A review by ruben_franz
The Adventures Of Strong Vanya by Otfried Preußler

adventurous hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Disclaimer: Reviewer is not a native speaker.

Who would lie down on a stove for seven years, eating only sunflower seeds (and obviously not drinking anything, but you can't start at every little logic stumble in fairy tales, or you'll never finish) and not talk, just because an old man said so in a dream, with the beckoning reward of a kingdom (Or Tsardom, in this case)?

Vanya would. 

From my perspective, that sounds like a lot of trust and a lot of commitment. To be fair, he knows pretty early on that the remedy works, so it's really more the perseverance that impresses me. Who would just have a good time doing that and be properly lazy so you can actually go out and have a whole bunch of adventures afterwards? 

Vanya would.

And I'm damn glad he would, because they are enjoyable, fairy tale-referencing, yet never too dark adventures that he has. Yes, if you've read many fairy tales, especially Russian ones, you'll be surprised by few of the twists. Yes, you can see the small arcs of tension that Preußler sometimes spans very vividly. Yes, many characters remain stencil-like and somewhat pale, especially in the last part of the book.

Much yes.

Can you still have fun with the adventures, with their little rewards that are always worth something in the end? Can one rejoice in the good nature of the hero and some of his companions? Can you respect how quickly Preußler can create characters that you like, even though they have their weaknesses?

Even more yes.

Vanya is not the smartest, he is not the most diligent (hell ho), nor is he the most complex hero imaginable. He is strong (wonder oh, wonder) and more importantly for a fairy tale setting, he has his heart in the right place and shares his food with poor people. He's entertaining and helpful, and sometimes those are the best companions when you're on the road. Add to that a purposefully set goal, so you're moving towards something, but not constantly kept from chilling a bit. And then there's Mischa Holzbein....

But then that would really be a spoiler, and I do want more people to read the book, not less.

The Adventures of Strong Vanya is a children's book, like everything Otfried Preußler has written. On the scale of rather childlike (The little witch) to rather adolescent (Krabat), this book is in my opinion further in the direction of Krabat, but gets by with somewhat less dark elements and is somewhat more read-aloud-friendly than the latter due to the episodic narrative.

A clear recommendation for all those who can relate to Preußler and his friendly characters and his fairy tale approach. Also a recommendation as children's and youth literature in general and for reading aloud. Not a recommendation for someone who only wants to read "new" stories. There is nothing "new" in The Adventures of Strong Vanya. But it is entertaining and appealingly told. A real fairy tale book.