Enchantment - Orson Scott Card Book Review

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"Enchantment"
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Review Summary

This retelling of the classic story of Sleeping Beauty is certainly not for children. It begins with the hero Ivan, born in Ukraine, learning for the first time that he is Jewish. Once communism has ended Ivan's parents decide to move to America. Before they leave, Ivan goes to visit some relatives in the country. While playing in the woods he sees a beautiful woman asleep. Scared, the young Ivan runs away.

Years later, Ivan is an American citizen writing his doctoral thesis on russian fairy tales. He returns to Ukraine for research and stays with his relatives. While taking a walk one day, Ivan sees the young woman asleep again. Impulsively he kisses her and she awakes. She introduces herself as Princess Katerina and she insists that they are in great danger.

She brings a confused Ivan home with her, explaining along the way that she had been put under a spell by the witch Baba-Yaga, a stock figure in russian fairy tales. And as Ivan says, "only a fool would want to live through the russian version of a fairy tale". Ivan soon realizes that Katerina has taken him to a fairy tale world where Katerina is heir to the throne and that Baba-Yaga wants to rule and is still out to get Katerina. Once again in danger the couple return to Ivan's time, where they have modern weapons, and Ivan's mother who they soon learn is also a witch but a good one, and the arch enemy of Baba Yaga.
fran laniado, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of Enchantment

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

Tone of book - sensitive (sigh....)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - part earth & part fantasy world
Romance Yes
Romance plotlets: - two lovers coping with tough mission
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Human/magical couple? Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - scholar
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters

Setting
Terrain - Forests
Earth setting: - 20th century - general past
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only - descript of kissing - descript of touching personal anatomy
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Most similar books to Enchantment
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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