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Baba Yaga Laid An Egg (1983)

by Dubravka Ugrešić(Favorite Author)

3.62 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1847670660 (ISBN13: 9781847670663)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Canongate Books

series

Canongate Myths

review 1: This was my third book in the "World Cup of Literature," hailing from Croatia. So far, this has been my favorite selection. I liked this 3-part book. The first section, told from the point of view of a writer about her aging mother was quirky and interesting. The second section about the mother and her friends who go to a spa for some R &R was also humorous. It did this weird "couplet" thing at the end of each section however, that I found more distracting than useful. Perhaps these parts were lost in translation on me? The third section, was a bit dry but that was it's function. The narrator goes in to the history of the Baba Yaga myth and then analyzes them against the previous two sections. There was so much information to glean that the narrator couldn't possibly sh... moreare it all, and the reader couldn't possibly take it all in. What I did like about the section was the narration regarding the Baba Yaga myth in its relation to our misogynistic culture. To be honest, I wasn't even on those thought lines until she brought it up, but I found myself going along with the narrator. All in all, a decent read, and so far winning this World Cup in my book. On to America's Selection.
review 2: I don't know... I think that this book, a triptychs on Baba Yaga was hard work. The first story about an author and her ageing mother was interesting, but I felt slightly disconnected from them and their experiences. This is perhaps due to my age, the translation or cultural barriers. This disconnection was exacerbated in the second story, about three women who are at a spa/hotel together. I did not really understand much of what was happening, much as I tried. The author weaves Baba Yaga mythology into all her characters here, and I found myself puzzling over the significance of actions and archetypes. This removed me from the flow of the story, which led me back into confusion. I believe that this is what the author wanted as the last story is a barrage of facts pertaining to Baba Yaga throughout different countries, and analysis of the myths as explored in the first two stories. It is a lot of information and I had to scan through, presumably to the delight of the author. She states at the end " You had fiendish folklore coming out of your ears. You were given an overdose, I know". It's all for a purpose, and ties together at the end, but I think I am not the target audience with this book. I may try again in a few years, as it seems to be adored by critics, but I don't get it yet. less

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