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The most astonishing American literary debut of the year.Judy Budnitz might just be the most exciting and unusual literary figure to emerge from the US literary thicket this year.This is a truly strange and striking tale that begins in the deep, and deeply magical, European forest, in the world depicted in Chagall’s paintings and Grimms’ Fairy Tales, and proceeds to tell the story of four generations of women from one fated family.Budnitz builds her book with wit and art somewhere in the gaps between magic realism, family saga and female bildungsroman. She marries great technical skill to quirky humour and dizzying metaphor. She has an uncanny knack for the destabilizing and indelible image, but does not abandon sense for sensibility. She is always readable, albeit strangely so. She might yet be an Americanized heir to the throne left vacant by Angela Carter.
A multi-generational saga unfolds as four women from a single family navigate a world defined by surreal occurrences and ancestral burdens. The narrative traces the lineage of these women, beginning in a forest reminiscent of folklore and moving through the complexities of their interconnected lives. Each protagonist faces the constraints of their environment, where the boundaries between reality and the fantastical are porous and unpredictable. The story employs a shifting, often dreamlike perspective to examine the weight of inheritance and the struggle for individual identity across decades.
This work is frequently noted for its distinct voice and its ability to balance technical precision with a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere. Critics often draw comparisons to the tradition of magical realism, highlighting the author's capacity to create indelible imagery that feels both ancient and contemporary. The narrative style is characterized by its wit and its refusal to adhere to standard linear conventions, which invites readers into a world that is simultaneously familiar and unsettling. The reception suggests that the book serves as a significant entry in the genre, appealing to those who appreciate prose that challenges the boundaries of traditional storytelling.
Page Count:
304
Publication Date:
2000-03-06
Publisher:
Flamingo
ISBN-10:
0002259052
ISBN-13:
9780002259057
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