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Reading: The Bear and the Nightingale
Dec. 27th, 2017 12:05 pmAs a child, I loved Arthur Ransome, and although the Swallows and Amazons books were my favourite I also had a copy of Old Peter's Russian Tales, which introduced me to Russian fairytales. I was reminded of it reading Katherine Arden's debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale, a historical fantasy set in medieval Russia and particularly inspired by the story of 'Frost', which is one of my favourites.
The Bear and the Nightingale is the story of Vasya, whose father is a wealthy landowner in northern Russia and whose mother, who died when she was born, was the daughter of a prince and a mysterious woman, rumoured to be a witch, who walked out of the forest and captivated the prince's heart. Vasya herself is gifted with the ability to see and talk to the chyerti, the many spirits who inhabit and protect her village and its surroundings. The novel explores the tension between the older beliefs and traditions of making small offerings to the chyerti in return for their protection and the demands of the new religion of Christianity, as well as the difficulties for an intelligent girl growing up in an age where the only options for a woman were to subjugate herself to a husband in marriage or to God by becoming a nun. The threats Vasya faces, both human and supernatural, feel very real, although her human antagonists are subtly and sympathetically presented, never coming across as entirely villainous. The atmosphere of menace and the tension of life in a country with such harsh winters are well-conveyed. It's a lovely, magical book and a perfect winter read, though I did feel that the denouement felt a bit rushed and the hints of a romance to be picked up in future books (this is the first of what I think will be a trilogy) hit rather too many of my Do Not Want buttons.
The Bear and the Nightingale is the story of Vasya, whose father is a wealthy landowner in northern Russia and whose mother, who died when she was born, was the daughter of a prince and a mysterious woman, rumoured to be a witch, who walked out of the forest and captivated the prince's heart. Vasya herself is gifted with the ability to see and talk to the chyerti, the many spirits who inhabit and protect her village and its surroundings. The novel explores the tension between the older beliefs and traditions of making small offerings to the chyerti in return for their protection and the demands of the new religion of Christianity, as well as the difficulties for an intelligent girl growing up in an age where the only options for a woman were to subjugate herself to a husband in marriage or to God by becoming a nun. The threats Vasya faces, both human and supernatural, feel very real, although her human antagonists are subtly and sympathetically presented, never coming across as entirely villainous. The atmosphere of menace and the tension of life in a country with such harsh winters are well-conveyed. It's a lovely, magical book and a perfect winter read, though I did feel that the denouement felt a bit rushed and the hints of a romance to be picked up in future books (this is the first of what I think will be a trilogy) hit rather too many of my Do Not Want buttons.
