Thanks SO MUCH to JenniferTN for posting this AMAZING link to a site dedicated to communal living in Russia. It's like you are right there with the Metanovas. (And - in your head - you will hear Shura's venom about the toilets, I assure you.) It's so odd to me to see such beauty interspersed with less-than-stellar living conditions. The windows and fixtures are stunning...the ceilings are incredibly high...the architecture (especially the exteriors) is breathtaking. And then you see the bathroom or some of the walls in the kitchen and think "I'll never complain about my bathroom again. Ever."
If nothing else, this website screams to us about how close the Metanovas were. It's no wonder Dasha felt the need to go out and try to land a man all the time...and why Tania clings to her family. In such tight quarters, you have no choice but to be close.
Make sure to watch some videos - and look at the photos. Make sure you read along below the photos - and to the right of them - for some incredible details on communal living.
I spent a long time at that site. It was well after I'd read TBH when I found it. Amazing how well Paullina describes and sets the scene because the picture in my mind's eye was spot on. I think that is part of what makes the difference between a great book and an ok book, for me - the setting the scene (even details about scents). Some people pu down these types of very lengthy novels (like Outlander and TBH) saying they go on and on and on, but that is precisley why I love them!
ReplyDeleteNow I need to hunt for an example of what exactly this stove looked like that Tatiana was sleeping on top of in the old ladies house in Lazarevo. That one I cannot get a mental picture of.
I totally know what you mean about the stove!! I have been trying to find a picture of this for over a year. I can't seem to visualize this.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated the visuals of the kitchen. Even with all the description in the books, I couldn't wrap my head around a communal kitchen. Can't you just imagine everyone raiding your cabinets to get your food?
ReplyDeleteThank God I live in America!
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