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lbarsk's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written and cleverly told but sad, sad, sad. I wonder if I would feel differently about it if I were reading it during a different time?
applegnreads's review against another edition
4.0
She is a truly amazing author but when the book is over it's sometimes hard to say what the book is about and whether you should cry or celebrate. Nevertheless, always a journey to read one of her books.
katieinca's review against another edition
4.0
A lovely dark & bright read - the Gaiman comparisons make complete sense, the Maguire ones less so, or maybe that's just because I never understood what people liked about [b:Wicked|37442|Wicked The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years, #1)|Gregory Maguire|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1370992578s/37442.jpg|1479280].
Very rich. Plenty to mull over and chew on. It gave me a similar feeling to what I remember from reading [b:Midnight's Children|14836|Midnight's Children|Salman Rushdie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1371063511s/14836.jpg|1024288], because I'm only about 5% more familiar with Slavic history and folklore than I am with Indian. Not having much sense of what's a reference and what's the author's spin is a little disorienting, but at least in this case also great fun.
Very rich. Plenty to mull over and chew on. It gave me a similar feeling to what I remember from reading [b:Midnight's Children|14836|Midnight's Children|Salman Rushdie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1371063511s/14836.jpg|1024288], because I'm only about 5% more familiar with Slavic history and folklore than I am with Indian. Not having much sense of what's a reference and what's the author's spin is a little disorienting, but at least in this case also great fun.
linss's review against another edition
5.0
Complesso, misterioso, ricco di magia e folklore. Una storia che intreccia morte, guerra, amore e potere, che scava all'interno dell'animo umano e del suo rapporto con la Vita stessa.
Un romanzo magistrale, abitato da personaggi grigi e sfaccettati, che concilia perfettamente miti slavi e russi con la Storia russa del primo Novecento.
È subito diventato uno dei miei preferiti.
Un romanzo magistrale, abitato da personaggi grigi e sfaccettati, che concilia perfettamente miti slavi e russi con la Storia russa del primo Novecento.
È subito diventato uno dei miei preferiti.
tarawe's review against another edition
4.0
A really good interpretation and innovation on the Russian folk tale.
charlottehe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I need someone to explain this to me. I will have to reread this. The thing keeping this from being perfect for me is the the purple prose. It serves a purpose, I understand, especially for Valente's fairytale vision, but there were certain points where it went overboard.
Not gonna lie, this was probably top three books I read in 2023. Valente has wild imagination beyond anything I expected. So impressed. This is the book that got me into reading fantasy (besides LOTR). It's a breath of fresh air.
Not gonna lie, this was probably top three books I read in 2023. Valente has wild imagination beyond anything I expected. So impressed. This is the book that got me into reading fantasy (besides LOTR). It's a breath of fresh air.
bibliodefiled's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely adored this book, to the point that I deliberately took too long to read it as I didn't want it to end. The writing is beautiful, with every sentence carrying a sense of morbid whimsy. The author's blend of Soviet Russian history with folklore is stunning and almost effortless. While my knowledge of this history is minuscule and Russian folklore even smaller, Valente's novel makes both of those subjects not only easy to grasp but magical. The details of the setting and character descriptions are unlike anything I have ever read before. If you enjoy Neil Gaiman's works, I would highly recommend Deathless.
swamp_hag's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
renuked's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely gorgeous. A lush, vibrant, deadly tale of love. I knew I would love it the moment I began, although I certainly struggled with certain parts. It is not an easy book, and I completely agree that parts are highly confusing at times. But it draws you in deep and you can't surface for air until you've read every last word.
To be Deathless is to treat with death in every moment. To stave death is not involuntary, like breathing, but a constant tension, like balancing a glass on the head.
This book starts with a well known figure from Russian mythology - Marya Morevna. As a young child, she witnesses something that changes her entire life, she watches a bird fall out of a tree and turn into a man. Once she enters the world of magic, she cannot escape, and so begins her life. She refuses to be blind to the world, and that is when I fell in love with Marya.
If the world is divided into seeing and not seeing, Marya thought, I shall always choose to see.
The story gets more complicated with the arrival of Koschei the Deathless, perhaps the most famous figure of all. He is dark, complicated, manipulative, and intriguing. He is far from a good man, but he and Marya match each other perfectly. After all, Marya is not so good either. She is his equal in every way, and he makes her just as cruel and fierce.
Oh, I will be cruel to you, Marya Morevna. It will stop your breath, how cruel I can be. But you understand, don’t you? You are clever enough. I am a demanding creature. I am selfish and cruel and extremely unreasonable. But I am your servant. When you starve I will feed you; when you are sick I will tend you. I crawl at your feet; for before your love, your kisses, I am debased. For you alone I will be weak.”
From that very quote there, you can also see the language illuminated. This book is flawless in imagery and character portrayal. It's spiraling, delicious, and seductive. My only fault with this is the lack of explanation. This was my first foray into Russian myths, and I'm sure it is the first for many others. I wish there had been a glossary or a brief explanation of certain aspects. The domovie, the leshy, the rusalka. All were creatures I did not understand. There were demons mixed with guns, and strange magical beings - which were magnificent, but initially difficult to comprehend. I wish with all my heart I could give this five starts, but I cannot because it lacked clarification for me. I ended the book with a lot of questions.
The ending was a subdued explosion of glory. I did not realize what an ending it was until some reflection. I did not realize the significance of WWII until I saw the parallels appear. Overall, it was brilliantly thought out and written. I loved the melding of the Russian myths, once I understood them all. The characters were deep and the language was exquisite.
A war story is a black space. On the one side is before and on the other side is after, and what is inside belongs only to the dead.
To be Deathless is to treat with death in every moment. To stave death is not involuntary, like breathing, but a constant tension, like balancing a glass on the head.
This book starts with a well known figure from Russian mythology - Marya Morevna. As a young child, she witnesses something that changes her entire life, she watches a bird fall out of a tree and turn into a man. Once she enters the world of magic, she cannot escape, and so begins her life. She refuses to be blind to the world, and that is when I fell in love with Marya.
If the world is divided into seeing and not seeing, Marya thought, I shall always choose to see.
The story gets more complicated with the arrival of Koschei the Deathless, perhaps the most famous figure of all. He is dark, complicated, manipulative, and intriguing. He is far from a good man, but he and Marya match each other perfectly. After all, Marya is not so good either. She is his equal in every way, and he makes her just as cruel and fierce.
Oh, I will be cruel to you, Marya Morevna. It will stop your breath, how cruel I can be. But you understand, don’t you? You are clever enough. I am a demanding creature. I am selfish and cruel and extremely unreasonable. But I am your servant. When you starve I will feed you; when you are sick I will tend you. I crawl at your feet; for before your love, your kisses, I am debased. For you alone I will be weak.”
From that very quote there, you can also see the language illuminated. This book is flawless in imagery and character portrayal. It's spiraling, delicious, and seductive. My only fault with this is the lack of explanation. This was my first foray into Russian myths, and I'm sure it is the first for many others. I wish there had been a glossary or a brief explanation of certain aspects. The domovie, the leshy, the rusalka. All were creatures I did not understand. There were demons mixed with guns, and strange magical beings - which were magnificent, but initially difficult to comprehend. I wish with all my heart I could give this five starts, but I cannot because it lacked clarification for me. I ended the book with a lot of questions.
The ending was a subdued explosion of glory. I did not realize what an ending it was until some reflection. I did not realize the significance of WWII until I saw the parallels appear. Overall, it was brilliantly thought out and written. I loved the melding of the Russian myths, once I understood them all. The characters were deep and the language was exquisite.
A war story is a black space. On the one side is before and on the other side is after, and what is inside belongs only to the dead.
emk5's review against another edition
mysterious
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
I think I would've liked this book more if I read it in highschool. I was...unimpressed. It was ok? I remember loving Valente's other works (the orphan's tales books and girl who circumnavigated series, which I did read either highschool or early college) but this one was truly kinda flat.