The Stranger

I read the first three long stories in the Echo series and found them surprisingly bland. The balance of whimsicality and darkness tilted much too far toward cute and atmospheric, and there was a lack of psychological, narrative, and philosophical substance. It's possible that the stories improve after Frei has introduced the characters to readers, but I don't have patience for much more!

(I read the stories in Russian.)

This book is a translation of "Das Fremdling" by a female writer, Svetlana Martynchik, who uses the pseudonym Max Frei both for author and main character of the book. This story --or set of stories-- is about a man from our world, somewhat at a loss to know what to do with himself, who finds a way to a parallel universe, where he has unusual powers he never dreamed of. Completely surreal and fantastic, with an appropriately alien feel to it, It drew me in from the first chapter. The characters are appealing, the stories odd to the point of bizarre (in a good way!). I've had my name on the Amazon waitlist for the translation of the second volume for months and I wish it would hurry up!

I did not finish- apparently, this is a bestseller book across Europe. I don't know if it was the translation, or the book, but I found the book to be insufferable. The sequel of this book (which I will not be reading) has on its cover "Harry Potter Fans Rejoice, this is the book you've been waiting for (or something like this). The problem is, it is nothing like Harry Potter. its more like Sherlock Holmes forms a super hero team and solves problems.

I found the characters insufferable - all ego, no faults. They talk big, they eat big, and they drink big. Which isn't all that bad, except they talk big too. Its the same story over and over and over again.

I did like the socialist aspect of the society. If you are hungry, you can eat at show more any restaurant and the bill sent to the crown. Or if you a convict, you go to prison to be redeemed, not punished. However, with only one woman on the team, and a lack of other woman even from the day to day business, I found the book to be a bit sexist, mostly from exclusion, rather than anything anybody does.

Anyway, the book is due back at the library, and I don't really want to finish it, so it will go unfinished. Maybe it redeems itself as it gets toward the end, but I will never know. show less

I read some reviews that compared The Stranger to a cigarette smoking Harry Potter, and I really believe that sells this story way short. Yes there is magic, and therefore magicians, and yes Harry Potter is a fun read, but really that's where I feel the similarities end. Ok, that and there are people and things with weird names, but let's scratch a little deeper into the surface shall we?

I found than The Stranger is a mix of urban fantasy, Sherlock Holmes and Gulliver's Travels. In many ways it feels like a satire to the genre while still being enjoyable within the genre. People have obnoxious titles like the "Diurnal Backside of the Most Venerable Head", and names like Shurf Lonli-Lokli (the Master Who Snuffs Out Unnecessary Lives), show more but each of the characters and their interactions with each other are absolutely fun to read. Backwards wit and humor pepper the narrative and kept me laughing at loud, or at least smirking on a few occasions. Read more of this review here show less

The Stranger Book One - The Labyrinths of Echo - Max Frei

“The Stranger,” the first book in “The Labyrinths of Echo” series, is comprised of numerous who-dun-it mysteries that are set in a magical new dimension. When Max, the protagonist, leaves his own dimension into Echo he finds himself befriended by a strange Magician named Sir Juffin Hulley, The Most Venerable Head of the Minor Secret Investigative Force. The two men strike up a close friendship after Max is discovered to have magical skills himself. Russian novelist Frei knows how to tell a good story. Every chapter in the book is a new mystery with dark magic running throughout each. From a demon inhabited mirror, to a Grand Magician who is attempting to beat death by show more murdering innocents, to the creation of a New World (alternative city) by a ‘good’ magician, each story is well told and told well.

“The Stranger” is reminiscent of Susanna Clarke’s “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell” and Jasper Fforde’s “Thursday Next” stories but with much more action, “The Stranger” is set in a magical Victorian dream world accessible only via an enchanted trolley. Frei has developed well-rounded, believable characters and places but his real strength is his dialogue and the developing friendships of the characters. I always find it compelling when a new author tells a good story set in an alternative world. Especially when done from a unique and creative angle. This is one of those tales.

Engaging and entertaining this book receives 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

From the book flap:
Max Frei’s novels have been a literary sensation in Russia since their debut in 1996, and have swept the fantasy world over. Presented here in English for the first time, The Stranger will strike a chord with readers of all stripes. Part fantasy, part horror, part philosophy, part dark comedy, the writing is united by a sharp wit and a web of clues that will open up the imagination of every reader.

Max Frei was a twenty-something loser-a big sleeper (that is, during the day; at night he can’t sleep a wink), a hardened smoker, and an uncomplicated glutton and loafer. But then he got lucky. He contacts a parallel world in his dreams, where magic is a daily practice. Once a social outcast, he’s now known in his new world as the “unequalled Sir Max.” He’s a member of the Department of Absolute Order, formed by a species of enchanted secret agents; his job is to solve cases more extravagant and unreal than one could imagine-a journey that will take Max down the winding paths of this strange and unhinged universe.

Note: Max Frei (Russian: Макс Фрай) is the fictional narrator of ten Russian fantasy novels which make up the “The Labyrinths of Echo” series (“Лабиринты Eхо”), as well as several other novels. He is also presented as the author of these and other works, although in an additional twist of fantasy, it has been revealed that Max Frei is actually a pen name of Svetlana Martynchik and Igor Stepin the true creators of this literary icon. show less

I'd read about this book somewhere on the internet, a fantasy novel that sold a couple million copies in Russia (where it was originally published), and was eager to see what the fuss was. I'm afraid I still don't understand the fuss; I thought it was pretty mediocre. Max is loser who would rather sleep than be awake when he is suddenly transported to Echo, and quickly becomes Sir Max, a powerful public figure, with interesting friends, a boss who doesn't mind in the least if he comes late to work, and magic powers. As you can imagine, this is a pretty obvious wish-fulfillment novel, in my opinion - the fact that the author shares the protagonist's name doesn't exactly dispel the notion.

I don't have a problem with some fun show more wish-fulfillment, but Max never seems to be in danger. His job involves hunting down dangerous murderers or magicians, but he never does it alone - his powerful mentor watches over him, or if the mentor can't be there, Max can carry a dangerous assassin type in his pocket, so Max's only job will be to draw the bad guy out and then pull the killer out of his pocket to do the dirty work. And then be praised. There is seemingly nothing a bad guy might do that can't be fixed, so I am never worried about Max or his friends.

The characters were funny, and the world was definitely imaginative. However, I felt the book lacked overall structure. It was more or less episodic - bad guy introduced, protagonists defeat it, end chapter. I was hoping all the episodic threads would eventually come together into a dramatic climax, but I was left disappointed. The last adventure wasn't really any more dramatic or exciting than the first. I suppose the trick to truly enjoying this book is to approach it more as a series of short stories than as a novel. show less

Hmm. Has anyone out there read this in the original Russian? Or any language other than English?
I really hated the way it was written, but I think that might be the fault of the translator.
The story itself was actually kind of charming, in a Gilbert and Sullivan Meet Sam Spade in Oz kind of way.