Alana Estelle

I rarely read short story collections because I really enjoy sinking my teeth into a long, continuous text. Be that as it may, Subtly Worded by, Teffi caught my eye. This is a collection of Russian author Teffi’s short stories, curated by Pushkin Press. This collection includes her accounts meeting both Rasputin and Leo Tolstoy, so I definitely needed to get my hands on this book. 

Subtly Worded includes both fiction and non-fiction. Teffi’s writing is witty, precise, evocative and at times, down right hilarious. Because this is a short story collection, I’m going to tweak this review a bit. I’m just going to highlight my favorite take-aways, and throw in some quotes that may pique your interest, should you decide to read Subtly Worded. 

Quite a few of the stories are very short, easy reads, yet they are still packed with mini life lessons and nuggets of wisdom. 

We also get glimpses of Revolutionary Russia. In Petrograd Monologue, the narrator cannot stop thinking about how hungry she is.

Teffi’s commentary on Rasputin is the highlight to this collection for me. Her descriptions of him are so eerie and mysterious.

"He was confused; he had no idea what he was doing. He was in torment, writhing about, throwing himself into his dancing with a despairing howl - as if to retrieve some treasure left behind in a burning house. This satanic dancing of his was something I witnessed later…”

Some of the stories are a bit more fantastical, like The Dog. 

“I believe that many more miracles take place in the world than we think. You only need to know how to see - how to follow a thread, how to follow the links in a chain of events, not rejecting something merely because it’s improbable, neither jumbling the facts nor forcing your own explanations on them.”

There is even a more philosophical piece that focuses on old age, death and reflections of one’s life. 

“Sunset on the other hand, is always sad. It may be voluptuous and opulent, and as richly sated with life as an Assyrian king, but it is always sad, always solemn. It is the dead of the day.” (And Time was no More)

There are so many gorgeous, richly worded quotes in this little volume. Teffi’s stories are beautifully written. This is the type of short story collection that can be visited again and again - whether to read cover-to-cover, or to go straight to certain passages to get little tidbits of wisdom and thoughts that could be analyzed for hours. I throughly enjoyed Subtly Worded and I had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading it. If you like short story collections or you enjoy Russian literature, I’d say this is a must read. 

Rating: 4/5

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This past weekend I was in Washington, D.C. for a few days. I was walking in Georgetown and a little bookstore caught my eye. The owner began to wave me inside and, as a book lover, I couldn’t resist. 

I was browsing around, not looking for anything in particular and hand invention of making a purchase - I actually do not impulse buy books (I don’t impulse buy anything for that matter….) Yes, I purchase a lot of books, but every addition is very calculated. If I come across a title I’m interested in, I research it. I’ll read spoiler-free reviews and if I’m intrigued, I’ll then look for the one edition I’d prefer to own. Even then, I may not immediately purchase the book. I’ll wait a while, often just for the sake of practicing self control. 

However, when I saw that this bookstore had And the Earth will Sit on the Moon, a collection of short stories by the infamous Russian author Nikolai Gogol, I knew needed to bring this little edition home with me. I haven’t read Gogol yet, but he is on my list and it’s actually rather tricky to come across Pushkin Press editions. I usually have to order them from the UK and even, used editions tend to retain retail prices. 

I’m so happy to own this little book and even though my reading list is constantly growing, I look forward to eventually reading it. Nevermind the fact that I also literally have 11 (I’m not joking) Tudor historical fiction novels sitting in various online carts waiting to be adopted by me. (Shhh, don’t tell...]). 

Do you impulsively buy books, or calculate your purchases? 

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Happy Valentine’s Day! I have to admit, I often forget about Valentine’s Day. My sister off-handedly mentioned it the other day and I thought, “Huh, how are we almost halfway through the month?!” Granted, I never make a big deal over holidays - even my birthdays. I remember when I turned 18, I came down the stairs that morning and my mom said “Happy Birthday!” and I was confused for a few seconds. 

Now, that being said, I did decide to put together a quick post for today - any excuse to feature books and ballet is a win. What is it about broken in pointe shoes that is so pleasing to the eye? 

This year, I plan to read my first Iris Murdoch novel - not this particular novel, but this cover matched in this instance. I also plan to read this collection short stories, Subtly Worded by, Teffi. Teffi was a Russian humorist writer and I love witting commentary, so I’m definitely looking forward to reading this collection by Pushkin Press.  

What are some reads you’re hoping to get to this year? 

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