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Vuk: The Fox Cub - István Fekete
Dec. 2nd, 2009 01:01 amOne of the presents that the Hungarian furs bought me for my birthday last week was a book called 'Vuk: The Fox Cub' by the Hungarian author István Fekete. It's a famous children's story in Hungary, first published in 1965 and made into a film in 1981. It's one of those tails that parents and grandparents would read to their ten year old kids before they go to bed.
Not being able to read Hungarian, of course, they bought me the English version and I finished reading it last night.
It's a fantastic little tail about a little fox cub's attempts to survive after his parents and siblings are killed by a group of rangers. It is a very fast-paced book but it is also very emotive, particularly around the death scenes that punctuate the book. This means that you really empathise with the little fox, Vuk, and you are desperate for him to succeed. Some of the imagery, particularly to describe the countryside settings, is beautiful too without over-emphasising the description.
Like The Animals Of Farthing Wood, it deals perfectly with the animals' struggles with humans and also the animals' struggles within their own ecosystem - the balance between the hunt and the hunted.
It also doesn't sugarcoat - foxes are hunters and regarded as cunning and merciless by most of the creatures. The ways of the Fox Nation (and Goose Nation and Duck Nation etc etc) invokes spiritual lore whilst use of the term "Smooth Skins" to define humans creates an us versus them feeling that is an enduring theme. These characteristics to the plot merely add to the empathy you feel for the characters and invoke a deeper spiritual connection. At least they did with me.
It was a fantastic read and I really appreciate being given the book as a present. So thanks guys. The illustrations of the young cub are adorable too *wags*
Not being able to read Hungarian, of course, they bought me the English version and I finished reading it last night.
It's a fantastic little tail about a little fox cub's attempts to survive after his parents and siblings are killed by a group of rangers. It is a very fast-paced book but it is also very emotive, particularly around the death scenes that punctuate the book. This means that you really empathise with the little fox, Vuk, and you are desperate for him to succeed. Some of the imagery, particularly to describe the countryside settings, is beautiful too without over-emphasising the description.
Like The Animals Of Farthing Wood, it deals perfectly with the animals' struggles with humans and also the animals' struggles within their own ecosystem - the balance between the hunt and the hunted.
It also doesn't sugarcoat - foxes are hunters and regarded as cunning and merciless by most of the creatures. The ways of the Fox Nation (and Goose Nation and Duck Nation etc etc) invokes spiritual lore whilst use of the term "Smooth Skins" to define humans creates an us versus them feeling that is an enduring theme. These characteristics to the plot merely add to the empathy you feel for the characters and invoke a deeper spiritual connection. At least they did with me.
It was a fantastic read and I really appreciate being given the book as a present. So thanks guys. The illustrations of the young cub are adorable too *wags*
