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3.5 

The Man Who Spoke Snakish

By Andrus Kivirähk
The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus Kivirähk digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

The runaway Estonian bestseller tells the imaginative and moving story of a boy tasked with preserving ancient traditions in the face of modernity.
 
Set in a fantastical version of medieval Estonia, The Man Who Spoke Snakish follows a young boy, Leemet, who lives with his hunter-gatherer family in the forest and is the last speaker of the ancient tongue of snakish, a language that allows its speakers to command all animals. But the forest is gradually emptying as more and more people leave to settle in villages, where they break their backs tilling the land to grow wheat for their “bread” (which Leemet has been told tastes horrible) and where they pray to a god very different from the spirits worshipped in the forest’s sacred grove. With lothario bears who wordlessly seduce women, a giant louse with a penchant for swimming, a legendary flying frog, and a young charismatic viper named Ints, The Man Who Spoke Snakish is a totally inventive novel for readers of David Mitchell, Sjón, and Terry Pratchett.

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70 Reviews

3.5
“preservation of ancient traditions in the face of modern and colonialist structures. a bit strange and a bit far fetched but also sad. read around the world: estonia”
Expressionless Face“Honestly, this book has a really interesting commentary on the impact of cultural tradition and the pull to assimilate. However, it was so incredibly boring and long that it made it insufferable.”

About Andrus Kivirähk

Andrus Kivirahk is one of Estonia's most highly regarded contemporary writers. A journalist by profession, he is known for his satirical newspaper columns and his bestselling novels. A popular board game has been created on the basis of his novel "The Man Who Spoke Snakish," which is his first book ever to appear in English. He lives in Tallinn, Estonia. Christopher Moseley is a translator of Estonian and Latvian. He teaches at University College London and is Treasurer of the Foundation for Endangered Languages.

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