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ameve2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emmacatereads's review
4.0
Read this for research on a short story I’m writing. Brutal and symbolic and strangely lovely. In the same scandi-germanic vein of frightful magic as Hans Christen Anderson and the Brother’s Grimm. I remember being haunted by a picture book of one of the Baba Yaga stories as a youth.
alyssa_tauber's review
5.0
With 626 pages worth of fairy tales, this is not a book for the casual fairy tale reader, but for those interested in seeing the different variations and getting a more in-depth look at Russian fairy tales, this book is good to pick up.
doriastories's review
4.0
Beautiful collection of Russian fairy tales, recounted in traditional style and adorned with evocative black and white illustrations. The narratives in this collection are almost entirely fairy tales, meaning that they mostly have to do with magic and fantasy, albeit in Russian style: travel to magical kingdoms to fight dragons, the rescue of princesses, colloquies with talking fish and impossible tasks set by Baba Yaga.
Women often suffer at the hands of men in these stories, particularly the women who rebel against the spouses assigned to them. Princesses are often clever, but rarely able to effect their own individual agency; when they do, they are usually ruthlessly punished. There is no proto-feminist ethos to be found among these pages. The tales are drawn as if from a vault from the past, untouched by contemporary values or imagery. There is a raw, rough quality in evidence, despite the elevated tone and language which many of them affect.
There is a fair amount of stylistic and motivic repetition from tale to tale, as honored formulas are passed down and scrupulously - or ritually - respected. It is in the dialogue portion of the stories where the distinctively Russian character of the narratives is made to shine. There is an acerbic, almost clipped quality to most of the exchanges, despite the obligatory use of repeated phrases, all subtly underscored by a sort of wry, mocking humor. When a hapless or witless hero is assigned an impossible task, he generally resorts to drink, tears and prayer - not always in that order. His mother or wife or companion (there is always one of these) next assures our Ivan (the stock name for Russian heroes) that things will improve in the morning, and this is invariably found to be the case.
The response to adversity is often a shrug, followed by a swig of vodka. Things generally work out for Ivan, but usually only after a great deal of long travel and repetitive tasks; whereupon the unnamed narrator reminds the listener that it's been a while since his last drink. The formula is set, yet the style is satisfying.
Women often suffer at the hands of men in these stories, particularly the women who rebel against the spouses assigned to them. Princesses are often clever, but rarely able to effect their own individual agency; when they do, they are usually ruthlessly punished. There is no proto-feminist ethos to be found among these pages. The tales are drawn as if from a vault from the past, untouched by contemporary values or imagery. There is a raw, rough quality in evidence, despite the elevated tone and language which many of them affect.
There is a fair amount of stylistic and motivic repetition from tale to tale, as honored formulas are passed down and scrupulously - or ritually - respected. It is in the dialogue portion of the stories where the distinctively Russian character of the narratives is made to shine. There is an acerbic, almost clipped quality to most of the exchanges, despite the obligatory use of repeated phrases, all subtly underscored by a sort of wry, mocking humor. When a hapless or witless hero is assigned an impossible task, he generally resorts to drink, tears and prayer - not always in that order. His mother or wife or companion (there is always one of these) next assures our Ivan (the stock name for Russian heroes) that things will improve in the morning, and this is invariably found to be the case.
The response to adversity is often a shrug, followed by a swig of vodka. Things generally work out for Ivan, but usually only after a great deal of long travel and repetitive tasks; whereupon the unnamed narrator reminds the listener that it's been a while since his last drink. The formula is set, yet the style is satisfying.
ember9273's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
inept_scholar's review
4.0
The sweet mysterious appeal of fairy tales still remains with me even in adulthood. Of course as a historian in training, it would be more reasonable to see these tales as expressions of the rich oral traditions of close knit communities in a premodern world. But the interest in fantastic tales of heroism, sorcery, monsters and strange lands remains eternally etched in our memories irrespective of time and place.
Even when reading more than 600 Russian folk tales (collected by Alexander Afanasyev in mid-nineteenth century), one is still drawn to its strange sense of moralities and imaginings. To encounter contrasting figures like Baba Yaga and Saint Nicholas within the same volume of stories, is to perceive popular stories as an amalgamation of the new and the old. Ideas are borrowed, incorporated and transformed in these narratives and what we finally get cannot simply be termed an authentic Russian fairy tale in any sense. The only thing that does seem relatable is the vicarious appeal of these stories that can easily transport any reader to the magical worlds inhabited by Firebirds and twelve-headed dragons, beautiful princesses like Elena the Fair and cunning heroes like Ivan the Simpleton.
Even when reading more than 600 Russian folk tales (collected by Alexander Afanasyev in mid-nineteenth century), one is still drawn to its strange sense of moralities and imaginings. To encounter contrasting figures like Baba Yaga and Saint Nicholas within the same volume of stories, is to perceive popular stories as an amalgamation of the new and the old. Ideas are borrowed, incorporated and transformed in these narratives and what we finally get cannot simply be termed an authentic Russian fairy tale in any sense. The only thing that does seem relatable is the vicarious appeal of these stories that can easily transport any reader to the magical worlds inhabited by Firebirds and twelve-headed dragons, beautiful princesses like Elena the Fair and cunning heroes like Ivan the Simpleton.
bmurray153's review
2.0
I'll admit that I have not read Afanasyev's collection in its entirety, but more than enough to get the gist of the work. It's a collection. Some stories will be good. Other's will be bad. Some of my favorites were ones that echoed traditional western fairy tales like Cinderella and Snow White as well as ones that were distinctly Russian. It's not something I would ever read for enjoyment. Most of these stories feel quick, bland, and unmemorable. It is a great document as a representation of Russian culture. But besides academic interests, it's not really worth the time to go through the entire thing. I believe there to be far more interesting and memorable collections out there.
dhrutigopaluni's review
3.0
Definitely a bit dark, but that's to be expected from the original versions of any fairy tales. I did enjoy reading these, but much like Grimms' stories and the like, there are not too many types and they get repetitive.
airmedw's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0