4.16k reviews for:

Birnam Wood

Eleanor Catton

3.91 AVERAGE

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Not my favorite but it was kind of fun and I would probably still recommend it. The first half was a little slow and the end was a bit rushed.
megshallman's profile picture

megshallman's review

2.25
slow-paced

Too many POVs and yet there still wasn’t a single one I liked 

rubixkubis's review

4.0

The ending feels a bit rushed compared to the rest, but it’s a good eco-thriller.
kris10b's profile picture

kris10b's review

3.0

Irritating and amoral people behaving selfishly in a timely tragedy.

krijamedev's review

3.0

3.5 rounded down

It was an enjoyable read but a bit padded out for my liking. The story could have easily been told just as well in 25% fewer pages. I found it hard to care about any of the characters and the ending was a little annoying. Bonus points for the Kiwiana and being based in NZ.
pfassnacht's profile picture

pfassnacht's review

4.0

What a good read.
Not sure what to really expect, I kept moving this one down a notch in my TBR stack. Kept hesitating every time I finished another read. Then, being positively pressed to read it by my daughter, I finally dove in.
Someone who HATES knowing much of ANYthing about stories before reading them-- to an extreme-- I only knew what the jacket tells us. I did not read reviews or parallels or comments about the author's previous works or styles until afterward. This might be one where I wish that I had a bit of a more full framing and information for some social setting prior, but here I am :)

Saying all that, I really enjoyed this one. Lots to enjoy here. The eco-thriller idea had me, along with the award nominations, and a new author to me. I was definitely not disappointed.

The long-winded rambles did not detract. The run-on format did not interfere.
Seemed pretty lyrical and compelling and the conversations pretty artful. While several arguments or expositions or characters/izations at times elicited a strong visceral reaction from me... I tipped my hat to the author for having created that moment and emotion. Even in short spots of not liking a character or wondering about the heavy-handed caricature. Clever turn of words. Pretty cool.

In any event, I am glad to have gotten to this one. Loved the ride.
I can see how some reviewers/readers might not have connected with certain things/parts/style/characters... and.. but... this reader takes some of those 'issues' in stride and chalks them up to new experiences and exposures. And a true treat to have enjoyed them throughout this narration. Again, one having no expectations from any one or any read when diving in, I greatly appreciate stories that take me somewhere, some way, I have not yet been. A novel saying some things and pulling out reactions, that is connected with political and social tensions.. wrapped in (even if stereotypical or stylized) characters that mirror reality on top of things.. was a real feat.

A lot of things layered in here. Complexities of approach. Stylistically unique engaging lyricism. And, unlike some other reviewers, I found any lack of 'liking' characters more a product or reflection of some reality of things today than a flaw in creation.
So much posited and said throughout, there are so many things through 'real life' that we don't like, appreciate, or see value in spending time or effort in. I can see any number of people around me in this life portrayed in versions of many of the characters.

And, borrowing from one reviewer, I loved the ending. The wrap up WORKED for me.
I too like real life endings. Whatever 'real' is to any one of us, it isn't cookie cutter or wrapped in a bow. Sometimes, it surprises us, lets us down, or gives a shocking pause. Sometimes it smacks us with its brisk depravity or leaves us in disbelief that people behave this way.

cinglis's review

2.5
dark slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No

No likeable characters 
stacysom's profile picture

stacysom's review

4.5
dark mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I really liked this book. It took me a couple dozen pages to sync with the author’s writing style but then I was all in. I had read reviews that it had taken some people a while to get into the story but I didn’t find that to be true. And some complained that none of the characters was likeable but I don’t think that’s true, either. They all were real people, with complicated emotions and dueling motivations and nagging insecurities. And the central conspiracy that drove all the action felt real — very current and plausible. The coincidences rang truer than most and I liked the aspect that
the billionaire couldn’t control everything even before the ultimate end. He was quick to react and had vast resources but his boldness could go only so far.
Best book I’ve read this year

sandraauld's review

DID NOT FINISH

Did not grab me. 

johndoe15's review

3.5
dark mysterious sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated