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The Revolution of Marina M. #2
Chimes of a Lost Cathedral
The story of THE REVOLUTION OF MARINA M. continues in bestselling author Janet Fitch's sweeping epic about a young woman's coming into her own against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution.
After the events of The Revolution of Marina M., the young Marina Makarova finds herself on her own amid the devastation of the Russian Civil War -- pregnant and adrift in the Russian countryside, forced onto her own resourcefulness to find a place to wait out the birth of her child. She finds new strength and self-reliance to fortify her in her sojourn, and to prepare her for the hardships and dilemmas still to come.
When she finally returns to Petrograd, the city almost unrecognizable after two years of revolution, the haunted, half-emptied, starving Capital of Once Had Been, she finds the streets teeming with homeless children, victims of war. Now fully a woman, she takes on the challenge of caring for these Civil War orphans, until they become the tool of tragedy from an unexpected direction.
But despite the ordeal of war and revolution, betrayal and privation and unimaginable loss, Marina at last emerges as the poet she was always meant to be.
Chimes of a Lost Cathedral finishes the epic story of Marina's journey through some of the most dramatic events of the last century -- as a woman and an artist, entering her full power, passion and creativity just as her revolution reveals its true direction for the future.
After the events of The Revolution of Marina M., the young Marina Makarova finds herself on her own amid the devastation of the Russian Civil War -- pregnant and adrift in the Russian countryside, forced onto her own resourcefulness to find a place to wait out the birth of her child. She finds new strength and self-reliance to fortify her in her sojourn, and to prepare her for the hardships and dilemmas still to come.
When she finally returns to Petrograd, the city almost unrecognizable after two years of revolution, the haunted, half-emptied, starving Capital of Once Had Been, she finds the streets teeming with homeless children, victims of war. Now fully a woman, she takes on the challenge of caring for these Civil War orphans, until they become the tool of tragedy from an unexpected direction.
But despite the ordeal of war and revolution, betrayal and privation and unimaginable loss, Marina at last emerges as the poet she was always meant to be.
Chimes of a Lost Cathedral finishes the epic story of Marina's journey through some of the most dramatic events of the last century -- as a woman and an artist, entering her full power, passion and creativity just as her revolution reveals its true direction for the future.
752 pages, Hardcover
First published July 2, 2019
108 people are currently reading
4425 people want to read
About the author
Janet Fitch
25 books88.9k followersJanet Fitch was born in Los Angeles, a third-generation native, and grew up in a family of voracious readers. As an undergraduate at Reed College, Fitch had decided to become an historian, attracted to its powerful narratives, the scope of events, the colossal personalities, and the potency and breadth of its themes. But when she won a student exchange to Keele University in England, where her passion for Russian history led her, she awoke in the middle of the night on her twenty-first birthday with the revelation she wanted to write fiction. "I wanted to Live, not spend my life in a library. Of course, my conception of being a writer was to wear a cape and have Adventures." She has acquired a couple of capes since then, and a few adventures. And books.
Her current novels, THE REVOLUTION OF MARINA M. and CHIMES OF A LOST CATHEDRAL paint a portrait of a young poet coming of age during the Russian Revolution. Her last novel PAINT IT BLACK was made into a feature film, available on NETFLIX. Her novel WHITE OLEANDER was an Oprah Book Club pick and made into a motion picture.
Her current novels, THE REVOLUTION OF MARINA M. and CHIMES OF A LOST CATHEDRAL paint a portrait of a young poet coming of age during the Russian Revolution. Her last novel PAINT IT BLACK was made into a feature film, available on NETFLIX. Her novel WHITE OLEANDER was an Oprah Book Club pick and made into a motion picture.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
December 13, 2023
Chimes of A Lost Cathedral takes up the saga of the young poet Marina Makarova and her journey through the Russian Revolution. While we followed Marina's coming of age amid the first two years in The Revolution of Marina M.--a harsh and chaotic time when nevertheless the Revolution promised many things to many people, Chimes of A Lost Cathedral sees the playing out of her decisions, the truths she's learned and the mistakes she's made, and the self she has become as a woman and as a poet--while the revolution comes to show its true direction for the future.
Each novel is complete unto itself, so they can be read as novel and sequel or novel and prequel.
Russian novels formed my idea of what a novel should be--intense, dramatic, and willing to confront the big issues. Many people were surprised to find, after two Los Angeles novels, that I'd written these novels of the Revolution. But I majored in history with Russia as my focus; Russian is my language. Those who know me weren't at all surprised to see these novels.
I'm especially fascinated with the Revolution-- a time of high idealism and experimentation with often dire consequences, no clear good-guys-vs-bad-guys. There were many sides, and every aspect of life changed very rapidly. And my protagonist, Marina, is the kind of passionate person who plunges into situations where angels fear to tread. I feel so sad to say goodbye to her!
Love and revolution, poetry and politics and the survival of the soul--Chimes takes us from the height of the Russian Civil war in 1919 to the Revolution's shocking end in 1921.
Ani Kokobobo called it: "Brilliant...a world of furious beauty, sprawling, majestic landscapes, and erotically charged and traumatic encounters, with life and love hanging in the balance..." https://lareviewofbooks.org/…/womanho...
If you're interested in seeing some of the best books I used in my research, check out the "Extras" on my website's Marina/Chimes page: https://www.janetfitchwrites.com/book...
Each novel is complete unto itself, so they can be read as novel and sequel or novel and prequel.
Russian novels formed my idea of what a novel should be--intense, dramatic, and willing to confront the big issues. Many people were surprised to find, after two Los Angeles novels, that I'd written these novels of the Revolution. But I majored in history with Russia as my focus; Russian is my language. Those who know me weren't at all surprised to see these novels.
I'm especially fascinated with the Revolution-- a time of high idealism and experimentation with often dire consequences, no clear good-guys-vs-bad-guys. There were many sides, and every aspect of life changed very rapidly. And my protagonist, Marina, is the kind of passionate person who plunges into situations where angels fear to tread. I feel so sad to say goodbye to her!
Love and revolution, poetry and politics and the survival of the soul--Chimes takes us from the height of the Russian Civil war in 1919 to the Revolution's shocking end in 1921.
Ani Kokobobo called it: "Brilliant...a world of furious beauty, sprawling, majestic landscapes, and erotically charged and traumatic encounters, with life and love hanging in the balance..." https://lareviewofbooks.org/…/womanho...
If you're interested in seeing some of the best books I used in my research, check out the "Extras" on my website's Marina/Chimes page: https://www.janetfitchwrites.com/book...
October 27, 2022
“Here was the Fontanka, its quiet looking-glass reflection. I held Iskra up so she could see the river, so gay after the long days on the train. Her eyes lingered on the shifting waters, the pastel buildings admiring themselves in the water – pistachio, peach, butterscotch. Iskra had never seen such marvels. She had only experienced earth and trees, fields and that eternal train. She gazed down into the water, exceptionally clear these days – no sewage to sully its surface, no oils from boats – no boats. No barges. It was the absence of human beings – the city was returning to its pristine state. No factory smoke smeared the crystalline air…The massive bronze horses of the Anichkov Bridge still fought their sandaled grooms as it passed over the Fontanka. I knelt so Iskra could inspect the mermaids and seahorses of the bridge’s ironwork. Below us, the waters shot diamonds into our eyes. Metal and stone, water – these things at least hadn’t changed, nor did the passion of horses that could never be tamed, no matter how hard the grooms tried. We still flung ourselves to the ground and trampled our saner nature…”
- Janet Fitch, Chimes of a Lost Cathedral
Janet Fitch’s The Revolution of Marina M was a wonderful surprise of a book. A bargain-bin impulse pick-up, it intrigued me with its premise: a young Russian woman caught in the throes of revolution in 1917. Marina proved a frustrating character, intellectually pretentious (a poet, no less), hopelessly self-absorbed, and gaspingly selfish. Her main hobby seemed to be making the worst possible decision at any given point.
Nonetheless, despite an oft-unpleasant narrator, The Revolution of Marina M worked because it was zany. Sure, the setting was deeply researched, and the historical contours set in place (the February Revolution followed by the October Revolution, in which the Bolsheviks seized power), but the plot was gleefully bonkers, with Marina like a pinball in a machine on a ship in a storm. First she’s in love with this guy, then that. One minute she’s in a Cheka dungeon; the next minute, her friend has rescued her, and oh look, she’s a lesbian, and Marina’s having an affair with her. At some point, Marina somehow becomes entangled with a deadly gangster. After that, she’s hanging out with a bunch of astronomers. By the time Marina stumbled upon her mother’s cult, I had abandoned any attempt to find sense in the proceedings, and simply enjoyed the ride.
I loved The Revolution of Marina M.
The trouble with Chimes of a Lost Cathedral, that book’s sequel, is the curse of heightened expectations. What could Fitch do to top the logic-straining, credulity-stretching thrill ride of the first book?
The answer, unfortunately: not even try.
Chimes of a Lost Cathedral is just as long as its predecessor, but nowhere near as fun or well-paced. The Revolution of Marina M dealt with heavy subjects, but it also entertained. Chimes of a Lost Cathedral doubles the heaviness of the subject matter, but mostly dispenses with the twists and turns. Whereas the first book was always moving, the second settles into place, and just sits for long, long periods, a gray and agonizing wallow. I really missed the Tolstoyan mishmash of a gloriously melodramatic soap opera with deathly-serious historical events.
Before we go on, it’s important to note that I did not hate this book, or even dislike it. I liked it fine. But in comparison to what came before, it’s a minor letdown.
Anyway, at the beginning of Chimes of a Lost Cathedral, we meet Marina where we last left her, pregnant and alone, dealing with the fallout of another of her impulsive, forethought-free judgments. This early section of the novel most resembles the first volume, with Fitch setting up various obstacles for Marina, and Marina overcoming them like an Olympic-class hurdler, the pace galloping so fast I barely cared that it all seemed too easy.
Despite the initial lack of tension, I was glad to be back with Marina, if only because I respect Fitch’s willingness to make her protagonist so complex (she’s a bit of a pragmatic survivalist, a bit of a sociopath, and at certain moments, borderline awful). Clearly, even after all she’s suffered, Marina has not learned many lessons, or made any progress in process-based decision making. It says something that one of the highlights of Chimes of a Lost Cathedral is an estranged best friend calling Marina out and brutally dressing her down. Still, I respected Marina’s utter ruthlessness, as she uses every person she comes across, bending them to her own ends.
After a bit of maneuvering, Fitch makes the questionable choice of sending Marina back to St. Petersburg (Petrograd), where she will essentially remain for the rest of the novel. On the positive side, Fitch has skillfully reconstructed a once-beautiful city that is now dying in the hands of the Communists. We get to know St. Petersburg intimately, street by street, block by block, and building by building. There is actually a map in the front of the book, and it’s necessary. Her evocation of this place – the sights, the smells, the way it changes with the seasons – is quite stunning.
Just as well done – though it makes for a bummer of a read – is the hardships faced by St. Petersburg’s citizens. Russia is in the midst of a civil war, and being run by doctrinaire buffoons, leading to widespread famine and fuel shortages. Fitch brings this death to life, thrusting Marina into situations where she is near starving, where she is looking for any scrap of wood to burn, where she is a part of a Bolshevik work squad that is forced to clean an apartment building in the spring, after a winter where the tenants defecated in every corner. Fitch’s sense of place – whether it is an orphanage in which the orphans are near feral, or the House of Arts, a dilapidated poets commune – is uncanny. She has a knack for achieving tactility in her descriptions.
The downside of anchoring Marina to St. Petersburg, however, is that there is no forward momentum. The Revolution of Marina M was a rollercoaster; Chimes of a Lost Cathedral is a carousel.
To the extent that anything happens in Chimes of a Lost Cathedral, it typically borders on the perfunctory. Just about all the story threads from the first book are tied up, but Fitch achieves this with workmanlike duty, rather than artistic flair. I don’t want to spoil anything, but one of the villains from The Revolution of Marina M turns up again, and is dealt with in such a summary manner that I nearly snorted. What should have been a big set-piece moment instead turned into just another box for Fitch to check off her list. There is a rather shocking twist about midway through, but even this landed flat, because it felt like Fitch cutting corners rather than allowing the tale to unspool organically.
Instead of the manic energy of The Revolution of Marina M, there is a lot of poetry. If I were to make a personal list of my favorite literary forms, poetry would be at the bottom, just above graphic novels. Thus, this focus might work better for others. In any event, we are treated to dozens of poems, and to dozens of conversations about those poems, and to fawning musings about Anna Akhmatova, and to Marina rhapsodizing about Alexander Blok, and to an extended cameo by Alexei Maximovich Peshkov, also known as Maxim Gorky. This obsessive dwelling on poetry and verse simply feels misplaced, as all around Marina there are people dying. Fitch does not devote nearly as much time to the fates of major characters as she does to Marina fussing about poetry, though I suppose this is in keeping with Marina’s personality.
Alas, Chimes of a Lost Cathedral simply proves a geological point: when you are at a great height, there is no place to go but down. By no means is this a disaster, though – as you can see – I found its flaws to be glaring. Instead, this is a tamer, safer, drearier book than The Revolution of Marina M, a book that wheezes and sputters toward the finish line, an anticlimactic end to a project that had such a powerful and provocative start.
- Janet Fitch, Chimes of a Lost Cathedral
Janet Fitch’s The Revolution of Marina M was a wonderful surprise of a book. A bargain-bin impulse pick-up, it intrigued me with its premise: a young Russian woman caught in the throes of revolution in 1917. Marina proved a frustrating character, intellectually pretentious (a poet, no less), hopelessly self-absorbed, and gaspingly selfish. Her main hobby seemed to be making the worst possible decision at any given point.
Nonetheless, despite an oft-unpleasant narrator, The Revolution of Marina M worked because it was zany. Sure, the setting was deeply researched, and the historical contours set in place (the February Revolution followed by the October Revolution, in which the Bolsheviks seized power), but the plot was gleefully bonkers, with Marina like a pinball in a machine on a ship in a storm. First she’s in love with this guy, then that. One minute she’s in a Cheka dungeon; the next minute, her friend has rescued her, and oh look, she’s a lesbian, and Marina’s having an affair with her. At some point, Marina somehow becomes entangled with a deadly gangster. After that, she’s hanging out with a bunch of astronomers. By the time Marina stumbled upon her mother’s cult, I had abandoned any attempt to find sense in the proceedings, and simply enjoyed the ride.
I loved The Revolution of Marina M.
The trouble with Chimes of a Lost Cathedral, that book’s sequel, is the curse of heightened expectations. What could Fitch do to top the logic-straining, credulity-stretching thrill ride of the first book?
The answer, unfortunately: not even try.
Chimes of a Lost Cathedral is just as long as its predecessor, but nowhere near as fun or well-paced. The Revolution of Marina M dealt with heavy subjects, but it also entertained. Chimes of a Lost Cathedral doubles the heaviness of the subject matter, but mostly dispenses with the twists and turns. Whereas the first book was always moving, the second settles into place, and just sits for long, long periods, a gray and agonizing wallow. I really missed the Tolstoyan mishmash of a gloriously melodramatic soap opera with deathly-serious historical events.
Before we go on, it’s important to note that I did not hate this book, or even dislike it. I liked it fine. But in comparison to what came before, it’s a minor letdown.
Anyway, at the beginning of Chimes of a Lost Cathedral, we meet Marina where we last left her, pregnant and alone, dealing with the fallout of another of her impulsive, forethought-free judgments. This early section of the novel most resembles the first volume, with Fitch setting up various obstacles for Marina, and Marina overcoming them like an Olympic-class hurdler, the pace galloping so fast I barely cared that it all seemed too easy.
Despite the initial lack of tension, I was glad to be back with Marina, if only because I respect Fitch’s willingness to make her protagonist so complex (she’s a bit of a pragmatic survivalist, a bit of a sociopath, and at certain moments, borderline awful). Clearly, even after all she’s suffered, Marina has not learned many lessons, or made any progress in process-based decision making. It says something that one of the highlights of Chimes of a Lost Cathedral is an estranged best friend calling Marina out and brutally dressing her down. Still, I respected Marina’s utter ruthlessness, as she uses every person she comes across, bending them to her own ends.
After a bit of maneuvering, Fitch makes the questionable choice of sending Marina back to St. Petersburg (Petrograd), where she will essentially remain for the rest of the novel. On the positive side, Fitch has skillfully reconstructed a once-beautiful city that is now dying in the hands of the Communists. We get to know St. Petersburg intimately, street by street, block by block, and building by building. There is actually a map in the front of the book, and it’s necessary. Her evocation of this place – the sights, the smells, the way it changes with the seasons – is quite stunning.
Just as well done – though it makes for a bummer of a read – is the hardships faced by St. Petersburg’s citizens. Russia is in the midst of a civil war, and being run by doctrinaire buffoons, leading to widespread famine and fuel shortages. Fitch brings this death to life, thrusting Marina into situations where she is near starving, where she is looking for any scrap of wood to burn, where she is a part of a Bolshevik work squad that is forced to clean an apartment building in the spring, after a winter where the tenants defecated in every corner. Fitch’s sense of place – whether it is an orphanage in which the orphans are near feral, or the House of Arts, a dilapidated poets commune – is uncanny. She has a knack for achieving tactility in her descriptions.
The downside of anchoring Marina to St. Petersburg, however, is that there is no forward momentum. The Revolution of Marina M was a rollercoaster; Chimes of a Lost Cathedral is a carousel.
To the extent that anything happens in Chimes of a Lost Cathedral, it typically borders on the perfunctory. Just about all the story threads from the first book are tied up, but Fitch achieves this with workmanlike duty, rather than artistic flair. I don’t want to spoil anything, but one of the villains from The Revolution of Marina M turns up again, and is dealt with in such a summary manner that I nearly snorted. What should have been a big set-piece moment instead turned into just another box for Fitch to check off her list. There is a rather shocking twist about midway through, but even this landed flat, because it felt like Fitch cutting corners rather than allowing the tale to unspool organically.
Instead of the manic energy of The Revolution of Marina M, there is a lot of poetry. If I were to make a personal list of my favorite literary forms, poetry would be at the bottom, just above graphic novels. Thus, this focus might work better for others. In any event, we are treated to dozens of poems, and to dozens of conversations about those poems, and to fawning musings about Anna Akhmatova, and to Marina rhapsodizing about Alexander Blok, and to an extended cameo by Alexei Maximovich Peshkov, also known as Maxim Gorky. This obsessive dwelling on poetry and verse simply feels misplaced, as all around Marina there are people dying. Fitch does not devote nearly as much time to the fates of major characters as she does to Marina fussing about poetry, though I suppose this is in keeping with Marina’s personality.
Alas, Chimes of a Lost Cathedral simply proves a geological point: when you are at a great height, there is no place to go but down. By no means is this a disaster, though – as you can see – I found its flaws to be glaring. Instead, this is a tamer, safer, drearier book than The Revolution of Marina M, a book that wheezes and sputters toward the finish line, an anticlimactic end to a project that had such a powerful and provocative start.
July 16, 2019
What a wonderful and important book! There are so many good novels about the Russian revolution, but in Chimes of a Lost Cathedral Janet Fitch deals masterfully with the years immediately following the revolution - of which very little is written. These were the years of civil war and famine. These were the years when poetry, art and independent thinking were erased from Russia by the Bolsheviks. Through our heroine, Marina, we see the devastating effects of communism under the Bolsheviks, as the "sound" of Russia is wiped away. We get a wonderful and detailed insight into the poetic/literary world of the years immediately following the Russian revolution as well as as physical difficulties of life during that time. Of course Marina remains Marina (from The Revolution of Marina M.), and she continues to make frustrating decisions, often as a result of passion or unreasonable expectations. However, in Chimes we see her develop not only as an amazing poet, but also into a fully thoughtful adult as she deals with unbearable tragedy and sadness. Janet Fitch's writing is outstanding. If you have any interest in the Russian revolution or just in reading incredibly well done historical fiction, I recommend both The Revolution of Marina M and Chimes of Lost Cathedral.
August 12, 2019
This is the second volume of the story begun in The Revolution of Marina M, one of my favorite books of 2017. I loved both books so much. What Janet Fitch has done in these books is to show the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the first few years of Russian communism, disaster and terror through the life of an impetuous, passionate, idealistic young woman who is also an emerging poet.
Marina's Russian soul led her into all the tumult of 1917 but her energy and spirit carried her through those confusing times. Chimes of a Lost Cathedral picks up right where the first book left off. If you have not read the first volume, I dare not cover the plot of this second one because anything I wrote would be full of spoilers.
Chimes finds Marina in more dire circumstances than ever. Her previous choices have caught up with her and to an extent she is trapped. Her fiery refusal to ever be a victim paradoxically brings on the very worst losses and heartbreaks of her short life. Chimes is a darker story of the consequences of revolution, especially for women and children.
Still, the poets and writers loom large as well as the clashes between idealists and "practical" politicians. Even as she matures Marina's heroism and lusty approach to life makes for a breathtaking finish.
These two books are long in the good way that long books take you through sweeping changes and immerse you in their worlds. If you have liked Pachinko, The Sympathizer, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, Do Not Say We Have Nothing, The Big Green Tent or The Nix, you will love The Revolution of Marina M and Chimes of a Lost Cathedral.
Marina's Russian soul led her into all the tumult of 1917 but her energy and spirit carried her through those confusing times. Chimes of a Lost Cathedral picks up right where the first book left off. If you have not read the first volume, I dare not cover the plot of this second one because anything I wrote would be full of spoilers.
Chimes finds Marina in more dire circumstances than ever. Her previous choices have caught up with her and to an extent she is trapped. Her fiery refusal to ever be a victim paradoxically brings on the very worst losses and heartbreaks of her short life. Chimes is a darker story of the consequences of revolution, especially for women and children.
Still, the poets and writers loom large as well as the clashes between idealists and "practical" politicians. Even as she matures Marina's heroism and lusty approach to life makes for a breathtaking finish.
These two books are long in the good way that long books take you through sweeping changes and immerse you in their worlds. If you have liked Pachinko, The Sympathizer, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, Do Not Say We Have Nothing, The Big Green Tent or The Nix, you will love The Revolution of Marina M and Chimes of a Lost Cathedral.
September 21, 2019
As is usually the case with Janet Fitch's works, the story was gripping from beginning to end. The author has such a way with words that even when I can't relate to the story, I still need to stop every so often to appreciate the way something is so beautifully phrased. I can't deal with the protagonist, though. I love her and I hate her, I feel bad for her sometimes, and her decision broke my heart in the end. I guess such is the way of life for a professional poet and Boheme. I can't help but wonder how much of Janet Fitch there is in Marina. How many of Fitch's own former flames can be found in all the men Marina got to enjoy and discard. Aside from the love stories, it was also interesting to live the Russian revolution through this novel. I was able to feel the uncertainty and the pain that people must have felt back then, as the author does a great job at portraying it.
I can't wait to see Janet Fitch again at the L.A. Times Festival of Books and maybe ask her a few questions if I'm not too shy.
I can't wait to see Janet Fitch again at the L.A. Times Festival of Books and maybe ask her a few questions if I'm not too shy.
September 27, 2019
It pains me not to be able to give this a better rating, but alas, no. And we'll just blame me for, say, not being up to the challenge as a reader, how's that? Because I love Janet Fitch. I do. I think she is a brilliant writer. I follow her on twitter for god's sake. haha It's obvious she did her homework here and is a passionate Russophile (is that a word?) as far as the Russian history and the many iterations of St. Petersburg go... But... It's just that I'm a typical self-centered American and I only care (*this*) much about the Russian revolution and I only care the same amount about Russian literature. If both of those things are YOUR things, then, hurray! have I got a book for you.
Now, I could have blah blah blahed my way through all that "Russer stuff" only I kind of hated the main character Marina Makarova and had a hard time feeling any sympathy, empathy, *interest* in her or what would next befall the young Russian beauty. And there were a lot of things, that happened to our heroine both of her own creation and otherwise. In fact, okay, so I couldn't identify with the main character, big deal. Then give me a secondary character to root for, give me a plot line to hold on to but nope. ALL the characters were horrible in one way or another and there just weren't any redeeming qualities therein. In fact, none were fleshed out in the slightest and nobody (main character included) came alive for me. Except for maybe the side character of Arkady von Principe (not sure if that's his name, I don't have the book handy). He was flawed and horrible in the darkest, most corrupt and interesting ways but he was dealt with, in this second installment, in the briefest, most unbelievable way imaginable that one couldn't help feeling a bit cheated of his dastardliness. It was anticlimactic at best. That is probably the biggest complaint I have. For such a long book (2 whole 700+ page tomes) and all the details, details, details, it still somehow seemed superficial and never got down to the nitty and the gritty, the innermost workings of the characters' psyches. You know, the interesting stuff. How can that be? The plot was more or less the main character, in equal portions, getting her ass handed to her or just totally lucking out in unbelievable ways. You know, just happening to be at the exact right place at the exact right time for some man from her past to show up and profess his undying love and devotion to her even though he hasn't seen or communicated with her during their time apart. Even though, now, she's an old hag of 20 who hasn't had a decent meal not to mention a BATH in the last 6 months and just literally got finished with poop patrol. He just happens to be there exactly at the right moment to get her out of a jam. Convenient. Sorry, I just couldn't buy into it.
So, like I said, it's just me. I somehow failed this history lesson and examination of the Russian revolution and it's aftermath on Russian society. I hated The Brothers Karamazov (DNF) and I'm pretty sure I rated Anna Karenina 3 stars. It's me. Maybe you'll have a more enjoyable time of it. I'm sorry Janet Fitch, don't be mad. I'll still read anything you write. I just hope the next one is not about Russia.
Now, I could have blah blah blahed my way through all that "Russer stuff" only I kind of hated the main character Marina Makarova and had a hard time feeling any sympathy, empathy, *interest* in her or what would next befall the young Russian beauty. And there were a lot of things, that happened to our heroine both of her own creation and otherwise. In fact, okay, so I couldn't identify with the main character, big deal. Then give me a secondary character to root for, give me a plot line to hold on to but nope. ALL the characters were horrible in one way or another and there just weren't any redeeming qualities therein. In fact, none were fleshed out in the slightest and nobody (main character included) came alive for me. Except for maybe the side character of Arkady von Principe (not sure if that's his name, I don't have the book handy). He was flawed and horrible in the darkest, most corrupt and interesting ways but he was dealt with, in this second installment, in the briefest, most unbelievable way imaginable that one couldn't help feeling a bit cheated of his dastardliness. It was anticlimactic at best. That is probably the biggest complaint I have. For such a long book (2 whole 700+ page tomes) and all the details, details, details, it still somehow seemed superficial and never got down to the nitty and the gritty, the innermost workings of the characters' psyches. You know, the interesting stuff. How can that be? The plot was more or less the main character, in equal portions, getting her ass handed to her or just totally lucking out in unbelievable ways. You know, just happening to be at the exact right place at the exact right time for some man from her past to show up and profess his undying love and devotion to her even though he hasn't seen or communicated with her during their time apart. Even though, now, she's an old hag of 20 who hasn't had a decent meal not to mention a BATH in the last 6 months and just literally got finished with poop patrol. He just happens to be there exactly at the right moment to get her out of a jam. Convenient. Sorry, I just couldn't buy into it.
So, like I said, it's just me. I somehow failed this history lesson and examination of the Russian revolution and it's aftermath on Russian society. I hated The Brothers Karamazov (DNF) and I'm pretty sure I rated Anna Karenina 3 stars. It's me. Maybe you'll have a more enjoyable time of it. I'm sorry Janet Fitch, don't be mad. I'll still read anything you write. I just hope the next one is not about Russia.
July 30, 2019
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Spending time with the main character of this book was like reuniting and spending time with an old friend...a lot of time. Because at 730 pages, Chimes of a Lost Cathedral took me forever to finish, just like its predecessor, 2017's The Revolution of Marina M (which was 816 pages). It's hard not to use words like "sweeping epic" to describe this tome spanning from the spring of 1919 to the fall of 1921, during the Russian Civil War. The stories, relationships, and Marina's persistence kept me reading but I will be honest that a lot of the political clashes and beliefs were hard for me to decipher. If you've read The Revolution of Marina M., you will also understand that Fitch will gut you with her descriptions of humanity's darkness, so much so that I needed to step away from the story and have a drink after a devastating event that occurred just before the book's halfway point.
The novel opens with 19-year-old pregnant Marina Makarova traveling through the Russian countryside searching for a place to give birth to her child and follows her on her return to Petrograd, which is mostly deserted yet teeming with orphans. "Now fully a woman, she takes on the challenge of caring for these Civil War orphans, until they become the tool of tragedy from an unexpected direction. But despite the ordeal of war and revolution, betrayal and privation and unimaginable loss, Marina at last emerges as the poet she was always meant to be."
I would recommend this novel (and The Revolution of Marina M) to lovers of Russian history, the Romanov family, and Cherise Wolas' novel The Resurrection of Joan Ashby.
Spending time with the main character of this book was like reuniting and spending time with an old friend...a lot of time. Because at 730 pages, Chimes of a Lost Cathedral took me forever to finish, just like its predecessor, 2017's The Revolution of Marina M (which was 816 pages). It's hard not to use words like "sweeping epic" to describe this tome spanning from the spring of 1919 to the fall of 1921, during the Russian Civil War. The stories, relationships, and Marina's persistence kept me reading but I will be honest that a lot of the political clashes and beliefs were hard for me to decipher. If you've read The Revolution of Marina M., you will also understand that Fitch will gut you with her descriptions of humanity's darkness, so much so that I needed to step away from the story and have a drink after a devastating event that occurred just before the book's halfway point.
The novel opens with 19-year-old pregnant Marina Makarova traveling through the Russian countryside searching for a place to give birth to her child and follows her on her return to Petrograd, which is mostly deserted yet teeming with orphans. "Now fully a woman, she takes on the challenge of caring for these Civil War orphans, until they become the tool of tragedy from an unexpected direction. But despite the ordeal of war and revolution, betrayal and privation and unimaginable loss, Marina at last emerges as the poet she was always meant to be."
I would recommend this novel (and The Revolution of Marina M) to lovers of Russian history, the Romanov family, and Cherise Wolas' novel The Resurrection of Joan Ashby.
July 31, 2019
Appropriately enough for a novel set in Russia, this book and its predecessor constitute a huge and sweeping saga. This volume takes place in 1919 through 1921 and we follow Marina through this extremely difficult time in Russian history, as first the revolution is threatened by the Whites and outside forces, and then the Bolsheviks consolidate their own power and undermine much of what Marina hoped the revolution would accomplish. I knew nothing about the Kronstadt Revolt by the sailors of the Baltic Fleet in 1921 and this part of the book broke my heart, as did the plight of all the orphaned children on the edge of starvation as famine swept the country, largely due to Bolshevik policy. As an aspiring poet, Marina associates with the intelligentsia in St Petersburg, under attack from the new government because some of them see, and want to write, the truth about what’s going on (so true of dictatorial regimes now as in the past). I loved the poetry that’s scattered throughout the book, and now know many more names of Russian poets than I ever did before. On the negative side, I wasn’t so interested in the convolutions of Marina’s love affairs, and thought the book could have been edited to less than 734 pages.
November 19, 2019
Oh, Marina. What a tragedy. But at the same time, what a complex, fascinating, and glorious life. Any single moment of her existence might prove more difficult than most of us could handle, and indeed there are some points at which she doubts whether she can persevere, but march on she does and we, her audience, are the better for it.
In some ways this felt like the Forrest Gump of the Russian Revolution. That's not to suggest that Marina is in any way simple-minded, quite the contrary, but through her daily activities, her trials and triumphs, we witness and understand the realities of this age of world history. Here she is riding on a propaganda train, here she is rubbing elbows with Blok at the House of Arts, here she is in a Cheka prison. We see the brutality of soldiers as they demand the grain that Marina and her midwife's small community has toiled to harvest. We understand the multiple sides struggling for control and influence in the power vacuum the war creates.
This wasn't always the most enjoyable reading experience (I'm thinking of one especially difficult sequence midway through this book), but the writing is beautiful, the story is compelling, and Marina is the sort of enduring hero we should all strive to be.
In some ways this felt like the Forrest Gump of the Russian Revolution. That's not to suggest that Marina is in any way simple-minded, quite the contrary, but through her daily activities, her trials and triumphs, we witness and understand the realities of this age of world history. Here she is riding on a propaganda train, here she is rubbing elbows with Blok at the House of Arts, here she is in a Cheka prison. We see the brutality of soldiers as they demand the grain that Marina and her midwife's small community has toiled to harvest. We understand the multiple sides struggling for control and influence in the power vacuum the war creates.
This wasn't always the most enjoyable reading experience (I'm thinking of one especially difficult sequence midway through this book), but the writing is beautiful, the story is compelling, and Marina is the sort of enduring hero we should all strive to be.
June 18, 2019
Chimes is one of those addictive novels you keep reading when you’re supposed to be sleeping, eating, working, etc. Chimes begins where The Revolution of Marina M. ended - with Marina 100% on her own in a frightening and shattered new world, one in which she must learn to survive against enormous odds.
I won’t spoil the dozens of shocking twists for future readers, so I’ll just say that what Marina experiences in Chimes and how she grows into a woman goes far beyond the first book. It’s a powerful exploration of love and loyalty and loss, of power vs. helplessness, of adulthood - and how it affects those who are forced to grow up too soon.
As before, Marina takes on passionate lovers and enemies (sometimes the same person), including the brilliant Russian poets who inspired her before her world fell apart. I loved how Marina so often chooses the hard path, hewing to her inner North Star. She learns to trust her instincts and be wary of her heart, which sometimes yearns for people not worth her love and trust.
I loved the first of this series (Revolution of Marina M) so much that as soon as I finished, I went back to re-read the first section. I wanted to experience intriguing characters - Kolya, Varvara, Marina’s mom - at their introduction, and reconsider the full arc of their changed lives. I did the same with Chimes: I got an early review copy, devoured it in a few days, then I missed living in that fascinating world. So I flipped back to page one to re-read key scenes.
Now I find myself imagining where this courageous and resourceful young woman goes next. I would love to see Marina moving through the fast-changing world of that era, a world where wars and technology collided, where Marina’s capacity for love and her survival skills might be tested even more.
I won’t spoil the dozens of shocking twists for future readers, so I’ll just say that what Marina experiences in Chimes and how she grows into a woman goes far beyond the first book. It’s a powerful exploration of love and loyalty and loss, of power vs. helplessness, of adulthood - and how it affects those who are forced to grow up too soon.
As before, Marina takes on passionate lovers and enemies (sometimes the same person), including the brilliant Russian poets who inspired her before her world fell apart. I loved how Marina so often chooses the hard path, hewing to her inner North Star. She learns to trust her instincts and be wary of her heart, which sometimes yearns for people not worth her love and trust.
I loved the first of this series (Revolution of Marina M) so much that as soon as I finished, I went back to re-read the first section. I wanted to experience intriguing characters - Kolya, Varvara, Marina’s mom - at their introduction, and reconsider the full arc of their changed lives. I did the same with Chimes: I got an early review copy, devoured it in a few days, then I missed living in that fascinating world. So I flipped back to page one to re-read key scenes.
Now I find myself imagining where this courageous and resourceful young woman goes next. I would love to see Marina moving through the fast-changing world of that era, a world where wars and technology collided, where Marina’s capacity for love and her survival skills might be tested even more.
August 30, 2019
I can only hope that Marina's story continues. It has been far too long...I wait and long for books that completely immerse me like these two books did...part of my mind is still in Russia with Marina.
July 19, 2019
Been waiting for this book to be released since I read the first one (about a year), & it was worth the wait!!! What a great story! I wonder if there will be book 3. Will post the question to the author.
August 1, 2021
Excellent novel of a young woman in the time of the civil war in Russia, 1919, right after the Russian Revolution and her life afterwards. She comes into her own as a poet and sheds her naivety and innocence. I liked the atmospheric quality of the background of that era and the author's descriptions of same. Although long, the novel held my interest at 700+ pages, all through.
July 9, 2019
This is the kind of book that is so absorbing and transformative that, when you finish, it feels like there’s no point in reading another. What could possibly match up? Of course something will, eventually, but books like this are few and far between, and maybe that’s a good thing: I don’t know if my soul could take it.
It helps, obviously, to read this book’s predecessor, The Revolution of Marina M, as this picks up right where it left off. Marina came so far in three short years in Revolution, and she will go even further—emotionally, intellectually, and quite literally—in the following three. It’s more heartbreak, tragedy, death, but small moments of love and happiness and hope that Marina struggles to cling to amidst all the destruction.
Marina is so richly realized: a truly maddening character, her moods catapulting skyward only to careen directly into the Neva. She makes so many awful decisions in Revolution, but here her choices aren’t ill informed. They’re just hard, and tragic. Very few of us would choose better than Marina, though I think many would like to view themselves the hero; most of us, faced with Marina’s traumas, would fare considerably worse.
If you love character driven fiction, beautiful language, poetry, or history, this is the book for you.
It helps, obviously, to read this book’s predecessor, The Revolution of Marina M, as this picks up right where it left off. Marina came so far in three short years in Revolution, and she will go even further—emotionally, intellectually, and quite literally—in the following three. It’s more heartbreak, tragedy, death, but small moments of love and happiness and hope that Marina struggles to cling to amidst all the destruction.
Marina is so richly realized: a truly maddening character, her moods catapulting skyward only to careen directly into the Neva. She makes so many awful decisions in Revolution, but here her choices aren’t ill informed. They’re just hard, and tragic. Very few of us would choose better than Marina, though I think many would like to view themselves the hero; most of us, faced with Marina’s traumas, would fare considerably worse.
If you love character driven fiction, beautiful language, poetry, or history, this is the book for you.
July 28, 2019
I wanted to love this book because it takes place during a very interesting time in Russian history (and I'm obsessed with Russian history). I appreciated the depiction of how women & children were affected by the revolution, especially the orphans, but grew bored when it became all about her involvement with the intelligentsia. Their fate is certainly interesting but it was depicted in a very boring way.
...that said, I'd read a third book about Marina M! I hope this isn't the end of the series.
...that said, I'd read a third book about Marina M! I hope this isn't the end of the series.
August 25, 2020
This is a feast of a saga. I lost track of what day it is and where I live and what I ought to be doing. This book picks up seamlessly where the first volume stopped. I hope there's a third volume.
July 3, 2020
I had to stop listening to this book. It was a lot with the first one. I finally powered through it and I liked it enough, but it was still hard to listen to. I love Janet Fitch, but I am not the biggest fan of this particular novel. I do love the first book, but for some reason the story just went on and on. Lovers in and out, lost faith in the revolution, and so on. Also it doesn't help that I am not as poetic as the main character. Still if this was the end to Marina's story, I would be satisfied. If not I will probably power through the third.
September 11, 2019
After finishing the last sentence of this book all I wanted to do was stand up and clap for author Janet Fitch. BRAVO! So many emotions. I can’t even say anything else, but trust me you will want to finish this book. It is extremely long, but well worth reading. I can’t wait to read more from this author. Highly recommend if you love reading historical fiction or early to mid-20th century Russian history.
I won a copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway.
I won a copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway.
September 2, 2019
It was so sad to say goodbye to Marina as this book concludes her saga. No other heroine has ever left me spinning quite like she did. I find it difficult to give people a sound byte of my overall reaction of this series. Fitch takes you on a historical rollercoaster and leaves the reader dizzy from the whirlwind that was revolutionary Russia. Wonderfully well written, demonstrably heart wrenching, a must read for 2019.
July 18, 2019
I re-read "The Revolution of Marina M" in preparation for "Chimes of a lost Cathedral" because as I read the character descriptions I realized I had forgotten what had happened in the first book. Overall, I felt the pace of the sequel was much faster (in my humble opinion there were a few parts of book one that dragged) and the plot moved more quickly than the original. I was really annoyed with Marina and several times had to stop reading because I kept shouting "Marina, NO!". She really makes some terrible choices in this book which have tragic consequences. I cried a lot while reading the sequel and the novel does a fantastic job of painting a portrait of the gruesome atrocities of the revolution. It was hard to read at times because it was all so....human. Tragic, grotesque, cruel. Such is the fate of many. I was a bit disappointed with the ending. Due to the prologue of the first book, we knew that Marina makes it out of Russia, but I found the ending to be very abrupt! I was so dissatisfied with it that I immediately read the prologue again. It felt fitting, like it all came full circle. I really enjoyed the character development and seeing how different people dealt with the bleak realities of war and revolution. I felt satisfied with character arcs and came to love and loathe some new characters with short roles. I also enjoyed the call back to previous events and plot points in the first book. If you enjoyed book one, you'll love to see how the rest of Marina's story unfolds.
October 26, 2019
But how did she get to Carmel?
I wish this had never ended.
(This is not a spoiler) but I kept hoping for a happy ending only knowing what happens in Petersburg/Leningrad after we leave Marina makes that impossible.
I learned a lot of history from this book and its predecessor, things I'd come across before but which became clearer for me while accompanying Marina.
I am in love with Yelena Schmulenson's voice and perfect pronunciation. In fact, I've searched for other audio books read by her just so I can spend time with her again.
I wish this had never ended.
(This is not a spoiler) but I kept hoping for a happy ending only knowing what happens in Petersburg/Leningrad after we leave Marina makes that impossible.
I learned a lot of history from this book and its predecessor, things I'd come across before but which became clearer for me while accompanying Marina.
I am in love with Yelena Schmulenson's voice and perfect pronunciation. In fact, I've searched for other audio books read by her just so I can spend time with her again.
July 14, 2019
I wasn’t sure how a sequel to such a beautiful story, The Revolution if Marina M., would play out. This work is gorgeous. For those who’ve read Russian literature, it has the beauty of Tolstoy without the tedium that some might feel time adds to the work. There is incredible sadness throughout, yet the hope of perseverance. While I’m sad that Marina’s journey has likely come to an end, what a beautiful finish it is. This review does not do the book justice at all. I’m just terrible at writing reviews. Please read it.
October 9, 2019
It is the first book I ever read by Janet Fitch and I am speechless. This is my new favorite author, and "Chimes of a Lost Cathedral" is a masterpiece. I loved the writing style, the poetry, the story telling of the non-Russian author who takes you, the reader, deep into the heart of the Russian Revolution time with its unfolding drama, human tragedy, and hopelessness.
January 4, 2025
I loved this so much. I studied Russian literature at university, including a module on Akhmatova, so I have a lot of context from which to draw. It was fascinating to see these characters' coming to life.
Amazing choice of narrator in Yelena Shmulenson.
Amazing choice of narrator in Yelena Shmulenson.
October 20, 2020
I think I may have liked this book even better than her first one. Sometimes it got a little complicated with the Communist politics, but overall, I think Fitch has given us a new Anna Karenina.
August 13, 2023
Two stars for the immense effort the writer put into research. Other than that, a drawn-out story with boring characters.
July 21, 2019
3.75 Stars!
This is the continuation of Marina M and her desperate life in Russia. It is stunning and heart breaking. Marina had a stubborn will to live, with a wild desire and very impractical decision making. Such a desperation to live even though Russia has fallen apart around her. The fantastic details make the story come alive.
That being said, this book is a fabulous read if you are at all interested in Russian historical fiction.
I just reviewed The Revolution of Marina M and as I said in that review, the only downfall of the book was just too much history and fighting. The history being that of Russia that I honestly knew nothing about. I do love to learn about the history of other countries, however there was just so much emphasis on it.
Janet Fitch wrote a fabulous story. The Revolution of Marina M and Chimes of a Lost Cathedral are must reads!!
This is the continuation of Marina M and her desperate life in Russia. It is stunning and heart breaking. Marina had a stubborn will to live, with a wild desire and very impractical decision making. Such a desperation to live even though Russia has fallen apart around her. The fantastic details make the story come alive.
That being said, this book is a fabulous read if you are at all interested in Russian historical fiction.
I just reviewed The Revolution of Marina M and as I said in that review, the only downfall of the book was just too much history and fighting. The history being that of Russia that I honestly knew nothing about. I do love to learn about the history of other countries, however there was just so much emphasis on it.
Janet Fitch wrote a fabulous story. The Revolution of Marina M and Chimes of a Lost Cathedral are must reads!!
March 10, 2021
This was the sequel to 'The Revolution of Marina M' which I recently finished on audio which I really enjoyed. It was only on the last page that I realised that the story would be continuing in a sequel! I ordered it immediately at the library and this time I read the book. The story picks up right where the previous volume leaves off and continues at the same pace. Marina encounters many of the same characters as she did in the first book and after returning from the countryside sees her beloved St Petersburg & it's citizens falling apart. Filthy & starving, the descriptive writing makes you feel the horror of living through this dreadful period of the Bolshevik Revolution. I really liked this book, not as dynamic as the first one, but still very enjoyable, a bit too many poems for me though.
September 27, 2019
The book covered so much tragedy and loss. I am not sure where to begin, but I truly hope this is not the end. It was amazing for her to see so much insight into herself as the character Marina. She goes through regular evolution in life, and it gestures towards the meaning that we are made up of our past experiences.
There us so much death is this time, I can't believe how long those people held out and survived in Russia during 1920. Knowing this is a historical fiction title makes me cringe to know much of the details are based on facts that happened to humans living through this time.
What ultimate heartbreak though, to have survived Iskra's death, her father's and in the last book her little brothers and to finally be reunited with her true passionate love. She only then figured out that he was not faithful and never would be. It was always gain in life for Koyla.
There were some instances in the book that didn't add up. It was difficult to go back and match ideas, thoughts or story lines, as I listened to the audio book. But there was two times in the book where she mentioned the rings of Saturn. The first time I heard her say Koyla gave them to her when they were to be 'wed,' sometime during the last book. But then near the end it was actually Ganyea who gave them to her when they actually were wed. This is only one example of the kind of mix ups I felt were happening from the first book to the second. Though this may be blamed on my memory. I read the first book when it came out in January of 2018 and though this book came out in July of this year, I only got to finishing it in September.
Here's hoping for another book, as I do appreciate the story line.
There us so much death is this time, I can't believe how long those people held out and survived in Russia during 1920. Knowing this is a historical fiction title makes me cringe to know much of the details are based on facts that happened to humans living through this time.
What ultimate heartbreak though, to have survived Iskra's death, her father's and in the last book her little brothers and to finally be reunited with her true passionate love. She only then figured out that he was not faithful and never would be. It was always gain in life for Koyla.
There were some instances in the book that didn't add up. It was difficult to go back and match ideas, thoughts or story lines, as I listened to the audio book. But there was two times in the book where she mentioned the rings of Saturn. The first time I heard her say Koyla gave them to her when they were to be 'wed,' sometime during the last book. But then near the end it was actually Ganyea who gave them to her when they actually were wed. This is only one example of the kind of mix ups I felt were happening from the first book to the second. Though this may be blamed on my memory. I read the first book when it came out in January of 2018 and though this book came out in July of this year, I only got to finishing it in September.
Here's hoping for another book, as I do appreciate the story line.
July 5, 2023
I loved it. Such a perfect wrap-up to Marina's story - I was emotional in so many ways the whole way through. I loved the poetry. I loved Marina's courage. I felt more connected to her than I did in the prequel. And the best part - I was inspired to write again. I haven't written ANYTHING in a very long time.
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