The Man Who Spoke Snakish - Andrus Kivirahk - 3.5 ⭐

[[deleted user]]

Blurb: A bestseller in the author’s native country of Estonia, where the book is so well known that a popular board game has been created based on it, The Man Who Spoke Snakish is the imaginative and moving story of a boy who is 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. 

Review: There's a lot of friendship in this book, although they don't always last. I especially liked the one between Leemet & Ints, but the one with Hiie is very touching.

It's a confusing book for new fans of fantasy but any fans of Pratchett and/or Gaiman will appreciate it. I'm glad I have read it, but it's not going on my top ten fantasy novel list.

(I should probably admit the title appealed to me because I'm a Slytherin and it reminded me of Parselmouth!)

[Anita]

This one sounds way out of my comfort zone, but I have to say I enjoyed reading your descriptions of the fantasy components (Lothario bears? Giant swimming louses?). I'm always blown away by people's ability to come up with these things!

And, I'm sure my ignorance is showing, but how are you a Slytherin??

[annapi]

This sounds so weird yet fascinating, so I might just give it a try, though I'm not a Pratchett or Gaiman fan...

[[deleted user]]

Anita, Pottermore sorted me into it when I first joined. However I forgot my password and the second time it sorted me into Gryffindor.

[Sushicat]

I tried to read this in German, but for some unfathomable reason, i just don’t like to read fantasy in German. The language feels all wrong. I’ll have to get it in English.

[Ladyslott]

I have this book for about two years, like your review so I guess I need to read it.