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yanulya's review
4.0
Was just reminded of this book, and read it ~15 years ago, but remember loving it. You really get into the character's head & moods. The book & this author are immensely popular in Poland, but for some reason relatively unknown in the US (despite him being American). This one was made into a movie w/ Matthew Modine & Nicolas Cage (w/ soundtrack by Peter Gabriel).
_ange_'s review
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
2.75
Il libro in sé è molto particolare e all'inizio non riuscivo a capire bene di chi o che cosa si stesse parlando. Sicuramente però fa capire il significato della vera amicizia che va contro tutto e tutti. Consigliato dai 16 anni in su.
austre_yoon's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cmasson17's review
5.0
What a book. It forces you to think about some interesting questions. Who is really crazy? Am I crazy for trying to mold the world into my perception of "normal"? Are crazy people really sane and just using insanity as a protection for their "humaness". We are de-humanized every day. Scary. Makes you want to fly away--or at least buy a canary.
acraig5075's review against another edition
4.0
About birds, and becoming crazy. Easy to read. Somewhat disturbing in parts.
taetris's review
4.0
This book belongs to the category of strange books that I really enjoyed.
The story is about two boyhood friends, Alfonso and Birdy. They grow up together and get into all sorts of funny and dangerous situations. Alfonso is a burly sporty boy and Birdy is a skinny, strange kid fascinated by birds. They meet in a mental hospital where Birdy is being held after Alfonso returns from fighting in WWII. Birdy is unresponsive and his behaviour implies he thinks he is a bird. Alfonso tries talking to him and reminding him of all the things they did as kids. The narrative unfolds in two voices: Alfonso telling Birdy about the past on the one hand and Birdy talking about the past. Birdys voice concentrates on his obsession with birds. He describes how he started breeding canaries. He describes the animals in a Gerald Durrell like way. Then it deviates from Durrell because Birdy starts dreaming that he is the mate of one of his birds and his reality as a boy and his dream as a bird seem to intertwine in a weird way.
I liked both voices; they were both interesting. Each chapter of each voice added depth to the relationship of the two boys and their shared and separate pasts without repeating anything. Each chapter also added depth to the characters and helped explain how they got to their present positions. I thought this was done expertly and subtly.
The story is about two boyhood friends, Alfonso and Birdy. They grow up together and get into all sorts of funny and dangerous situations. Alfonso is a burly sporty boy and Birdy is a skinny, strange kid fascinated by birds. They meet in a mental hospital where Birdy is being held after Alfonso returns from fighting in WWII. Birdy is unresponsive and his behaviour implies he thinks he is a bird. Alfonso tries talking to him and reminding him of all the things they did as kids. The narrative unfolds in two voices: Alfonso telling Birdy about the past on the one hand and Birdy talking about the past. Birdys voice concentrates on his obsession with birds. He describes how he started breeding canaries. He describes the animals in a Gerald Durrell like way. Then it deviates from Durrell because Birdy starts dreaming that he is the mate of one of his birds and his reality as a boy and his dream as a bird seem to intertwine in a weird way.
I liked both voices; they were both interesting. Each chapter of each voice added depth to the relationship of the two boys and their shared and separate pasts without repeating anything. Each chapter also added depth to the characters and helped explain how they got to their present positions. I thought this was done expertly and subtly.
rickyschneider's review
4.0
A strange but charming story of friendship and the most bizarre coming-of-age experience I've ever read. Let's face it, the transition from boy into man can be an awkward evolution but here we encounter the unusual added stage of bird along the way. This critically-acclaimed odd-ball is no metaphor or allegory but intensely absurd literalism. This isn't that obtuse quirky book that's purposely hard to understand. In fact, its verisimilitude makes it almost blunt. The two main characters have that Stand By Me kind of unconditional friendship that we don't see enough stories about in film or literature. They are almost codependent but sweetly symbiotic. That Al doesn't flinch at Birdy's preoccupation with pigeons and canaries but actually indulges it is complete friendship goals. The novel switched between the two perspectives as they recount their shared and separate memories leading up to what I was pleased to find was an unexpected and refreshing ending. The novel is sometimes a product of it's times and Al in particular uses offensive language often but I do attribute this to the verisimilitude of the style and a character choice because Birdy never uses any of that language in his narration. Al is actually my favorite character in this because he is hilarious and flawed. He's a perfect example of toxic masculinity masking a sensitive and nuanced human at his heart. Both characters have expansive character arcs and Birdy's portions are full of lyrical quotable prose. The two young men are deeply complex and ostensibly opposites but they are magic together. The main complaint I would warn potential readers about is the extent that Birdy explains the minutiae of his bird's daily lives for much of this book. It's a lot but if you can get past that Birdy is an unusual charmer.