Egg and Spoon
by Gregory Maguire
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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 show more 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.. show less
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Sometimes Gregory Maguire does things with fairy tales that I don't really appreciate. He's kind of hit or miss for me.
In this case, he weaves a wonderful, enthralling tale that is Russian to the core and perfect in its balance between story and fable, magic and awful, starving reality. Also, I'm a sucker for Baba Yaga's chicken-legged house and I find his use of it an utter delight. It's a prince and the pauper story, a Vasilisa the Brave story, a Firebird and marvels story. Mostly, though, it's a story about young people learning empathy, with some salty and hilarious commentary from our cannibal friend, Baba Yaga. Not to be missed.
In this case, he weaves a wonderful, enthralling tale that is Russian to the core and perfect in its balance between story and fable, magic and awful, starving reality. Also, I'm a sucker for Baba Yaga's chicken-legged house and I find his use of it an utter delight. It's a prince and the pauper story, a Vasilisa the Brave story, a Firebird and marvels story. Mostly, though, it's a story about young people learning empathy, with some salty and hilarious commentary from our cannibal friend, Baba Yaga. Not to be missed.
‘’Your life story is really about how the hands of history caught you up, played with you, and you with them. History plays for keeps; individuals play for time.’’
Prepare for a journey in the mystical land of Russia in the era of the Tsars. A land of fairy tales and magical creatures. A land of mortifying antitheses, where wealth and poverty walk hand in hand. This is a journey through the vastness of a country unlike any other in the world, through the misty forests to the opulent courts of Saint Petersburg. Our guides are two unique girls and none other than Baba Yaga herself.
''That's all that poor people own; the truth.''
Elena is a peasant girl in Miersk. She decides to go to the capital and ask a favour from the Tsar. To show more return her brother to her and her grievously ill mother. One day, a locomotive arrives and Elena meets Ekaterina, the daughter of an aristocratic family. After a strange game of Fate, the girls find themselves in opposite sides as Elena is heading to St. Petersburg and Cat meets Baba Yaga. Noone can predict the end of this peculiar adventure as the girls need to fight their way through deceit, secrets, injustice, poor choices with the myths of their homeland as their source of wisdom.
''...all birds cast shadows on bright days. Except for one. The Firebird, bright soul of all the Russias, casts no shadow.''
Maguire weaves the story of the two girls with the myths of the Russian culture, one of the richest in the world. The focus is on the matryoshka doll and the Firebird, the symbol of light and life, the everlasting hope and wealth, the symbol of a mythical world that is so different from the bleak reality experienced by people like Elena. Baba Yaga tries to explain that the Firebird is so much more than a mythical figure carved on a fancy Fabergé egg. It is the soul and essence of the nation and ''the soul of Russia is sickly,'' as she says because she can see that soon the result of starvation, toil and oppression will lead to chaos, blood and another form of tyranny. The Firebird will not be able to fly anymore. The bullets of madmen and the wrath of people forced into a life of humiliation will destroy its wings.
''It is unseemly for a young woman to express opinions.''
What may be read as a fairytale hides much deeper themes and implications in its pages. A young woman should be educated and be paraded like an exotic bird in front of her wealthy suitors. God forbid if she has opinions. God forbid twice if she has the nerve to express them. In this sense, Ekaterina is as poor as Elena. Hardly interesting to her own parents, she is abandoned in a school that will prepare her to be a well-mannered lady of the upper society but her mind seeks so much more. Not fully able to escape the prejudices of her upbringing, she is a captive of her class as much as Elena. They both need to look at the world through the eyes of the Other in order to understand it and to understand their abilities as individuals.
Maguire's writing is as good as the characters he created. The novel is rich in beautiful descriptions of the impossibly wealthy Russian court along with images of the Russian nature. We witness the life in the palace in contrast to the life in the village and the commentary on social and historical issues from the magnificent character of Baba Yaga, the jewel and the driving force of the novel. Maguire has the chance to include interesting anachronisms though Baba Yaga and the narration becomes much more exciting. You never know the aces and the quotes this lovely old lady has up her sleeve. Through humor, Baba Yaga (and Maguire) focuses on the saddest of observations which become even more solemn and poignant. If the reader is well aware of the history of the county, the suffering described strikes you immediately. Maguire avoids any stereotypes or propaganda. He writes in an honest, kind, objective manner, fully respecting the cultural heritage of Russia.
You know me, I don't place age labels on the books I read. Egg and Spoon is a marvelous book whether you are 15, 25, 45 or 105. A good book means exactly that, a book that will entertain you and carry you away no matter your age and this novel will appeal to those of us who know a lot about Russian myths and history and to the ones who would like to get a taste of one of the richest traditions of our world.
''In the black waters of the Neva River, she could still see the flotilla of liberated matryoshka dolls. Among them, paying little mind, paddled the severe vessel of Dumb Doma, carrying Miss Yaga into some private Russia, a Russia of secret coordinates, Away from those distresses.''
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com show less
Prepare for a journey in the mystical land of Russia in the era of the Tsars. A land of fairy tales and magical creatures. A land of mortifying antitheses, where wealth and poverty walk hand in hand. This is a journey through the vastness of a country unlike any other in the world, through the misty forests to the opulent courts of Saint Petersburg. Our guides are two unique girls and none other than Baba Yaga herself.
''That's all that poor people own; the truth.''
Elena is a peasant girl in Miersk. She decides to go to the capital and ask a favour from the Tsar. To show more return her brother to her and her grievously ill mother. One day, a locomotive arrives and Elena meets Ekaterina, the daughter of an aristocratic family. After a strange game of Fate, the girls find themselves in opposite sides as Elena is heading to St. Petersburg and Cat meets Baba Yaga. Noone can predict the end of this peculiar adventure as the girls need to fight their way through deceit, secrets, injustice, poor choices with the myths of their homeland as their source of wisdom.
''...all birds cast shadows on bright days. Except for one. The Firebird, bright soul of all the Russias, casts no shadow.''
Maguire weaves the story of the two girls with the myths of the Russian culture, one of the richest in the world. The focus is on the matryoshka doll and the Firebird, the symbol of light and life, the everlasting hope and wealth, the symbol of a mythical world that is so different from the bleak reality experienced by people like Elena. Baba Yaga tries to explain that the Firebird is so much more than a mythical figure carved on a fancy Fabergé egg. It is the soul and essence of the nation and ''the soul of Russia is sickly,'' as she says because she can see that soon the result of starvation, toil and oppression will lead to chaos, blood and another form of tyranny. The Firebird will not be able to fly anymore. The bullets of madmen and the wrath of people forced into a life of humiliation will destroy its wings.
''It is unseemly for a young woman to express opinions.''
What may be read as a fairytale hides much deeper themes and implications in its pages. A young woman should be educated and be paraded like an exotic bird in front of her wealthy suitors. God forbid if she has opinions. God forbid twice if she has the nerve to express them. In this sense, Ekaterina is as poor as Elena. Hardly interesting to her own parents, she is abandoned in a school that will prepare her to be a well-mannered lady of the upper society but her mind seeks so much more. Not fully able to escape the prejudices of her upbringing, she is a captive of her class as much as Elena. They both need to look at the world through the eyes of the Other in order to understand it and to understand their abilities as individuals.
Maguire's writing is as good as the characters he created. The novel is rich in beautiful descriptions of the impossibly wealthy Russian court along with images of the Russian nature. We witness the life in the palace in contrast to the life in the village and the commentary on social and historical issues from the magnificent character of Baba Yaga, the jewel and the driving force of the novel. Maguire has the chance to include interesting anachronisms though Baba Yaga and the narration becomes much more exciting. You never know the aces and the quotes this lovely old lady has up her sleeve. Through humor, Baba Yaga (and Maguire) focuses on the saddest of observations which become even more solemn and poignant. If the reader is well aware of the history of the county, the suffering described strikes you immediately. Maguire avoids any stereotypes or propaganda. He writes in an honest, kind, objective manner, fully respecting the cultural heritage of Russia.
You know me, I don't place age labels on the books I read. Egg and Spoon is a marvelous book whether you are 15, 25, 45 or 105. A good book means exactly that, a book that will entertain you and carry you away no matter your age and this novel will appeal to those of us who know a lot about Russian myths and history and to the ones who would like to get a taste of one of the richest traditions of our world.
''In the black waters of the Neva River, she could still see the flotilla of liberated matryoshka dolls. Among them, paying little mind, paddled the severe vessel of Dumb Doma, carrying Miss Yaga into some private Russia, a Russia of secret coordinates, Away from those distresses.''
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com show less
ARC provided by NetGalley
Elena Rudina has a hard life. She lives in the impoverished Russian countryside, her father has been dead for a number of years, one brother has been forced into the Tsar’s army, the other is a servant, and her mother is slowly dying. And there is no more food. But then...a train arrives. A train carrying wealth beyond wealth, a cornucopia of food, and a noble family on their way to visit the Tsar in Saint Petersburg and two worlds collide and an adventure begins. With an appearance or two by Baba Yaga as well of course.
I’ve been of Maguire’s book since I first picked up Wicked, so I was excited to see this new book come along from him. And I liked it...for the most part. The characters are interesting, show more and I mean you have Baba Yaga as a character. Seriously, how could you get better than that? She’s snarky and snippy and sarcastic and just kinda of fun. And even though this type of story has been told before, prince and pauper, Maguire adds some fun to it and adds in magic and, well just has a good time with making sure that we don’t know who to root for, because we want to root for both.
But...it is a bit long of a book at almost 500 pages and Maguire tended to waffle a bit too much in some place, and drag on in others a bit too much. It made me think a bit of some other modern series where the story needed just a wee bit more editing to keep the pace tight and the story interesting for readers.
All in all though, its still a solid book and enjoyable. I’d recommend it for teen up and give it 4 out of 5 stars. show less
Elena Rudina has a hard life. She lives in the impoverished Russian countryside, her father has been dead for a number of years, one brother has been forced into the Tsar’s army, the other is a servant, and her mother is slowly dying. And there is no more food. But then...a train arrives. A train carrying wealth beyond wealth, a cornucopia of food, and a noble family on their way to visit the Tsar in Saint Petersburg and two worlds collide and an adventure begins. With an appearance or two by Baba Yaga as well of course.
I’ve been of Maguire’s book since I first picked up Wicked, so I was excited to see this new book come along from him. And I liked it...for the most part. The characters are interesting, show more and I mean you have Baba Yaga as a character. Seriously, how could you get better than that? She’s snarky and snippy and sarcastic and just kinda of fun. And even though this type of story has been told before, prince and pauper, Maguire adds some fun to it and adds in magic and, well just has a good time with making sure that we don’t know who to root for, because we want to root for both.
But...it is a bit long of a book at almost 500 pages and Maguire tended to waffle a bit too much in some place, and drag on in others a bit too much. It made me think a bit of some other modern series where the story needed just a wee bit more editing to keep the pace tight and the story interesting for readers.
All in all though, its still a solid book and enjoyable. I’d recommend it for teen up and give it 4 out of 5 stars. show less
Can what we want change who we are?
Have patience and you will see.
Set in the tsarist Russia of the late 18th or early 19th century, Egg & Spoon is an enchanting mix of historical fiction and magical folklore, featuring switched and mistaken identities, adventurous quests, the witch Baba Yaga, and of course, an egg.
Narrator Michael Page is at his best as the self-proclaimed “unreliable scribe,” who tells the tale from his tower prison cell, claiming to have seen it all through his one blind eye. In a fashion similar to that of Scheherazade, spinning 1001 "Tales of the Arabian Nights," our narrator weaves fantastical stories together and wraps us in their spell.
Ekaterina and Elena are two young girls - one privileged, one peasant - show more yet so alike that their very lives can be exchanged. Page creates voices so similar that one can believe the subterfuge, yet the voices are also distinct - a necessity in a book written to respect the reader's (or listener's) ability to discern the flow of conversation without the constant insertion of "he said/she said."
One girl finds herself en route to see the tsar, a captive guest of the haughty and imperious Aunt Sophia on a train to St. Petersburg. The other finds herself a captive guest of the witch, Baba Yaga, and her curious home that walks on chicken legs. As Baba Yaga, Page is as wildly unpredictable as the witch herself, chortling, cackling, menacing, mothering.
Michael Page is wonderful. He brings each of author Gregory Maguire's many characters to life with a distinct voice. He never falls out of character, and his pacing is perfect - measured to keep the listener from being overwhelmed by the story's intricate plot.
Grand and magical, Egg & Spoon is a metaphoric epic for readers from twelve to adult.
More @ http://shelf-employed.blogspot.com/2014/09/egg-spoon-audio-book-review.html show less
Have patience and you will see.
Set in the tsarist Russia of the late 18th or early 19th century, Egg & Spoon is an enchanting mix of historical fiction and magical folklore, featuring switched and mistaken identities, adventurous quests, the witch Baba Yaga, and of course, an egg.
Narrator Michael Page is at his best as the self-proclaimed “unreliable scribe,” who tells the tale from his tower prison cell, claiming to have seen it all through his one blind eye. In a fashion similar to that of Scheherazade, spinning 1001 "Tales of the Arabian Nights," our narrator weaves fantastical stories together and wraps us in their spell.
Ekaterina and Elena are two young girls - one privileged, one peasant - show more yet so alike that their very lives can be exchanged. Page creates voices so similar that one can believe the subterfuge, yet the voices are also distinct - a necessity in a book written to respect the reader's (or listener's) ability to discern the flow of conversation without the constant insertion of "he said/she said."
One girl finds herself en route to see the tsar, a captive guest of the haughty and imperious Aunt Sophia on a train to St. Petersburg. The other finds herself a captive guest of the witch, Baba Yaga, and her curious home that walks on chicken legs. As Baba Yaga, Page is as wildly unpredictable as the witch herself, chortling, cackling, menacing, mothering.
Michael Page is wonderful. He brings each of author Gregory Maguire's many characters to life with a distinct voice. He never falls out of character, and his pacing is perfect - measured to keep the listener from being overwhelmed by the story's intricate plot.
Grand and magical, Egg & Spoon is a metaphoric epic for readers from twelve to adult.
More @ http://shelf-employed.blogspot.com/2014/09/egg-spoon-audio-book-review.html show less
Set in the last years of the Russian monarchy, Egg and Spoon is a fanciful mix of history, folklore, philosophy, childhood fantasy, silliness, and very clever writing.
In a rural village, peasant Elena cares for her sick mother, scouring the desolate countryside for food, while mourning the loss of her dead father and her two brothers who have been pressed into service. Cat (born Ekaterina), a wealthy Russian girl leaves her London boarding school to go to St. Petersburg where she will meet (and possibly catch the eye of ) the godson of the Tsar. Cat's train must wait for repairs near Elena's village, and the two girls meet. When Cat shows Elena a Faberge egg intended as a gift for the Tsar, an accident happens that causes the girls to show more trade places, setting them on a string of unlikely adventures and eventually on a quest to save the firebird, Russia and the entire world. The story includes a vast array of incredible characters including (but not limited to) Baba Yaga, the witch from Russian folktale; Zmey-Azdaja, the ice dragon; Dumb Doma, a house with legs; Anton, the tsar's godson; a magical cat named Mewster; a collection of oversized matryoshka dolls; and our insightful narrator, an imprisoned monk who, like Scheherazade, tells this story in parts, in the hope of saving his life.
By turns ridiculously silly and deeply profound, Egg and Spoon is an utter delight. Elena and Cat perform magnificently, both as examples of social class and as individual personalities. The two wend their ways through a magical, bizarre, and funny Russian wonderland. In the end, Maguire drops a serious message in a light-hearted manner: saving the world is something everyone can do, and it isn't as hard as it might seem. Highly Recommended. show less
In a rural village, peasant Elena cares for her sick mother, scouring the desolate countryside for food, while mourning the loss of her dead father and her two brothers who have been pressed into service. Cat (born Ekaterina), a wealthy Russian girl leaves her London boarding school to go to St. Petersburg where she will meet (and possibly catch the eye of ) the godson of the Tsar. Cat's train must wait for repairs near Elena's village, and the two girls meet. When Cat shows Elena a Faberge egg intended as a gift for the Tsar, an accident happens that causes the girls to show more trade places, setting them on a string of unlikely adventures and eventually on a quest to save the firebird, Russia and the entire world. The story includes a vast array of incredible characters including (but not limited to) Baba Yaga, the witch from Russian folktale; Zmey-Azdaja, the ice dragon; Dumb Doma, a house with legs; Anton, the tsar's godson; a magical cat named Mewster; a collection of oversized matryoshka dolls; and our insightful narrator, an imprisoned monk who, like Scheherazade, tells this story in parts, in the hope of saving his life.
By turns ridiculously silly and deeply profound, Egg and Spoon is an utter delight. Elena and Cat perform magnificently, both as examples of social class and as individual personalities. The two wend their ways through a magical, bizarre, and funny Russian wonderland. In the end, Maguire drops a serious message in a light-hearted manner: saving the world is something everyone can do, and it isn't as hard as it might seem. Highly Recommended. show less
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Library Thing Early Reviewers and Candlewick Press!*
This book was SO MUCH FUN! I haven’t been on a good adventure in ages, and that’s exactly what this book was: pure, unadulterated adventure.
I tend to forget how much I enjoy Gregory Maguire’s writing and then I pick up another one of his books and have my mind blown all over again. He just has this way of spinning fairy tales that is absolutely amazing!
There are so many things that I loved about this book! I loved the rich descriptions, the awesome narration, and the witty dialog. I loved Elena’s determination, Ekaterina’s transformation, and the Parent Trap swap that gets the whole party started. I show more loved the Russian folklore: the Matroyoshka, the Firebird, and the Ice Dragon. I loved Mewster the smart-mouthed kitten and Dumb Doma the house with giant chicken legs and a mind of its own. And Baba Yaga. I loved Baba Yaga SO MUCH!
Egg & Spoon is an extremely well crafted tale full of quirky characters, gorgeous imagery, and beaucoup imagination. In it you’ll find princes and paupers, folklore and fairy tales, magic and morals, and a ton of just plain fun. I mean, what more could you ask for? show less
This book was SO MUCH FUN! I haven’t been on a good adventure in ages, and that’s exactly what this book was: pure, unadulterated adventure.
I tend to forget how much I enjoy Gregory Maguire’s writing and then I pick up another one of his books and have my mind blown all over again. He just has this way of spinning fairy tales that is absolutely amazing!
There are so many things that I loved about this book! I loved the rich descriptions, the awesome narration, and the witty dialog. I loved Elena’s determination, Ekaterina’s transformation, and the Parent Trap swap that gets the whole party started. I show more loved the Russian folklore: the Matroyoshka, the Firebird, and the Ice Dragon. I loved Mewster the smart-mouthed kitten and Dumb Doma the house with giant chicken legs and a mind of its own. And Baba Yaga. I loved Baba Yaga SO MUCH!
Egg & Spoon is an extremely well crafted tale full of quirky characters, gorgeous imagery, and beaucoup imagination. In it you’ll find princes and paupers, folklore and fairy tales, magic and morals, and a ton of just plain fun. I mean, what more could you ask for? show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.As an older adult I found some things in this book tedious, though I expect a child would be very happy to go with the flow as something interestingly magical is happening most of the time. There are a host of sly references to other books, and I'm sure children will delight at the ones they recognize and come back with a smile as they discover new ones during their reading life.
As an adult, I was very pleased to find real adult characters who take responsibility for the children that fate places in their care. Maguire uses the example of these adults to good effect to make the ending of the story meaningful.
If you have a twelve-year old in your life who likes fairy tales, I recommend introducing them to this book. I think they'll enjoy show more it much more than I did as a jaded adult. show less
As an adult, I was very pleased to find real adult characters who take responsibility for the children that fate places in their care. Maguire uses the example of these adults to good effect to make the ending of the story meaningful.
If you have a twelve-year old in your life who likes fairy tales, I recommend introducing them to this book. I think they'll enjoy show more it much more than I did as a jaded adult. show less
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Author Information
67+ Works 80,205 Members
Gregory Maguire was born June 9, 1954 in Albany, New York. He received a B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany and a Ph.D. in English and American literature from Tufts University. He is a founder and co-director of Children's Literature New England, Incorporated, a non-profit educational charity established in 1987. He writes for show more both adults and children. His first book, The Lighting Time, was published in 1978. His adult works include Wicked, Confessions of and Ugly Stepsister, Lost, Mirror Mirror, Son of a Witch, and A Lion Among Men. The Broadway play Wicked is based on his book of the same title. His children's books include the picture book Crabby Cratchitt, the novel The Good Liar, and the Hamlet Chronicles series. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Awards
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Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2014-09-09
- People/Characters
- Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia; Baba Yaga; Elena Rudina; Ekaterina Ivanovna de Robichaux; Mewster (Cat); Peter Petrovich Penkin (show all 15); Jane Bristol; Monsieur d'Amboise; Sophia Borisovna Orlova; Anton Antonovich Romanov; Uri Metchik; Grandmother Onna; Myandash; Žmey-Aždaja (Dragon); Nikolai Žmey-Aždajaovich
- Important places
- Miersk, Russia; St. Petersburg, Russia; Arctic Circle
- Epigraph
- Society . . . has taken upon itself the general arrangement of the whole system of spoons.
-- Charles Dickens, Bleak House
Tell Polly she shall have half my egg.
-- Jane Gardam, "The Tribute"
"The eggs -- the eggs are teaching the hen," the count said through happy tears . . .
-- Leo Tolstoi, War and Peace, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (ending epigraph) - Dedication
- For
Maureen Casey
and
Brian O'Shaughnessy
In memory and honor of Maurice Sendak (ending dedication) - First words
- The heels of military boots, striking marble floors, made a sound like thrown stones.
- Quotations
- "That's all that most of us who are not Tsars or witches can manage to do," added Monsieur de'Amboise. "Take care of the one at hand. Here's your scarf."
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)It is the light you see in the faces of children.
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, Tween, Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult
- DDC/MDS
- 813.6 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 2000-
- LCC
- PZ7 .M2762 .E — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 835
- Popularity
- 32,792
- Reviews
- 47
- Rating
- (3.65)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 19
- ASINs
- 6
