Tanya Grotter


Tanya Grotter is the female protagonist of a Russian fantasy novel series by Dmitri Yemets. Tanya Grotter is an orphan with intentional resemblances to J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter. Despite its reputation in Russia and the many books it has spawned, the series is not available in English translation, because of the first book having been judged a breach of copyright.

Content

The central character and plot elements of the first novel, Tanya Grotter and the Magical Double Bass, closely resemble those of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but are transposed into a Russian setting. Tanya Grotter has an unusual birthmark on her nose, magical powers, an upbringing by "Lopukhoid" relatives after her parents were killed by an evil sorceress Chuma-del-Tort, and goes to study at the Tibidokhs School for Behaviorally-Challenged Young Witches and Wizards. Tanya's foster-family, the Durnevs, live in an urban apartment block, and Tanya is forced to sleep not in a cupboard but in the apartment's loggia.
Yemets described the books as "a cultural reply" to the Potter series, and they feature allusion to Russian culture and folklore such as Baba Yaga, rusalki, witches on Bald Mountain and the works of Pushkin.
After the first book, the plots diverge from those of the Harry Potter series. For instance, in Tanya Grotter and the Golden Leech, Tanya finds herself pitted against "Hurry Pooper" in the World Dragonball Championship. While trying to reach the ball, they crash, creating a new timeline in which Chuma-del-Tort has won, good and evil being reversed, and all the characters are speaking a Russian equivalent of Orwellian Newspeak. To restore normality, Tanya must defeat the Golden Leech.

Legal history

While the series is legally published in Russia, it is not available in translation due to a lawsuit on behalf of J. K. Rowling and Time Warner. Having failed to obtain a cease and desist order in Russia, Rowling and Time Warner targeted publication in the Netherlands, where first translations of international editions are commonly published. In 2003, courts there prevented the distribution of a Dutch translation of the first in the series, Tanya Grotter and the Magical Double Bass, after Rowling and Time Warner's lawyers issued a cease and desist order, arguing that the Grotter books violated copyright law, specifically infringing Rowling's right to control derivative works. Yemets and his Moscow-based publishers, Eksmo, argued unsuccessfully that the book constituted a parody, permitted under copyright.
Later that year, as the Dutch translation Tanja Grotter en de magische contrabas was still legal in Belgium, the Flemish publishers Roularta Books decided to print 1,000 copies in order to let people decide whether it was plagiarism, hoping that under those circumstances Rowling and her publishers would not sue. Rowling did not sue, but as there was a lot of interest in the book, it was soon sold out.

Subsequent history

In 2003, after the first five books, the total circulation of Tanya Grotter books reached a million. As of 2006 the figure, including spinoffs, was approaching 3 million. In a 2006 interview, Yemets said that he had moved on to "urban absurd comic genre fantasy" with the Buslaev series, but that there was still reader demand, and sufficient material, for an 11th Tanya book. He described the Tanya Grotter series as a purely Russian phenomenon, dependent on the language and culture, and commented that he would not place much faith in Tanya living a full life if she were brought to the playing field of Europe or America.
In 2006, Yemets' books featured in the 10 best children's books 2006 in a reader's poll at the Pushkin Central Children's Library, Saint Petersburg. In July 2006, his Tanya Grotter and the Pearl Ring was the highest-selling children's book in Russia (his Methodius Buslaev: Vengeance of the Valkyries was #10, while JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ranked #2 and #6.

Titles

From the Tanya Grotter official site:
  1. Tanya Grotter and the Magical Double Bass
  2. Tanya Grotter and the Disappearing Floor
  3. Tanya Grotter and the Golden Leech
  4. Tanya Grotter and the Throne of Drevnir
  5. Tanya Grotter and the Pikestaff of the Magi
  6. Tanya Grotter and the Hammer of Perun
  7. Tanya Grotter and the Pince-nez of Noah
  8. Tanya Grotter and the Boots of the Centaur
  9. Tanya Grotter and the Well of Poseidon
  10. Tanya Grotter and the Curl of Aphrodite
  11. Tanya Grotter and the Pearl Ring
  12. Tanya Grotter and the Curse of the Necromage
  13. Tanya Grotter and the Garrulous Sphinx
  14. Tanya Grotter and the bird of Titans
Spinoff titles:
  1. Tanya Grotter and the Complete Tibidox! Phrases, Quotations and Aphorisms
  2. Worlds of Tanya Grotter - a compilation of fan-written graphic novels
There are several other spin-offs from the Tanya Grotter series. The Methodius Buslaev series, featuring a young male magician, and the Hooligan fantasy series:
  1. Methodius Buslaev. Magician of Midnight
  2. Methodius Buslaev. Roll of Desire
  3. Methodius Buslaev. Third Rider of the Gloom
  4. Methodius Buslaev. Ticket to the Bald Mountain
  5. Methodius Buslaev. Vengeance of the Valkyries
  6. Methodius Buslaev. Depressnyak's Secret Magic
  7. Methodius Buslaev. Tartarus's Ice and Flame
  8. Methodius Buslaev. The First Eydos
  9. Methodius Buslaev. Wings of Light for the Dark Guard
  10. Methodius Buslaev. Stairway to Eden
  11. Methodius Buslaev. The map of Chaos
  12. Methodius Buslaev. Dryad's necklace
  13. Methodius Buslaev. Glass guard
  14. Hooligan fantasy: Great Something
Computer gaming company Akella will release a game based on the first Tanya Grotter book on March 26, 2008.
A second game has been released based on the second book
An English version of Tanya Grotter's first four books in translation of Jane H. Buckingham is available on site of author http://emets.olmer.ru/

Similarities

The Dutch court found the following similarities between Harry Potter and Tanya Grotter:
Harry PotterTanya Grotter
Harry's parents are killed by an evil wizard, Voldemort Tanya's parents are killed by an evil witch, Chuma-del-Tort
He thinks they were killed in a car crashShe thinks her mother was killed in an avalanche, and her father is in prison
He has a mysterious scar on the foreheadShe has a mysterious birthmark on the nose
He is left on the doorstep of his aunt and uncle, Vernon and Petunia DursleyShe is left on the doorstep of her second cousins, Ninel and Germain Durnev
They treat him poorly, spoiling their own son Dudley DursleyThey treat her poorly, spoiling their own daughter Penelopa
When he is 11, having no previous knowledge of his powers, he is invited to Hogwarts, a school for wizards and witchesWhen she is 10, having no previous knowledge of her powers, she is invited to Tibidox, a school for difficult-to-raise mages
The remote Hogwarts can only be reached by train from a secret platformThe remote Tibidox can only be reached by flying or teleportation
He makes two special friendsShe makes two special friends
He becomes an outstanding player of Quidditch, flying on a broomShe becomes an outstanding player of Dragonball, flying on a double bass
Voldemort seeks the Philosopher's Stone, hidden at HogwartsChuma-Del-Tort seeks an amulet, which turns out to be Tanya's birthmark
The story's climax is at the school's depthsThe story's climax is in the school basement
Harry and friends fight Voldemort's henchmanTanya and friends fight Chuma-del-Tort
They win, but the Philosopher's Stone is purposefully destroyed.They win, but the amulet is lost
Harry's first school year endsTanya's first school semester ends