It is a book which is very much a product of its time (published initially in 1959), and opens with the vividly ominous sentence of "They were expecting me" It's not quite what I expect from an Eloise book these meshes of the vivid and wild and exuberance, and so Eloise in Moscow starts in an odd place for me. So what is that space? Well, it's gloriously eccentric and RAWTHER appealing but also distinctly gobsmacking at points. I've written about Eloise before, and I won't thematically repeat that here because, to be frank, Eloise in Moscow is quite different (and amazing) beast. And thus, we come to 'Eloise in Moscow' which is most definitely amazing but amazing in a very distinct sort of sense of the word. There are times when you realise that defining something as a 'five-star' book and thus 'amazing' in the Goodreads schemata, is a process that could be interpreted in many ways.
Recommended to Eloise fans, of course, but also to readers interested in the depiction of the Cold War in children's books. The artwork, in particular, kept me entertained, with a spy following Eloise and Nanny wherever they go - Eloise certainly kept him busy! - and even "ordinary citizens" (or are they?) keeping an eye on them. Looking back on it now, I find some of it sad, and quite a bit of it amusing. Certainly, it offers a realistic depiction of an American's view of Russia at this time. I have seen this book described as "paranoid," but given the realities of life in the Soviet Union during this period, and the distrust between the USSR and the USA, I would be very surprised if the portrait offered here of being very much in a fishbowl, and constantly under surveillance, weren't fairly accurate. I'm not sure that Eloise in Moscow will have quite the same appeal for young readers that it had for me, as quite a bit of my enjoyment here stemmed from the contrast between Eloise's exuberant joie de vivre, and the solid un-smiling Russian atmosphere surrounding her, as well as the insights offered into Cold War politics.
Eloise goes to Moscow at the height of the Cold War - published in 1959, Eloise in Moscow is a product of Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight's own unusual trip to Moscow - and the results are fascinating! Staying at The National Hotel - it's no Plaza, but it has its charms - touring the Kremlin with their guide, Zhenka, and taking a brief trip to the countryside to enjoy some winter sports, Eloise and Nanny enjoy their Russian sojourn, although they are always conscious of the many eyes upon them. After enjoying the first Eloise book, and then finding the subsequent two rather ho-hum - it's not that there was anything wrong with either Eloise in Paris or Eloise at Christmastime, but their eponymous young heroine's frenetic activity palls a bit, after one's initial exposure - I found this fourth installment of the series quite engaging.
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