The Crackatook Trilogy
Krakatukų pievelė; Krakatukų brūzgėlynai; Krakatukų jūra
by Renata Šerelytė
I suppose I`d better add the covers of the books, this time, as this is a rare case of the cover telling the reader what kind of a tale is awaiting.
This one (to be more precise, these, as there are three volumes of Crackatook adventures, yet I prefer viewing all the three as a single work) is a seriously funny, or maybe funnily serious and kinda absurd story for children, but I am sure adults would enjoy reading it, as well. The plot, as such, can hardly be defined, as there`s not much plot, really. Just strange life and adventures at the Crackatook Glade and elsewhere… well, perhaps not elsewhere, as the glade, although the cosiest place in the world, seems to have a character of its own and can turn itself into other things, like a sea or something. Likewise, the dramatic personae change and shift and come and go and appear and disappear.
A kind old man, a grumpy winged lilliputian, a shy doughman and a sleepyhead bugaboo live in the Red Clay Hut surrounded by magic Crackatook bushes. They like their home and they prefer staying there, but sometimes they just have to leave and have, or rather encounter adventures. Not that the four would crave for adventures… especially as all kinds of unexpected visitors tend to bring adventures right to the hut. Adventures mean change. The shy and cowardly doughman forces himself to be brave, the grumpy and selfish flyer proves able to help her friends, the sleepy little bugaboo becomes a raving giant. Come the end of an adventure, they are all their own old selves again. Only the nice old man does not change; he always stays kindhearted, polite and caring.
The author borrows and uses names and situations freely, but I would not quite call that plagiarism. It is more like using mythological characters and folk tales to create a totally different story. For example, a Crackatook is a magic bush and not the nut cracked by Hoffmann`s Nutcracker; Morra is an old hag and not the freezing monster created by Jansson, and so on. Inveterate readers will certainly notice and recognize situations known from other books by other authors. But the whole is distinctive, original and funny.
Another thing I must mention is the illustrations by Irmina Dūdėnienė. Some might like them (I do), some (colourful pictures` fans in particular) might not. The important thing is a rare harmony of text and illustrations. One might think the pictures have been drawn by the author herself.
The trilogy is written in Lithuanian. The books are well worth reading and translating, especially as these, unlike most of the best books written by Lithuanian writers, seem to be translatable.
© Dodo
by Renata Šerelytė
I suppose I`d better add the covers of the books, this time, as this is a rare case of the cover telling the reader what kind of a tale is awaiting.
This one (to be more precise, these, as there are three volumes of Crackatook adventures, yet I prefer viewing all the three as a single work) is a seriously funny, or maybe funnily serious and kinda absurd story for children, but I am sure adults would enjoy reading it, as well. The plot, as such, can hardly be defined, as there`s not much plot, really. Just strange life and adventures at the Crackatook Glade and elsewhere… well, perhaps not elsewhere, as the glade, although the cosiest place in the world, seems to have a character of its own and can turn itself into other things, like a sea or something. Likewise, the dramatic personae change and shift and come and go and appear and disappear.
A kind old man, a grumpy winged lilliputian, a shy doughman and a sleepyhead bugaboo live in the Red Clay Hut surrounded by magic Crackatook bushes. They like their home and they prefer staying there, but sometimes they just have to leave and have, or rather encounter adventures. Not that the four would crave for adventures… especially as all kinds of unexpected visitors tend to bring adventures right to the hut. Adventures mean change. The shy and cowardly doughman forces himself to be brave, the grumpy and selfish flyer proves able to help her friends, the sleepy little bugaboo becomes a raving giant. Come the end of an adventure, they are all their own old selves again. Only the nice old man does not change; he always stays kindhearted, polite and caring.
The author borrows and uses names and situations freely, but I would not quite call that plagiarism. It is more like using mythological characters and folk tales to create a totally different story. For example, a Crackatook is a magic bush and not the nut cracked by Hoffmann`s Nutcracker; Morra is an old hag and not the freezing monster created by Jansson, and so on. Inveterate readers will certainly notice and recognize situations known from other books by other authors. But the whole is distinctive, original and funny.
Another thing I must mention is the illustrations by Irmina Dūdėnienė. Some might like them (I do), some (colourful pictures` fans in particular) might not. The important thing is a rare harmony of text and illustrations. One might think the pictures have been drawn by the author herself.
The trilogy is written in Lithuanian. The books are well worth reading and translating, especially as these, unlike most of the best books written by Lithuanian writers, seem to be translatable.
© Dodo