Baba Yaga Laid an Egg

by Dubravka Ugresic, Celia Hawkesworth (Translator), Ellen Elias-Bursac (Translator), Mark Thompson (Translator)

Overview

Baba Yaga is an old hag who lives in a house built on chicken legs and kidnaps small children. She is one of the most pervasive and powerful creatures in all mythology. She appears in many forms: as Pupa, a tricksy, cantankerous old woman who keeps her legs tucked into a huge furry boot; as a trio of mischievous elderly women who embark on the trip of a lifetime to a hotel spa; and as a villainous flock of ravens, black hens and magpies infected with the H5N1 virus. But what story does Baba Yaga have to tell us today?

This is a quizzical tale about one of the most pervasive and powerful creatures in all mythology, and an extraordinary yarn of identity, secrets, storytelling and love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781847673060
Publisher:	Canongate Books
Publication date:	06/14/2022
Series:	Canongate Myths Series , #2
Edition description:	Main
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	649,878
Product dimensions:	5.08(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Dubravka Ugresic was born in 1949 in Yugoslavia. She has published both novels and books of essays. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages and she has received several major European literary awards, including the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, known as the 'American Nobel', in 2016. She was also a finalist for the Man Booker International Prize 2009. She is now based in Amsterdam.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Powerful . . . Majestic . . . Ugresic has created a wise, sharp fairy tale of her own. And like one of those mythic stories, it’s slow to reveal its secrets. Every element has hidden meaning, and repeat readings are rewarded. . . . It’s a work worthy of any crone. And I mean that as a compliment.”—NPR

“Ugresic’s multilayered narratives come together as an exploration of femininity, identity, mortality, and folklore’s wondrous powers.”—Booklist

“Ugresic’s style is eminently readable, and the novel is as ambitious as it is rewarding. . . . Readers unafraid of the fantastic will find many surprising riches in Ugresic’s work.”—Library Journal

“Dubravka Ugresic is one of the most interesting writers working today. Her books are consistently good, even across genres. . . . Her fiction is always enjoyable, surprising, captivating, and envelope-pushing. Baba Yaga Laid an Egg is a perfect example of Ugresic’s fertile imagination. . . . Its exacting descriptions and twisted plot machinations . . . are vintage Ugresic. . . . Comedic . . . Postmodern . . . A novel that defies most novelistic conventions, that doesn’t so much retell the story of Baba Yaga as explode it into several very enjoyable fragments.”—Three Percent

“[A] biting and profound new fairy tale.”—The Week

“[Ugresic’s] instincts as a storyteller are sure. . . . A playful, inventive, and humane look at women and aging.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Ugresic’s postmodern take on myth, femininity, and aging provides a beautifully written window into Slavic literature.”—Publishers Weekly

“Told with her characteristic dark humor and sharp intelligence, if you haven’t been acquainted with Dubravka Ugresic previously, this book is a fine introduction to her manifold talents.”—The Morning News

“Ugresic [possesses a] genuinely humorous intelligence. Her wit is bound by no preconceived purposes, and once the story takes off, a wild freedom of association and adventurous discernment is set in motion.”—World Literature Today

“Ugresic’s work belongs in the tradition in which storytelling is a form of fantasy, play, a non-representational patterning of experience, and a defining activity of social criticism. Secular, acerbic, comic, springing from skepticism, her fiction reflects a return to earlier forms: allegory, parable, fable, aphorism, midrashim or proverbial wisdom literature. . . . A hybrid work, a comic fable in three parts, combining autobiography, travel, memoir, fable, satire, and essay. . . . Ugresic’s approach to myths opposes the archaic view that there is a time-hallowed truth waiting to be unveiled, instead treating the stories as volatile and dynamic . . . attempting to dispel the ill effects, misery, prejudices, and disgust that bedevil female aging.”—London Review of Books

“A mirthlessly witty divertimento on female old age. Ugresic’s meta-narrative sings with intelligence; its cryptic weirdness challenges the reader. . . . A whirligig of outrageous invention.”—The Independent

“Ugresic’s vision of the senile and the displaced, living among the ruins of the post-Communism and Separatism in one of the five fragmented countries of former Yugoslavia, is astutely analytical of Balkan dystopia, beautifully written, dolefully humorous. . . . Here is Margaret Atwood’s dark vision of the speciousness of modern times coexisting comfortably with Molly Keane’s sense of absurdity, against a backdrop of the Balkan surreal out of The Good Soldier Schweik. . . . It is a grown up novel with grown up prepositions; its humane vision of the world is driven by great imaginative impetus.”—Times Literary Supplement

“There’s no better writer to take Baba Yaga on than the brilliantly relentless, sly Dubravka Ugresic—a writer who bites. . . . [Baba Yaga Laid an Egg] moves along with breathtaking clarity . . . [proving that] sexism and ageism and ism-ing in general is a way to deflect the real power of real human beings, to subordinate it to a perverse social order. . . . I don’t think any reader will part with Baba Yaga Laid an Egg without joining, or fearing, the proletarian Hag International, the crazy army of score-settling Baba Yagas. . . . [A] dazzlingly mean work of a great writer.”—Bookslut

“Ugresic’s retelling may be blisteringly postmodern in its execution but at its heart is a human warmth . . . that infuses it with the sweet magic of storytelling.”—Times Saturday Review

“The message that old crones are the product of ‘long-lived, labyrinthine, fertile, profoundly misogynistic but also cathartic work of the imagination’ is expressed with humor, eloquence, and anger.’”—New Statesman

Editorial Reviews

Ugrasic's retelling may be blisteringly postmodern in its execution but at its heart is a human warmth and even a silliness that infuses it with the sweet magic of storytelling.

The Times - Melissa Katsoulis

She is a writer to follow. A writer to be cherished.

Susan Sontag

Ugresic has a unique tone of voice, a madcap wit and a lovely sense of the absurd. Ingenious.

Marina Warner

Ugresic is sharp, funny and unfazed in the face of the little dictators who have torn apart her former country. Orwell would be proud.

Timothy Garton-Ash on THE MINISTRY OF PAIN

The message that old crones are the product of "long-lived, labyrinthine, fertile, profoundly misogynistic but also cathartic work of the imagination" is expressed with humour, eloquence and anger.

New Statesman - Alyssa McDonald

Packed with intellectual surprises and emotional revelations

The Metro - Tina Jackson

Contains some of the most profound reflections on culture, memory and madness you wiill ever read.

Independent - Carole Angier on THE MINISTRY OF PAIN

Expatriate Croatian novelist and essayist Ugresic (Nobody's Home, 2008, etc.) spins contemporary fiction from a popular figure in Slavic folklore. Baba Yaga is a witch who flies through the air in a mortar and lives in a house supported by chicken legs and surrounded by heads on pikes. She is a source of occult knowledge; Day, Sun and Night are her servants. She is, it goes without saying, hideous-withered and skeletal. Although she is usually depicted as a villain, Baba Yaga can also be a benefactor. The author plays with this ambivalence as she weaves the witch into interconnected stories of women living in present-day Eastern Europe. In the first section, a writer describes her relationship with her dying mother. The second portion describes three elderly friends increasingly disturbed by their ancient bodies as they try various spa treatments at a Czech resort. Both stories abound with symbols associated with Baba Yaga, and in the final section a fictional folklorist named Dr. Aba Bagay explicates the preceding narratives in an essay called "Baba Yaga for Beginners." This last bit may sound like trite postmodernism, but Ugresic is far too confident a practitioner to engage in mere posturing. (She's a contender for the 2009 Man Booker International Prize.) Her instincts as a storyteller are sure-the first two sections work just fine on their own-and her scholarly postscript is both interesting and entertaining. This volume makes a nice addition to Grove's The Myths series, which also includes Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad (2005) and Alexander McCall Smith's Dream Angus (2006). A playful, inventive and humane look at women and aging.

Kirkus Reviews

“Powerful . . . Majestic . . . Ugresic has created a wise, sharp fairy tale of her own. And like one of those mythic stories, it’s slow to reveal its secrets. Every element has hidden meaning, and repeat readings are rewarded. . . . It’s a work worthy of any crone. And I mean that as a compliment.”—NPR (Books We Like)

“[A] strange and wonderful book . . . I couldn’t stop reading. . . . Ugresic is affecting and eloquent . . . [and writes] with earthy grace.” —Mary Gaitskill, Bookforum

“Here we find [Ugresic] at her punk-rock best, writing scenes of potent mischief while complicating Baba Yaga’s scary-old-hag image in the process. . . . In prose that manages to be both fairy-tale-like and blunt, [she] details the physical and psychological ravages of age—not only betrayals by the body and the mind, but the social expectation of preserving youthfulness and prolonging life. . . . Ugresic cleverly undermines the myth, arguing that real women are dynamic, infinitely varied—and still dangerous.”—Time Out New York

“[A] biting and profound new fairy tale.”—The Week

“One of the most erudite and skilled contemporary Eastern European writers . . . [Ugresic possesses] a relentless and acute eye for sociocultural detail, a gift for corrosive satire, an effortless command of Europe's literary and philosophical traditions, and a perverse, lighthearted desire to toy with form. . . . Her prose [is] deceptively simple, learned, and emotionally direct. . . . [With] concision, true attentiveness to the resonances between mythic and contemporary history, an autocratically free and skilled hand . . . [Ugresic is a] wise and masterful modern artist who animates, alters, and appropriates to new purpose our distant cultural past.”—The Daily Beast

“Baba Yaga Laid an Egg is a witty, provocative novel about old women, their idiosyncrasies, foibles, and secret powers. A mix of fiction, fantasy, folklore, and memoir . . . told with intelligence, enthusiasm, and sly digs at current cultural customs. . . . Baba Yaga Laid an Egg is a mordant tour de force that keeps the reader chuckling, moved throughout by the poignancy of the characters.”—The Washington Times

“A mirthlessly witty divertimento on female old age. Ugresic’s meta-narrative sings with intelligence; its cryptic weirdness challenges the reader. . . . A whirligig of outrageous invention.”—The Independent

“Ugresic’s style is eminently readable, and the novel is as ambitious as it is rewarding. . . . Readers unafraid of the fantastic will find many surprising riches in Ugresic’s work.”—Library Journal

“There’s no better writer to take Baba Yaga on than the brilliantly relentless, sly Dubravka Ugresic—a writer who bites. . . . [Baba Yaga Laid an Egg] moves along with breathtaking clarity . . . [proving that] sexism and ageism and ism-ing in general is a way to deflect the real power of real human beings, to subordinate it to a perverse social order. . . . I don’t think any reader will part with Baba Yaga Laid an Egg without joining, or fearing, the proletarian Hag International, the crazy army of score-settling Baba Yagas. . . . [A] dazzlingly mean work of a great writer.”—Bookslut

“[Ugresic’s] instincts as a storyteller are sure. . . . A playful, inventive, and humane look at women and aging.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Ugresic’s postmodern take on myth, femininity, and aging provides a beautifully written window into Slavic literature.”—Publishers Weekly

“Told with her characteristic dark humor and sharp intelligence, if you haven’t been acquainted with Dubravka Ugresic previously, this book is a fine introduction to her manifold talents.”—The Morning News

“Ugresic’s multilayered narratives come together as an exploration of femininity, identity, mortality, and folklore’s wondrous powers.”—Booklist

“A mirthlessly witty divertimento on female old age. Ugresic’s meta-narrative sings with intelligence; its cryptic weirdness challenges the reader. . . . A whirligig of outrageous invention.”—The Independent

“The message that old crones are the product of ‘long-lived, labyrinthine, fertile, profoundly misogynistic but also cathartic work of the imagination’ is expressed with humor, eloquence, and anger.”—New Statesman

“Ugresic’s work belongs in the tradition in which storytelling is a form of fantasy, play, a non-representational patterning of experience, and a defining activity of social criticism. Secular, acerbic, comic, springing from skepticism, her fiction reflects a return to earlier forms: allegory, parable, fable, aphorism, midrashim or proverbial wisdom literature. . . . A hybrid work, a comic fable in three parts, combining autobiography, travel, memoir, fable, satire, and essay. . . . Ugresic’s approach to myths opposes the archaic view that there is a time-hallowed truth waiting to be unveiled, instead treating the stories as volatile and dynamic . . . attempting to dispel the ill effects, misery, prejudices, and disgust that bedevil female aging.”—London Review of Books

“Ugresic [possesses a] genuinely humorous intelligence. Her wit is bound by no preconceived purposes, and once the story takes off, a wild freedom of association and adventurous discernment is set in motion.”—World Literature Today

“Ugresic’s retelling may be blisteringly postmodern in its execution but at its heart is a human warmth . . . that infuses it with the sweet magic of storytelling.”—Times Saturday Review (UK)

“Dubravka Ugresic’s tale weaves this Slavic legend . . . in ways that reaffirm the glorious power of storytelling. Spellbinding stuff.”—Metro (UK)

“Ugresic’s vision of the senile and the displaced, living among the ruins of the post-Communism and Separatism in one of the five fragmented countries of former Yugoslavia, is astutely analytical of Balkan dystopia, beautifully written, dolefully humorous. . . . Here is Margaret Atwood’s dark vision of the speciousness of modern times coexisting comfortably with Molly Keane’s sense of absurdity, against a backdrip of the Balkan surreal out of The Good Soldier Schweik. . . . It is a grown up novel with grown up prepositions; its humane vision of the world is driven by great imaginative impetus.”—Times Literary Supplement

“Dubravka Ugresic is one of the most interesting writers working today. Her books are consistently good, even across genres. . . . Her fiction is always enjoyable, surprising, captivating, and envelope-pushing. Baba Yaga Laid an Egg is a perfect example of Ugresic’s fertile imagination. . . . Its exacting descriptions and twisted plot machinations . . . are vintage Ugresic. . . . Comedic . . . Postmodern . . . A novel that defies most novelistic conventions, that doesn’t so much retell the story of Baba Yaga as explode it into several very enjoyable fragments.”—Three Percent (online)

“Imaginative . . . An affecting report on the indignities and blessings of aging, a satiric send up of capitalism in Eastern Europe, and an acerbic investigation into shifting social and mythic perceptions of women and power.”—The Arts Fuse (online)

“Memorable . . . An examination of women’s—particularly older women’s—place in society. It’s a serious point, of course, but playfully made in a tale which joyfully celebrates women and their relationships with each other, and with the world at large.”—Belletrista (online)

“Brilliant . . . [A] wonderful book . . . [Baba Yaga Laid an Egg is] a haunting and moving portrait not just of old age, but also of exile’s deep loneliness. . . . In her wild, fun, and imaginative book, Ugresic turns the myth of Baba Yaga on its head . . . [with an] interpretation [that is] searing and inventive. . . . It’s going on my list for top reads for the year.”—Mostly Fiction Book Reviews (online)

“An affecting report on the indignities and blessings of aging, a satiric send up of capitalism in Eastern Europe, and an acerbic investigation into shifting social and mythic perceptions of women and power.”—The World (online)

From the Publisher