The Adventures of Vaclav the Magnificent and his lovely assistant Lena Paperback – 3 May 2012

Copied on my book blog at [...]Vaclav and Lena are two immigrant Russian children living in Brighton Beach, in Brooklyn. Vaclav is very verbal and bright in school. Where Lena is quiet, and struggling learning in school.Vaclav loves magic, he is protected and loved by his parents. But, Lena is taken care of by her aunt. Her home life is terrible. She is left by herself, most times when her aunt works at the club. It is thought, and hinted that she lives in a abusive home, and her aunt is a drug addict.Vaclav wants Lena to be in he's magic act and be he's assistant. He agrees that he will do her homework if she will be he's assistant in he's magic act. Vaclav brings Lena home, and he's mother observes Vaclav's doing her homework, she is eating from their refrigerator. She doesn't like this, but she is aware of her home life, and feels for her, and says and does nothing.Instead Vaclav's mother takes Lena under her wing, tries to be a substitute mother to her. She adores Lena and tries to help her in different ways.They continue to practice the magic act. The day before the magic act, Lena doesn't show up for class. Vaclav comes home, and worries something is the matter. He tells his mother, she goes to Lena's house to find out what is the matter. Vaclav's mother doesn't come back till the next day. We find out that his mother, tells him half truths, not the entire truth of the story of what happens.Lena, like the magic trick, she vanishes. For seven years Vaclav doesn't know where Lena is. He feels something will happen to her if he doesn't say goodnight. They meet each other on Lena's birthday, when she turns 17. He finds out all along she was still in Brighton Beach.He's life is interrupted by Lena coming back in he's life. They learn, and we the readers learn the history of what happens to Lena's parents. How she came to the United States from Russia.My Review: I have been wanting to read Vaclav and Lena since it came out. I did not know what the story was about. It looked different than most other books I have read. At times I like to read magically, and quirky books. This novel did fit the bill. I am so happy, I read the novel.I don't read books in one day usually three or four days. This one I read in one day. I loved the writing style of the author. It actually felt like I was reading short stories. The book takes place first when they are 7 years old. Then when they are absent from each other. The last part when they find each other. Then when we fast forward seven years.It is a bittersweet magical story of Vaclav and Lena. It is also the love of a mother and son. The love and magic of the two friends helped Lena survive. It is possible that things can change for the better. It was a story about two friends trusting each other. The story did not focus on the tragic life of Lena, but her moving on past her childhood. It was a sad story, but the end made it a satisfying read. I am glad I read Vaclav and Lena.Not everyone will enjoy reading, but if you like to read stories that are magical, like I do, you will appreciate it this book quite awhile ago. I love books that are a bit quirky, this fit the bill.

This was a book I had once picked up while browsing and ultimately not bought. Then it stayed with me and for probably six months, without remembering the author or title, I tried to find it again. Finally I stumbled across it at B&N and bought it, and I loved it.This was an excellent, beautiful, sad book. I recommend it.Likes: I loved the writing and prose; I found myself highlighting a lot of quotes. The characters were awesome and well developed. I thought that Vaclev's momma, a big, brash Russian immigrant, was glorious in all her homely looks and beautiful momma soul. I loved that Vaclav and Lena were Russian immigrants and it leant to their bond and their differences to other kids. I loved that they were both children and young adults so you could see how it began, and how it began again.Dislikes: Well, it is quite sad, although it's not really a dislike, but it did not make me feel like liking it when it was describing some sad things.

I enjoyed this book, but it was interesting to read in the reviews how much the Russian community felt this book preyed on immigrant and Russian stereotypes. Overall I felt the characters were interesting and clever, and since many novels use exaggerated characters to make stories more vivid and interesting, this didn't bother me. This novel reminded me of The Language of Flowers, another novel which deals with the combination of young love and adoption issues, with equally exaggerated characters. Overall, I would give this a thumbs up, although it did not feel like a must read novel.

I loved the first many pages of this novel, one in which a delightful little Russian-immigrant boy who loves magic and wants to be a magician takes on a guardianship role of a little Russian-immigrant girl. And the novel for the first half involves the boy's all-too-Russian parents replete with the vodka and the food they eat. The mother is wonderful and caring, a woman who suspects something is amiss with the little girl, Lena. And indeed it is.The novel is written with the syntax of what we think of the way Russians speak English. And, in fact, the way they do because I teach at a college where I have had Russian students. So when the one-star reviews claim this is all stereotypical, maybe so. But it is also the way it actually is. And it is endearing.But then it gets to be too much as the children grown apart--I won't tell you why--and age.It would have been better had the author done this as a shorter piece.

Reading an account of child neglect and abuse through a child's eyes gave me a heartbreakingly deeper understanding of my own mother's abuse and neglect when her mother died when she was five. I found this book to be an incredibly beautiful and insightful look at the confusion and innocence of childhood, the corruption of innocence, and the happiness and hope that make us human.There was nothing predictable about the way the author gave the reader little pieces of the puzzle thoughout the story. I could not put this book down. I look forward to more work from this author.