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There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby: Scary Fairy Tales

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'There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby: Scary Fairy Tales' by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya is a collection of dark and macabre short stories with surprising twists that delve into the gritty and bleak aspects of Russian life during the Cold War period. The stories are described as having a fairy tale format, with some being more captivating than others. The author's writing style is noted for its quirky and catchy storytelling, often leaving readers with a sense of horror and discomfort, similar to the eerie twists found in episodes of The Twilight Zone.

The book is a mix of fables, horror, and suspense that provide a unique insight into the Soviet psyche, drawing on the author's experiences growing up in post-WWII Soviet Union. The translation of the stories into English is mentioned as a factor that may impact the original edge and beauty of the tales, but the collection is still considered solid and well worth a read for those interested in dark and twisted narratives.

Characters:

The characters are complex and often flawed, facing disturbing circumstances that challenge moral boundaries.

Writing/Prose:

The storytelling is characterized by a dark and quirky style, with smooth translation that sometimes feels different from the original.

Plot/Storyline:

The narratives blend dark humor with eerie themes centered around death and the supernatural, often leaving interpretations open.

Setting:

The settings are often reflective of the gritty realities of life in the Soviet Union, enhancing the dark themes of the stories.

Pacing:

The pacing of the stories varies, with some providing quick, surprising twists while others may feel lacking in clarity.
DURING THE WAR, A COLONEL RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HIS wife. She misses him very much, it said, and won’t he come visit because she’s worried she’ll die without having seen him. The colonel applied for ...

Notes:

The book is a collection of short stories by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya.
The stories often explore themes of death and encounters with the dead or ghosts.
Many tales have a whimsical fairy tale style but contain dark or macabre elements.
The collection won the World Fantasy Award in 2010.
It has been translated into English, which may impact the original style.
Readers have noted that the tales can be ambiguous, leaving open interpretations.
The author offers a gritty portrayal of life in the post-WWII Soviet Union.
The stories are described as having surprising twists that can be shocking.
Many reviewers find the book unsettling but intriguing, akin to a dark version of 'The Twilight Zone'.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The stories contain content warnings such as themes of murder, death, mental illness, and general psychological horror.

From The Publisher:

New York Times Bestseller

Winner of the World Fantasy Award

One of New York magazine ' s 10 Best Books of the Year

One of NPR's 5 Best Works of Foreign Fiction

The celebrated scary fairy tales of Russia's preeminent contemporary fiction writer-the author of the prizewinning memoir about growing up in Stalinist Russia, The Girl from the Metropol Hotel

Vanishings and aparitions, nightmares and twists of fate, mysterious ailments and supernatural interventions haunt these stories by the Russian master Ludmilla Petrushevskaya, heir to the spellbinding tradition of Gogol and Poe. Blending the miraculous with the macabre, and leavened by a mischievous gallows humor, these bewitching tales are like nothing being written in Russia-or anywhere else in the world-today.

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