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Irkadura
"My mama became a catfish when I was two, on the day I stopped talking."
Neglected since birth by her mother, Irina Myshko hasn’t spoken a word for most of her short Soviet life. Outcast as a mute idiot and abused by her mother's boyfriends, she escapes into an alternate reality where true natures show and people are revealed as the beasts they are. Pregnant, homeless, and penniless, Irina has to make a choice — learn to live in this splintered world or descend into madness.
Neglected since birth by her mother, Irina Myshko hasn’t spoken a word for most of her short Soviet life. Outcast as a mute idiot and abused by her mother's boyfriends, she escapes into an alternate reality where true natures show and people are revealed as the beasts they are. Pregnant, homeless, and penniless, Irina has to make a choice — learn to live in this splintered world or descend into madness.
262 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2014
4 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
About the author
Ksenia Anske
10 books634 followersKsenia Anske was born in Moscow, Russia, and came to the US in 1998. She is the author of dark fantasy short fiction and 8 novels, and the resident writer of the Amtrak Residency Program 2015 (http://kseniaanske.com). Her novel Rosehead won Honorary Mention in the YA Category in the Indie Ebook Award 2016. Ksenia lives in Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
December 29, 2014
As a voracious reader, I have come across many books in life. Some, I read just for a good time and then forgot about. Some, I read and remember for quite some time- books with memorable characters in touching stories which enriched me as a person. And then there are books like IRKADURA, which is not only memorable but also heart-wrenchingly honest in its prediction of the brutality that we humans inflict on each other, and roused me from my long somnolence about the insidious evil that prevails in some of our minds and hearts.
Irina Myshko is a beleaguered teenager in Soviet Russia, grappling with an abusive, negligent, alcoholic mother and a drunkard rapist of a step-father. Constantly sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend and numerous lovers, Irina decides to run away from home one fine morning. Pregnant, alone and helpless in a big, merciless city and at the mercy of a hypocritical, cold and apathetically cruel society, Irina copes with her predicament by resorting to magical realism- she turns all the humans into animals in her head, decreeing each person's animal name by their respective natures and actions. While her mom is a catfish, her rapist stepfather is a boar.
As Irina tries to grapple with the demons in her head, undergoes more torture on the streets and also encounters new people and adventures, she has to walk a thin line between keeping her mind and losing it completely...to carry her story to a shocking, highly emotional conclusion.
IRKADURA is many things all at once. It is the heart-wrenching, gritty story of a young, dumb-mute, physically, sexually, verbally and mentally tormented teenage girl who braves all odds to survive and conquer her horrifyingly brutal past. It is a between-the-lines commentary of the social mores prevalent in Soviet society at that time- the hypocrisy, the misogyny, the harsh judgment on people who happened to be different, the coldness towards people in dire need of help, the apathy, the discrimination. The prevailing attitudes towards women. It is a love story. It is a portrayal of the bitter reality of the human psyche. It is a possible fairy-tale gone horribly wrong. It is a book that will give you a lesson in facing your demons and healing from your hurts- without proselytizing.
Ksenia has effortlessly combined magical realism with brilliant expositions of the world around Irina along with excellent descriptions of Irina's thoughts, conflicts and struggles- both inner and outer. The story manages to touch the reader's heart on every level because it is sincere, honest and does not mince words or use flowery language at any point. The author has accomplished the rare feat of pouring her heart out and doing it so beautifully and mind-blowingly, making the reader join Irina in her adventures, experience her joy, her pain, her dilemmas and cry with her.
Ksenia is an excellent author in her own right, but I will still say that she can write magic realism like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, beautiful exposition like Markus Zusak and descriptions of scenes from real life like Dostoevsky, because I consider Ksenia's writing to be of that level.
The ending WILL make you cry.
DON'T read this book if you are weak of heart or of mind or like to read stories with happy endings and palaces and lovey-dovey romances.
DO READ this book if you like gritty stories of pain, violence and struggle with strong, tough women protagonists, heavy on emotions and having memorable supporting characters like Sim and Pavlik.
On an end note, I would like to state that I have read other books by Ksenia like Rosehead and the Siren Suicides trilogy- she is an AWESOME author, can write a lot more than just Fantasy- her genre of choice- and her arc of growth as an author has been as interesting as those of the intriguing characters in her intriguing books.
YES, I am very happy with Brand Ksenia :D. You will be too, once you sample her books.
Irina Myshko is a beleaguered teenager in Soviet Russia, grappling with an abusive, negligent, alcoholic mother and a drunkard rapist of a step-father. Constantly sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend and numerous lovers, Irina decides to run away from home one fine morning. Pregnant, alone and helpless in a big, merciless city and at the mercy of a hypocritical, cold and apathetically cruel society, Irina copes with her predicament by resorting to magical realism- she turns all the humans into animals in her head, decreeing each person's animal name by their respective natures and actions. While her mom is a catfish, her rapist stepfather is a boar.
As Irina tries to grapple with the demons in her head, undergoes more torture on the streets and also encounters new people and adventures, she has to walk a thin line between keeping her mind and losing it completely...to carry her story to a shocking, highly emotional conclusion.
IRKADURA is many things all at once. It is the heart-wrenching, gritty story of a young, dumb-mute, physically, sexually, verbally and mentally tormented teenage girl who braves all odds to survive and conquer her horrifyingly brutal past. It is a between-the-lines commentary of the social mores prevalent in Soviet society at that time- the hypocrisy, the misogyny, the harsh judgment on people who happened to be different, the coldness towards people in dire need of help, the apathy, the discrimination. The prevailing attitudes towards women. It is a love story. It is a portrayal of the bitter reality of the human psyche. It is a possible fairy-tale gone horribly wrong. It is a book that will give you a lesson in facing your demons and healing from your hurts- without proselytizing.
Ksenia has effortlessly combined magical realism with brilliant expositions of the world around Irina along with excellent descriptions of Irina's thoughts, conflicts and struggles- both inner and outer. The story manages to touch the reader's heart on every level because it is sincere, honest and does not mince words or use flowery language at any point. The author has accomplished the rare feat of pouring her heart out and doing it so beautifully and mind-blowingly, making the reader join Irina in her adventures, experience her joy, her pain, her dilemmas and cry with her.
Ksenia is an excellent author in her own right, but I will still say that she can write magic realism like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, beautiful exposition like Markus Zusak and descriptions of scenes from real life like Dostoevsky, because I consider Ksenia's writing to be of that level.
The ending WILL make you cry.
DON'T read this book if you are weak of heart or of mind or like to read stories with happy endings and palaces and lovey-dovey romances.
DO READ this book if you like gritty stories of pain, violence and struggle with strong, tough women protagonists, heavy on emotions and having memorable supporting characters like Sim and Pavlik.
On an end note, I would like to state that I have read other books by Ksenia like Rosehead and the Siren Suicides trilogy- she is an AWESOME author, can write a lot more than just Fantasy- her genre of choice- and her arc of growth as an author has been as interesting as those of the intriguing characters in her intriguing books.
YES, I am very happy with Brand Ksenia :D. You will be too, once you sample her books.
February 9, 2017
Irkadura is a strange sort of book, completely unique. If I could describe the book as any one animal, it would be this: a sad, depressed, and abused dog.
I went into Irkadura with little more than a vague understanding that the book takes place in Russia and follows a young girl. I expected a tragic story. What I didn't expect was that I would fall completely in love with the characters Anske has infused the book with. Each was incredibly well thought-out, and all contributed to this incredible story.
Prejudice plays a massive role in the foundation of Irkadura. While saying which types of prejudice are in the book may be considered a spoiler, I will say that most of them were unexpected, and provided an unconventional insight into these issues.
The writing itself was very well done. I loved how it alternated between Irkadura describing things literally, then figuratively. Most of the figurative descriptions are Irina's (the main character) way of dealing with various traumatic incidents . . . and there are a lot of these. I did find a few sections throughout the book a bit hard to follow because of this, especially near the beginning. While every italicized section was clear enough, I found the sudden switch in some of the regular text to be particularly difficult. I could piece together what was happening, but I feel the book may have benefited from scaling back some of this description at times.
The only other problem I had with the book was in relation to Irina's view on communism. This whole issue felt a bit shoehorned in, and while I don't doubt that it would have been on everyone's mind, I do think that it could have been handled more effectively. The parts in particular that bothered me were when Irina would come across what she defines as a 'statue' of Stalin and when she would judge others based on being communist followers. There were parts of the book where this was handled very well (I would need to spoil some of my favorite aspects of the book to properly elaborate on this), but there were just a few short scenes that felt a bit heavy handed.
That said, I loved this book. It might be the most important book I read this year. Ksenia Anske has a clear voice, and I look forward to reading her other works. While I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone due to its rather tragic feel, anyone who reads it is going to be hit repeatedly. This is a book that makes you feel, and a damn good one at that.
I went into Irkadura with little more than a vague understanding that the book takes place in Russia and follows a young girl. I expected a tragic story. What I didn't expect was that I would fall completely in love with the characters Anske has infused the book with. Each was incredibly well thought-out, and all contributed to this incredible story.
Prejudice plays a massive role in the foundation of Irkadura. While saying which types of prejudice are in the book may be considered a spoiler, I will say that most of them were unexpected, and provided an unconventional insight into these issues.
The writing itself was very well done. I loved how it alternated between Irkadura describing things literally, then figuratively. Most of the figurative descriptions are Irina's (the main character) way of dealing with various traumatic incidents . . . and there are a lot of these. I did find a few sections throughout the book a bit hard to follow because of this, especially near the beginning. While every italicized section was clear enough, I found the sudden switch in some of the regular text to be particularly difficult. I could piece together what was happening, but I feel the book may have benefited from scaling back some of this description at times.
The only other problem I had with the book was in relation to Irina's view on communism. This whole issue felt a bit shoehorned in, and while I don't doubt that it would have been on everyone's mind, I do think that it could have been handled more effectively. The parts in particular that bothered me were when Irina would come across what she defines as a 'statue' of Stalin and when she would judge others based on being communist followers. There were parts of the book where this was handled very well (I would need to spoil some of my favorite aspects of the book to properly elaborate on this), but there were just a few short scenes that felt a bit heavy handed.
That said, I loved this book. It might be the most important book I read this year. Ksenia Anske has a clear voice, and I look forward to reading her other works. While I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone due to its rather tragic feel, anyone who reads it is going to be hit repeatedly. This is a book that makes you feel, and a damn good one at that.
March 14, 2015
This review first appeared on my website.
Why did I wait so long to dive into this book? I held onto it for month before cracking it open to reveal the decadent darkness inside. All that time wasted. I could’ve loved this book sooner.
Let’s get one thing straight: Ksenia Anske is brilliant. Really, she is. I read her novel ROSEHEAD in one sitting over the summer, and I read IRKADURA without stopping, too. I couldn’t put it down. Anske’s prose is dark and dreamy. She evokes a mood that is haunting yet real; scary yet sublime.
And I loved every minute of it.
This review is going to be short and sweet in an effort to avoid gushing.
Plot Summary: Irina Myshko is a sixteen-year-old Soviet girl who doesn’t speak. Why? She’s suffered decades of abuse at the hands (and other parts) of her mother’s boyfriends, and she’s been coping by escaping to an alternate reality. In this world, people’s true natures are revealed and they manifest themselves as animals.
When Irina becomes pregnant, homeless, and penniless, she must figure out a way to survive in the world long enough to keep the impending madness at bay.
The chapters are composed of short scenes that jump from one event to the next without wasting time. The pacing is fast, but not too fast. Also, there are no digressions. There weren’t any sections I wanted to skip. That’s the mark of an excellent story right there.
My Thoughts: This book unnerved me in the best way possible. I’ve heard a lot of good things about IRKADURA. All of them are true. The story is told from Irina’s POV, in first-person present tense. This style makes the plot much more immediate – as a reader, it felt like everything were actually happening to me.
The events of the novel stick in your mind, as does the imagery Anske evokes. After finishing IRKADURA, I dreamed I was pregnant with a boar. Weird stuff, people. Weird, but good.
It’s darker than my usual reading fare, believe it or not, but it’s an incredible novel. If you want to read something that will stay with you long after you’ve put it away, you might want to go out and buy IRKADURA.
Why did I wait so long to dive into this book? I held onto it for month before cracking it open to reveal the decadent darkness inside. All that time wasted. I could’ve loved this book sooner.
Let’s get one thing straight: Ksenia Anske is brilliant. Really, she is. I read her novel ROSEHEAD in one sitting over the summer, and I read IRKADURA without stopping, too. I couldn’t put it down. Anske’s prose is dark and dreamy. She evokes a mood that is haunting yet real; scary yet sublime.
And I loved every minute of it.
This review is going to be short and sweet in an effort to avoid gushing.
Plot Summary: Irina Myshko is a sixteen-year-old Soviet girl who doesn’t speak. Why? She’s suffered decades of abuse at the hands (and other parts) of her mother’s boyfriends, and she’s been coping by escaping to an alternate reality. In this world, people’s true natures are revealed and they manifest themselves as animals.
When Irina becomes pregnant, homeless, and penniless, she must figure out a way to survive in the world long enough to keep the impending madness at bay.
The chapters are composed of short scenes that jump from one event to the next without wasting time. The pacing is fast, but not too fast. Also, there are no digressions. There weren’t any sections I wanted to skip. That’s the mark of an excellent story right there.
My Thoughts: This book unnerved me in the best way possible. I’ve heard a lot of good things about IRKADURA. All of them are true. The story is told from Irina’s POV, in first-person present tense. This style makes the plot much more immediate – as a reader, it felt like everything were actually happening to me.
The events of the novel stick in your mind, as does the imagery Anske evokes. After finishing IRKADURA, I dreamed I was pregnant with a boar. Weird stuff, people. Weird, but good.
It’s darker than my usual reading fare, believe it or not, but it’s an incredible novel. If you want to read something that will stay with you long after you’ve put it away, you might want to go out and buy IRKADURA.
January 14, 2015
Dark and twisted, Irkadura is one of those books that I love, but I know I can't recommend to anyone and everyone. You have to have a taste for the demented to appreciate this story. You have to be able to read about the things most people want to brush under the rug--things like abuse, rape, discrimination, and fear woven so deep, you can't see where it ends and you begin.
For those with weak stomachs, or those who are sensitive to rougher subjects due to personal experiences, I would recommend a degree of caution before picking up this book. Brace for impact, the way one would when they see a punch coming but can't block it. It's one of those stories that holds nothing back. There is no sugar-coating in Irkadura. There is no covering up of the brutality and unspeakable lows that some not-worthy-of-the-title-humans can sink to.
But for those who, like me, are fascinated and drawn to the truth of life--be it the beautiful and luminous or the horrible and painful--this will be the kind of book you will revel in, mentally examining for years to come. You'll love the fiesty but deeply wounded Irina, and the kind but fearful Pavlik. You'll be captivated by Irina's journey from broken and battered victim to...well, no spoilers, but her transformation is breathtaking to behold.
For those with weak stomachs, or those who are sensitive to rougher subjects due to personal experiences, I would recommend a degree of caution before picking up this book. Brace for impact, the way one would when they see a punch coming but can't block it. It's one of those stories that holds nothing back. There is no sugar-coating in Irkadura. There is no covering up of the brutality and unspeakable lows that some not-worthy-of-the-title-humans can sink to.
But for those who, like me, are fascinated and drawn to the truth of life--be it the beautiful and luminous or the horrible and painful--this will be the kind of book you will revel in, mentally examining for years to come. You'll love the fiesty but deeply wounded Irina, and the kind but fearful Pavlik. You'll be captivated by Irina's journey from broken and battered victim to...well, no spoilers, but her transformation is breathtaking to behold.
January 12, 2016
You wake up to a headache. You make a huge, steaming mug of caffeine. You start reading a book called IRKADURA, about a mute, pregnant girl fleeing her abusive family in Moscow. An hour later, your huge mug of caffeine is cold and your headache is forgotten. And you keep reading.
That is the power of Ksenia Anske's IRKADURA. What she has created here is nothing short of magic. Every line of scant, poetic prose trickles onto the canvas in a way that conjures the likes of David Mitchell. A novel whose protagonist sways in and out of fantasy and reality in ebbs and flows like the tide. Yes, Irina lives in a fantasy, but the pains of reality--of abuse and oppression and poverty and civil disobedience and prejudice--are still there, inescapable.
I loved this book. I felt like I LIVED this book. And that's the greatest magic of them all.
That is the power of Ksenia Anske's IRKADURA. What she has created here is nothing short of magic. Every line of scant, poetic prose trickles onto the canvas in a way that conjures the likes of David Mitchell. A novel whose protagonist sways in and out of fantasy and reality in ebbs and flows like the tide. Yes, Irina lives in a fantasy, but the pains of reality--of abuse and oppression and poverty and civil disobedience and prejudice--are still there, inescapable.
I loved this book. I felt like I LIVED this book. And that's the greatest magic of them all.
Read
July 22, 2018I’m not sure how I feel about Irkadura.
I love the concept – a traumatized mute girl, who sees humans transform into animals in traumatic situations. She’s a mouse, then there’s the catfish, the boar, the butterfly, etc. She’s not a likeable protagonist – to me, anyhow – but who is when they’re navigating a world out of a place of mistrust and walls up because of danger around every bend?
This magical realism is a beautiful concept that I thought should be heading a certain direction, but then it seemed to move slow and go a different direction. But in the end, it went the way I had originally thought it should, it all climaxed amazingly and ended well.
So if you’re up for a slow pace with more focus on character journey than plot action, this is that kind of story. It's a psychological internal story moreso than an external one (although there is that component). And then hang around for the fantastic ending that pulls it all together…I was on the edge of my seat.
I love the concept – a traumatized mute girl, who sees humans transform into animals in traumatic situations. She’s a mouse, then there’s the catfish, the boar, the butterfly, etc. She’s not a likeable protagonist – to me, anyhow – but who is when they’re navigating a world out of a place of mistrust and walls up because of danger around every bend?
This magical realism is a beautiful concept that I thought should be heading a certain direction, but then it seemed to move slow and go a different direction. But in the end, it went the way I had originally thought it should, it all climaxed amazingly and ended well.
So if you’re up for a slow pace with more focus on character journey than plot action, this is that kind of story. It's a psychological internal story moreso than an external one (although there is that component). And then hang around for the fantastic ending that pulls it all together…I was on the edge of my seat.
November 5, 2014
It's a freakishly scary book, in the psychological sense.
I wrote an extended review of draft 4, which doesn't change substantially in the final version, at http://christophermahan.com/writings/... but it's full of spoilers so be careful.
I really enjoyed the writing style, the action, the descriptions. It was eye-candy in that sense (or is it brain-candy?) and Ksenia shows herself as a fine storyteller.
I also enjoyed the internal dialog, because it was very well done, and carried the story forward.
A large word of caution. This book is very dark, and may put you on the edge.
Highly recommended to seasoned readers.
I wrote an extended review of draft 4, which doesn't change substantially in the final version, at http://christophermahan.com/writings/... but it's full of spoilers so be careful.
I really enjoyed the writing style, the action, the descriptions. It was eye-candy in that sense (or is it brain-candy?) and Ksenia shows herself as a fine storyteller.
I also enjoyed the internal dialog, because it was very well done, and carried the story forward.
A large word of caution. This book is very dark, and may put you on the edge.
Highly recommended to seasoned readers.
March 5, 2016
If there's one thing a book should do, it's leave an impression on the reader. I know that sounds generic, but good lord, this one was anything but generic, and left me feeling raw, pensive and it's as though I have scars on my hands simply from turning the pages. That's the long way of saying this is a powerful, haunting and memorable book. Well, well done.
November 18, 2014
You know who you are, Irina Myshko? You’re not a mouse and you’re not an eagle, you’re just a dumb mute dura. You’ve never talked and you never will. (Locations 2920-2921).
Irkadura is not dumb, she just said the wrong word at the wrong time to the wrong woman (Locations 917-918) and at the age of two was scarred into a PTSD like silence. Her silence travels with her, affecting her life and how people view her. Most think of her as crazy, stupid, without opinion or protest, or as an invalid. The government has issued her a certificate of disability, which she uses to get a job at a local theatre. Irina is not just mute, but she refers to people as animals. Her mama is a catfish, the man who raped her is a boar and the boy who she is entranced by is a butterfly. Irina herself is a mouse, a timid creature that is stomped and crushed and bitten.
What is Irina's reality? She escapes as much as possible from the unbelievable horrors of her life through the animals that she imagines inhabiting her environment. Her reality is so horrible and unreal that the only way she can escape is by doing something drastic, to take her mind away. For this, most think she is stupid or crazy. The big finish at the end will toy with your reality and make you wonder what's really going on.
Just as Irina is a master of making reality disappear in the vividness of her animal descriptions and actions, Ksenia Anske is adept at her vivid descriptions that make the environment and characters seem real. Anske makes Irina come alive through the telling of this harsh and at times depressing story. Anske has created a world that is brusque and to the point. The world for Irina is dim and dreary and hard to survive in. On top of this compelling narrative is the side story of the political environment where the story takes place that flows in and out of the background, intermingling with and influencing Irina's story. She may be indifferent to what's going on, but it does have a significant impact on her story.
Irkadura tells more than the story of Irina or the political upheaval in Russia, but of a world where women don't get to be independent and free. This fact that most people in my world (the USA) take for granted is a fact that does not even register in Irina's mind because it is not a possibility for her. She has to rely on the charity of others. She has nothing. She owns nothing. She does not even possess full control of her own body. This is like the worst nightmare for any strong independent woman. Irina never got a chance to be one in the traditional sense, but she has her own fight to win. There is a point where she can take control of a part of her life, but she has to overcome so much to get there. There is an immense struggle in Irina's life, starting from the time she was two and became mute up until the moment she must decide whether she has a future.
Irina has her own kind of strength. She is stubborn. She runs away. She makes plans for revenge… Her triumph is in speaking the truth (at least writing it). She grows her wings off the truth, because in this sordid world she lives in, that's all she has.
My only unease in the book is the author's insistence that Eaglet is male because he conforms to the male stereotypes, but I thought the story could have been just as strong had Eaglet been female because then both the females would be getting their revenge. Still, I didn't think this detracted from the novel at all, just my personal opinion in finding the book's only criticism.
Irkadura is not dumb, she just said the wrong word at the wrong time to the wrong woman (Locations 917-918) and at the age of two was scarred into a PTSD like silence. Her silence travels with her, affecting her life and how people view her. Most think of her as crazy, stupid, without opinion or protest, or as an invalid. The government has issued her a certificate of disability, which she uses to get a job at a local theatre. Irina is not just mute, but she refers to people as animals. Her mama is a catfish, the man who raped her is a boar and the boy who she is entranced by is a butterfly. Irina herself is a mouse, a timid creature that is stomped and crushed and bitten.
What is Irina's reality? She escapes as much as possible from the unbelievable horrors of her life through the animals that she imagines inhabiting her environment. Her reality is so horrible and unreal that the only way she can escape is by doing something drastic, to take her mind away. For this, most think she is stupid or crazy. The big finish at the end will toy with your reality and make you wonder what's really going on.
Just as Irina is a master of making reality disappear in the vividness of her animal descriptions and actions, Ksenia Anske is adept at her vivid descriptions that make the environment and characters seem real. Anske makes Irina come alive through the telling of this harsh and at times depressing story. Anske has created a world that is brusque and to the point. The world for Irina is dim and dreary and hard to survive in. On top of this compelling narrative is the side story of the political environment where the story takes place that flows in and out of the background, intermingling with and influencing Irina's story. She may be indifferent to what's going on, but it does have a significant impact on her story.
Irkadura tells more than the story of Irina or the political upheaval in Russia, but of a world where women don't get to be independent and free. This fact that most people in my world (the USA) take for granted is a fact that does not even register in Irina's mind because it is not a possibility for her. She has to rely on the charity of others. She has nothing. She owns nothing. She does not even possess full control of her own body. This is like the worst nightmare for any strong independent woman. Irina never got a chance to be one in the traditional sense, but she has her own fight to win. There is a point where she can take control of a part of her life, but she has to overcome so much to get there. There is an immense struggle in Irina's life, starting from the time she was two and became mute up until the moment she must decide whether she has a future.
Irina has her own kind of strength. She is stubborn. She runs away. She makes plans for revenge… Her triumph is in speaking the truth (at least writing it). She grows her wings off the truth, because in this sordid world she lives in, that's all she has.
My only unease in the book is the author's insistence that Eaglet is male because he conforms to the male stereotypes, but I thought the story could have been just as strong had Eaglet been female because then both the females would be getting their revenge. Still, I didn't think this detracted from the novel at all, just my personal opinion in finding the book's only criticism.
November 29, 2017
Healing from trauma is a non-linear ever-continuing process. I did not expect this book to become one of many tools in my collection to aid that process, yet here we are, and I'm still at a loss for words, even after days of letting my thoughts digest.
I was warned I would weep.
But, I did not. I wish it had been that simple.
Reading Irkadura, I felt inspired, and heartbroken. Hollowed out with an old wooden spoon, and frayed at the edges. The sort of sadness where you wish you felt like crying, because then it would release, and be gone. Instead it lingers in you like cold on the bones after standing in the chill too long.
Beautifully ugly.
I didn't find the horrible events described triggering so much as a tool to look at those moments from a distance. Irina's view of her abuse lends the reader a detached point of view to be able to view their own trauma, and while possibly not intentionally, provides a sort of language that eases the difficulty in speaking of it. A set of some kind of linguistic training wheels for those not yet able to muster the strength to speak so bluntly.
Dark, and grim, but laced with threads of hope in places you'd never think to look, it bleeds vulnerability.
In a few months I might read it again.
And maybe then, with my new set of tools and perspective, I'll be able to cry about it.
I was warned I would weep.
But, I did not. I wish it had been that simple.
Reading Irkadura, I felt inspired, and heartbroken. Hollowed out with an old wooden spoon, and frayed at the edges. The sort of sadness where you wish you felt like crying, because then it would release, and be gone. Instead it lingers in you like cold on the bones after standing in the chill too long.
Beautifully ugly.
I didn't find the horrible events described triggering so much as a tool to look at those moments from a distance. Irina's view of her abuse lends the reader a detached point of view to be able to view their own trauma, and while possibly not intentionally, provides a sort of language that eases the difficulty in speaking of it. A set of some kind of linguistic training wheels for those not yet able to muster the strength to speak so bluntly.
Dark, and grim, but laced with threads of hope in places you'd never think to look, it bleeds vulnerability.
In a few months I might read it again.
And maybe then, with my new set of tools and perspective, I'll be able to cry about it.
November 19, 2015
When I began reading this book, I actually had nightmares about it.
It was THAT descriptive, to the point where it affected my subconscious on a severely disturbed level.
Irina Myshko is regularly assaulted and raped by her mother's many boyfriends, and other men who seem to find her.
What's worse is that she's pregnant with her mom's boyfriend's kid, and after leaving to get away from his abuse, she lives in the bowels of a dark theater where ANOTHER man abuses her in the broom closet where she lives. Then she falls for a sweet boy named Pavlik, who treats her so kindly and gently that she begins to fall in love. But Pavlik has a secret, one that will mean more suffering and loneliness for Irina.
The Russian references confused me at times, regarding the Stalin statue that talked, etc. But overall the darkness of the story really pulled me in, and I felt fully immersed in Irina's traumatized, childlike mind. Going back to what I said earlier; this book is not easy to read. Scenes from it still pop up in my head every so often; drowning puppies in water, whenever Irina would go into the recesses of her imagination to avoid the rape that was most likely taking place. Not an easy book to read, but an important one.
It was THAT descriptive, to the point where it affected my subconscious on a severely disturbed level.
Irina Myshko is regularly assaulted and raped by her mother's many boyfriends, and other men who seem to find her.
What's worse is that she's pregnant with her mom's boyfriend's kid, and after leaving to get away from his abuse, she lives in the bowels of a dark theater where ANOTHER man abuses her in the broom closet where she lives. Then she falls for a sweet boy named Pavlik, who treats her so kindly and gently that she begins to fall in love. But Pavlik has a secret, one that will mean more suffering and loneliness for Irina.
The Russian references confused me at times, regarding the Stalin statue that talked, etc. But overall the darkness of the story really pulled me in, and I felt fully immersed in Irina's traumatized, childlike mind. Going back to what I said earlier; this book is not easy to read. Scenes from it still pop up in my head every so often; drowning puppies in water, whenever Irina would go into the recesses of her imagination to avoid the rape that was most likely taking place. Not an easy book to read, but an important one.
December 16, 2015
When people ask Ksenia which of her books to start with she usually points them towards ROSEHEAD which is about a young girl who discovers the rose garden surrounding her grandfather’s Berlin mansion is carnivorous. While that does sound good (and is second on my list) I needed to read another novel she had written, IRKADURA. I wanted the sharp edges of a great talent honing her voice, so I could cut myself on the raw creation and bleed along with her.
It sounds a little over the top, but her book demands this level of commitment. It’s a tough book to read, not because the prose is lacking, but because of its unflinching portrayal of a young girl, Irina Myshko, who is savagely abused by her family, by men, by the world itself, and how she survives in spite of it all.
The world she pulls you into, both Russia and the mind of Irina, is fraught with constant fear and danger. Fear of being hurt, fear of never escaping her life, and the deadly consequences of a country in the midst of revolution. It’s brutal magical realism as told by an unreliable narrator who can’t even trust herself. There is no room to catch your breath in this story and I savored every moment of it.
It sounds a little over the top, but her book demands this level of commitment. It’s a tough book to read, not because the prose is lacking, but because of its unflinching portrayal of a young girl, Irina Myshko, who is savagely abused by her family, by men, by the world itself, and how she survives in spite of it all.
The world she pulls you into, both Russia and the mind of Irina, is fraught with constant fear and danger. Fear of being hurt, fear of never escaping her life, and the deadly consequences of a country in the midst of revolution. It’s brutal magical realism as told by an unreliable narrator who can’t even trust herself. There is no room to catch your breath in this story and I savored every moment of it.
November 21, 2014
Irkadura is a wild ride. Captivating, troubling, and intense--I read it in one sitting.
Irkadura is a young Russian woman who has been subjected to a lifetime of abuse. Pregnant, she runs away, navigating Moscow on her own, which is complicated be cause she does not speak. Her inner life, however, is anything but quiet. She sees people as animals--or perhaps she sees the animal in people--and may or may not be going mad.
This book contains a lot of disturbing content: sexual violence, physical violence, abuse, murder...but all of it serves the story and reveals how brutal the world can be and how much strength it takes to survive...or not.
Irkadura is a young Russian woman who has been subjected to a lifetime of abuse. Pregnant, she runs away, navigating Moscow on her own, which is complicated be cause she does not speak. Her inner life, however, is anything but quiet. She sees people as animals--or perhaps she sees the animal in people--and may or may not be going mad.
This book contains a lot of disturbing content: sexual violence, physical violence, abuse, murder...but all of it serves the story and reveals how brutal the world can be and how much strength it takes to survive...or not.
June 17, 2017
The characters in this story touched my heart. No, they did much more than that. It's a heart-rending story with characters who live and breathe. Their words and thoughts shook me, then calmed me, then took me straight into moving spheres of emotion. The mouse scurried quickly into worlds I've known must exist, but was somewhat fearful to go, and she made me follow her. Ksenia Anske writes in color and sound and with such vibrancy and honesty that I cannot help but know with all of my senses what I did not know before reading this excellent, excellent book.
May 3, 2016
Recently I read Irkadura by Ksenia Ankse. It's about a sixteen year old girl, mute from abuse, who has grown up in heartbreaking, unfortunate circumstances, and how she copes and tries for a better life.
Irkadura was well written, pain and heartache filling each page, the words dripping with sorrow and despair.
From beginning to end, you won't want to finish, but you won't be able to stop reading, either.
Irkadura was well written, pain and heartache filling each page, the words dripping with sorrow and despair.
From beginning to end, you won't want to finish, but you won't be able to stop reading, either.
September 17, 2017
I read this book in four hours and in those four hours I have been fed and slaughtered by this one story. Ksenia, you are insane. And I'm here for it.
August 6, 2020
Ksenia Anske doesn't sugar coat anything. if you are looking for brutally honest fiction i highly recommend reading her books. Irina is mute and goes through horrible abuse but she still has a i'll show you all strength about her. she finds something out that drives her to leave home so she starts working as a janitor at a theater company. she meets some shady people there but she also meets Pavlik who has worries of his own and they form quite a bond. The end is unexpected. I was stunned. Great writing it feels like you are right there as things are happening which is the mark of a good writer. I truly believe that Ksenia will be a very successful famous author one day.
September 3, 2017
Wow. This is dark stuff, but absolutely compelling. Irkadura is the nickname of Irina, mute since the age of two because of the abuse she has suffered at the hands of her mother, and her mother's string of boyfriends. Now at 16 she has escaped that environment, though not necessarily the terrible things that have happened in her life. To cope, Irina sees people as animals; the boar, the viper, the owl, the butterfly, all very accurate descriptions of the people they represent. This tells of Irina's descent into madness. A powerful story.
February 1, 2018
Wow, this book left me breathless and wanting for more. I was not able to put it down and when I was able to put it down, my psyche was a prisoner of its narrative.
If you love dark books, books that show the truth of the human spirit in the wake of survival, this book will capture you and will not let you go.
This book is the story of Irina, a young girl from Russia who not only survived a childhood of abuse but also learned to adapt by seeing the world in a strange childish way. She is mute and became mute as a child when she was two after her mother beat her after she had spoken her very first word. She then became mute and started to see the world she lived in with the eyes of a child. She would see herself as a mouse, she would see her mother as a fish, her stepfather as a boar, etc. Everybody she crosses, she see's their true personality and interprets them in animal form. Every graphic scene that she is a witness to is spoken through her own unique narrative and you will be glad it will be written as such. Doing it otherwise would have been hard to read, even for the most seasoned readers.
If you dare open this book, you will forever be changed. I know I am.
Happy reading!
If you love dark books, books that show the truth of the human spirit in the wake of survival, this book will capture you and will not let you go.
This book is the story of Irina, a young girl from Russia who not only survived a childhood of abuse but also learned to adapt by seeing the world in a strange childish way. She is mute and became mute as a child when she was two after her mother beat her after she had spoken her very first word. She then became mute and started to see the world she lived in with the eyes of a child. She would see herself as a mouse, she would see her mother as a fish, her stepfather as a boar, etc. Everybody she crosses, she see's their true personality and interprets them in animal form. Every graphic scene that she is a witness to is spoken through her own unique narrative and you will be glad it will be written as such. Doing it otherwise would have been hard to read, even for the most seasoned readers.
If you dare open this book, you will forever be changed. I know I am.
Happy reading!
June 5, 2019
This book captivated me from the first page. The author is not shy about revealing too much too soon and normally this deters me from a book, but how the character was developed and the story itself really peaked my interest. I love the setting of the book, it felt very cinematic; it made me feel like I was in the town that it’s occurring in. All of the characters have very identifiable personalities – I really wish I could have met some of them in real life. I would also like to add that each chapter is named after an animal, which I thought was very interesting. When you read the book, you’ll understand why, but I thought it was a very genius idea and I think it pulled the whole book together. With all of that being said, this is a very dark and (adult) scary book. I was told this, but didn’t think much of it until I started reading it for myself. I think it is worth a try, but can be traumatic for some people to read. If you are able to look past that, then I would definitely read until the end.
August 8, 2017
Irkadura starts off with a chilling opening that will destroy you if unprepared. Wade through this flood of a novel, and you’ll find Anske’s mastery of plot and pacing buoy and drown you like a crocodile playing with its meal.
Irina escapes the hell she’s called home for 16 years, only to get lost in the dark jungle of Moscow, Russia, where she must fight jackals and boars, charm vipers, and survive the bite of horse flies under the ever-seeing Ravens. In the end, this novel will only leave you raw rough with the experience of it’s biggest truth: the true price of freedom.
Want a longer review? Find it here: https://writtenbyay.com/2017/08/07/re...
Irina escapes the hell she’s called home for 16 years, only to get lost in the dark jungle of Moscow, Russia, where she must fight jackals and boars, charm vipers, and survive the bite of horse flies under the ever-seeing Ravens. In the end, this novel will only leave you raw rough with the experience of it’s biggest truth: the true price of freedom.
Want a longer review? Find it here: https://writtenbyay.com/2017/08/07/re...
June 1, 2018
Oh man. Where do I start?
I first read Irkadura years ago when a friend thrust it into my arms. Today, I have a signed copy on my shelf (a prized possession) and Irkadura remains to be one of my all time favorites, on-par with a classic in my heart.
What this book is:
Dark. Heartbreaking. Fantastical. Enthralling.
What this book is not:
A beach read, or a walk in the park. A tale of happily-ever-afters or white knights.
Ksenia draws us into a dark, surrealist world, but ever fantasy is laced in horror--true horror--and it is those moments of absolute reality that will tear your heart out.
I first read Irkadura years ago when a friend thrust it into my arms. Today, I have a signed copy on my shelf (a prized possession) and Irkadura remains to be one of my all time favorites, on-par with a classic in my heart.
What this book is:
Dark. Heartbreaking. Fantastical. Enthralling.
What this book is not:
A beach read, or a walk in the park. A tale of happily-ever-afters or white knights.
Ksenia draws us into a dark, surrealist world, but ever fantasy is laced in horror--true horror--and it is those moments of absolute reality that will tear your heart out.
April 18, 2019
At times the subject matter makes this a tough read but it's worth it. Irina the main character, endures so much in her harsh life. But just when you the reader and Irina herself can't take any more, Irina goes deep into her own psyche to cope with the relentless abuse. And this isn't just her talking about her feelings - Anske has reached into the depths of the girl's mind to the flame at the core. Throughout the rest of the book, you're rooting for her to endure and overcome.
This is a stunning, surprising, literary book. Its style and subject matter aren't for everyone, but if you want a book you'll remember, this is the one.
This is a stunning, surprising, literary book. Its style and subject matter aren't for everyone, but if you want a book you'll remember, this is the one.
July 22, 2017
This author completely had me by page one. Her writing caught my attention from her Instagram posts. She's that talented. She weaves an incredible story within Irkadura that I am sure to give away if I say too much. My motto on a good book is if I can feel something I will stick with that writer for the rest of my life. Ksenia Anske demands of her readers to stay loyal to her craft through her imaginative prose.
October 8, 2020
I deeply disturbing look at neglect, abuse, and a fifteen-year-old girl in the waning years of the Soviet Union. Unable to speak since the age of two Irin sees people in the world as the animals that they are. It is difficult to see if she is coping or fallen into madness. Life is hard and abusive -- pregnancy, homelessness, and unemployed. It is a dark journey and a blurring of reality. Not the usual lighter fantasy by Ksenia Anske, but something very well worth reading.
October 14, 2021
Emotionally abused by her mother and sexually abused by her stepfather, Irka has spoken only one word – dura (which means idiot, but I had to look it up) – in her sixteen years. She's survived through disassociation, and conceiving of people as animals, but now she's pregnant, it's time to change. A poignant tale of homophobia and hostility in contemporary Russia, and a fine example of how where some see psychiatric symptoms, others recognise as a heroic response to unbearable reality.
July 16, 2017
First of all, I really liked this book. What a vividly written, moving, disturbing story. It's at times sad, at times hopeful, and thoroughly engrossing. Ksenia Anske paints pictures with her words that cut right to the core. This isn't the first book of hers that I've read, and it won't be the last.
November 9, 2017
Irkadura is a spellbinding story. Irina's life is harsh and brutal. There are times when one wants to look away, to seek out a safer story. But Irina's story is hypnotic. In the end Irina is a compelling character. Highly recommended.
November 18, 2017
An unforgettable read. A top read. Incredibly good and sad at the same time. Hard to describe, which is why you just have to read it yourself. You won’t find anything else like it. Irkadura by @kseniaanske, master storyteller #amreading #bookstagram
January 24, 2018
I just put this down, and my goodness, I'll admit I'm feeling pretty gutted. It's equal parts disturbing and defiant, somehow both despairing and hopeful, and the grit of it is absolutely palpable. Definitely give this book a shot, but brace yourself for it to knock the wind right out of you.
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