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vivienne11's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
When the author deconstruts the text for you in the literary tradition with which we're familiar, having been trained by English teachers and lit professors, are you to breathe a sigh of relief that the hard work is done? The food pre-chewed and spit directly into your mouth? No, she won't give you that satisfaction, because she's poking fun at both the tradition and the reader who needs this specific critical lens. It isn't mean spirited by any means; it's a postmodernist work that looks at both the text and the reading of it that is seemingly effortless in its complexity and depth. The humour, often dark, shines through as you explore the vagaries of aging and the marginalisation of elderly women who have served their "accepted" purposes of child bearing and rearing. The myth of Baba Yaga is more than metaphor and comes alive in each of the protagonists. You can't escape her if you try and she's coming, just like old age, for all of us.
nerdy_reader's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The ending really pulled this book together for me. It was incredibly self-aware, and I was a big fan of the folklore in general. My suggestion to other readers would be to keep on reading because it’s worth it, in spite of the slowness of the first two narratives and the seeming disconnections.
thestoryowl's review against another edition
2.0
This one was a little strange and hard to follow a long. I got pretty tired of the transition paragraphs and all the flitting between characters got confusing.
kathieboucher's review against another edition
Interesting tongue-in-cheek style of writing, but not interesting enough to propel me to the end.
tani's review against another edition
2.0
Not what I expected, and not particularly enjoyable for me. Glad it's over, though.
sanjastajdohar's review against another edition
5.0
Despite the third part being a bit long (but highly informative about Slavic culture and folklore), the novel is an excellent read, dynamic, with a hint of mystery, but believable, the characters are interesting and complex, the situations regarding getting old and the family and friendship relations easy to read, but deep, I highly recommend it, you can even skip the third, (quasi)encyclopaedic part and read it separately from the novelistic part of the book, but you get a new layer of the novel with that part.
scarletohhara's review against another edition
4.0
More like a 3.5 stars, but since I love the author, her subjects, and I learn from the background of her protagonists , I thought this was a great book.
I gained a little more insight into the split Yugoslavia , their languages and a bit on the myth itself.
I also got interested in the Canongate Myth series and am now looking up other books.
I gained a little more insight into the split Yugoslavia , their languages and a bit on the myth itself.
I also got interested in the Canongate Myth series and am now looking up other books.
adru's review against another edition
5.0
Kõige paremat sorti (vana)naistekas, ajab naerma ja mõtlema ja tahan veel.
boundforinfinity's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I am Baba Yaga, as I too sleep with a sword beneath my head (under my bed).
...
A phenomenal journey of womanhood, discussing the failure of society to recognise the elderly woman's plight against the misogynistic stereotype placed on them. Beautiful short stories interlacing the 'Baba Yaga' character in different manners, just as the author suggests is the case in folklore.
...
A phenomenal journey of womanhood, discussing the failure of society to recognise the elderly woman's plight against the misogynistic stereotype placed on them. Beautiful short stories interlacing the 'Baba Yaga' character in different manners, just as the author suggests is the case in folklore.