Blood Red, Snow White
by Marcus Sedgwick
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"A novel based on the life of children's book author Arthur Ransome, who left his home, his wife, and daughter and fell in love with Russia and a Russian woman and was suspected, by both sides, of being a spy"--Tags
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fulner A not-so-juvenile fiction tale of the Russian Revolution.
Member Reviews
Marcus Sedgwick can draft one hell of a sentence. His gorgeous prose is the kind that makes you want to pause after each sentence just to savor his words, and this is something I do not normally find myself wanting to do. He can make even the most brutal of situations sound almost beautiful. Case in point, the first section of Blood Red Snow White is the story of the Russian Revolution told as a fairy tale – all the way up to the Peoples’ uprising and the imprisonment of Czar Nicholas and his family. His use of allegory lessens the impact of the brutal, cold-blooded shootings done on both sides while ensuring readers understand the two sides and the political machinations flowing around them.
After his fairy tale, Mr. Sedgwick gets show more to the heart of the story, following the young author Arthur Ransome as he tries to perform his job and eke out some semblance of happiness in the violent and chaotic world that is revolutionary Russia. His job as a member of the British press affords him unique access to the leaders of the Revolution and is how he meets his romantic interest. As a young writer, Ransome does not necessarily get to write from the heart for his job but rather report what he thinks his writers want to hear. Given this, it is easy to see how both sides end up thinking that he is on their side. Therein lies the crux of the conflict as he fights to prove himself a loyal British citizen without endangering his life or the life of his Russian girlfriend.
The truly fascinating part of all of this is that Arthur Ransome was a very real historical figure who did all of these things. There is an afterword in the novel that spells out how Mr. Sedgwick became interested in writing about him after learning that his file was recently declassified by the British. Upon learning this information, what once seemed like an entertaining and educational glimpse into the early spy games of what would eventually become the Cold War now seems like a fascinating story of a man who’s life was truly stranger than fiction.
This is the second novel of Mr. Sedgwick’s that I have read, and I remain thoroughly impressed by his writing style and skill. His stories are deceptively simple but underneath are a wealth of complex layers and relationships that brings heightened tension and greater depth to his story and his characters. The historical elements of Blood Red Snow White are chilling in their matter-of-factness while never losing some of that fairy tale whimsy established in the first section of the novel. Overall, it is a highly engaging, entertaining, and beautiful story of one man entangled in a web set in the midst of chaos and his efforts to free himself. show less
After his fairy tale, Mr. Sedgwick gets show more to the heart of the story, following the young author Arthur Ransome as he tries to perform his job and eke out some semblance of happiness in the violent and chaotic world that is revolutionary Russia. His job as a member of the British press affords him unique access to the leaders of the Revolution and is how he meets his romantic interest. As a young writer, Ransome does not necessarily get to write from the heart for his job but rather report what he thinks his writers want to hear. Given this, it is easy to see how both sides end up thinking that he is on their side. Therein lies the crux of the conflict as he fights to prove himself a loyal British citizen without endangering his life or the life of his Russian girlfriend.
The truly fascinating part of all of this is that Arthur Ransome was a very real historical figure who did all of these things. There is an afterword in the novel that spells out how Mr. Sedgwick became interested in writing about him after learning that his file was recently declassified by the British. Upon learning this information, what once seemed like an entertaining and educational glimpse into the early spy games of what would eventually become the Cold War now seems like a fascinating story of a man who’s life was truly stranger than fiction.
This is the second novel of Mr. Sedgwick’s that I have read, and I remain thoroughly impressed by his writing style and skill. His stories are deceptively simple but underneath are a wealth of complex layers and relationships that brings heightened tension and greater depth to his story and his characters. The historical elements of Blood Red Snow White are chilling in their matter-of-factness while never losing some of that fairy tale whimsy established in the first section of the novel. Overall, it is a highly engaging, entertaining, and beautiful story of one man entangled in a web set in the midst of chaos and his efforts to free himself. show less
There has been renewed interest in the beloved children's author Arthur Ransome lately due to the publication of a new biography: The Last Englishman: The Double Life of Arthur Ransome by Roland Chambers. What many people don't know is that years before he wrote the children's classics, including Swallows and Amazons, for which he is so fondly remembered, he lived and worked in Russia at the time of the revolution.
Published in 2007, Marcus Sedgwick's wonderful novel also tackles Ransome's time in Russia. Sedgwick is one of those teen authors whose books are crossover adult reads too, and I can't recommend this one highly enough - it has revolution and politics, spies and intrigue, romance and family drama, all steeped in Russian fairy show more tales.
Stuck in a marriage where he didn't love his wife, Ransome ran away to Russia in 1913, although he regretted having to leave his daughter behind. There he taught himself the language and became a journalist on the Daily News at the start of the Great War. He also covered the 1917 revolutions, and was close to Lenin and Trotsky. There he met the real love of his life, Evgenia, who was Trotsky's personal secretary; they married eventually. He was somewhat sympathetic to the Bolshelvik cause, although remained loyal to his homeland, and this led to MI6 using him through their agent Bruce Lockhart (whose Memoirs of a British Agent - Being an account of the author's early life in many lands and of his official mission to Moscow in 1918 was a bestseller in the 1930s); MI5 also kept tabs on him for years. Ransome's occasional journeys to and from the UK were full of adventure and peril, especially the time the Estonians used him to deliver a secret armistice proposal to Litvinov in Moscow in 1919, where his good reputation with both sides was his life-saver.
It was at the start of his self-imposed exile that he wrote his book Old Peter's Russian Tales: these are full of magical talismans, poor peasant folk on quests, cunning animals, greedy men and wicked stepmothers, and Baba Yaga of course. These moral tales are often dark and many don't have happy endings, but really get into the Russian psyche.
Sedgwick's novelisation is no dry biography. He starts by using the fairy tales to tell the problems of the people, embodied by a great Russian bear spurred into action against the Tsar by two friends arguing in the forest - they are Lenin and Trotsky. This is superb scene-setting, and Ransome wanders into it and instantly falls in love with a woman stirring a pot on a stove in an office ...
'This is what you want,' she said, almost in a whisper.
She nodded at the pot, and Arthur found himself drawn towards her. He looked inside.
'Potatoes,' she murmured, as if it were the most beautiful word in the world. Her eyes lit up and Arthur realised how very hungry he was. He stood no more than a weak moment's decision away from her, and looked into her eyes.
This is what you want.
And that was how the young writer found love, just when he had stopped looking for it.
How can you not be reeled in by the utter romance in those words. Combined with all the derring do of the amateur spy, the author delivers a totally fabulous novel. Swallows and Amazons was his favourite childhood book, and when the National Archives released the files on Ransome, it was a story demanding to be told. Some of the fascinating telegrams from the archives are reproduced in the Appendix. Highly recommended indeed. show less
Published in 2007, Marcus Sedgwick's wonderful novel also tackles Ransome's time in Russia. Sedgwick is one of those teen authors whose books are crossover adult reads too, and I can't recommend this one highly enough - it has revolution and politics, spies and intrigue, romance and family drama, all steeped in Russian fairy show more tales.
Stuck in a marriage where he didn't love his wife, Ransome ran away to Russia in 1913, although he regretted having to leave his daughter behind. There he taught himself the language and became a journalist on the Daily News at the start of the Great War. He also covered the 1917 revolutions, and was close to Lenin and Trotsky. There he met the real love of his life, Evgenia, who was Trotsky's personal secretary; they married eventually. He was somewhat sympathetic to the Bolshelvik cause, although remained loyal to his homeland, and this led to MI6 using him through their agent Bruce Lockhart (whose Memoirs of a British Agent - Being an account of the author's early life in many lands and of his official mission to Moscow in 1918 was a bestseller in the 1930s); MI5 also kept tabs on him for years. Ransome's occasional journeys to and from the UK were full of adventure and peril, especially the time the Estonians used him to deliver a secret armistice proposal to Litvinov in Moscow in 1919, where his good reputation with both sides was his life-saver.
It was at the start of his self-imposed exile that he wrote his book Old Peter's Russian Tales: these are full of magical talismans, poor peasant folk on quests, cunning animals, greedy men and wicked stepmothers, and Baba Yaga of course. These moral tales are often dark and many don't have happy endings, but really get into the Russian psyche.
Sedgwick's novelisation is no dry biography. He starts by using the fairy tales to tell the problems of the people, embodied by a great Russian bear spurred into action against the Tsar by two friends arguing in the forest - they are Lenin and Trotsky. This is superb scene-setting, and Ransome wanders into it and instantly falls in love with a woman stirring a pot on a stove in an office ...
'This is what you want,' she said, almost in a whisper.
She nodded at the pot, and Arthur found himself drawn towards her. He looked inside.
'Potatoes,' she murmured, as if it were the most beautiful word in the world. Her eyes lit up and Arthur realised how very hungry he was. He stood no more than a weak moment's decision away from her, and looked into her eyes.
This is what you want.
And that was how the young writer found love, just when he had stopped looking for it.
How can you not be reeled in by the utter romance in those words. Combined with all the derring do of the amateur spy, the author delivers a totally fabulous novel. Swallows and Amazons was his favourite childhood book, and when the National Archives released the files on Ransome, it was a story demanding to be told. Some of the fascinating telegrams from the archives are reproduced in the Appendix. Highly recommended indeed. show less
Based around the Russian Revolution this centres around a well-known author whom I was amazed to learn was actually involved in the events that occurred – namely Arthur Ransome. Set before he was famous for his novel Swallows and Amazons this book tells of his amazing life and the part he played in this period of history. Ransome was already a writer when he realised he no longer loved his wife, so decided to leave her and his child (who he adored). He travelled to Russia, met a woman called Evgenia and fell in love with her. Then he became involved in espionage and was thought to be a spy or double agent. He had some incredible adventures and was involved in many hair- raising events. I am astounded at learning of Ransome’s show more escapades and found this book absolutely riveting. For me the first part was the best, as it was told in my favourite style of fairytales, but the whole book truly gels together.
Sedgwick tells this historical love story in a fairytale style, which at times read like a memoir of Ransome’s life. He has mixed gothic fairy tales, history, a biography, espionage and romance in a brilliantly seamless manner, which has blended together to make a spellbinding love story. With Blood Red Snow White Sedgwick has written an amazing multi-faceted novel that is sure to be a best seller. show less
Sedgwick tells this historical love story in a fairytale style, which at times read like a memoir of Ransome’s life. He has mixed gothic fairy tales, history, a biography, espionage and romance in a brilliantly seamless manner, which has blended together to make a spellbinding love story. With Blood Red Snow White Sedgwick has written an amazing multi-faceted novel that is sure to be a best seller. show less
Even given the "fictional" nature of Red Blood, Snow White, this should absolutely be required reading for any high school or college course in Russian history. I feel this is Sedgwick at his best. His prose is stunning and soaked in the dark and stormy symbolism of Russia. While reading, I half-expected to look up and see a snowy, cold Muscovite street dotted with Cheka agents and international spies. As a student of Russian history ad culture, I wanted to scribble and underline all over...too bad it is a library book. I guess I will just have to snag a copy for my permanent library. The only reason I subtracted one star from the five that I wanted to give would be the Russo-centric interest. Without a basic understanding of show more Revolutionary Russia, one would be somewhat confused with all of the assumptive name dropping and WWI references. Sedgwick does a relatively good job filling in the gaps, but it could detract from the story and flow. show less
This book was pretty good, but one thing it is not is Juvenile fiction: sex, murder, adultery,orgy, i don't want to expose my young adult to any of that. Thankfully it wasn't too graphic, though the description of the Tsar's sons hemophilia was more than enough to make me queasy and put the book down more than once.
The first part is told like a fairy tale, I'm usually not too big on symbolism, to the point I argued with my hush school English teacher that it didn't exist. Regardless it's quite clear the bear is the Russian people and vlad and Leo are Trotsky and Lenin.
I almost thought that part was actually more interesting than the actual historical fiction part with English author Arthur Ransom and his Russian mistress. I was show more surprised that Ransom returned to England to be with his daughter for a time after the fairy tale told of the foreigner with the briefcase having Russian air in his lungs for the rest of his life.
I still don't understand why he wanted to leave his wife Ivy, and I couldn't imagine my wife making my life so miserable that I would be willing to live thousands of miles from my daughter.
All in all it was a nice quick read before bed a few nights and I would be willing to pick up a couple of the real Ransom's books.
I was disappointed in how little of the actual October revolution there was in almost 300 pages. show less
The first part is told like a fairy tale, I'm usually not too big on symbolism, to the point I argued with my hush school English teacher that it didn't exist. Regardless it's quite clear the bear is the Russian people and vlad and Leo are Trotsky and Lenin.
I almost thought that part was actually more interesting than the actual historical fiction part with English author Arthur Ransom and his Russian mistress. I was show more surprised that Ransom returned to England to be with his daughter for a time after the fairy tale told of the foreigner with the briefcase having Russian air in his lungs for the rest of his life.
I still don't understand why he wanted to leave his wife Ivy, and I couldn't imagine my wife making my life so miserable that I would be willing to live thousands of miles from my daughter.
All in all it was a nice quick read before bed a few nights and I would be willing to pick up a couple of the real Ransom's books.
I was disappointed in how little of the actual October revolution there was in almost 300 pages. show less
'Blood Red, Snow White' is the true story of author and journalist Arthur Ransome retold by Marcus Sedgwick. I'm very interested in Soviet Russia and whilst reading this novel I definitely learnt more about what it was like as an outsider. I also love historical fiction and this book is an honourable edition to the genre. Sedgwick has the most beautiful writing style, the plot flows perfectly as the characters develop. He switches between tenses and point of views giving the reader a good balance of information. This is the sort of book that won't be your favourite but very enjoyable. You will feel towards Arthur as the story develops and eventually will be drawn to reading his book. Overall Sedgwick creates a brilliant atmosphere for show more this true story to be told, a great book all round and definitely worth reading. show less
Decir que este libro me sorprendió, es quedarse corto!, me encantó la portada y pensé que era alguna historia mas sobre blancanieves... Pero me encontré con la Revolución Rusa y me encanto la sorpresa!! Está contado de manera super linda y llevadera desde la vida de un Periodista Ingles que estuvo muy involucrado. A la mitad del libro se me hizo un poco pesado pero logré terminarlo para saber mas o menos como quedaba cada uno. La verdad fue una lectura super interesante y educativa.
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Author Information
58+ Works 7,580 Members
Marcus Sedgwick was born in East Kent, England. He is primarily a young adult author. His books include She Is Not Invisible, White Crow, Revolver, and The Ghosts of Heaven. He won the 2014 Michael L. Printz Award for Midwinterblood. His first adult novel, A Love Like Blood, was published in 2014. (Bowker Author Biography)
Awards and Honors
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Was inspired by
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Blood Red, Snow White
- Original title
- Blood Red, Snow White
- Original publication date
- 2007
- People/Characters
- Arthur Ransome; Evgenia Petrovna Ransome; Vladimir Lenin; R. H. Bruce Lockhart; Tabitha Ransome; Leon Trotsky (show all 7); Ivy Constance Walker
- Important places
- Moscow, Russia; St. Petersburg, Russia; United Kingdom; Sweden; Estonia
- Important events
- Russian Revolution
- Epigraph
- 'Russian fairyland is quite different. Under my windows the wavelets of the Volkhov are beating quietly in the dusk. A gold light burns on a timber raft floating down the river. Beyond the river in the blue midsummer twilight... (show all) are the broad Russian plain and the distant forest. Somewhere in the great forest of trees – a forest so big that the forests of England are little woods beside it – is the hut where old Peter sits at night and tells these stories to his grandchildren.'
From Old Peter's Russian Tales by Arthur Ransome - Dedication
- For Alice
- First words
- The years slip away.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)We found a way.
- Blurbers
- Taylor, Jennifer; Newman, John; Hope, Jake; Kean, Danuta; Craig, Amanda; Womack, Philip (show all 13); Tucker, Nicholas; Hall, Dinah; Jones, Nicolette; Vyvyan, Venetia; Lovegrove, James; Murphy, Thomas; Berry, Rebecca
- Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 823.92
- Canonical LCC
- PZ7.S4484 B
- Disambiguation notice
- Author could be Marcus Sedgwick OR Diane Henry OR someone else
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 431
- Popularity
- 71,451
- Reviews
- 19
- Rating
- (3.70)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 12
- ASINs
- 4
