Should Tanya Grotter and the Magic Double Bass be banned?
Meanwhile, in Russia, you can still meet Harry’s Slavic twin: “Tanya Grotter,” star of Tanya Grotter and the Magic Double Bass. Tanya rides a double bass, sports a mole instead of a bolt of lightning, and attends the Tibidokhs School of Magic. In an interview with journalist Steve Gutterman, author Dmitry Yemets called her “a sort of Russian answer to Harry Potter,” and described his books as “cultural competition” for the original. Grotter is a hit: Yemets has already sold more than 1 million copies. And next door in Belarus you’ll find Porri Gatter and the Stone Philosopher. In something of a departure, Harry’s Belarussian clone wields a grenade launcher and re-fights the White Russian wars.
