Alana Estelle

It’s been a while since I’ve done an “Under the Radar” post. In these posts, I highlight fantastic books I’ve come across that don’t get the hype they deserve.

On to the 5th installment! 

“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.”

Female Russian author Teffi is a real treat and Subtly Worded, which is a collection of short stories, is such a fun and interesting read. Subtly Worded includes both fiction and non-fiction. This collection includes her accounts meeting both Rasputin and Leo Tolstoy. Teffi’s writing is witty, precise, evocative and at times, down right hilarious. We also get glimpses of Revolutionary Russia. In the short story “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. There is even a more philosophical piece that focuses on old age, death and reflections of one’s life. Fans of Russian lit - this is for you!

“I like what’s uncertain - what’s imperfect. I like what - what breaks out behind the features and is suddenly there and gone again.”

The Weather in the Streets by, Rosamond Lehmann has lived in my head rent free since I read it last year. This is a novel about an adulterous relationship between Olivia Curtis and the married Rollo Spencer. Olivia and Rollo, childhood acquaintances, cross paths in adulthood and quickly pursue a relationship. Rosamond eloquently portrays the reality of leading a double life and the damage that adultery inflicts on the parties involved. Lehmann’s writing is poetic, descriptive, evocative. 

She will often meander from 3rd person to 1st person in the same paragraph and it’s so elegantly done, that I didn’t even realize what she was doing. As one could assume from the title, weather plays a significant role in the narrative. Lehmann is constantly describing the weather and uses this as a device to foreshadow immediate events to come. I was also surprised to detect an existential undertone throughout the book.

“She had been a child then, in the first embrace of belonging, equating love with order and homogeneity, identifying color as the core of character. Now, through falling in love with Meade, she had been forced to admit that identity is not inherent.”

The Wedding by, Dorothy West is a novel about a prominent black family that is preparing for the wedding of one of their own - Shelby. However, Shelby’s fiancé is a white jazz musician, Meade. Instead of focusing on the relationship of Shelby and Meade, the narrative goes into the family tree of this prominent, northern black family and how, through their lineage, as slaves to a family of doctors and socialites, living in well-to-do areas of New York City. This novel could have easily been a story about the complexities of interracial relationships, however, West goes deeper and explores the complexities of race, colorism, and classism from multiple perspectives. She calls everyone out - black and white. Shelby comes to the realization that “color” and race really have no bearing on a person’s character. Society boxes people into categories, based simply on their outward appearance. People are people and all groups of people have issues because all groups of people are comprised of fallible human beings. It’s when people with a conscious and a desire to do good, regardless of what they look like, come together is where good change happens.

Have you read any of these novels and if not, are you interested in picking any of these up?

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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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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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