“The Man Who Spoke Snakish” by Andrus Kivirähk is a story about a boy named Leemet. Being one of the last humans who can speak a secret language of Snakish, Leemet tells us a story about him growing up in a changed world and describes his complex feelings about it.
Leemet lives in the forest with his kin. As he gets older, he witnesses more and more people leave the forest for a life in the village. He promises himself that he would never leave the forest and hopes to one day see a mythical slumbering beast called the Frog of the North who can only be awakened if enough people call for him in Snakish. As Leemet grows older, he loses people closest to him, all taken by the village or killed. Grief eventually leads Leemet to live in the village where he constantly feels like the only smart one. The story culminates in blood spilt and Leemet finding his form of peace, hidden and sleeping like the Frog of the North.
This book is humorously written and often even crude. Most of all it is completely unpredictable. At the start it establishes a unique world setting: a language that animals understand, the Frog of the North and so on. But every time the reader might get comfortable and feel like they understand the rules, something completely unexpected or ridiculous is introduced. It makes the book gripping and never stale.
An omnipresent theme in the story is being “the last one”. Leemet is one of the last who can speak Snakish, his family are the last ones to live in the forest, and in the end he might be the last of the forest people. As the story progresses, it becomes evident that the humour is used to soften the dark truths. People are more interested in new foreign ideas and afraid of the old and traditional. However, that does not mean that the old ways are always correct. Leemet notices parallels between this new christianity and belief in forest spirits. The story expresses critical views towards beliefs in the supernatural. By the end of the book, though, it’s hard not to wonder about the meaning behind Leemet´s own described beliefs.
This book should interest people for various reasons. It is a fantasy book, the creatures encountered are all so unexpected and interesting, yet the writing style and plot are rather simple. I started reading it for Kivirähk’s humour and style. Half way through, however, I was no longer seeking humour but preparing myself for an inevitable existential crisis. A beautiful light read that gets so deep.
Published: Black Cat, 2015
Translator: Christopher Moseley
See availability of “The man who spoke snakish” in e-catalogue ESTER
“Mees, kes teadis ussisõnu” e-kataloogis ESTER
“Последний, кто знал змеиную молвь” в э-каталоге ESTER
***
Linda Palo, Liivalaia library
