Read Women discussion

This month, we are reading and discussing the short novel, Three Apples Fell from the Sky, by Narine Abgaryan. Originally published in Russian in 2015, and a subsequent bestseller there and winner of the Yasnaya Polyana Award, it takes place in Maran, a small, remote village in the mountains of Armenia with a dwindling, aging population, including our protagonist, Anatolia Sevoyants.

Its title comes from an Armenian proverb:

And three apples fell from heaven:
One for the storyteller,
One for the listener,
And one for the eavesdropper.

Narine Abgaryan is a Russian writer of Armenian descent. She is known as an author of children's fiction and is a prominent blogger.

A transcript of a brief 2018 interview conducted by a Bulgarian outlet. (no spoilers) : https://www.novinite.com/articles/192...
https://www.novinite.com/articles/192...

The translator, Lisa C. Hayden , is a leading literary translator who focuses on Russian literature and lives in Maine. Among other works, she has collaborated closely with Eugene Vodolazkin on translations of each of his books: Laurus, The Aviator and Solovyov and Larionov.

Here's a 2020 interview (transcript) published by Asymptote in which Hayden discusses translating this book. THere are no spoilers. https://www.asymptotejournal.com/blog...

Access Hayden's website here for a full list of novels she's translated, awards won, etc.: http://lisahayden.com/lch/

A favorite review I found, in a publication I wasn't familiar with prior to this search and now highly recommend, the Calvert Journal:
https://www.calvertjournal.com/articl...

Abgaryan has said that One Hundred Years of Solitude is her favorite book; however, in the end all traces of Macondo, the fictional location in which its action occurs, are wiped out. In Three Apples, “I wanted to write a story that ends on a note of hope,” she says. “Humanity is in dire need of hope, of kind stories.”

I am very much in the mood for this novel, that includes multi-generational trauma, takes me on that journey with a protagonist who has some years on her, but also ends on a note of hope.

If you plan to join in, let us know.

My apologies, all. It's been a week, with a family mental health crisis demanding all attention I didn't have to give to work. Please excuse the delay.

I started the book yesterday and am on page 41. Some of the events described are difficult to read about, but I am a big fan of Abgaryan's approach to them so far. She shows, but doesn't dwell. Life moves on quickly. If you've known tragedy, you know that the impact lingers. On the other hand, these characters don't have a great deal of time for processing or pondering.

The initial story of Anatolia's parents marriage is one I will not forget, and -- having grabbed my attention with that -- Abgaryan had me.

If you've started, what has intrigued or surprised you or struck you as noteworthy?

This book sounds amazing, I don't know when I will buy but now I know of it I will buy it!

Carol wrote: "If you've started, what has intrigued or surprised you or struck you as noteworthy?..."

I recently finished the book. I won't go into any specifics, but there are a lot of catastrophes that take place.

One thing that struck me and that I found thoroughly refreshing is the villagers' matter-of-fact attitude toward the calamities of life. And goodness knows they've faced a lot of those. It's not that they don't feel or that they don't grieve, but they seem to take things in stride. As you said, they don't dwell on it. It doesn't consume them. They just pick up the pieces and keep on trucking. It's as if they accept there is good and bad in life, so just get on with it.

Even when Anatolia is convinced she is dying, she finishes her chores, makes the necessary preparations for her funeral, and then lies in bed calmly waiting for death.

Tamara wrote: "Carol wrote: "If you've started, what has intrigued or surprised you or struck you as noteworthy?..."

I recently finished the book. I won't go into any specifics, but there are a lot of catastroph..."

For as far as I’ve read: Her preparing for death each evening, then waking up the next day and living through it cracked me up, even amid the serious events presented via flashbacks. We’re you a met fan, Tamara ? I know I could check but I’m avoiding enticing online rabbit holes today :)

Shaneka wrote: "This book sounds amazing, I don't know when I will buy but now I know of it I will buy it!"

Yay!

Carol wrote: "We’re you a met fan, Tamara ?.."

Sorry, Carol. I didn't understand the question.

I listened to this on audiobook earlier this year and loved it. I agree with Tamara about the villagers' outlook on life despite everything they've been through. It sounds like it should be a depressing read but its actually the complete opposite! I'll be interested in hearing what you all think about the positive ending too!

Tamara wrote: "Carol wrote: "We’re you a met fan, Tamara ?.."

Sorry, Carol. I didn't understand the question."

What with the typo, I can understand why. :)

“Net” not “met.” Were you a fan, all things considered?

Yes, I absolutely loved the book! It's so heartwarming and gentle and funny. I loved the strong sense of community where people supported each other through difficult times and celebrated each other's good news. It reminded me a lot of Baba Dunja's Last Love, another community of elderly people who rally to help each other out.

I plan on joining in the discussion sometime next week. I am glad everyone is enjoying so far.

I hope you enjoy it too Kate, I think you will.

I found Anatolia really funny as well Carol. The way she keept getting annoyed at the interruptions to her death were hilarious. It is a great example of what Tamara said about how the villagers take the good and the bad in life as being the natural way of things. They feel sadness from their tradgedies but they accept them. I think the closeness of the community and their shared grief and support of one another is probably a big part of what allows them to pick up and carry on and is something that is sadly missing from modern, city based living

Hannah, yes, I agree.

I was able to get back to Three Apples last evening and one of the things that struck me is that it almost moves too fast. I am generally a reader who prefers action to description, but I almost felt as though each paragraph was a whirlwind of, then this happened, and then this happened, and then... I sometimes want the author to give me a pause, a moment of inactivity, perhaps with some insight, before we rush on to the next anecdote. I may have just been in a mood last evening, but I have a feeling that this raw take is going to impact my review and move it from a full-throated, yes, to a yes, but it would be even better if not for X.

I have started this book now and really enjoying it so far. The writing style sort of reminds me of Latin American magical realism, like Isabel Allende or Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I am looking forward to learning more about Anatolia and her family.

I've been teetering between 4 and 5 stars on this one for a while. When looking at my 5 star reads for the year I've realised that it didn't quite make the cut. I think it worked really well as an audiobook, I really loved the setting, the narration and I could just sit back and let it all whiz past me. I loved the opening section, as I commented on earlier, but then as it moves throgh the stories of other villagers I feel as though it lost something. I found myself getting a little confused between characters and I think the reason for this is what Carol said about it lacking a certain depth. Also, the more I think about it, the more I realise that the ending didn't quite do it for me and took something away from the whole book.

Sometimes I wonder if the type of book I've just finished influences my reaction toward my next read.

Before I read Three Apples Fell from the Sky, I had immersed myself in novels from various parts of the world about civil wars, dictatorships, oppression, and violence. They were good novels but pretty depressing. So I was eager to enjoy something light and wonderful where characters were not tortured or beaten or disappeared.

This book came at a time when I needed to read about characters behaving humanely toward one another, caring for each other, and taking life's misfortunes in stride. I loved the tone, the gentle humor, the abundance of love and support in evidence throughout. And, to be honest, I liked the fact that not a single character suffered from existential angst or showed much depth.

For me, the book was a potent reminder that there is goodness and kindness and love and compassion in this world. There are gentle people out there who care. It was just what I needed after wading knee deep in examples of the cruelty human beings are capable of when dealing with one another.

Not much depth and a flurry of activity in the book? Maybe so. But what a breath of fresh air! I gulped deep breaths and sighed with relief.

Very insightful Tamara! It certainly was a breath of fresh air and I really enjoyed the unique perspective. I'd love to hear what you thought of the ending when everyone's finished :)

I agree 100% that where a book falls in a set of books I read influences how I respond to it, within a certain range. I also am not a fan of books described as inspirational or restoring one's belief in the power of the human spirit and the like, or, on the other hand, grief-filled tales of children living in war-torn areas for which my shorthand is, "I no longer read Holocaust books." Nonetheless, my reading within the middle ground can become a bit bleak. I have had to put this novel down a couple of times to stay on IRL book club schedules, which hasn't served me well. But I relate wholeheartedly to the breath of fresh air description, Hannah, as well.

It's the 29th of the month. Discuss the ending freely. :)