And a lot of the boundaries of the powers of both Vasya and the various spirits is clouded in ambiguity.īut overall, the book is well worth a read. Some aspects of the story are not as well developed as I would have liked, leaving me with some big question marks as far as the world-building goes for example, the concept of how the “binding” of the spirit works is fairly murky. The character development is a little flat and the resolution of the book kind of comes out of nowhere and wasn’t entirely satisfying. The slightly dark and fanciful plot moves quickly, making for an imaginative and enchanting ride. She also has a subtle playfulness in her storytelling, small bits of humor, that give it some charm. “I think you should be careful, Batyushka, that God does not speak in the voice of your own wishing.”Īs for the other aspects of the novel, Arden’s writing has an even, soothing and easily moving cadence to it that makes the book particularly readable. I found her exploration of Russian pagan and Christian beliefs fascinating and unique, and I’d go as far as to say that this book is worth reading for that alone. I was fascinated by the tensions inherent in such a system, as well as the notion of a complicated magical world interacting so subtly with the real one.” ![]() In an interview, Arden describes some of the background research that shaped the story, “Slavic paganism never really disappeared from the Russian countryside after the arrival of Christianity rather they coexisted, with some friction, for centuries. It’s mostly sold as a “book based on folklore” (which it is), but even people who generally aren’t folklore-fantasy readers can enjoy and appreciate the cultural and historical aspects of this story. I actually think the book could have been marketed to a wider audience. ![]() From the rusalka (a mermaid or water nymph-like creatures) to the domovoi (which are similar to house elves) and even upyrs (Russian vampires of lore) - the story is littered with the trappings of uniquely Russian folklore, lending it extra color, character and vibrancy.Īnd while Arden’s novel is unabashedly fantastical in nature, it also covers the much more grounded topic of the clash between pagan and Christian beliefs in feudal Russia. The Bear in a Nightingale is a book firmly rooted in its cultural heritage. Scene from the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Dvorak’s Rusalka Book Review When Vasya’s powers begin to materialize, she realizes she will have to rely on them to protect their village, even as her beliefs clash with those around her. However, when she is older, a young Christian priest (known as a Batyushka) comes to town to take over the ministry of the small village around the time that her father marries a woman who deeply fears the old beliefs. Vasya grows up on tales and of the old Russian gods and folkloric creatures. Her mother dies when she is young, but her mother believes that Vasya will grow up to be like her grandmother, a woman was said to have had witch-like powers and who was married to a Grand Prince. Her father is a boyar, lord of their village as well as several surrounding villages. Vasya and her family live in a small forested village, Lesnaya Zemlya, to the north of Moscow. The Bear and the Nightingale takes place in medieval Russia with Czars and Grand Princes, lords and boyars (feudal Russian aristocracy) roaming about the land. Plot Summaryįor the Detailed Plot Summary, click here or scroll all the way down. which is not bad, but is certainly worse, right? The first one unfortunately is harder to find nowadays but the second one you can get pretty easily. ![]() And the last one is what’s available in U.S. The first one is the original beautiful cover, which was replaced by the second one, which is lovely as well, though not my favorite.
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