Olga Grushin
Autor de The Dream Life of Sukhanov
Sobre El Autor
Olga Grushin was born in Moscow, Russia in 1971. She moved to the United States as a teenager. Her first novel, The Dream Life of Sukhanov, won the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award. Her other works include The Line and Forty Rooms. (Bowker Author Biography)
Obras de Olga Grushin
Obras relacionadas
Etiquetado
Conocimiento común
- Fecha de nacimiento
- 1971
- Género
- female
- Nacionalidad
- Russia (birth)
USA (2002) - Lugar de nacimiento
- Moscow, Russia
- Lugares de residencia
- Washington, D.C., USA
Moscow, Russia
Prague, Czech Republic - Educación
- Pushkin Institute for Russian Studies, Moscow
Moscow State University
Emory University - Ocupaciones
- translator
editor
novelist - Premios y honores
- Granta's Best Of Young American Novelists (2007)
Shortlisted for the Orange Award for New Writers - Agente
- Warren Frazier
Miembros
Debates
brenzi's 2013 Reading - Opening Round en 75 Books Challenge for 2013 (enero 2013)
Reseñas
Gosh that was good. When is a fairy tale not a fairy tale? And what happens when the fairy tale ends? What if you thought you were in a fairy tale and it wasn't what you expected? Happily ever after only happens in fairy tales, right? But what happens when that "happily ever after " wears off and you have to face reality. To face your own flaws and problems, to quit hiding behind a fairy tale idea of what the world should be. To discover that maybe it wasn't love but escape or impossible dreams.
On the surface, this is a modern telling of the aftermath of Cinderella’s wedding to Prince Charming, one in which the prince cheats on his young wife, they angrily separate, and she summons a witch to get revenge on him. That may not sound terribly imaginative, but the way Grushin tells the story, blending fantasy with reality and infusing it with psychological insights along the way, makes it an enjoyable read. I loved how she added nuance to all of the characters, showing different sides to the prince, the young woman he marries after an enchanted ball (who is the narrator of the story), her two stepsisters, the fairy godmother, and the wicked witch. I also loved how she cleverly shifted the traditional fairytale setting into the present in a gradual way without ever explaining it, which justified the out of order storytelling that I didn’t care much for initially. The little bits of bawdiness, the humor, and the portrait of the struggle of a marriage that’s not working all kept it entertaining.
I confess that other elements didn’t work as well for me, such as the side story of the two mice and their ancestors who live with them, which I thought didn’t add anything. There were points at which I thought the fantasy aspects sprawled and the reality aspects were repetitive, as there are a lot of randy, adulterous men here. Getting the perspective of an intelligent woman for both the traditional fairy tale and a modern day marriage, the quality of the writing, and not knowing what each new chapter would bring all won me over though. Grushin is a joy to read, and I like the breadth that she shows, with each of her books being unique.… (más)
I confess that other elements didn’t work as well for me, such as the side story of the two mice and their ancestors who live with them, which I thought didn’t add anything. There were points at which I thought the fantasy aspects sprawled and the reality aspects were repetitive, as there are a lot of randy, adulterous men here. Getting the perspective of an intelligent woman for both the traditional fairy tale and a modern day marriage, the quality of the writing, and not knowing what each new chapter would bring all won me over though. Grushin is a joy to read, and I like the breadth that she shows, with each of her books being unique.… (más)
2 
gbill | 7 reseñas más. | Feb 17, 2022 |
gbill | 7 reseñas más. | Feb 17, 2022 | Listas
Premios
También Puede Gustarte
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Estadísticas
- Obras
- 4
- También por
- 2
- Miembros
- 1,140
- Popularidad
- #22,524
- Valoración
- 3.9
- Reseñas
- 86
- ISBNs
- 46
- Idiomas
- 6
- Favorito
- 3
Grushin's novel ultimately raises interesting questions. In a totalitarian society, is it more admirable to stay true to yourself, or to do what you must to provide for those you love? If it is admirable to risk severe hardship for your ideals, does that remain the case when your family shares your fate with you? And what cost can those choices exact?
A very good book, especially if you have an interest in art and Russia.… (más)