Book Review: Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

When I was in second grade, my gifted class took a field trip to see "the treasures of the tsars," a traveling exhibit that showcased the extravagance of the pre-soviet Russian nobility. The exhibit included jewels, carriages, exquisite gowns, and a Faberge egg. I remember being incredibly let down by the egg, but loved everything else. Imagine, a second grader infatuated by old, dusty, Russian artifacts.

Fast forward to my sophomore year of college, and my Russian history professor Dr. Elena Osokina. I loved Dr. Osokina. She probably ranks up there as one of my top ten favourite teachers ever, and she is everything I had ever imagined in a Russian pedagogue. Dr. Osokina taught me about the treasures I saw on my second grade field trip, and what kind of upheaval could make that kind of extravagance obsolete. Imagine, a twenty-one year old college student intrigued and in love with old, dusty, Russian history.

When I heard that Catherynne M. Valente was working on a book set in Soviet Russia and featuring the old folk tales of old, dusty Russia, I about died. I love Valente's writing style, and I love her storytelling. In all honesty, I enjoy seeing how Valente strings her sentences together; they tend to be precise and flowing descriptions that paint the story in beautiful pictures. I forget I'm reading, because the story unfolds in front of my eyes.

Deathless combines the Soviet struggle with the old folk tales of Russia. The story Valente paints is beautiful and heart wrenching; a folk tale mixed with a love story. Deathless combined everything I loved learning about Russia with everything I love about Valente's storytelling. The combination is exquisite. Deathless may very well be Valente's best tale yet.

I'm sure that my both my second grade self, and my twenty-one year old self would love Deathless. However, I'm quite certain my second grade self would have been as confused about the love story as she was about the Faberge egg. Thank you, Ms. Valente for the beautiful story; it was as if you wrote it specifically for me.