In this tour de force, master storyteller Gregory Maguire offers a dazzling novel for fantasy lovers of all ages.
Elena Rudina lives in the impoverished Russian countryside. Her father has been dead for years. One of her brothers has been conscripted into the Tsar’s army, the other taken as a servant in the house of the local landowner. Her mother is dying, slowly, in their tiny cabin. And there is no food. But then a train arrives in the village, a train carrying untold wealth, a cornucopia of food, and a noble family destined to visit the Tsar in Saint Petersburg — a family that includes Ekaterina, a girl of Elena’s age. When the two girls’ lives collide, an adventure is set in motion, an escapade that includes mistaken identity, a monk locked in a tower, a prince traveling incognito, and — in a starring role only Gregory Maguire could have conjured — Baba Yaga, witch of Russian folklore, in her ambulatory house perched on chicken legs.
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29 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
Another Gem from Gregory Maguire!
By E.Swope
I have been a fan of Gregory Maguire's for years and years, ever since I picked up Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked Years). I enjoyed that book so much that I went in search of everything he wrote. While I have enjoyed virtually all of his novels, I was a bit disappointed in the sequels to Wicked which came on the heels of it's success as a novel, play... feeling that while they extended the story line they did so at a cost. They were neither as rich nor original as the other novels.While Egg and Spoon breaks with his tradition of reimagining classic tales it falls within the realm, incorporating classic themes and elements, creating a vivid world built on classic themes and incorporating characters from Russian fairy tales.From the moment you crack the book, starting with his cleverly worded disclaimer, you know that you are in the hands (or are holding in your hands) the work of an artisan writer and story teller.Egg and Spoon is the story of two young girls: Elena and Ekaterina who hail from very different backgrounds. Their lives collide and they accidentally switch places, much like the The Prince And The Pauper (Unabridged And Illustrated) (Did I just say this wasn't based on a classic? ;) )setting off a series of adventures and insights.The novel is masterfully written and like many classics incorporates layers of reference, social, literary and artistic. It is a book of great depth which can be read on many levels. While appropriate for children and adults, his use of language would be a stretch for younger readers. I won't spoil the story by attempting a reconstruction. Read it for yourself! Gregory Maguire is a writer (and reader's) writer. It is a masterfully written story.. In this case the promise of a "literary 'tour de force" (from the book jacket) does not fall short. He is back in form, and fine form it is.Gregory Maguire is the co-founder of the Children's Literature New England, has taught writing and penned upwards of a dozen novels for children and adults. If you enjoyed Wicked, are a fan on fantasy and fairy lore, or just enjoy good writing I would encourage you to read them all. Maguire is fairly unique among modern writers in his ability to create, or recreate classics. They are each a gem in their own way, but Egg and Spoon is simply brilliant, an evolution of years and years of reading and writing. I can not recommend it strongly enough. The most enjoyable book I have read in a long time!
28 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
Worth reading
By Rane
In Egg and Spoon, Gregory Maguire takes a classic tail of mistaken identity and weaves it together with Russian folklore in interesting and unexpected ways. At the center of the story are two young women: a city girl borne of privilege and a country girl suffocating under the weight of poverty and loss. Their paths crisscross and collide as they make their ways through this tale.Maguire gives us several strong female characters throughout this book. Not only do we get two female leads, but we also get a menagerie of interesting women who guide them along their respective paths. Unfortunately, the two leads, while charming and interesting, are rarely ever proactive. They are both pushed and pulled through the story and show little initiative.Meanwhile, Baba Yaga, an old witch written as a secondary character, tends to take over the story and guide the plot more than anyone else. She's charming and intriguing, and it seems Maguire has much more affection for her than his leads. Her arc is poignant and ultimately satisfying: it feels like this story really wants to be about her.While the story has moments of brilliance and some edge-of-your-seat excitement, the plot is a bit muddled and drags through the middle. There are a lot of missed opportunities to develop the two young women, to show them taking control of their lives, and to earn the connections they later have with the ancillary characters. The book cheats a little in this regard, as these characters grow in ways both expected and unexpected, but they never really earn it.Despite its flaws, Egg and Spoon is worth reading. It provides an intriguing introduction to Russian folklore that could spark a reader's interest in other stories. It may, however, lack enough excitement to keep younger readers interested.I would actually rate this around 3.5 stars. There are parts of the book that were so good I couldn't put it down, but it is burdened by a really slow middle where not much happens. The ending also drags a bit.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful.Really wanted to like this book.
By J.Prather
I picked this up and put it down, picked it up, read a few pages and put it down.... I really wanted to like this book. The characters are engaging, and it's obvious that the author has an interesting folklore tale to tell. It's in there somewhere! Baba Yaga, switched circumstances, magical creatures; it's all there and the author presents things with a real sense of whimsy and a charming, old fashioned narrative style. Unfortunately, this book just did not sustain my interest. I'm quitting at page 225 simply because I don't care what happens to anyone. The pacing is so incredibly slow and labored, and the characters are just not compelling enough for me to keep reading.This reads more like an adult novel, and I would be hard pressed to find a 12 year old hanging about that might actually like to read this book. I have no doubt that there will be many readers who will love this novel, but for me, Egg and Spoon just falls flat.
