Example Of Lidiia Chukovskaia: Sofia Petrovna Book Review

How does the style of this novel compare to the Great Novels of the 19th century that you have read? Why might a very transparent, "classical" realist style be well-suited to the subject matter here?
It is a great novel which creates the sense of Tolstoy in Anna Karenina as well as Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. The realist style is suited to the subject matter as there is a lot of socialist realism in the book and the main character has a lot of traits which are quite similar to the classic Romantic novels. 2. If you know anything about Socialist Realism, how does this novel play off that style and worldview to deliver its message to the reader?
Russia in the years post Second World War was a closed up country and the influence of Stalin was all pervasive. The main character is based very much on the distribution of justice and how the poor can be uplifted from their state of apathy and hopelessness. The message that is delivered is that although social justice was important to the leftist policy of Russia, the Communist regime ended up being far more tyrannical than ever.3. If you don't know anything about Socialist Realism, how would you guess this novel is like and unlike it? Another way to ask that question might be: where does the novel seem to reproduce a kitsch-driven view of the world and of reality? Where is Sofia Petrovna surprisingly retrograde in her ideas and tastes, and where have her son's educational efforts brought her up to speed?
Sofia Petrovna is rooted in the past in certain aspects although she is umbued with a lot of kindness and demonstrates empathy and understanding with the poor. However she is retrograde in her ideas and tastes especially how she views peasants as those who need to be cared for and nurtured without thinking much in terms of empowerment accordingly. Her son who was far more open minded due to his university education managed to change Sofia’s mindset accordingly. 4. Our heroine's name, "Sofia," means "wisdom" in Greek (as in the roots of "philosophy," etc.), and thanks to Dostoevsky and others it's one of the more beloved "speaking" names for a female character in Russian literature. How does S. P. stack up vis-a-vis other Sofias (or Sonias) you have read about? -- Does her depiction make her more sophomoric, perhaps?
Sofia is perhaps similar to Anna in Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina although there are also elements of the social justice which goes awry in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and ‘The Idiot’. The sense of tragedy which permeates Russian classical novels and which also is present in some Russian music5. What are the roles of the other young characters in the novel -- the intelligent Natasha, whose more privileged social background has been a black mark ever since her childhood, and who has grown up with a feeling of guilt and unease? S. P.'s clever and enthusiastic young son,
Natasha is very important in the story as she is the sort of antihero ad she brings about a substantial change to Sofia’s views on life. Sonia’s son is also very important as he brings a new perspective to his mother’s life and shows 6. Chukovskaia is about as intellectual as a person can be, and her audience (whether in the Soviet Union or outside it in time and space) is made up of well-educated, thoughtful people. Why would she choose such a mentally and philosophically limited person
Mainly it is due to the fact that Sonia is seen as someone who is a catalyst of change and who can actually bring about that change. Notwithstanding all this, the character does not seem to appeal to the intellectuals who form Chukovskaia’s audience although there is an aspect of the anti hero in Sonia which may bring about an antipathy to the hero.7. Even if you already have a sense of the sort of tragedy that's likely to be coming, the book may lull you into a sense of security. At which point do you realize that you too (like S. P.?) have been "had"? How do we explain that sort of deception to ourselves, and how do the various characters in the book explain it to themselves -- or otherwise make mental and psychological adaptations in order to keep on living? (Or not)
The great depiction of tragedy is intrinsically a part of the Russian culture. The author manages to create a level of suspense which is quite disarming. Perhaps this is disappointing for some characters in the book when they face reality towards the end but 8. A nice topical thought: how does this book compare with more recent works such as The Matrix in raising the question "What is reality?"
Reality is a subjective question and this is demonstrated in the book especially towards the end. Although reality can also mean terrible things, these have to be faced intrinsically and without fear if they are to make one stronger. 9. If writing such a depressing book was half survival therapy and half moral obligation, then what do we gain from reading it? Can tragedy or suffering be morally improving? -- or, if we encounter them, is it our obligation or challenge to redeem them by our learning or increasing wisdom? What is the role of tragedy in human experience (or, on a more limited but also more controllable scale, in the part of human experience where we choose to take a dose of tragedy by reading or viewing something that wounds and upsets us), as opposed to everyday middle-class diligence, or the gifts of grace or unexpected joy?
The sense of catharsis in the book is very rewarding especially when tragedy is encountered. Perhaps this may also mean that one has to suffer to achieve greatness and serenity and this is the main example of the book. Tragedy and suffering can be morally rewarding at the end of the day and nothing is more true than in the Russia of the post 20th century. Chukowskaia had demonstrated that her suffering is replicated in the characters of her book and this shows that suffering is catharsis after all.