As I said in Saturday's post, this book took me some time to get into. And, today, as I was preparing this post, I realized why. It's because I don't like the main character very much. The main character is Nina Revskaya, formerly a star of the Bolshoi Ballet in Stalinist Russia who later defected to the United States. And I think she's supposed to be the protagonist, but I didn't ever find myself rooting for her.
Like everyone else living in Russia at that time, Nina and her friends had to watch everything they said and did. Artists, especially, during this time were required to use their art to promote the beliefs of the State and if they didn't, or if they were Jewish, they were sent for "re-education." And I thought the author did a wonderful job of taking the reader back in time. But she didn't do a great job of making me care for Nina.
Seriously, you'd think someone who had to endure the rigors of post-World War II and fleeing her homeland would be more sympathetic, but not Nina. She is easily one of the most selfish characters I've ever read about. It's especially jarring given how unselfish the other characters in the book are. The only person in the novel I found as terrible as Nina was her mother-in-law and, unlike Nina, she has reason to be terrible!
So, yes, the protagonist is more of an antagonist, but if you can get past that, the book really is interesting. The descriptions of the lives of the artists in Communist Russia is absolutely fascinating. And it's a pretty good mystery as well; Nina is keeping secrets she doesn't even realize she knows, making for a good read.
And the story makes for a pretty cozy outfit:
In Oregon I worked with a Russian woman who said that Oregon was nice, but it didn't get cold enough to wear her furs and she missed wearing them. Remembering that and the fact that the artists in the book were able to earn more than the standard citizens, I figured a vintage fur coat was appropriate.
I'm not sure exactly when Nina defected, but I figured wide-leg jeans and turtleneck were probably okay:
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| Coat: vintage, thrifted (similar) Jeans: Gap (similar) Sweater: Old Navy Gloves: Target (similar) |
I mean, we can pretend she defected in the 70s, right? Sure, why not?!
Now, a big part of this book is the jewelry that Nina is auctioning off. And a big part of the mystery surrounds the Baltic amber jewelry she brought out of Russia. Unfortunately, I don't have any amber, Baltic or otherwise, so I made do with the largest "jewels" I have:
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| Earrings: Macy's (similar) |
Since we're doing a bit of pretending with the post, we're just going to say these are jet, m'kay? Great! You all are the best!
And now it's your turn. Are you wearing a book-inspired outfit? If so, you can link up here:
Happy Tuesday, All!
Gracey
