Little Nothing by Marisa Silver has an intriguing premise. Seemingly a folk tale retold (except that it's not). A woman transforming throughout her life (except in unbelieveable ways). A man devoted in his love (except that he is also responsible for hurting the one he loves). Unfortunately, I am left wondering what happened and why and not knowing quite what to make of this book. I do know that it's one of the oddest books I have read in quite a while.

 

Read my complete review at Memories From Books - Little Nothing.

 

Reviewed based on a publisher’s galley received through NetGalley

 

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

What a delightful story this book turned out to be! I am really not sure what made me request this book when I saw it offered on First to Read. The cover is okay but nothing amazing. I have never read any other books written by Marisa Silver. Something made me request this one and I am so glad that I did. I was sucked into the story and ended up reading almost all of it in a single day. When I wasn't reading this book, I was thinking about it. This story is a definite win for me.

I will say that this is a strange book. I like strange stories so it worked out well for me but I am not sure that everyone will enjoy all the aspects of this story as much as I did. This book is almost like a fairy tale for adults with a bit of magic sprinkled throughout. I was enchanted by all of the magical realism that made up this story.

I started reading this book just before going to bed which ended up being a huge mistake because I didn't want to put it down once I started. The way that this story begins was hard to get out of my mind. I was immediately in love with the style of writing found throughout the story. As I continued to read, I started to fall in love with the characters and that love grew throughout the story.

I would highly recommend this book to others. This is a story where you can expect the unexpected and suspend your knowledge of what is real for a while and just enjoy the journey. This is the first book by Marisa Silver that I have read but I will be looking for more of her work in the future.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Blue Rider Press via First to Read for the purpose of providing an honest review.

Initial Thoughts
This was a strange book...but I like strange books so it worked out well for me :)

There’s nothing wrong with Pavla. Rather, there’s a problem with everyone who meets her in Marisa Silver’s Little Nothing. Pavla was born somewhere Bohemia before the First World War. The people in her small village are highly superstitious and no one knows what to make of a dwarf. For the rest of her life, people will try and transform her into what they think she ought to be. Silver tells her tale as a grittier version of a fairy tale in which elderly parents pray for a child, after which nothing goes right...

 

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted @BreakingtheSpine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Synopsis:
In an unnamed country at the beginning of the last century, a child called Pavla is born to peasant parents. Her arrival, fervently anticipated and conceived in part by gypsy tonics and archaic prescriptions, stuns her parents and brings outrage and disgust from her community. Pavla has been born a dwarf, beautiful in face, but as the years pass, she grows no further than the edge of her crib. When her parents turn to the treatments of a local doctor and freak sideshow proprietor, his terrifying cure opens the floodgates persecution for Pavla. Little Nothing unfolds across a lifetime of unimaginable, magical transformation in and out of human form, as this outcast woman is hunted down and incarcerated for her desires, her body broken and her identity stripped away until her soul is strong enough to transcend all physical bounds. Woven throughout is the journey of Danilo, the young man entranced by Pavla, obsessed only with protecting her.

Part allegory about the shifting nature of being, part subversive fairy tale of love in all its uncanny guises, Little Nothing spans the beginning of a new century, the disintegration of ancient superstitions and the adoption of industry and invention. With a cast of remarkable characters, a wholly shocking and original story, and extraordinary, page-turning prose, Silver delivers a novel of sheer electricity

This week's pick is "Little Nothing" by Marisa Silver.

Expected Publication: September 13th 2016

 

The blurb sounds very unique. I've already got a copy from first reads and I can't wait to read it as soon as it's available (july 28th).

I picked this novel up on a whim at the library because I've always found the photo featured on the front cover (Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange) to be such an arresting image. The idea of telling the story behind that photo was quite interesting to me, and I'm happy to say the novel was a compelling read. I loved the writing, each of the three main characters was fascinating, and the look at life during the 1930s was completely engrossing. Especially poignant to me was the author's decision to make each of the mothers in the book face difficult choices for her children, and the results of both of their choices. This is a really excellent novel, and I'd love to read more of this author's work.