** spoiler alert **
This fairytale!!!
It's sheer perfection.
My brain keeps repeating, 'brilliant, brilliant, brilliant,' over and over and over again, almost in a cadence. I could hardly stand to put it down and when I was "forced" to do so, I couldn't wait until I could pick it back up again. It brought to mind a memory from 2nd grade, when my teacher would select a book & read out loud to us for about 20 minutes each day. It would take a long time to finish reading a story in such short blocks of time (even age appropriate ones,) but I can tell you, it was the favorite part of my day. I was imagining reading 'Spinning Silver' in that fashion and how desperate I would be to get to the storytime part of the day. It's so enthralling (even to an adult) I can almost see how children would be round-eyed with wonder listening to it. I very likely was myself, had I checked a mirror!
Besides being a fantastical fairytale, I think it could also be considered a fable?? Right?? There were so many lessons woven into the fabric of the stories. I LOVED that the book revolved primarily around the lives of three young women. All about the same age and each with their own challenges. What was particularly elevating about them, was that none of the girls fell victim to the roles that seemed carved out for them by circumstance of birth. They each took stock of their positions and set out to improve them. They didn't resort to their beauty, tears, playing helpless or seek an easy way out ~ rather they used their brains & cognitive abilities! Outstanding!!! On top of that, they were courageous to boot. Bravo Naomi Novik, for conjuring role models all females can look up to! They took risks that would sometimes find me holding my breath ~ but then expelling it in the next instant with triumph and/or relief.
Miryem, Wanda & Irina's stories start separately but had fascinating intersections. Each builds & unfolds until the "crescendo point" when you realize all three of them are going to converge on the same city & the same house, at the same time. With the connections they've all forged and the goals they had in mind, it was an absolute riveting read to watch them work together to rid themselves of themen mythical creatures that held them "captive." Then after they've done so, to find it was not as satisfying as planned.
I thought it was genius to slowly unfurl the various sides of the Winter King & Tsar & teach the reader all is not as first appears ~ another lesson. My feelings evolved about both of them as more and more of their character was revealed. The ending of the book ~ simply 'sigh-worthy.' The Staryk King won more than one heart by the final page ~ he collected all of ours as well.
'Spinning Silver' is one of those books that could have been twice as long had the author wished to expound even further on some of the contents. The little cottage that was in both worlds a perfect example. I found myself wanting to know more about how that was possible & the witch that lived there/built it.
Noteworthy to mention: I thought the Jewish culture was beautifully represented. I was surprised by how much it was an integral part of the book. I'm not Jewish but I can appreciate the positive representation especially when (thinking of the recent synagogue shooting) it's a Faith that can't seem to escape persecution.
Now that I'm finished, I'm a bit sad I didn't have the discipline to pace myself more slowly. It's always my dilemma ~ getting utterly caught up in a book & racing thru to the ending only to lament not languishing longer in those wonderful worlds when I'm done. Fairytales are a particular weakness of mine but the fairytales I've had the pleasure of reading this year are rich beyond anything I ever read as a child. Naomi Novik truly has a superb gift ~ I hope she has more of these marvelous "yarns" to pluck from her exceptional imagination ~ because I want to keep escaping into their fantastic depths.
This fairytale!!!
It's sheer perfection.
My brain keeps repeating, 'brilliant, brilliant, brilliant,' over and over and over again, almost in a cadence. I could hardly stand to put it down and when I was "forced" to do so, I couldn't wait until I could pick it back up again. It brought to mind a memory from 2nd grade, when my teacher would select a book & read out loud to us for about 20 minutes each day. It would take a long time to finish reading a story in such short blocks of time (even age appropriate ones,) but I can tell you, it was the favorite part of my day. I was imagining reading 'Spinning Silver' in that fashion and how desperate I would be to get to the storytime part of the day. It's so enthralling (even to an adult) I can almost see how children would be round-eyed with wonder listening to it. I very likely was myself, had I checked a mirror!
Besides being a fantastical fairytale, I think it could also be considered a fable?? Right?? There were so many lessons woven into the fabric of the stories. I LOVED that the book revolved primarily around the lives of three young women. All about the same age and each with their own challenges. What was particularly elevating about them, was that none of the girls fell victim to the roles that seemed carved out for them by circumstance of birth. They each took stock of their positions and set out to improve them. They didn't resort to their beauty, tears, playing helpless or seek an easy way out ~ rather they used their brains & cognitive abilities! Outstanding!!! On top of that, they were courageous to boot. Bravo Naomi Novik, for conjuring role models all females can look up to! They took risks that would sometimes find me holding my breath ~ but then expelling it in the next instant with triumph and/or relief.
Miryem, Wanda & Irina's stories start separately but had fascinating intersections. Each builds & unfolds until the "crescendo point" when you realize all three of them are going to converge on the same city & the same house, at the same time. With the connections they've all forged and the goals they had in mind, it was an absolute riveting read to watch them work together to rid themselves of the
I thought it was genius to slowly unfurl the various sides of the Winter King & Tsar & teach the reader all is not as first appears ~ another lesson. My feelings evolved about both of them as more and more of their character was revealed. The ending of the book ~ simply 'sigh-worthy.' The Staryk King won more than one heart by the final page ~ he collected all of ours as well.
'Spinning Silver' is one of those books that could have been twice as long had the author wished to expound even further on some of the contents. The little cottage that was in both worlds a perfect example. I found myself wanting to know more about how that was possible & the witch that lived there/built it.
Noteworthy to mention: I thought the Jewish culture was beautifully represented. I was surprised by how much it was an integral part of the book. I'm not Jewish but I can appreciate the positive representation especially when (thinking of the recent synagogue shooting) it's a Faith that can't seem to escape persecution.
Now that I'm finished, I'm a bit sad I didn't have the discipline to pace myself more slowly. It's always my dilemma ~ getting utterly caught up in a book & racing thru to the ending only to lament not languishing longer in those wonderful worlds when I'm done. Fairytales are a particular weakness of mine but the fairytales I've had the pleasure of reading this year are rich beyond anything I ever read as a child. Naomi Novik truly has a superb gift ~ I hope she has more of these marvelous "yarns" to pluck from her exceptional imagination ~ because I want to keep escaping into their fantastic depths.
