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tamara_joy's review against another edition
My interest just petered out partway through.
nwhyte's review
3.0
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3363711.html
The basic plot is about an American innocent in Paris in the 1950s who gets mixed up with some ancient Russian witches who have a typical tendency to kill people (and the Russian priest whose life is mixed up with theirs). But the brilliant bit is a plotline about a police detective who is turned into a flea at an early stage of proceedings, and spends most of the rest of the book hopping from place to place gathering information - about the witches but also about his own domestic situation. The adventures of Inspector Vidot are rather glorious, and more colourful than the rest.
The basic plot is about an American innocent in Paris in the 1950s who gets mixed up with some ancient Russian witches who have a typical tendency to kill people (and the Russian priest whose life is mixed up with theirs). But the brilliant bit is a plotline about a police detective who is turned into a flea at an early stage of proceedings, and spends most of the rest of the book hopping from place to place gathering information - about the witches but also about his own domestic situation. The adventures of Inspector Vidot are rather glorious, and more colourful than the rest.
okayniko's review
5.0
So good and fun and consistently surprising, which is a surprise in itself. Such an enjoyable experience.
sallyepp's review
4.0
I decided the descriptor "Kafka-esque" was appropriate when I realized that the detective who was turned into a flea was my favorite character.
aaylajanelle's review against another edition
2.0
For several months now, I have been on a magic-kick. I've been in a huge reading slump but my artwork has been really inspired by witches, so I thought this book might help me get back in it. I was wrong.
First of all, while two of the main characters are technically witches of some sort, there is very little magic in the story. This is much more an extremely bizarre and twisted mystery, murder, and... love ?
My complaints about this book are many: it's overly convoluted, humorless, cynical, and dark. Furthermore, I simply found that it did not hold my attention; every time I picked it up, I felt the desire to go do something else. I didn't really care for any of the characters, and while the writing itself was good enough, at times it dragged to the point of forcing me to skim. Finally, I am personally not a fan of poetry or lyrics in books, so the interspersed witches songs were aggravating.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unless I knew it would be right up their alley.
First of all, while two of the main characters are technically witches of some sort, there is very little magic in the story. This is much more an extremely bizarre and twisted mystery, murder, and... love ?
My complaints about this book are many: it's overly convoluted, humorless, cynical, and dark. Furthermore, I simply found that it did not hold my attention; every time I picked it up, I felt the desire to go do something else. I didn't really care for any of the characters, and while the writing itself was good enough, at times it dragged to the point of forcing me to skim. Finally, I am personally not a fan of poetry or lyrics in books, so the interspersed witches songs were aggravating.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unless I knew it would be right up their alley.
mimima's review
4.0
While there is a literary aspect to [b:The Master and Margarita|117833|The Master and Margarita|Mikhail Bulgakov|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327867963s/117833.jpg|876183] that I am not intending to imply, this book reminded me of it in the way that the absolutely fantastic (in the original sense of the word) intermixes with the mundane, this time in late 1950s Paris. Witches, a police inspector turned into a flea, an American ex-pat who is working for a CIA front, LSD trials, it all mixes into a fast paced, gritty, engaging story.
jmeston's review
3.0
I'm dissatisfied with the ending but I very much enjoyed this visit to post war Paris with the witches. The chicken and the egg may have been my favorite part.
moggmogg's review
3.0
Russian witches and spies in post WWII Paris. Vey interesting and thoughtful --not as good as his (Barlow) first book but I enjoyed it none the less. Adult
rdreading9's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. This is a crazy big & bold novel. Ad men meet the CIA & both succumb to the charms of Russians witches as it all unfolds in Paris!!!!! Who wouldn't love this??? Hahahahhahaha.............. A seriously wild ride with great back story & improbable happenings. And they did it all for LOVE! I'm not sure that the witches songs added that much to the story but at least it didn't derail it and the ghost witches had to be introduced somehow. Highly recommended! Perfect for October & book groups.
abookishtype's review
4.0
Will van Wyck is an ordinary advertising man, working in France around 1960. On the side, he provides reports on various companies to a man who works for the CIA. This is about as much excitement as he can safely handle. When he gets involved with the mysterious Zoya, a woman who will hex you as soon as look at you, and with the chatty, Oliver, who drags Will much farther into the world of espionage than he really wanted. Toby Barlow’s imaginative Babayaga begins with separate plot threads narrated by Will, Zoya, and several other characters, slowly pulling them all together in a climactic and heart-wrenching ending...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.