The Bear and the Nightingale
By Katherine Arden
Published Year : 2017
Page Count : 410 pages
Medium Used : Paperback
Genre : Historical, Mythological Fiction,Fantasy, Russian Folklore, 2024-read .
Rating : 4/5 😃 😎 😀 🤣
This is such a befitting story to get initiated into the fairy tales and folklore of Russia! I felt transported into an alternate universe( a small part of Russia is an entire universe unto itself ) inhabited by small Gods ( living in stables, horses, ovens, forests, water streams and bushes) and demons(Death and his twin brother, One eyed stormbringer). This is the story of demons being mischievous, cunning and immoral in their fight to power which is guarded by ancient Gods/Chyteri that are gradually weakening due to human indifference and advent of new Gods. These chyteri have a friend in a beautiful, wild spirited girl Vasilisa/Vasya who,unknown to herself, also happens to be a witch. Its a beautifully narrated story although I felt here and there, the writing could be more polished and refined. This is Arden's first novel and it kind of enthrals the reader into hitching their horses and journeying to a magical, Narnia-type world. Its brilliant.
Vasya's mother dies giving birth to her. Her grandmother is a witch and her mother is certain that she is renewing the family blood through this child. Vasya has never acted normal. She is too wild, unruly and carefree to be bothered with conventions and girl-like manners. Seven years after her birth, her father marries another woman, Anna, to bring her and her four elder siblings, a caretaker. Anna and Vasya have something in common. They both can see spirits and while Anna screams and runs away, cowering from them out of fear, Vasya befriends them and works for their longevity and benefit. Into this unruffled world, a missionary man, Konstantin, comes and introduces fear of God(Christian). He teaches the need for redemption and atonement to the inhabitants. They stop caring for the old gods chyteri and develop a fear of this new God's wrath and punishment. Anna sort of plays into this equation because she always wanted to become a nun and was infact forced to marry the father. Vasya rejects the notions and realizes what is being done. Her friends and beneficiaries,the chyteri, are growing weak. She does what she can to take care of them but that won't be enough. Eventually, the worst possible demon, the bear, comes to Konstantin and tries to take over the power of God.
How does Vasya, a wild and skittish child, take matters into hand and help the chyteri? What unimaginable horror did she prevent from taking place by her actions? Who else helps her on her journey? Is there a prince to this princess like witch?