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Invitation to a Bonfire
The seductive story of a dangerous love triangle, inspired by the infamous Nabokov marriage, with a spellbinding psychological thriller at its core.
In the 1920s, Zoya Andropova, a young refugee from the Soviet Union, finds herself in the alien landscape of an elite all-girls New Jersey boarding school. Having lost her family, her home, and her sense of purpose, Zoya struggles to belong, a task made more difficult by the malice her peers heap on scholarship students and her new country’s paranoia about Russian spies. When she meets the visiting writer and fellow Russian émigré Leo Orlov—whose books Zoya has privately obsessed over for years—her luck seems to have taken a turn for the better. But she soon discovers that Leo is not the solution to her loneliness: he’s committed to his art and bound by the sinister orchestrations of his brilliant wife, Vera.
As the reader unravels the mystery of Zoya, Lev, and Vera’s fate, Zoya is faced with mounting pressure to figure out who she is and what kind of life she wants to build. Grappling with class distinctions, national allegiance, and ethical fidelity—not to mention the powerful magnetism of sex—Invitation to a Bonfire investigates how one’s identity is formed, irrevocably, through a series of momentary decisions, including how to survive, who to love, and whether to pay the complicated price of happiness.
In the 1920s, Zoya Andropova, a young refugee from the Soviet Union, finds herself in the alien landscape of an elite all-girls New Jersey boarding school. Having lost her family, her home, and her sense of purpose, Zoya struggles to belong, a task made more difficult by the malice her peers heap on scholarship students and her new country’s paranoia about Russian spies. When she meets the visiting writer and fellow Russian émigré Leo Orlov—whose books Zoya has privately obsessed over for years—her luck seems to have taken a turn for the better. But she soon discovers that Leo is not the solution to her loneliness: he’s committed to his art and bound by the sinister orchestrations of his brilliant wife, Vera.
As the reader unravels the mystery of Zoya, Lev, and Vera’s fate, Zoya is faced with mounting pressure to figure out who she is and what kind of life she wants to build. Grappling with class distinctions, national allegiance, and ethical fidelity—not to mention the powerful magnetism of sex—Invitation to a Bonfire investigates how one’s identity is formed, irrevocably, through a series of momentary decisions, including how to survive, who to love, and whether to pay the complicated price of happiness.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2018
150 people are currently reading
5572 people want to read
About the author
Adrienne Celt
9 books186 followersAdrienne Celt is a writer, cartoonist, and avid reader living in Tucson, AZ. Her debut novel THE DAUGHTERS won the 2015 PEN Southwest Book Award and was shortlisted for the 2016 Crawford Award. Her second novel, INVITATION TO A BONFIRE was a June 2018 Indie Next Pick, an Amazon Top 10 Book of the Month, and named a Best Book of the Year by the Financial Times. Her new novel, END OF THE WORLD HOUSE, will be published in spring 2022.
Winner of a 2016 O. Henry Prize, her short fiction and essays have appeared in Esquire, The Kenyon Review, Epoch, Zyzzyva, Ecotone, The Tin House Open Bar, Prairie Schooner, Electric Literature, The Lit Hub, and many other places. Also a cartoonist, her comics have been published by The Rumpus, The Toast, Bat City Review, Broad! Magazine, The Southeast Review, and other places, as well as appearing on her weekly webcomic: loveamongthelampreys.com. A collection of her comics, APOCALYPSE HOW? AN EXISTENTIAL BESTIARY was published in 2016.
Winner of a 2016 O. Henry Prize, her short fiction and essays have appeared in Esquire, The Kenyon Review, Epoch, Zyzzyva, Ecotone, The Tin House Open Bar, Prairie Schooner, Electric Literature, The Lit Hub, and many other places. Also a cartoonist, her comics have been published by The Rumpus, The Toast, Bat City Review, Broad! Magazine, The Southeast Review, and other places, as well as appearing on her weekly webcomic: loveamongthelampreys.com. A collection of her comics, APOCALYPSE HOW? AN EXISTENTIAL BESTIARY was published in 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
January 10, 2018
WOW!!!.....I got to the last page and just said, “WOW”! Immediately I’m thinking of so many people this book is perfect for -- released in June 2018!
NO SPOILERS..... just a little long...because I LOVE THIS BOOK....A FAVORITE!!! - I STAYED AWAY FROM ALL JUICY SPOILERS- even ‘hints’ of any.....I promise!! None in this review.
Author Adrienne Celt is now a new ‘favorite’ author. Her writing-artistry is brilliant....on-the-edge-exciting....( I was so in ‘awe’ of her sentences- the way they created deep visuals, thoughts, and feelings all at the same time).
In ways - it’s a very quiet book - perhaps not everyone’s taste...definitely literary—a very sexy smooth rolling hills type thriller— not a ‘slam-bang-rock-em-dead-Sam’, thriller, at all. It’s better!
Let me introduce you to the three characters that will mystify you -
*Zoya Andropova*, is a refugee from the Soviet Union. ....
Zoya begins the story....
Her first sentence is:
“Let me begin by saying I did not think it would end this way. No—let me begin by saying I will burn this diary shortly.”
At the all-girls boarding High School in Maple Hill, New Jersey, where Zoe ends up after a stay in an orphanage in Russia after her parents died- she’s watches the other American students closely. She especially watched her roommate, Margaret.... calculating the way she walked, smiled; tracking her gestures and habits - from tossing her hair to alternating her fries in catchup and mayonnaise, “ dipping one end in each sauce before taking alternating bites”. Zoe thought the ritual was elegant and efficient.....
but why am I sharing this tidbit detail? .....
.....to point out how incredibly observant Zoya was. The other girls at the boarding school had wealthy parents. They drove their dad’s cars, they had boyfriends, matching sweater sets, tennis whites, and beautiful smiles. These same girls, however, were cruel to Zoya.... ( in her shabby clothes). The students pulled Zoe’s hair, pushed her down, grabbed her wrists, hit her thighs with books, gave her cuts and bruises—- and secretly even though Zoe hated them - she almost welcomed their abuse. Their ‘touch’ - at least- made her feel alive. Her life was crappy - but it was the only touch she had.
After graduation- most girls went to College - Zoe got a job on campus working in a greenhouse - which became her life. She loved working with plants - it soothed her and distracted her from the snotty girls at the school.
John O’Brien, her boss- and supportive friend encouraged Zoe to date - which he helped arrange. And in time Zoe moves off campus into her own apartment and has a salary which supports her to buy less shabby clothes and enjoy more varieties of food - besides her budget meals.
Zoya tells us....”Time is a funny thing, dear reader”. ....
In the physical book that I have- where Zoya says ‘dear reader’....I read the entire page - page 141..and the top of 142, three times. — that wasn’t the only section of this novel that I read over and over but that particular one I stayed with me - came with me for a ride - while moving on....
So moving on to: *Leo Orlov* - a Russian emigre- becomes Lev Pavlovich. Lev is married to Vera. After living in Paris for many years, and then New York, Lev was offered a tenured post at the Donne School ( surprise- same all-girls school in New Jersey where Zoya is)
What is not surprising- is that Lev is a big flirt. He was surprised himself that Vera didn’t protest him teaching at an all-girl’s school. The pay was good at a School with wealthy parents. Lev was also working on a novel - his thinking was until his books supported them- he would teach.
Lev let his wife, Vera, dress him, choose their friends, pick their foods. Their relationship started with the manuscript he was writing - which she had a say in, too...TRUE PARTNERSHIP.... Vera ran their lives.
About *Vera*.....One minute she is absolutely magnetic, - other times she is as cold as a refrigerator. A very puzzling character from the get-go....crafty and shrewd. Her own book publicist despised her- yet others in the community thought she was a lovely woman.
Enter a love triangle between Zoya- Lev-and Vera....it’s utterly exciting- dangerous- and seductive.
A book favorite for me!!!
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and Author Adrienne Celt — I can’t express enough how awesome this novel is!!!
NO SPOILERS..... just a little long...because I LOVE THIS BOOK....A FAVORITE!!! - I STAYED AWAY FROM ALL JUICY SPOILERS- even ‘hints’ of any.....I promise!! None in this review.
Author Adrienne Celt is now a new ‘favorite’ author. Her writing-artistry is brilliant....on-the-edge-exciting....( I was so in ‘awe’ of her sentences- the way they created deep visuals, thoughts, and feelings all at the same time).
In ways - it’s a very quiet book - perhaps not everyone’s taste...definitely literary—a very sexy smooth rolling hills type thriller— not a ‘slam-bang-rock-em-dead-Sam’, thriller, at all. It’s better!
Let me introduce you to the three characters that will mystify you -
*Zoya Andropova*, is a refugee from the Soviet Union. ....
Zoya begins the story....
Her first sentence is:
“Let me begin by saying I did not think it would end this way. No—let me begin by saying I will burn this diary shortly.”
At the all-girls boarding High School in Maple Hill, New Jersey, where Zoe ends up after a stay in an orphanage in Russia after her parents died- she’s watches the other American students closely. She especially watched her roommate, Margaret.... calculating the way she walked, smiled; tracking her gestures and habits - from tossing her hair to alternating her fries in catchup and mayonnaise, “ dipping one end in each sauce before taking alternating bites”. Zoe thought the ritual was elegant and efficient.....
but why am I sharing this tidbit detail? .....
.....to point out how incredibly observant Zoya was. The other girls at the boarding school had wealthy parents. They drove their dad’s cars, they had boyfriends, matching sweater sets, tennis whites, and beautiful smiles. These same girls, however, were cruel to Zoya.... ( in her shabby clothes). The students pulled Zoe’s hair, pushed her down, grabbed her wrists, hit her thighs with books, gave her cuts and bruises—- and secretly even though Zoe hated them - she almost welcomed their abuse. Their ‘touch’ - at least- made her feel alive. Her life was crappy - but it was the only touch she had.
After graduation- most girls went to College - Zoe got a job on campus working in a greenhouse - which became her life. She loved working with plants - it soothed her and distracted her from the snotty girls at the school.
John O’Brien, her boss- and supportive friend encouraged Zoe to date - which he helped arrange. And in time Zoe moves off campus into her own apartment and has a salary which supports her to buy less shabby clothes and enjoy more varieties of food - besides her budget meals.
Zoya tells us....”Time is a funny thing, dear reader”. ....
In the physical book that I have- where Zoya says ‘dear reader’....I read the entire page - page 141..and the top of 142, three times. — that wasn’t the only section of this novel that I read over and over but that particular one I stayed with me - came with me for a ride - while moving on....
So moving on to: *Leo Orlov* - a Russian emigre- becomes Lev Pavlovich. Lev is married to Vera. After living in Paris for many years, and then New York, Lev was offered a tenured post at the Donne School ( surprise- same all-girls school in New Jersey where Zoya is)
What is not surprising- is that Lev is a big flirt. He was surprised himself that Vera didn’t protest him teaching at an all-girl’s school. The pay was good at a School with wealthy parents. Lev was also working on a novel - his thinking was until his books supported them- he would teach.
Lev let his wife, Vera, dress him, choose their friends, pick their foods. Their relationship started with the manuscript he was writing - which she had a say in, too...TRUE PARTNERSHIP.... Vera ran their lives.
About *Vera*.....One minute she is absolutely magnetic, - other times she is as cold as a refrigerator. A very puzzling character from the get-go....crafty and shrewd. Her own book publicist despised her- yet others in the community thought she was a lovely woman.
Enter a love triangle between Zoya- Lev-and Vera....it’s utterly exciting- dangerous- and seductive.
A book favorite for me!!!
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and Author Adrienne Celt — I can’t express enough how awesome this novel is!!!
August 12, 2018
Invitation to a Bonfire by Adrienne Celt is a 2018 Bloomsbury USA publication.
Honesty’s a girl who waits at the door
She speaks her piece without a roar.
Clarity shines a light in the dark
Her hand a torch, her mouth a spark.
To reveal is to do more (The whisper that we’re looking for; the listing step on drunken night-
Drunk on time and dearth and plight.)
A girl who snaps to a chime the hour
Knowing not her push or power.
To reveal is to bring clean
Though sometimes says more than we mean.
Perhaps it is our keenest sway
To sometimes mean more than we say.
This book took me by surprise!!
I knew this was an epistolary book and was supposedly based on the famous Nabokov marriage. This was enough to pique my interest.
But, I was blindsided by the sinister quality of the story-
In the 1920’s Zoya Andropova, a young refugee from the Soviet Union finds herself floundering at a prestigious all girls school in New Jersey.
But, when Leo Orlov, a fellow Russian, makes a visit, Zoya is enthralled by meeting her literary idol. The pair forges a bond, developing into a flirtation, then a full-fledged affair. But, Zoya is quite aware that Lev is married, to the beautiful Vera, a girl Zoya once had a brief encounter with. Not only that, it is quite clear Lev is more committed to his work, to finding a lost manuscript, than he is to the women in his life. This is a concession both Vera and Zoya are eventually willing to make. He has no trouble convincing Zoya, however, that they could have a life together, which prompts her to make some stunning decisions. But, it seems she may have underestimated her opponent. An epiphany dawns finally, and Zoya will ultimately decide her destiny and take charge of her identity.
This layered mystery which unfolds via letters and journals was strangely absorbing, capturing the climate of the times. The paranoia towards Zoya, the abuse she endures at school, her loneliness, which leads her to cling to Lev, to fall under his spell, all felt very realistic, and atmospheric.
But, when it becomes clear that Lev has so mesmerized Zoya that she will do his bidding, no matter how shocking, the story takes on a very different tone. Lev is a manipulator of women, but he’s not the only one capable of manipulation. The women in his life soon learn his art is the best part of him and will take drastic measures to make sure he doesn’t become his own worst enemy by making poor career decisions, which of course, would affect their quality of life. Therefore, an odd triangle forms, the outcome of which, left me stunned.
I was absolutely riveted to this saga, the characters and their motives. I was taken off guard by the conclusion, which, despite the circumstances, made my wicked heart grin. Very clever. Just the kind of dark twist I admire.
But, I would remiss if didn’t mention the writing, which is simply outstanding. Pick this book up for the amazing prose, if for no other reason. But, be prepared for a slow build up, and unpredictable, unlikable characters. Still, the outcome of the story will make the wait well worth it.
4 stars
Honesty’s a girl who waits at the door
She speaks her piece without a roar.
Clarity shines a light in the dark
Her hand a torch, her mouth a spark.
To reveal is to do more (The whisper that we’re looking for; the listing step on drunken night-
Drunk on time and dearth and plight.)
A girl who snaps to a chime the hour
Knowing not her push or power.
To reveal is to bring clean
Though sometimes says more than we mean.
Perhaps it is our keenest sway
To sometimes mean more than we say.
This book took me by surprise!!
I knew this was an epistolary book and was supposedly based on the famous Nabokov marriage. This was enough to pique my interest.
But, I was blindsided by the sinister quality of the story-
In the 1920’s Zoya Andropova, a young refugee from the Soviet Union finds herself floundering at a prestigious all girls school in New Jersey.
But, when Leo Orlov, a fellow Russian, makes a visit, Zoya is enthralled by meeting her literary idol. The pair forges a bond, developing into a flirtation, then a full-fledged affair. But, Zoya is quite aware that Lev is married, to the beautiful Vera, a girl Zoya once had a brief encounter with. Not only that, it is quite clear Lev is more committed to his work, to finding a lost manuscript, than he is to the women in his life. This is a concession both Vera and Zoya are eventually willing to make. He has no trouble convincing Zoya, however, that they could have a life together, which prompts her to make some stunning decisions. But, it seems she may have underestimated her opponent. An epiphany dawns finally, and Zoya will ultimately decide her destiny and take charge of her identity.
This layered mystery which unfolds via letters and journals was strangely absorbing, capturing the climate of the times. The paranoia towards Zoya, the abuse she endures at school, her loneliness, which leads her to cling to Lev, to fall under his spell, all felt very realistic, and atmospheric.
But, when it becomes clear that Lev has so mesmerized Zoya that she will do his bidding, no matter how shocking, the story takes on a very different tone. Lev is a manipulator of women, but he’s not the only one capable of manipulation. The women in his life soon learn his art is the best part of him and will take drastic measures to make sure he doesn’t become his own worst enemy by making poor career decisions, which of course, would affect their quality of life. Therefore, an odd triangle forms, the outcome of which, left me stunned.
I was absolutely riveted to this saga, the characters and their motives. I was taken off guard by the conclusion, which, despite the circumstances, made my wicked heart grin. Very clever. Just the kind of dark twist I admire.
But, I would remiss if didn’t mention the writing, which is simply outstanding. Pick this book up for the amazing prose, if for no other reason. But, be prepared for a slow build up, and unpredictable, unlikable characters. Still, the outcome of the story will make the wait well worth it.
4 stars
June 2, 2018
4 seductive stars To Invitation to a Bonfire! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This book was highly recommended by my friend, Elyse! Thanks for another intriguing read!
Zoya Andropova is a refugee of the Soviet Union who has enrolled in an all-girls boarding school in New Jersey. It’s the 1920s, and she has lost everything, including her family. Zoya’s journey is relatable in that she wants nothing more than to fit in like any teenager, but being a Soviet refugee during this time of extreme paranoia to outsiders proves to be a heartbreaking burden she cannot lift.
Zoya takes an interest in a visiting writer and fellow Russian emigre, Lev Orlov. Actually, Zoya has long been obsessed with the books by this famous author, and she seeks him out as a savior of sorts.
Lev is already married to Vera, and a love triangle is set-up, complicated by the fact that Lev is both devoted to his art and to Vera. She is his anchor, a cold and calculating anchor at that, and runs every aspect of their lives. What happens to Zoya, Leo, and Vera is a tangled mystery.
Adrienne Celt’s writing is artistic and exciting. This is a mysterious thriller that has a slow build. I found the structure interesting; comprised of letters, diary entries, and transcripts.
Just who is the master of Zoya, Lev, and Vera’s fates?
Thank you to Adrienne Celt, Bloomsbury USA, and Netgalley for the ARC. Invitation to a Bonfire will be available on June 5, 2018.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
This book was highly recommended by my friend, Elyse! Thanks for another intriguing read!
Zoya Andropova is a refugee of the Soviet Union who has enrolled in an all-girls boarding school in New Jersey. It’s the 1920s, and she has lost everything, including her family. Zoya’s journey is relatable in that she wants nothing more than to fit in like any teenager, but being a Soviet refugee during this time of extreme paranoia to outsiders proves to be a heartbreaking burden she cannot lift.
Zoya takes an interest in a visiting writer and fellow Russian emigre, Lev Orlov. Actually, Zoya has long been obsessed with the books by this famous author, and she seeks him out as a savior of sorts.
Lev is already married to Vera, and a love triangle is set-up, complicated by the fact that Lev is both devoted to his art and to Vera. She is his anchor, a cold and calculating anchor at that, and runs every aspect of their lives. What happens to Zoya, Leo, and Vera is a tangled mystery.
Adrienne Celt’s writing is artistic and exciting. This is a mysterious thriller that has a slow build. I found the structure interesting; comprised of letters, diary entries, and transcripts.
Just who is the master of Zoya, Lev, and Vera’s fates?
Thank you to Adrienne Celt, Bloomsbury USA, and Netgalley for the ARC. Invitation to a Bonfire will be available on June 5, 2018.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
September 20, 2018
There is a death. We know know this at the beginning of this literary novel told in the form of letters, diary entries and newspaper articles from 1931 but the death and its mystery are not the most important parts of this tale. Zoya, a Russian immigrant and orphan, lands at a prestigious girls’ boarding school completely alone. In her diary, she describes this specific time in her life and the events that occur shortly thereafter.
I couldn’t help but consider Erickson’s stages of psychosocial development despite this model being an outmoded theory of personality development. Zoya is desperately trying to find her footing among a group of privileged and pampered teenage girls. Role confusion runs rampant as her inherent Russian-ness makes it impossible for her to fit in. After graduation, Zoya finds employment in the greenhouse on the boarding school grounds. Still, she is subjected to the physical and emotional bruising of these mean schoolgirls. Zoya takes full possession of these bruises as a form of intimacy which continues when she enters a sexual relationship with a famous Russian writer teaching at the school. Is it possible to be happy when taking a course of action that is morally wrong? This question echoes throughout the book. Inevitably the writer’s wife,Véra, becomes aware of the affair.
Véra is cold, calculating and in almost complete control of the writer’s personal and professional life.
Like a set of Russian nesting dolls, here begins a psychological game of cat and mouse but exactly who is zooming whom?
I couldn’t help but consider Erickson’s stages of psychosocial development despite this model being an outmoded theory of personality development. Zoya is desperately trying to find her footing among a group of privileged and pampered teenage girls. Role confusion runs rampant as her inherent Russian-ness makes it impossible for her to fit in. After graduation, Zoya finds employment in the greenhouse on the boarding school grounds. Still, she is subjected to the physical and emotional bruising of these mean schoolgirls. Zoya takes full possession of these bruises as a form of intimacy which continues when she enters a sexual relationship with a famous Russian writer teaching at the school. Is it possible to be happy when taking a course of action that is morally wrong? This question echoes throughout the book. Inevitably the writer’s wife,Véra, becomes aware of the affair.
Véra is cold, calculating and in almost complete control of the writer’s personal and professional life.
Like a set of Russian nesting dolls, here begins a psychological game of cat and mouse but exactly who is zooming whom?
August 13, 2021
For some reason, I didn't think I was going to like this.
Probably that had something to do with the disturbingly low average rating, or the fact that I've heard next to nothing about it, or the way it gathered dust on my literal, physical to-read shelf for years.
But what I forgot in the intervening time is that this is a prettily written work of literary fiction about books and sex and murder.
And no matter how boring or slow or self-indulgent a story is, if it falls within that description, I will of course like it.
Bottom line: A rare win for the good guys! (The good guys being me.)
---------------
pre-review
not going to lie: at one point i really wanted to read this, but i can no longer remember why that was
okay i remembered. it's because this is about literature and sex and murder. duh.
review to come / 3.5 stars
---------------
challenging myself to read as many review copies as possible this month because i'm addicted to projects!
ARC 1: spaceman of bohemia
ARC 2: in search of us
ARC 3: aerialists
ARC 4: the sound of drowning
ARC 5: unleaving
ARC 6: the other side of luck
ARC 7: romanov
ARC 8: the storm keeper's island
ARC 9: gut check
ARC 10: when force meets fate
ARC 11: sisters in hate
ARC 12: before i disappear
ARC 13: big time
ARC 14: stolen science
ARC 15: have a little faith in me
ARC 16: invitation to a bonfire
Probably that had something to do with the disturbingly low average rating, or the fact that I've heard next to nothing about it, or the way it gathered dust on my literal, physical to-read shelf for years.
But what I forgot in the intervening time is that this is a prettily written work of literary fiction about books and sex and murder.
And no matter how boring or slow or self-indulgent a story is, if it falls within that description, I will of course like it.
Bottom line: A rare win for the good guys! (The good guys being me.)
---------------
pre-review
not going to lie: at one point i really wanted to read this, but i can no longer remember why that was
okay i remembered. it's because this is about literature and sex and murder. duh.
review to come / 3.5 stars
---------------
challenging myself to read as many review copies as possible this month because i'm addicted to projects!
ARC 1: spaceman of bohemia
ARC 2: in search of us
ARC 3: aerialists
ARC 4: the sound of drowning
ARC 5: unleaving
ARC 6: the other side of luck
ARC 7: romanov
ARC 8: the storm keeper's island
ARC 9: gut check
ARC 10: when force meets fate
ARC 11: sisters in hate
ARC 12: before i disappear
ARC 13: big time
ARC 14: stolen science
ARC 15: have a little faith in me
ARC 16: invitation to a bonfire
June 8, 2018
*4.5 stars rounded up.
"'It's like I sensed you,' he whispered. "Not just here, but everywhere. Like everyone I've ever loved was leading up to this, to you, to us.'"
How could a virtually friendless young woman, alone in the world, not fall for an older man, a famous Russian novelist whose books she adored, when he breathed those enchanting words in her ear?
Zoya Andropova is one of several orphaned Soviet children who is secreted in a passenger ship and brought to America in 1925. There she is offered a scholarship to attend an elite all-girls secondary school in Maple Hill, New Jersey. After graduation, she remains at the school to plan and run their elaborate greenhouse. It is there that she meets the famous Russian novelist, Leo Orlov, and his wife and editor, Vera, when he comes to teach at the school. A passionate love affair ensues. It's the old tale of: "I love my wife...but oh you kid!"
The story is told through a collection of papers bequeathed to the school after Vera Orlov's death that contain Zoya's diary, Leo Orlov's letters, and police interviews and reports. It's not surprising that a romantic triangle leads to death but there is an intriguing mystery here that builds nicely to a shocking conclusion.
I was pleasantly surprised that this was quite the page-turner, a sleeper that's not getting enough attention yet, in my opinion. It's supposedly loosely based on Vladimir Nabokov who did indeed have a wife named Vera who was his editor, but there are no notes from the author in this arc edition about how she came to write this novel and if indeed good-old Vlad was her inspiration.
There is some interesting Russian history--what happened to Zoya's family during the Russian revolution and how she became an orphan. All her life, even in America, she comes up against the unfairness of class, those with a great deal of money versus those without. Are her choices the right ones?
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an arc of this novel. I will look forward to reading more of Ms Celt's work.
"'It's like I sensed you,' he whispered. "Not just here, but everywhere. Like everyone I've ever loved was leading up to this, to you, to us.'"
How could a virtually friendless young woman, alone in the world, not fall for an older man, a famous Russian novelist whose books she adored, when he breathed those enchanting words in her ear?
Zoya Andropova is one of several orphaned Soviet children who is secreted in a passenger ship and brought to America in 1925. There she is offered a scholarship to attend an elite all-girls secondary school in Maple Hill, New Jersey. After graduation, she remains at the school to plan and run their elaborate greenhouse. It is there that she meets the famous Russian novelist, Leo Orlov, and his wife and editor, Vera, when he comes to teach at the school. A passionate love affair ensues. It's the old tale of: "I love my wife...but oh you kid!"
The story is told through a collection of papers bequeathed to the school after Vera Orlov's death that contain Zoya's diary, Leo Orlov's letters, and police interviews and reports. It's not surprising that a romantic triangle leads to death but there is an intriguing mystery here that builds nicely to a shocking conclusion.
I was pleasantly surprised that this was quite the page-turner, a sleeper that's not getting enough attention yet, in my opinion. It's supposedly loosely based on Vladimir Nabokov who did indeed have a wife named Vera who was his editor, but there are no notes from the author in this arc edition about how she came to write this novel and if indeed good-old Vlad was her inspiration.
There is some interesting Russian history--what happened to Zoya's family during the Russian revolution and how she became an orphan. All her life, even in America, she comes up against the unfairness of class, those with a great deal of money versus those without. Are her choices the right ones?
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an arc of this novel. I will look forward to reading more of Ms Celt's work.
November 7, 2021
Приходит одна писательница к Набокову и говорит: «Здрасьте», а Набоков ей: «С меня слазьте».
Роман, в котором русская девочка, чье детство пришлось на революцию и начало 20-х, живет с родителями в Москве в отдельной квартире с центральным отоплением и вспоминает салаты с майонезом. Ее родители гибнут от рук НКВД, а соседку забирают за шутки о товарище Сталине. В 1928 году ее и других русских сирот из детдома увозят в Америку отчего-то на корабле, после чего неведомое министерство сирот оплачивает ее учебу в дорогом пансионе, потому что она, дочь крестьян из Lipetsk, учила английский в школе. После всего этого приклеенный к роману триллер о том, как эта девочка влюбляется в условного Набокова и вместе с ним планирует убить его жену, в результате чего убивает и Набокова, и жену, кажется уже даже не таким идиотским.
Роман, в котором русская девочка, чье детство пришлось на революцию и начало 20-х, живет с родителями в Москве в отдельной квартире с центральным отоплением и вспоминает салаты с майонезом. Ее родители гибнут от рук НКВД, а соседку забирают за шутки о товарище Сталине. В 1928 году ее и других русских сирот из детдома увозят в Америку отчего-то на корабле, после чего неведомое министерство сирот оплачивает ее учебу в дорогом пансионе, потому что она, дочь крестьян из Lipetsk, учила английский в школе. После всего этого приклеенный к роману триллер о том, как эта девочка влюбляется в условного Набокова и вместе с ним планирует убить его жену, в результате чего убивает и Набокова, и жену, кажется уже даже не таким идиотским.
June 5, 2018
So... I really wanted to like this one. I'm not a big historical fiction fan... but I love psychological thrillers. I'm wanting to branch out and try different genres. Unfortunately, I felt this didn't deliver in either genre.
It was a tad bit TOO much history for me.... and I just couldn't get past this.
I could not get into this book at all. I found myself picking it up multiple times and when I finally looked... I was only at like 20 percent :(.
This is a very SLOWW burn type of book. I have decided that I can't handle slow burn types of novels. I just become too impatient and feel like there is just fluff added before the actual substance delivers.
What I did find intriguing was Adrienne's writing style. It was very poetic which I enjoyed but felt it was a bit too wordy at times.
I also was caught off guard big time at the end of the book. I didn't understand at all Zoya's actions and motivations to do what she did?
I think if you like historical novels and more a slow burn novel then this could be for you.
2 stars
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced arc in exchange for an honest review.
Published to GR: 5/6/18
Publication date: 6/5/18
It was a tad bit TOO much history for me.... and I just couldn't get past this.
I could not get into this book at all. I found myself picking it up multiple times and when I finally looked... I was only at like 20 percent :(.
This is a very SLOWW burn type of book. I have decided that I can't handle slow burn types of novels. I just become too impatient and feel like there is just fluff added before the actual substance delivers.
What I did find intriguing was Adrienne's writing style. It was very poetic which I enjoyed but felt it was a bit too wordy at times.
I also was caught off guard big time at the end of the book. I didn't understand at all Zoya's actions and motivations to do what she did?
I think if you like historical novels and more a slow burn novel then this could be for you.
2 stars
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced arc in exchange for an honest review.
Published to GR: 5/6/18
Publication date: 6/5/18
August 1, 2018
For a book with such ravishing prose, this was a strangely heartless story. The plot seemed nothing more than a hanger for the writing, a chance to showcase the author's flair. Yet even that talent ended up stretched too thin as the story meandered towards its end; there's only so much beauty can dazzle when there's no point to it, no depth.
In any case, I'd give the next offering by Celt a go, it'll be truly striking when her style is matched by a more vibrant narrative.
ARC via Netgalley
In any case, I'd give the next offering by Celt a go, it'll be truly striking when her style is matched by a more vibrant narrative.
ARC via Netgalley
August 22, 2018
“I watched him like a child watches an older child, slyly, and from the corner of my eye. Always hoping for him to approve of me in some way, since he was my life’s first coup, the first thing truly wanted and procured.”We know from the first page of this disquieting novel that Leo Orlov, a Russian émigré and successful author living in the USA, was murdered in mysterious circumstances. We are in no doubt this incident took place because we see excerpts from a collection of papers devoted to the matter, assembled by the fictional Donne School Alumnae Society of Goslings some this 53 years later. We also discover from the archival material that the book’s protagonist, Zoe Andropov, who “died under hotly debated circumstances” in the same year as Leo, kept a diary of the circumstances leading up to his demise.
The story is very loosely based on the complex marriage of Vladimir and Vera Nabokov, but of course, the real author died of natural causes in 1977 after 52 years of marriage, so we must suspend disbelief in this matter, as in many others.
Andropov arrives in America as a refugee from the Soviet Union. She has been orphaned and is sent to an elite boarding school in New Jersey where her fellow pupils treat her with disdain. Her prospects are uncertain, so after graduation she takes a position at the school as a gardener, which is when she meets the charismatic Leo, and a little later, his enigmatic and seductive wife, Vera. Andropov becomes his mistress and thereafter the plot is driven by a lustful, complicated love triangle.
Adrienne Celt, whose debut novel The Daughters won the 2015 PEN Southwest Book Award for Fiction and NPR Best Book of the Year, was born in Seattle but now lives and works in Tucson, Arizona. According to a recent interview with her in The Amazon Book Review, she’s had “a life-long love affair with Vladimir Nabokov’s novels, and a fascination with his marriage.” She said, “the idea for Invitation to a Bonfire came to [her] almost fully formed”, but freely admits she did not want to limit her characters to “historical truths”.
I wouldn’t class this idiosyncratic book as an historical novel because it veers just a little too far from well-established facts. I would, however, describe it as an ingenious literary mystery. There are one or two small weaknesses in the narrative but overall, it’s an insightful and engaging read.
“I knew he belonged to Vera when he came to me, came for me, came into my hands as if dropped there by a parachute. And it’s true, his unavailability only made me hold him tighter.”Many thanks to Raven Books (Bloomsbury Publishing PLC) for providing an advance review copy of this title.
July 30, 2018
At one point, Zoya, our narrator, writes ‘there is such a thing as too much foreplay’ and that might well serve as my opinion of this book. Celt’s writing is stupendous and she even channels Nabokov’s luscious, voluptuous style, no mean feat to pull off such a bold act of ventriloquism: ‘her eyes were dark with little pieces of light, galaxy marbles, runic hints... but she did not slow her pace, and soon disappeared, the tail of her skirt flicking back in a smirk.’
But for all the marvellous writing, the story which engrossed me at the start grew less and less enticing as the prologue goes on too long, and then a tepid thriller-ish plot comes to the fore: think Nabokov mixed with unexciting Hitchcock and a smattering of Mr Ripley.
All the same, I’d read Celt again in a flash for her writerly panache – hopefully next time she’ll have a story that does justice to her superb prose.
Thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC via NetGalley
But for all the marvellous writing, the story which engrossed me at the start grew less and less enticing as the prologue goes on too long, and then a tepid thriller-ish plot comes to the fore: think Nabokov mixed with unexciting Hitchcock and a smattering of Mr Ripley.
All the same, I’d read Celt again in a flash for her writerly panache – hopefully next time she’ll have a story that does justice to her superb prose.
Thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC via NetGalley
February 20, 2018
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
“My aim, anyway, is not posterity, but instead to take a sharp, bright pin and use it to bore a hole- one might say a pinprick- in the swollen history that rests on my shoulders. If I don’t let out some of that air, I think I will go mad, or at the very least confess to someone unwise.”
Zoya Andropova is an orphaned refugee from the Soviet Union, 1920s. She is placed in an ‘elite’ all girls boarding school in New Jersey, smack dab in the middle of the milk and honey spoiled American girls from bubble safe worlds. Wealthy and entitled girls untouched by the tragedy of an outcast refugee like Zoya, who give her hell, who tweak and abuse her. Zoya is much like a specimen, and doesn’t fit, could never fit into their American landscape. She studies them, one student in particular, her roommate Margaret with her beautiful easy happiness. Hungry to learn American habits, as if through intense focus and study she could ease her way into the affection and acceptance of her peers. Instead, it’s one of the many things that leave her naked, that expose her as ‘different’. She could never escape her ‘Europeanness’. She has her uses, her intensity a reason girls seek her out, and she is willing, hungry for connection, even at the cost of ‘pretending’ along with their little game, communicating with the dead, not much different than engaging in memories of her parents, the land she left, just as dead to her.
When she graduates, Zoya doesn’t have the luxury of further education, nor marriage. Instead, she finds herself working at the school in the greenhouse, discovering an intense passion for the plants. She is fast to learn the difference between the ‘help’ and the ‘students’, the girls are quick to turn their meanness on her. She learns to fear the ‘squeak of saddle shoes’, to know the ‘cruelty of rich youth’. No bother, because her mind has been captivated by the Russian writers, the voice of home she so misses. When her favorite author Leo Orlov (Lev) arrives as professor at the school, she is already infatuated, seduced by his writing. A man who writes of ‘worlds of invaded women‘, invades Zoya through every cell of her being, to her very soul. That his elegant wife Vera’s life has run parallel to her own, that they once met, somehow creates an entanglement for Lev. The two seem to become one, though Zoya’s irresistibility is the peasant world she threw off. Zoya tells the reader (her confidant) that, “I took her husband. Or at the very least I tried.” Zoya’s so hungry for touch, lonely, her heart a hostage of Lev’s attentions that she is almost sick with love. There is a darkness that lurks at the edge of their affair, threatening to swallow Zoya.
Vera is Lev’s northern star, but he resents that too. She keeps his career flourishing, she knows him to the bottom of his soul. But deep inside Lev bucks at being managed, known and she once wounded him deeply early in their relationship; an anger he has fiercely clung to. Vera, in the eyes of observers, is cold and aloof, and Zoya knows all too well she is a better match for him. How much can Zoya know about their marriage, dependent only on Lev’s side? She is almost as obsessed with Vera as she is with Lev. Two women from the same country (though different worlds, socially), both in love with the same man, but for whom does Lev’s Russian heart truly beat? Who deserves him, who ever really gets what they deserve or really understands what they are getting?
I devoured this novel, and highlighted passages with a madness that the best of books drive me to. I believe I tend to grab at novels with refugees from Europe, maybe because of the many tales (light and dark) that have lived in my ears told by my own father and grandparents. There is always a mysterious edge to the characters that I find relatable. Zoya standing on the outside of all that golden American wealth and beauty, both desiring that right of ‘happenstance’ they take for granted and wanting to reject it, births a desperate need in me to mother her. Zoya is a fast study, but still her heart is a bottomless maw, starved for everything she has been denied. She is engulfed by her infatuation, and yet could it really be any other way? The novel turns and twists, and left me stunned. Zoya isn’t always likable, neither is Vera but both are fascinating in the spaces they occupy in Lev’s world.
Lev begins as a shameless flirt, a practiced seducer (he is a writer, after all) and yet through his wife we see him weakened, childlike. In Zoya’s eyes his writing is genius, he is passionate and deep. Each character is multifaceted, trustworthy one minute, deceptive the next. They are all three driven by their passions, even if Vera’s are cool and controlled. Vera’s intelligence and beauty seems more like a spell that other’s can’t resist, male or female. We often want that which glimmers just out of reach.
The ending gave me a strange feeling, a reminder to be careful with your plans, people are not so easily managed. The writing is beautiful, and Zoya’s memories, ‘coming of age’, and slow seduction are a gorgeous creation. I have a new favorite novel! Way to heat up the summer!
Publication Date: June 5, 2018
Bloomsbury USA
“My aim, anyway, is not posterity, but instead to take a sharp, bright pin and use it to bore a hole- one might say a pinprick- in the swollen history that rests on my shoulders. If I don’t let out some of that air, I think I will go mad, or at the very least confess to someone unwise.”
Zoya Andropova is an orphaned refugee from the Soviet Union, 1920s. She is placed in an ‘elite’ all girls boarding school in New Jersey, smack dab in the middle of the milk and honey spoiled American girls from bubble safe worlds. Wealthy and entitled girls untouched by the tragedy of an outcast refugee like Zoya, who give her hell, who tweak and abuse her. Zoya is much like a specimen, and doesn’t fit, could never fit into their American landscape. She studies them, one student in particular, her roommate Margaret with her beautiful easy happiness. Hungry to learn American habits, as if through intense focus and study she could ease her way into the affection and acceptance of her peers. Instead, it’s one of the many things that leave her naked, that expose her as ‘different’. She could never escape her ‘Europeanness’. She has her uses, her intensity a reason girls seek her out, and she is willing, hungry for connection, even at the cost of ‘pretending’ along with their little game, communicating with the dead, not much different than engaging in memories of her parents, the land she left, just as dead to her.
When she graduates, Zoya doesn’t have the luxury of further education, nor marriage. Instead, she finds herself working at the school in the greenhouse, discovering an intense passion for the plants. She is fast to learn the difference between the ‘help’ and the ‘students’, the girls are quick to turn their meanness on her. She learns to fear the ‘squeak of saddle shoes’, to know the ‘cruelty of rich youth’. No bother, because her mind has been captivated by the Russian writers, the voice of home she so misses. When her favorite author Leo Orlov (Lev) arrives as professor at the school, she is already infatuated, seduced by his writing. A man who writes of ‘worlds of invaded women‘, invades Zoya through every cell of her being, to her very soul. That his elegant wife Vera’s life has run parallel to her own, that they once met, somehow creates an entanglement for Lev. The two seem to become one, though Zoya’s irresistibility is the peasant world she threw off. Zoya tells the reader (her confidant) that, “I took her husband. Or at the very least I tried.” Zoya’s so hungry for touch, lonely, her heart a hostage of Lev’s attentions that she is almost sick with love. There is a darkness that lurks at the edge of their affair, threatening to swallow Zoya.
Vera is Lev’s northern star, but he resents that too. She keeps his career flourishing, she knows him to the bottom of his soul. But deep inside Lev bucks at being managed, known and she once wounded him deeply early in their relationship; an anger he has fiercely clung to. Vera, in the eyes of observers, is cold and aloof, and Zoya knows all too well she is a better match for him. How much can Zoya know about their marriage, dependent only on Lev’s side? She is almost as obsessed with Vera as she is with Lev. Two women from the same country (though different worlds, socially), both in love with the same man, but for whom does Lev’s Russian heart truly beat? Who deserves him, who ever really gets what they deserve or really understands what they are getting?
I devoured this novel, and highlighted passages with a madness that the best of books drive me to. I believe I tend to grab at novels with refugees from Europe, maybe because of the many tales (light and dark) that have lived in my ears told by my own father and grandparents. There is always a mysterious edge to the characters that I find relatable. Zoya standing on the outside of all that golden American wealth and beauty, both desiring that right of ‘happenstance’ they take for granted and wanting to reject it, births a desperate need in me to mother her. Zoya is a fast study, but still her heart is a bottomless maw, starved for everything she has been denied. She is engulfed by her infatuation, and yet could it really be any other way? The novel turns and twists, and left me stunned. Zoya isn’t always likable, neither is Vera but both are fascinating in the spaces they occupy in Lev’s world.
Lev begins as a shameless flirt, a practiced seducer (he is a writer, after all) and yet through his wife we see him weakened, childlike. In Zoya’s eyes his writing is genius, he is passionate and deep. Each character is multifaceted, trustworthy one minute, deceptive the next. They are all three driven by their passions, even if Vera’s are cool and controlled. Vera’s intelligence and beauty seems more like a spell that other’s can’t resist, male or female. We often want that which glimmers just out of reach.
The ending gave me a strange feeling, a reminder to be careful with your plans, people are not so easily managed. The writing is beautiful, and Zoya’s memories, ‘coming of age’, and slow seduction are a gorgeous creation. I have a new favorite novel! Way to heat up the summer!
Publication Date: June 5, 2018
Bloomsbury USA
August 17, 2018
'Invitation To A Bonfire' is Adrienne Celt's third novel and is a propulsive literary thriller that caught my attention as it is set in 1920s America and inspired by the infamous fifty-two year marriage of Vladimir and Vera Nabokov. I very much enjoyed the format of the book, the story is told through the use of letters, diary entries and newspaper clippings from 1931.
Orphan and Russian immigrant Zoya Andropova, finds herself placed into a prestigious all-girls boarding school in New Jersey, United States, attended by the affluent elite. She is all alone and feels vulnerable and lonely and struggles to fit in. Despite this, she learns the language rapidly and gains great marks in her subjects. When Leo Orlov, a fellow Russian, joins the school as a literature teacher, Zoya cannot believe her luck as he has been her favourite writer for many years.
The book seems to have been divisive resulting in wide-ranging ratings and opinions. I thought it was a unique premise which was brought vividly to life by Celt's exquisite prose. It really is a thing of beauty and at times resembles Nabokov's in terms of richness, which is no mean feat by anyone's standards. I'm afraid it was the story that let it down. If you appreciate well written, literary thrillers with a strong psychological element to them I would recommend 'Invitation To A Bonfire' to you.
All in all, this was a bit of a disappointment, sadly. Celt clearly is masterful in terms of her writing ability, I just wish that the story had been better executed as this could easily have blown me away. Even though I was left underwhelmed I am placing Celt on my 'Writers To Watch' list as it is once in a blue moon when you come across writing like this. I look forward to her next offering and am hopeful it will be an improvement.
Many thanks to Raven Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Orphan and Russian immigrant Zoya Andropova, finds herself placed into a prestigious all-girls boarding school in New Jersey, United States, attended by the affluent elite. She is all alone and feels vulnerable and lonely and struggles to fit in. Despite this, she learns the language rapidly and gains great marks in her subjects. When Leo Orlov, a fellow Russian, joins the school as a literature teacher, Zoya cannot believe her luck as he has been her favourite writer for many years.
The book seems to have been divisive resulting in wide-ranging ratings and opinions. I thought it was a unique premise which was brought vividly to life by Celt's exquisite prose. It really is a thing of beauty and at times resembles Nabokov's in terms of richness, which is no mean feat by anyone's standards. I'm afraid it was the story that let it down. If you appreciate well written, literary thrillers with a strong psychological element to them I would recommend 'Invitation To A Bonfire' to you.
All in all, this was a bit of a disappointment, sadly. Celt clearly is masterful in terms of her writing ability, I just wish that the story had been better executed as this could easily have blown me away. Even though I was left underwhelmed I am placing Celt on my 'Writers To Watch' list as it is once in a blue moon when you come across writing like this. I look forward to her next offering and am hopeful it will be an improvement.
Many thanks to Raven Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
August 27, 2018
Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.
Set out in an alternating timeline and interspersed with differing perspectives, as well as collected journal entries, letters, and newspaper clippings, this tells the convoluted tale of a Russian refugee and the professor that would make then break her.
Zoya Andropova once attended, and now works at, an elite New Jersey school, filled with self-entitled girls who have an animal sense for her differences and weaknesses. The struggles of her everyday pale, however, when she meets her literary idol, fellow Russian émigré, writer, and professor, Leo Orlov. Leo brings a vibrancy to her bland existence but when she meets his wife, she realises where the roots of this vividity stems from.
This book was penned with such transportive artistry that I felt compelled to keep turning the pages. The characters, were a mixture of the pitiful, the unlikable, the wistful, and the lovable, yet I found myself equally drawn to each, so completely did Celt manage to construct their individual characters into a believable semblance of reality.
There are many allusions between these fictional characters and the infamous Nabokov marriage. My love for Lolita drew to me this book, but it was Celt's creation that held me captivated. The ending was stunningly executed and confirmed this author as one I will devour anything from, trust to deliver a whole host of emotions, and lacking any fear of breaking the boundaries of the expected.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Adrienne Celt, and the publisher, Bloomsbury, for this opportunity.
Set out in an alternating timeline and interspersed with differing perspectives, as well as collected journal entries, letters, and newspaper clippings, this tells the convoluted tale of a Russian refugee and the professor that would make then break her.
Zoya Andropova once attended, and now works at, an elite New Jersey school, filled with self-entitled girls who have an animal sense for her differences and weaknesses. The struggles of her everyday pale, however, when she meets her literary idol, fellow Russian émigré, writer, and professor, Leo Orlov. Leo brings a vibrancy to her bland existence but when she meets his wife, she realises where the roots of this vividity stems from.
This book was penned with such transportive artistry that I felt compelled to keep turning the pages. The characters, were a mixture of the pitiful, the unlikable, the wistful, and the lovable, yet I found myself equally drawn to each, so completely did Celt manage to construct their individual characters into a believable semblance of reality.
There are many allusions between these fictional characters and the infamous Nabokov marriage. My love for Lolita drew to me this book, but it was Celt's creation that held me captivated. The ending was stunningly executed and confirmed this author as one I will devour anything from, trust to deliver a whole host of emotions, and lacking any fear of breaking the boundaries of the expected.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Adrienne Celt, and the publisher, Bloomsbury, for this opportunity.
January 27, 2018
Adrienne Celt’s INVITATION TO A BONFIRE tells the story of a great novelist, his wife and his mistress and was partly inspired by the famous Nabokov marriage. The story swept me up and kept me guessing, and I can heartily recommend it to all types of readers, whether you are a fan of Nabokov or his biggest critic. For those who love thrillers, this is a murder mystery that keeps the reader guessing until the last page. For those who love literary fiction, Celt captures Nabokov’s letters and writing in a fascinating way. And for people who just want a good story, the sexy love triangle and compelling characters—especially the women—will keep you reading. If you love MIKHAIL AND MARGARITA or historical fiction in general, you’ll devour this book.
November 6, 2021
Invitation to a Bonfire is a literary novel in the vein of Russian classics wrapped around a murder mystery thriller. Presented as an archival collection, the epistolary structure of the tale is layered and nuanced as the “documents” create both a sense of breathless anticipation for what we know will come after reading the beginning and a dark, intriguing commentary on each of the three central characters.
While I appreciate the exploration of character development in a psychological thriller, it reached a point where the descriptions of one character’s youth became boring and tedious to read. Though this novel is set in the 1920s, I found the details of daily life more on par with a setting in the 1950s or later. In historical novels, I always admire an author’s ability to transport me to the era, but many of the details in this story seemed too modern for the 1920s, jarring me from the narrative.
That said, I was captivated by the author’s stunning use of language. The writing was deeply poetic, stark and bleak, as seductive as the ill-fated story of dangerous passion. The synopsis of the story claims that the tale is loosely based on the Nabokov marriage. I think the author took great creative license in that regard, but her writing is reminiscent of Nabokov’s in its breathtaking lyricism and vivid, evocative language. This is a dark story of passion, loneliness, and deception, of class, identity, and nationality. Populated by unhealthy and unreliable characters, the tale is an exploration of the fine line between infatuation and obsession, and it is as mesmerizing as it is disturbing.
While I appreciate the exploration of character development in a psychological thriller, it reached a point where the descriptions of one character’s youth became boring and tedious to read. Though this novel is set in the 1920s, I found the details of daily life more on par with a setting in the 1950s or later. In historical novels, I always admire an author’s ability to transport me to the era, but many of the details in this story seemed too modern for the 1920s, jarring me from the narrative.
That said, I was captivated by the author’s stunning use of language. The writing was deeply poetic, stark and bleak, as seductive as the ill-fated story of dangerous passion. The synopsis of the story claims that the tale is loosely based on the Nabokov marriage. I think the author took great creative license in that regard, but her writing is reminiscent of Nabokov’s in its breathtaking lyricism and vivid, evocative language. This is a dark story of passion, loneliness, and deception, of class, identity, and nationality. Populated by unhealthy and unreliable characters, the tale is an exploration of the fine line between infatuation and obsession, and it is as mesmerizing as it is disturbing.
March 24, 2018
At fifteen, Zoya Andropov was sent to an orphanage where she cross-stitched portraits of Party members, her stomach growling from hunger. Her parents, who were on "the right side" of the Russian revolution, had died soon after "the new and glorious union of our country," like everyone else she knew.
Then in 1928, she was one of 200 USSR orphans chosen to be sent to America, ending up at the small, elite, Donne School.
Impoverished and alien, she is bullied and manipulated by the rich American girls. After graduation, now Zoe, she stayed on to work in the greenhouse, victimized still by the schoolgirls.
When her favorite writer, Lev Orlov, is hired by the school, Zoe is thrilled. With him is his imperious wife, Vera, who Zoe saw once at a Young Pioneers meeting when they were girls. The wealthy Vera was then "whisked off to Paris" where she met Lev Orlov. After reading the manuscript of his first novel she claimed to have burned it as unworthy of his potential genius. Their relationship is parasitic.
Lev is a philanderer and Zoe becomes one of his conquests. Lev relies on Vera's judgment to organize his entire life and work but he resents her as much as he needs her. He hatches a plan for Zoe to murder Vera.
Invitation to a Bonfire is mesmerizing and it is disturbing. We are taken to Moscow and the bonfires of typewriters using Old Slavonic, a time when a child's belief in the Soviet State was stronger than familial love. Coming from the ashes of the Revolution are Zoya, Vera, and Lev, struggling with alliances and the nature of love, manipulating and testing each other.
The bulk of the novel is Zoe's diary from 1931 in which she shares her childhood back story and her love affair with Lev. Interspersed are Lev's letters to Vera and documents from the Donne school and an Oral History of Vera with interviews with people who had interacted with her.
There are plot twists that surprise, with a quick wrap up ending. Perhaps too quick after such a long set up.
The characters Vera and Lev are inspired by Nabokov and his wife Vera, and I read the style is inspired by Nabokov's novels. Which made me wish I had read Nabokov in the last century; I read his books in the 1970s.
The book recalled to mind other addictive and disturbing reads, like The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith or Nabokov's Lolita. Unhealthy characters are always interesting and compelling.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Then in 1928, she was one of 200 USSR orphans chosen to be sent to America, ending up at the small, elite, Donne School.
Impoverished and alien, she is bullied and manipulated by the rich American girls. After graduation, now Zoe, she stayed on to work in the greenhouse, victimized still by the schoolgirls.
When her favorite writer, Lev Orlov, is hired by the school, Zoe is thrilled. With him is his imperious wife, Vera, who Zoe saw once at a Young Pioneers meeting when they were girls. The wealthy Vera was then "whisked off to Paris" where she met Lev Orlov. After reading the manuscript of his first novel she claimed to have burned it as unworthy of his potential genius. Their relationship is parasitic.
Lev is a philanderer and Zoe becomes one of his conquests. Lev relies on Vera's judgment to organize his entire life and work but he resents her as much as he needs her. He hatches a plan for Zoe to murder Vera.
Invitation to a Bonfire is mesmerizing and it is disturbing. We are taken to Moscow and the bonfires of typewriters using Old Slavonic, a time when a child's belief in the Soviet State was stronger than familial love. Coming from the ashes of the Revolution are Zoya, Vera, and Lev, struggling with alliances and the nature of love, manipulating and testing each other.
The bulk of the novel is Zoe's diary from 1931 in which she shares her childhood back story and her love affair with Lev. Interspersed are Lev's letters to Vera and documents from the Donne school and an Oral History of Vera with interviews with people who had interacted with her.
There are plot twists that surprise, with a quick wrap up ending. Perhaps too quick after such a long set up.
The characters Vera and Lev are inspired by Nabokov and his wife Vera, and I read the style is inspired by Nabokov's novels. Which made me wish I had read Nabokov in the last century; I read his books in the 1970s.
The book recalled to mind other addictive and disturbing reads, like The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith or Nabokov's Lolita. Unhealthy characters are always interesting and compelling.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
May 5, 2018
Although this book falls into a category I normally despise, that of the fictionalized biography however loose the interpretation, I chose it specifically because of its root material -- the ever intriguing marriage of Vladimir and Véra Nobokov. Knowing Nabokov’s predilection for chess problems that he shared with his wife, the reader is hard put to tell who is the pawn, who, the king/queen. The queen, the most powerful piece of the puzzle, goes anywhere she pleases, but it is the king with the ultimate say. Together, they become an indomitable force.
Up against this enigmatic couple is Zola, a young woman, an orphan who had the fortune (good or bad depending on how you see it) of being swept out of Stalinist Russia and placed in an elite girls' school in New Jersey. Left mostly to her own devices due to her outsider status, she quietly is granted employment in the school's greenhouse, which leads to her entanglement with a fictionalized version of the Nabokovs, and embroilment in their "games." There is some beautiful writing here ("She was so petite, and yet she seemed to be made of heavier material than me, the gravity in the room all pulling towards her…….“I don’t show very much of myself…..you can see more than most. Maybe you look harder.”) (I had no choice but to wander around my life as though I still belonged in it.") (It’s easy to want what you do not have. I would know. My life has been a study in this.") ("Sometimes she looks at me as if I am dinner.")
The novel is comprised of excerpts from letters and transcripts by the Nabokov stand-ins (I must admit to impatience with the Orlov letters, since it takes a lot of chutzpah to recreate the stylistic flourishes of a literary icon), but mostly through Zola's diaries. Uneven but involving.
Up against this enigmatic couple is Zola, a young woman, an orphan who had the fortune (good or bad depending on how you see it) of being swept out of Stalinist Russia and placed in an elite girls' school in New Jersey. Left mostly to her own devices due to her outsider status, she quietly is granted employment in the school's greenhouse, which leads to her entanglement with a fictionalized version of the Nabokovs, and embroilment in their "games." There is some beautiful writing here ("She was so petite, and yet she seemed to be made of heavier material than me, the gravity in the room all pulling towards her…….“I don’t show very much of myself…..you can see more than most. Maybe you look harder.”) (I had no choice but to wander around my life as though I still belonged in it.") (It’s easy to want what you do not have. I would know. My life has been a study in this.") ("Sometimes she looks at me as if I am dinner.")
The novel is comprised of excerpts from letters and transcripts by the Nabokov stand-ins (I must admit to impatience with the Orlov letters, since it takes a lot of chutzpah to recreate the stylistic flourishes of a literary icon), but mostly through Zola's diaries. Uneven but involving.
August 25, 2018
3.5 ⭐️ that ending was amazing
November 15, 2021
I am conflicted about this because the prose was truly spectacular and I do like the framing device and the way Celt chooses to end her book. I did however not enjoy the pacing at all - it felt a lot longer than the 240 pages it is long and for vast stretches of it I was, indeed, bored. However, the prose! It's mesmerizing!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 22, 2018
Fun & sexy & mysterious & MURDER
July 9, 2018
Review to come
July 28, 2018
'Vera. Even your name intoxicates, incinerates. Veer-a. '
The line sound familiar to the opening lines of Lolita?
Warning : This may be the best book you have ever read if you are a literary enthusiast.
So if you have Lolita or any other work by Nabokov, you must be aware of the influence exercised by Vera, his wife over his life. Mostly to guard his reputation and legacy, and often to dominate over him - any work by Nabokov has Vera's influence between the lines. And well, she also controlled his countless affairs, his relationships and not to forget - his life every every waking moment.
Celt's fictionalised version of a love triangle concerning Lev ( the author), Vera ( his wife) and his mistress bowled me over owing to the literary references more than the mind wrecking dysfunctional characters of the novel. While reading the book I read up almost every article on Nabokov and Vera's marriage and while it might be that the story , the ending and the mistress is fictionalised - the theme it draws inspiration from is quite close to reality. It makes me wonder whom should I blame? Vera's obsessive behavior that forces Lev to think -
'I would not want to cross you, Vera. It would be safer to kill you.'
Or Lev's countless affairs that Vera had to tolerate?
The chapters written from Zoya's perspective boast a passionate tone, and Lev's a natural literary brilliance. This is craftsmanship at its best. A wickedly delightful novel that I would recommend to every literature lover. However, if you haven't read Nabokov you may be clueless about several things here, or fail to imbibe the essence.
The line sound familiar to the opening lines of Lolita?
Warning : This may be the best book you have ever read if you are a literary enthusiast.
So if you have Lolita or any other work by Nabokov, you must be aware of the influence exercised by Vera, his wife over his life. Mostly to guard his reputation and legacy, and often to dominate over him - any work by Nabokov has Vera's influence between the lines. And well, she also controlled his countless affairs, his relationships and not to forget - his life every every waking moment.
Celt's fictionalised version of a love triangle concerning Lev ( the author), Vera ( his wife) and his mistress bowled me over owing to the literary references more than the mind wrecking dysfunctional characters of the novel. While reading the book I read up almost every article on Nabokov and Vera's marriage and while it might be that the story , the ending and the mistress is fictionalised - the theme it draws inspiration from is quite close to reality. It makes me wonder whom should I blame? Vera's obsessive behavior that forces Lev to think -
'I would not want to cross you, Vera. It would be safer to kill you.'
Or Lev's countless affairs that Vera had to tolerate?
The chapters written from Zoya's perspective boast a passionate tone, and Lev's a natural literary brilliance. This is craftsmanship at its best. A wickedly delightful novel that I would recommend to every literature lover. However, if you haven't read Nabokov you may be clueless about several things here, or fail to imbibe the essence.
July 6, 2018
"’It's like I sensed you,' he whispered. "Not just here, but everywhere. Like everyone I've ever loved was leading up to this, to you, to us.” — Invitation to a Bonfire, Adrienne Celt
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OMG, I did not see that ending coming! July is off to a great start! Adrienne Celt’s “Invitation to a Bonfire” was on my top ten most anticipated books of summer list. This is quite an interesting book, unlike any other psychological thrillers I’ve read. I think either you’re going to really love it or not, and I really loved it. Intoxicating, engrossing, and thrilling, Adrienne Celt’s “Invitation to a Bonfire” is a historical fiction, psychological thriller about a brilliant author, a love triangle and an all-girls boarding school in the 1920 that is loosely based on the marriage of the Vladimir Nabokov and his wife Véra.
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Although beautiful in prose, it is painstakingly slow, told through a unique perspective — alternating letters, diary entries, and articles; but there’s just something mesmerizing about the writing, and the way story unfolds.
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From the first chapter you pretty much know the direction of the narrative, and the novel is just a road map to it. Zoya Andropova, a young refugee from the Soviet Union, finds herself in an elite all-girls New Jersey boarding school. With nowhere to go after graduation, Zoya stays on staff and manages the newly-erected greenhouse. During this time, she meets the visiting writer and fellow Russian émigré Leo Orlov, whose books Zoya had privately obsessed over for the years. Leo is philanderer who is committed to his art and bound by his controlling, yet brilliant wife, Vera. Soon Lev, Zoya, and Vera are in a tangled love triangle that is more dangerous than romantic. All three have its own motives, so sinister & wicked. Just remember, the next character is ahead of the prior character in thought process. I was pleasantly surprised that this was quite the page-turner, with a dramatic ending I did not see it coming.
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beautifully told, cleverly constructed, gripping novel about love, obsession and revenge. I’m really liking psychological thrillers lately. What’s the best psychological thrill you’ve ever read? 🤓✌️📖
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OMG, I did not see that ending coming! July is off to a great start! Adrienne Celt’s “Invitation to a Bonfire” was on my top ten most anticipated books of summer list. This is quite an interesting book, unlike any other psychological thrillers I’ve read. I think either you’re going to really love it or not, and I really loved it. Intoxicating, engrossing, and thrilling, Adrienne Celt’s “Invitation to a Bonfire” is a historical fiction, psychological thriller about a brilliant author, a love triangle and an all-girls boarding school in the 1920 that is loosely based on the marriage of the Vladimir Nabokov and his wife Véra.
.
Although beautiful in prose, it is painstakingly slow, told through a unique perspective — alternating letters, diary entries, and articles; but there’s just something mesmerizing about the writing, and the way story unfolds.
.
From the first chapter you pretty much know the direction of the narrative, and the novel is just a road map to it. Zoya Andropova, a young refugee from the Soviet Union, finds herself in an elite all-girls New Jersey boarding school. With nowhere to go after graduation, Zoya stays on staff and manages the newly-erected greenhouse. During this time, she meets the visiting writer and fellow Russian émigré Leo Orlov, whose books Zoya had privately obsessed over for the years. Leo is philanderer who is committed to his art and bound by his controlling, yet brilliant wife, Vera. Soon Lev, Zoya, and Vera are in a tangled love triangle that is more dangerous than romantic. All three have its own motives, so sinister & wicked. Just remember, the next character is ahead of the prior character in thought process. I was pleasantly surprised that this was quite the page-turner, with a dramatic ending I did not see it coming.
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beautifully told, cleverly constructed, gripping novel about love, obsession and revenge. I’m really liking psychological thrillers lately. What’s the best psychological thrill you’ve ever read? 🤓✌️📖
May 15, 2018
I really, really wanted to like this book. The synopsis sounded great, so I figured I'd enjoy it. Unfortunately, I just could NOT get into it. I've spent the last three days trying to read this book. I thought for SURE I must be almost half-way through it, but when I looked and saw I was only 12% of the way through, I decided it was time to move on.
I'm giving this two stars and not one because, while I couldn't get into the story, the writing is excellent. Strange, I know, so say the writing of a book I couldn't finish was great, but it really was.
This book is 100% a slow burn, and I'm just not in the mood for a slow-burn book. I don't discourage anyone from reading this, but just know that it is NOT an 'I-must-see-what-happens-next' page turner.
**I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
I'm giving this two stars and not one because, while I couldn't get into the story, the writing is excellent. Strange, I know, so say the writing of a book I couldn't finish was great, but it really was.
This book is 100% a slow burn, and I'm just not in the mood for a slow-burn book. I don't discourage anyone from reading this, but just know that it is NOT an 'I-must-see-what-happens-next' page turner.
**I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
March 14, 2018
2.5 *
Like so many other reviewers, I wanted to like this novel but found that I really didn't. For me it was that it lacked a cohesive sense of time and place. It's supposed to take place in the 1920s, but the clothes, hair, technology, traditions seem to belong in the 1950s. Zoya's memories of Russia seem believable, but what was this rescue organization that brought Russian children to the US, dumped them in expensive boarding schools and never checked on them? So much of "Invitation to a Bonfire" seems off-kilter and poorly thought out.
What works is Zoya's adoration of Lev through his writing and the fire of their relationship. Strange and electric is Zoya's possible backstory with Lev's elegant, enigmatic wife Vera who is a mysterious creation.
Like so many other reviewers, I wanted to like this novel but found that I really didn't. For me it was that it lacked a cohesive sense of time and place. It's supposed to take place in the 1920s, but the clothes, hair, technology, traditions seem to belong in the 1950s. Zoya's memories of Russia seem believable, but what was this rescue organization that brought Russian children to the US, dumped them in expensive boarding schools and never checked on them? So much of "Invitation to a Bonfire" seems off-kilter and poorly thought out.
What works is Zoya's adoration of Lev through his writing and the fire of their relationship. Strange and electric is Zoya's possible backstory with Lev's elegant, enigmatic wife Vera who is a mysterious creation.
February 11, 2018
This one intrigued me from the get go. It had entirely too many elements I’m interested in (historical fiction, immigration, author, books, current and old manuscripts) to ignore. I’m actually quite surprise I didn’t end up loving this one, this is more of a strong like and appreciation situation. And it took me until 90% to put a finger on why and here it is, the main protagonist confused me. We see the entire story mostly from her perspective (the novel has an epistolary structure and Zoya’s journal entries are the bulk of it) and she remains something of a mystery until the very end. She’s a very engaging character form the start, but once the talk of murder enters the picture, she becomes a riddle wrapped in an enigma. Granted that does make for a nice twist at the end, but getting there takes traveling along the WTF road. But anyway, yes, this is first and foremost a love triangle, two very different women sharing a talented author, a wife and a mistress, until the sharing becomes less than optimal. It’s supposed to be inspired by the Nabokov marriage in so much as they were both immigrants fleeing the 1917 revolution, he found great success and recognition as an author, he taught at the American University, the wife’s name was Vera and she (very well) managed his career and day to day life…but that’s about all the similarities I recognized. The rest, the torrid affairs and murder plots, either didn’t make the news or, really, are figments of Celt’s fertile imagination. In fact, it seem like someone who isn’t familiar with Nabokovs might get a very wrong idea about a generally happy, productive and loving relationship based on this book’s allusions, permanently featured in the description. For a love triangle this isn’t precisely an equilateral one (more of a scalene), we are predominantly offered Zoya’s perspective, Orlov’s letters and Vera is only known through the eyes of those around her, although there’s enough information either way to render the characters nuanced and interesting. And as a work of historical fiction it’s a complete success, nicely detailed, realistic representation of trying to find your way in a new world after the old one becomes unsuitable to contented existence. From the first chapter you pretty much know the direction of the narrative, the destination is given, the novel is just a road map to it. And at its own languid pace it does there. I suppose all I wanted from this novel was more…more substance toward the end, to understand it all easier. Probably should just use my imagination, but one tends to become reliant on books to spell things out (quite literally) the way the movies (sometimes) and the real world (almost never) does, especially when it comes to the psychological makeup of the characters. It probably just seemed particularly jarring because for the majority of the novel there’s so much of it, Zoya’s every thought, every wish, every belief, and then…nearly none, like a woman possessed. This might be a very personal objection, though, and otherwise the novel has so much to offer and the writing’s lovely, so really this was an enjoyable read and a nice introduction to the author. Thanks Netgalley.
June 11, 2018
I was really expecting to like this book as a fan of historical fiction. But it fell flat. I’m okay with suspending some belief to accommodate fiction but here are the things I couldn’t get past:
1. It doesn’t have a 1920s feel about it. I expected to be transported to that time period. But the author talks about pink back packs and teachers giving gold stars to students that doesn’t resound as a 1920s thing.
2. The main character, as an orphan, is smuggled out of Russia to America and ends up in a posh school for girls. She never explains how she ended up there, just that she does. It doesn’t seem plausible.
Besides the above, there are details that the author spends a lot of time writing about that seem unimportant. Other details (what I think could be important) are missing or just glossed over. I couldn’t finish the rest of the book.
1. It doesn’t have a 1920s feel about it. I expected to be transported to that time period. But the author talks about pink back packs and teachers giving gold stars to students that doesn’t resound as a 1920s thing.
2. The main character, as an orphan, is smuggled out of Russia to America and ends up in a posh school for girls. She never explains how she ended up there, just that she does. It doesn’t seem plausible.
Besides the above, there are details that the author spends a lot of time writing about that seem unimportant. Other details (what I think could be important) are missing or just glossed over. I couldn’t finish the rest of the book.
February 13, 2018
This one comes out of nowhere and gets under your skin. Zoya Andropova comes over from Russia as a young orphan, dropped into an all-girls boarding school in 1920s New Jersey. Zoya is alienated and alone when her favorite Russian novelist arrives with his beautiful, aristocratic, calculating wife. What results is a quiet, burning meditation on deception, identity, class distinction, nationality, loyalty, & art, that rages into a holy conflagration and will leave you with a kind of delicious smoke in your eyes.
June 5, 2018
Adrienne Celt writes beautifully lyrically her first novel The Daughters drew me in swept me away .Invitation to a Bonfire had the same effect,A psychological thriller a love triangle based on the Nabokov marriage & Zoya the young mysterious refugee from the Soviet Union .Will be recommending to my friends who love good literature with the haunting feel of mystery,Thanks#netgalley # Bloomsbury for advance Galley,
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