I’ve always been interested in Russian literature but have read mostly 19th century books. Ludmilla Petrushevskaya was a writer whose books were banned in the Soviet Union, even though they were not political and her plays were allowed. The introduction to my Penguin edition says that in 1973 because Lithuania was more open, she took a difficult trip to Vilnius to try to get something published and indeed got two stories published, but she was out of favor in her own country for years.
The first thing you notice when you look at this volume of stories is that it is backwards. You start with the back cover. Then, I guess, read the introduction, which I didn’t, because the translators explain the concept of nekyia from Ancient Greek literature. The word means “night journey,” which often includes visits to the underworld or the dead. The introduction states that every story in the book is a form of nekyia.
Lots of the stories involve people being dead without knowing it or people visiting the dead. The stories seem to belong to magical realism. That genre isn’t my favorite, but I have to admit that most of the stories are fascinating even though I didn’t always get the point. If there was one.
There is no characterization, really, because these are fairy tales, but the characters often live grim or dangerous lives. People are beaten up or have everything stolen from them. In one story, a family keeps moving farther and farther from civilization in places more and more hidden to keep people from stealing their potatoes and goat.
People also change forms, become different physically. In one story two sisters are united by a spell into one very fat woman, but this is probably the most extreme example. Petrushevskaya’s characters are mostly not nice.
This is certainly an unusual book. It’s not for everyone, but even though it wasn’t my preference, I found it oddly fascinating.
What? Me Read? 
I don’t think I’ve read any of her work either, although I’ve certainly heard of her — this one sounds like it might be up my alley!
Oh good!
This does sound fascinating, but probably not for me!
I can see that. Not sure it was for me, either.
Sounds super interesting, and when I read your description I immediately thought of Angela Carter and I can see down the bottom that you have her book linked 🙂
Yes, so did I.