A review by rosemaryandrue
The Narrow Cage and Other Modern Fairy Tales by Vasily Eroshenko

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Fairytales as oral traditions bear the stamp of the cultures that tell them; fairytales when written by an individual bear the stamp of culture channelled through that individual, which is a different thing altogether.

There really are some people who lead unusual lives in this world, and discovering a new one is always enjoyable. Half of the reason I decided to read this book is the author's biography - he was a blind Russian Esperantist who lived in Japan and China, and wrote communism-tinged fairytales stamped with his own unique view of the world. The other part is that I have been fascinated by fairytales for a long time, and after studying them in a college course have really enjoyed reading them with more critical eye.

This is a rich collection to mine in that way, with the myriad influences that Eroshenko brings to bear in his writing. His tone is generally ironic and often dark, and yet visible throughout is his hope for a world in which every living thing is respected. While my enjoyment of the stories was uneven, that's probably a matter of taste - I know other readers probably loved stories that I disliked, and vice versa. 

I also really enjoyed the short biography by fairytale scholar Jack Zipes and the essays by Eroshenko that bookend the fairytales - they both help you understand Eroshenko and what he might have been hoping to convey in his fairytales better, as well as being entertaining reading in their own right.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.