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Catherynne M. Valente

Deathless Kindle Edition

by Catherynne M. Valente (Author)

137 ratings

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A glorious retelling of the Russian folktale Marya Morevna and Koschei the Deathless from Catherynne M. Valente, set in a mysterious version of St. Petersburg during the first half of the 20th century

Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century.

Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei's beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Length: 353 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
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Product details

File Size: 478 KB
Print Length: 353 pages
Publisher: Tor Books (March 29, 2011)
Publication Date: March 29, 2011
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B004H1TQGC
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

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Not Enabled

Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported

Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,211 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #780 in Mythology (Kindle Store)
- #642 in Fairy Tales (Kindle Store)
- #462 in Folklore (Kindle Store)

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Kindle Customer

January 2, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I was recommended this novel by multiple friends given my love of fairy/folk tales from varying cultures, and I was not disappointed. I came to read a fairy tale and while the ending was not unexpected, it was satisfying for me. Steeped in Russian folklore, which I only know a small amount of, I found the characters dancing to the tune of the tale enjoyable, saddening, and fascinating all at once. There's comfort in patterns, and while I wish the characters had shown a bit more of their own agency in struggling against what was happening, I understood why they did it. One of the characters mentions that a story must happen, that you must experience it as well as being told it, and at that point I knew there was no getting out of the pattern for poor Marya.

Let me summarize what I enjoyed most about this story:
1. The descriptions. Simple, easy to understand, and easy to imagine what was happening.
2. The characters. The ones I loved the most were Koschei the Deathless himself and how he was portrayed; Baba Yaga and her attitude; and the house domovoi and HER attitude.
3. The fairy tale repetition. The fours and threes and other numbers that are significant in fairy tales.

I recommend this story strongly to anyone who enjoys fairy tales and the inevitability of them.

4 people found this helpful

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Jodie V

There is not always a happy ending...

February 28, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I usually only write reviews for books that have a strong impact on me, be it positive or negative. Although I love Catherynne Valente's writing, this particular book had me going both ways.

Part One, I loved. It drew me in with its prose and magic that all good fairy tales should embody. Part two, on the other hand, had me wanting to throw the book as far as I could. Being that it was on my Kindle, I thought that a bad idea.

Time had passed with no background of what had happened during that time. Characters were introduced as if the reader knew who and what they were. Despite that, I felt drawn to them, but still thoroughly confused.

The third part introduces Ivan, a prominent name in Russian lore, whether he be a fool or a prince. In this case I think that although he was apparently handsome and charming as a prince should always be, he was also quite the fool.

At this point, I went in search of my book of Russian fairy tales to acquaint myself with the tales that this book was based on. I found both tales of Koschei as well as different variations of Ivan. This was very helpful, and I dove back into the book with better understanding. A few things stood out for me. It seem s that in many fairy tales, things happen in three's. There were several instances of this in "Deathless". Three sisters, three birds, three tasks, three wars (not sure about that one) and three lives.

There was war in Leningrad. There was war in Koschei's world. A war in which Viy was winning. There is no war in Viy's world. There, those who have surrendered to death can 'live' anew in peace and suffer no more. Marya finds love with both Ivan and Koschei, but there is not happiness. In both worlds there is destruction and a different type of suffering. There is famine in Leningrad and feasts in Koschei's world. In both there are chains, both real and figurative.

Finishing "Deathless", Catherynne writes of her husband telling her the story of Marya Morevna. I went back to my book of Russian fairy tales and sure enough, there was one about her. Reading that, I could see the mirroring of lore and novel.

I am always in awe of Valente's writing. Her words are lyrical and knowledge immense. I might have only given it three stars if it were not for this, as it was confusing. If it had not been for that, I would have given it five. A book is good if it leaves the reader thinking about it for some time. A book is great if the reader is not only thinking about, but striving to know more.

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Georgiapoet

Enthralling and magical

July 12, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I've read few reworkings of fairy tales as fabulous, in the word's original sense, as this brilliant retelling of Maria Morevna and Koschei the Deathless. The novel reads like an extended dream, with its magical worlds that call into question the definitions of life and death, it's exploration of power and sexuality, and its clever humor. At the same time, the novel is anchored in the Revolution and world wars, with threads that link us to the Siege of Leningrad, murder of the Tsars, purges, and Shostokovich's performance of the Leningrad Symphony. The figures of Russian folklore--the rusalkas, domovoi, firebirds, and (of course) Baba Yaga--make their appearances. But this is above all a love story and the story of Maria's maturation. I can't recommend the novel highly enough.

One person found this helpful

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Voted Quimby

Creative and well-written.

September 13, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't read any Valente (outside of the occasional short story) until I picked up Deathless. Her prose is creative and lyrical, and I appreciated the authenticity of the Russian folklore that served as the foundation of this story. I'm as big a history junkie as I am a sci-fi nerd, so I was very engaged by the early-Soviet backdrop as well.

I can't recommend this tale to people that demand traditional pacing and concrete characterization. This is a subtle piece of work, and if you go into it unfamiliar with Russian folk tales (like I did) you need to be willing to either punch a few names into google or take some of the thematic elements on faith. Either way, I found myself enjoying Deathless, and that was due in large part to the author's exceptional grasp on language and imagery. I'll be sure to find my way to another of her novels soon.

4 people found this helpful

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M.Latek

How can we be free?

August 3, 2012

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I know some people have talked about Deathless as a love story, and while I think the narrative flows in that direction I wouldn't consider Deathless a love story. It's a work, IMO, of philosophy set against the history of Russia.

Most times authors attempt to write this kind of philosophy it ends up coming off as a dry lecture or you feel like you've been beaten over the head. That is not the case here. Valente writes fantasy as mythology, showing us wonders (The Kingdom of Life is gorgeous!) while also showing us what it means to be trapped in a story. Any story, whether it's the bindings of myth or the current of history.

The comparison is apt and mystically done, you are aware of the man behind the curtain but he too is part of the masterful performance, integral to the question of having freedom even in the midst of chains.

How can we be free? It is a question that asks much of us, and we may not get exactly what we want, but as Deathless shows it is worth fighting for even in the darkest of situations.

3 people found this helpful

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