The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (The Winternight Trilogy #1)
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I read this back in the early summer. I listened to the audiobook. I thought maybe it was a retelling of Vasilisa, but it's not that at all. It is however, a wonderful original story that delves deeply into Russian and Slavic folklore in a way that is beautiful, and also deeply unsettling.
I have always loved Winter, since I was a child. This book definitely brings home how winter can be a time of fear and hardship for people. I get that winter can be the enemy in many ways, if one doesn't have shelter, heat, and a food source. But it was a good reminder that its a privilege to have all three things in the coldest times of the year.
One of the things I really liked about this book is it continually makes the reader ask themselves who the real villain of the story is, until one comes to the conclusion that we can all be the villain in some way. In a more philosophical context, our uncontrolled emotions and beliefs (and also how we react to them) can be the enemy/villain: fear, jealousy, loneliness, grief, suspicion, ignorance, intolerance. And the villain we see in others is perhaps in some ways, a dark reflection of ourselves.
The characterization was very good. In a story like this with so many characters, that could be challenging. However, the author did know where and whom to focus on but also didn't ignore the viewpoint of pivotal, if not as prominent characters. Vasya was a great lead character. I loved how strong her sense of self was and her moral compass even in the face of the difficult circumstances it caused her to face. It was disappointing that Anna didn't have the same kind of strength. I think life could have been a lot better and different if she did.
I could read books about Russia all day. Not sure why, but it's always fascinated me. As a lifelong lover of folklore, fairy tales and mythology, I find the mythology of that country and region so enthralling to study and explore. I loved how Arden combined this fictional story filled with Russian history with the deeply held beliefs of the people, and how their faiths-old and new-are integral to who they are.
Some parts were very scary, and unsettling. The author included some elements that I didn't expect for this kind of story, but it totally makes sense for the story and is true to Slavic folklore. I didn't listen to this right before bed, as I usually listen to audiobooks either when I'm commuting to and from work or when I'm cooking. I think this could give a person some nightmares if they listened at bedtime (or maybe it's just me).
I absolutely loved how Vasya could communicate with the spirits (the old spirits/gods? of the region). I really appreciated how each one had a unique characterization and how their way of talking was unique. The narrator, Katherine Gati, was excellent. She has a really good Russian accent. I think she might have narrated Uprooted and Spinning Silver, which I also need to write reviews for.
I really enjoyed this, but it was did take a lot out of me emotionally, if that makes sense. I plan to continue the series, but I think I'll take a break.
I'd recommend this book to fans of Russian folklore in particular.
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