I don’t normally read fantasy. Uprooted was my first attempt in decades to read a book of this genre. It didn’t go very well.

About Uprooted

The setting

The action takes place in a country called Polnya. Polnya is often at war with a country called Rosja (a Polish word for “Russia”). The prince from Polnya is called Marek (a Polish name), the prince from Rosja is called Vasily (a Russian name). In fact, at some point I thought that the Wood, being the big evil which “corrupts” and tortures people, is an allegory for communism.

The characters

There’s a powerful wizard called Dragon who takes a girl from the village every ten years and keeps her in his tower for the period of ten years. Whatever he does to them, the girls don’t want to stay in the village after he lets them go. They move to cities to start new lives.

The main character is Agnieszka who seems to be very simple and talentless until, to Agnieszka’s own surprise, we discover unexpected things about her and start following her adventures.

Good things about the book

The protagonist

As cliché as Agnieszka might be (an ordinary girl who turns out to be not that ordinary), I like her personality. She can be funny, and I like how brave and independent she is. I also like how she grows throughout the story.

The story

I didn’t find the story very beautiful or special, but I’m grateful that it developed and had a logical end.

Visuals

I was completely mesmerised by the images! Gusts of sparkly dust flying up in the air when people make love, soap bubbles carrying voice messages inside, bloodthirsty trees, monstrous cows… How do authors ever come up with such ideas?! Do they practice this skill? This is amazing!

Had the book consisted only of these images, I would have probably loved it. Unfortunately, there were other things too, so…

Let me rant!

Problem solving methods

I got so engrossed by the story when the first disaster had happened! The situation was dire, inescapable! How would the author ever find the way out for her character in a crisis like this? It’s simply impossible! I was so curious, so naive…

Doh!

Fine, I thought. It’s fantasy after all, some magic is bound to happen. As the story progressed, though, I started skipping chunks of the text when problems happened, because I knew how the actions would unfold. My Twitter keeps the memories of my frustration.

The spells

Is it really necessary to devote so much attention to which exactly non-existent words a character uses to solve a problem? Is a reader supposed to care what the character will choose between “abracadabrium” and “bubblegumium”? I honestly don’t know. I didn’t care at all. The words sound silly and the outcome is obvious, anyway.

The character of Dragon

Dragon is always grumpy for the sake of being grumpy. He’s a caricature on grumpiness that makes Shrek or Grinch look deep and sophisticated.

Lethargic description of dramatic situations

I’m not sure if Novik did it on purpose (and why if so), or just failed to convey the tension and dynamism of many dramatic moments. The scenes that are supposed to shock and startle sound monotonous and almost serene. Judge for yourself. (It is a whole paragraph so it can be considered a spoiler although nothing important to the plot is revealed there.)

Somewhere behind me, one of the men sighed deeply — a relieved noise, as though he were setting down a heavy weight. It was loud in the Wood’s silence. I looked around. His scarf had sagged down from his face: it was the friendly young soldier with the broken nose who’d led my horse to water. He reached out with a knife drawn, sharp and bright silver, and he caught the head of the man riding in front of him and cut his throat in a one deep red gash from side to side.

The other soldier died without a sound.

Is it just me or it sounds as captivating as a list of inventory?

Drama cliché

Brave women saving orphaned children and drama queen thoughts after having sex. One word: no.

Final thoughts

I am … confused.

If all fantasy is like that, I don’t want to read it. I outgrew fairytales a long time ago (just for the record, the book is not appropriate for kids because of violence and sex scenes). Theoretically, this is not a bad fantasy book. It got several awards. There are many praising reviews on Goodreads (while I relate more to this negative one). Many bloggers whose opinions I trust also liked this book. There even will be a movie adaptation, produced by Ellen DeGeneres!

Thus, I’m inclined to think that I’m just not compatible with fantasy. Some people from Twitter offered to help me choose a fantasy book that I might enjoy more. That’s why I will give this genre another chance, but not before the spell from this one wears off.

Many people adore Bitter Orange. I won’t say that the adoration is undeserved. I just won’t be one of those people. I did like this book but there were some moments that I liked less. Here’s more about the story.

Spoiler-free synopsis

An American purchases an old English mansion called Lyntons. He’s in the States so he hires two people via mail to assess the estate. One of these people is the protagonist called Frances, an expert on old bridges. Another one is a handsome man called Peter. Frances, Peter and Peter’s wife called Cara move to the mansion to explore the territory. We start discovering their histories, while their relationships develop.

Why Bitter Orange is a very good book

The writing

Sometimes you know the writing is going to be good from the first lines already. That’s how it is with Bitter Orange. It feels like listening to someone who is only slightly aware that you are there and who doesn’t care that you are. The voice is natural but enchanting, and it pulls you into the atmosphere straight away.

Lyntons. Just thinking the word raises the hairs on my arms like a cat that had seen a ghost.

Who wouldn’t want to rewrite their past, if it means it will change their future?

Psychology

The main gem of this book to me is how well it shows the psychological portraits of the characters. They are so multilayered and deep, their behaviour can be analysed and explained as if they were real people. Frances’s inner world is conveyed so well, it’s possible to understand (almost) all her actions, and it’s possible to predict some of the things she would reveal about herself only later in the book.

Four shop people spoke to me with a good morning or a thank you as they handed over my items or change. I like to count these things. More than seven was a good day.

My problem with Bitter Orange

The personalities themselves

I found Frances too spineless. I know this is a story and she just played her role for the book, but I would have loved her to fight harder. As for Peter, I quite despised him for some actions and decisions he made. I find him immoral. I can sympathise with Cara’s state but it’s the same sympathy I would have for a rabid animal. I understand these people. I understand what made them the way they are, but this does not make me like them.

In fact, in order to distract myself from them, I thought more about the barely ever mentioned American who purchased the estate. He just hired a couple of professionals to have a look at his property and what did he get as a result?

The storyline

In the beginning of the book, the story is delivered via inconsequent waves of memories. The effect is perfectly created, but it’s hard to follow what’s going on. Also, the plot doesn’t really progress anywhere for the most part of the book.

The aftertaste

I like some light at the end of bookish tunnels, or ideas so deep they would justify the lack of light. I found neither in this book.

Final thoughts

This is a very good book if you are looking for something dark and atmospheric that explores human mind and relationships.

I’ll soon show you an absolutely stunning book I got. So come back soon, subscribe or just remember where to find me.