Review of "Tales for Alyonushka," by D. Mamin-Sibiryak

 Review of

Tales for Alyonushka, by D. Mamin-Sibiryak

Four out of five stars

Russian fairy tales for an American readership

 This book was printed in the USSR in 1978 by Progress Publishers. The purpose was to make Soviet stories and books available to an American audience. The premise is that writer Dimitry Mamin-Sibiryak has a daughter Alyonushka and she will not go to sleep until her dad tells her a story. They are generally modifications of classic Russian fairy tales and none of those modifications appear to have been done to appeal to an American audience. Therefore, they retain their distinctive Russian format.

 As is traditional in Russia, there is a great deal about the harshness of the winter and the great awakening and rebirth when spring arrives. Most of the stories feature animals behaving in a manner similar to that of humans. They exhibit emotions, posturing and self-centeredness that are all too human. For example, in the story, “The Last of the Flies,” the common flies believe that everything is done for them. In the summer, when the humans open the windows, they believe that it is done so that they can fly in and out of the house.

 While these stories can be enjoyed by all, it will help a bit if the reader has some familiarity with the Russian climate and culture.