OLD PETER'S RUSSIAN TALES

Greg Wagland offers a well-tuned narration of this collection of 22 Russian folktales, translated and compiled in 1913 by Englishman Arthur Ransome, author of the Swallows and Amazons children’s series. Ransome wrote the stories while learning Russian in St. Petersburg prior to WWI, and like all folktales, they’re a mix of scary, wistful, and charming, with a little bit of comfort thrown in. Indeed, Wagland’s pleasant English voice provides a welcome sense of security when frightening things happen, such as being left to freeze in a forest by jealous sisters or having the witch Baba Yaga on the loose. Wagland offers subtle but clear characterizations, and excellent pacing of a collection perfectly suited to anyone old enough to hear Brothers Grimm-like tales. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2018]