well as introducing an element which will recur – the mixtape and its importance in the courtship rituals of the young! Evasion takes a quirky look at ageing, equating it with growing in size. Helen More’s Suicide, a longer piece, explores why we live and choose to die; and Dandelion is a wonderful story, and one which puts you inside the mind of a writer, sending their work off into the wider world.
The forty-year-olds required higher ceilings, taller furniture. An occasional forty-year-old, nostalgic for her childhood, tried dating a twenty-something, but the romance was physically difficult to sustain. She had to crouch down to him, and he could not, on his own, open the door to her fridge and take out the pot of beans.
Other stories, like My Sister’s Game, explore the pains of coming of age; Therapy. Or Something. is a quite devastating look at a smothering parent (and as I have a complex relationship with my mother, it certainly made me squirm). Dr Sveta was a particularly powerful story, drawing on Russia’s Soviet past, and revealing just how little choice women had under that regime. Many of Olga’s stories feature women torn between two cultures, fighting the expectations of society (and their own family); and the pressures this puts on the characters were tellingly revealed. Whether set in Russia or America, all of these women narrators are negotiating a complex path through life, and their struggles are very relatable (even when the stories twist off into more surreal territory).
“Like Water” turned out to be such an excellent read, and I’m so glad Book Twitter came up with this readalong! What was particularly brilliant about reading the stories in this way, a set amount of pages each day, was that it allowed time to savour the writing and let the tales settle in the mind. “Like Water” is a particularly varied collection of stories, and even had I read it all in one go I think there would have been no danger of them running together. However, the scheduled gap allowed even more time to think back and appreciate the brilliant storytelling. And as well as everything else, having this very doable schedule to work to allowed me to read a non-fiction work alongside “Like Water” (more of which in a later post!) and so that was a double result!!
As you might have guessed, I loved this collection; Olga’s stories are funny, human, clever, sad, as well as being very thoughtful and thought-provoking. I mean it as a compliment when I say that at times I picked up hints of Tolstoya, another author straddling two continents; although Zilberbourg’s voice is completely individual and her style very much her own. Whether writing about childhood in Russia, struggling as a working woman in America, dealing with unexpected anti-Semitism, or discovering differences in the immigrant experience, Olga takes a clear and vibrant look at things, and it’s always terrific reading. I know I’m not alone in my love for this collection, and I highly recommend it!
madamebibilophile
May 12, 2021 @ 07:40:35
Sounds excellent! I think you’re right about letting the stories settle – often with collections I read them quickly and it would be better to take my time. But I’m greedy and weak-willed 😀
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 12, 2021 @ 11:04:54
It’s a really good collection, and I’m glad I was strong enough to stick (mostly) to the schedule! Mind you, having a busy week with limited reading time helped!
MarinaSofia
May 12, 2021 @ 12:46:17
With short stories I behave pretty much as I do with a box of chocolates: I open it up with the intention of only sampling one or two at a time, and end up scoffing them all down. Which doesn’t really do them justice. This sounds really intriguing. I was about to ask if the stories are more set in Russia or America, but then you answered the question.
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 12, 2021 @ 15:12:17
I’m often the same, but the schedule for reading this was just right! As for the settings, I can’t say if it was e.g. a 50/50 split, but both countries seemed well represented! It’s a brilliant collection and I think as a writer of flash fictions, you’d particularly appreciate many of these.
Janakay | YouMightAsWellRead
May 12, 2021 @ 14:19:08
This sounds like a really intriguing collection; I’m always interested in what writers who’ve partaken of two cultures have to say about either. My limited reading in Russian lit has been mostly 19th century classics; I’ve been thinking for some time that I needed to broaden my perspective!
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 12, 2021 @ 15:10:47
It’s a really great collection and her take on the two cultures is fascinating. I’ve read more 19th and 20th century Russian lit than modern, and so it’s lovely to be able to explore newer writing!
WordsAndPeace
May 12, 2021 @ 14:48:00
Thanks for presenting this author to me. And congrats on the readalong! Thanks also for the temptation to look for other Twitter readalongs, as if I didn’t have enough with 4 buddy reads right now… 😉
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 12, 2021 @ 14:51:48
I’m usually a bit rubbish at readalongs and the like, but this was just brilliant – and it did add to the reading experience of what is such a good book! 😀
Jane
May 12, 2021 @ 17:18:53
I’ve added this to my list as it sounds perfect for the next stage of my Russian Lit education, a complete change from the huge male tomes.
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 12, 2021 @ 20:16:29
Excellent! Olga definitely writes from the women’s point of view, which is great!
heavenali
May 12, 2021 @ 19:55:31
Glad you enjoyed the reading challenge. This definitely is the perfect kind of book for you. It certainly sounds like a good collection.
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 12, 2021 @ 20:15:53
It is indeed a great collection, and the reading challenge was just the right thing at the right time. Loved it! 😀
1streading
May 12, 2021 @ 20:03:27
I like the idea that someone else works out your reading schedule – that’s one of the great things about a reading challenge. It’s probably an especially good idea for short stories as, like Marina, I always intend to savour them but then just read on!
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 12, 2021 @ 20:15:15
It certainly worked well here, because the daily chunks were just right and the book is not too long so I didn’t get frustrated not being able to finish it.
Julé Cunningham
May 13, 2021 @ 00:32:46
Congratulations on sticking to the readalong and the schedule! I would probably go wandering off… This does look like a brilliant collection and one to explore soon.
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 13, 2021 @ 11:10:35
Thank you – I *was* quite impressed with myself!!! And yes – a great collection!
Liz Dexter
May 13, 2021 @ 08:06:44
Sounds like a good book coupled with a great way of reading it – well done for sticking to the schedule!
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 13, 2021 @ 11:09:13
It was the perfect combination and really worked for me!
JacquiWine
May 13, 2021 @ 10:26:50
Sounds wonderful, Karen, and very much your style of book. The theme of women being torn between two different cultures or tensions is a really interesting one, and it seems as if these stories explore that dynamic to great effect. How lovely to hear that this readalong worked out so well for you on various fronts!
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 13, 2021 @ 11:08:53
It’s such a good read and as you say, very me! Olga’s women really are juggling so many issues, whether while growing up or debating the pros and cons of motherhood, or indeed dealing with their children! But she brings such a wonderful fresh eye to the stories – loved it! 😀
buriedinprint
May 13, 2021 @ 23:19:14
I’ve been following Mavis Gallant’s advice for reading short stories for years, and it truly did change my enjoyment of them. They deserve time to settle. How funny that a Twitter readalong would be the one that would “stick” for you. I dunno what it is, but that seems so ironic! 🙂
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 14, 2021 @ 10:07:50
It’s definitely the best way to read a collection of short pieces of any type, I think! And I was most surprised that the Twitter readalong worked so well – I think much of that was down to the sensible schedule Kim put together which was just the right amount to read every day!
Olga Zilberbourg
May 14, 2021 @ 05:09:55
It’s a particular pleasure and an honor to see this review on your blog!! I’ve been so enjoying your posts here and so admiring your depth of knowledge about lit (including Russian/Soviet/etc) and the ability to write so engagingly about each and every book on your list that this post is really like a dream come true. What I didn’t say in “Dandelion” is that publishing with an indie publisher one really does depend on finding a community of readers who might really connect with the work, and that also has been so incredibly rewarding and inspiring.
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 14, 2021 @ 10:05:58
Thanks so much Olga for your very kind words! I’ve been reading Russian and Soviet lit for so long that it’s kind of essential to me now! And I love books and love sharing my feelings about them, so my blog has become the perfect place to do that. Dandelion was a particular standout in “Like Water”, and as a parent I can imagine how it feels to hand over something upon which you’ve worked so hard….
And I’m happy to have been a part of spreading the word about “Like Water”, along with such a lovely group of fellow Book Twitter peeps. I hope it now reaches even more readers and I’m looking forward to reading whatever you release next! 😀
Olga Zilberbourg
May 14, 2021 @ 05:19:40
Reblogged this on Olga Zilberbourg and commented:
So grateful for this wonderful review from one of the most amazing book bloggers out there!! I learn so much from Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings.
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