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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Reading other reviews I realize I approached this in the right way: I had no real idea what this was about but, knowing her previous novel (which is quite long) won the Booker, thought this would be somewhat literary. Those expecting an eco-thriller—which it is technically marketed as in some spaces, so that's valid—seem disappointed because while it has that going on it is nowhere near as "thrilling" as a normal thriller reader would expect. Instead it's a slow character study with buildup to a situation you're SURE won't go too far until you think...maybe it will. The characters have a lot of debates about politics and ethics that I found interesting but someone looking for a thrill might find dull. I really liked this one and I have to tip my cap to Catton...I usually HATE no chapter breaks and it didn't bother me in the slightest here.
what happens when an anarchic/gorilla gardening collective, a rogue idealistic aspiring journalist, and an American billionaire become intertwined in rural New Zealand in 2017 - nothing good. Birnam Wood made a lot of “best of 2023” lists lasts year, including the New York Times Book Reviews 100 Notable Books and it does not disappoint. It is also a page turner and the characters are well developed and unreliable. Though it is extremely readable, it is a heavy book and explores the most urgent issues concerns facing humanity by shedding light on conspiracies that seem to becoming more likely. Some of you might recognize the name Birnam Wood from Macbeth, a wood in central Scotland- which is not a coincidence. There are many themes in Catton’s latest novel and a lot of them are pulled from Macbeth that have become very relevant around politics today and one that I grapple with is the extreme vilifying of those who do not agree with us, or our adversaries and seeing them as the ones who need to change and the unwillingness to change ourselves. In an interview, Catton discusses another the theme that appear in Macbeth such as the “a way of diagnosing other people rather than diagnosing ourselves … a function of the fact that Macbeth is a play about blindness and about being blindsided by a certainty that you thought that you held that of course turns out not to be a certainty at all- such as the certainty that forests don’t move.” Maybe you are the problem. The influence of Macbeth is very subtle and you definitely do not need to read Macbeth in order to enjoy the novel. I have never read Macbeth, I have always strongly disliked reading Shakespeare, I do read the summaries on the internet and unfortunately for me, a great deal of his/hers/their work (pick the pronoun that matches the conspiracy you believe in) will always be relevant.
https://rosenbergnaomi.substack.com
https://rosenbergnaomi.substack.com
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Most plants are actually pretty hard to kill. They’re living things. They want to live.
Kinda weird that all the characters felt very realistic except for Lemoine? He was too cartoonishly evil and maybe it was the point but it kinda fell flat imo. Also the ending was a bit disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It accelerated as it went on so my investment grew but it wasn't as Shakespearean as I hoped.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Birnam Wood excels at blending political, environmental, and wealth commentary into a part-literary fiction, part-thriller, and ultimately, tragedy.
Catton’s ability to create such organic, believable dialogue between characters allows for the book’s denser political monologues to feel not that, a monologue, and instead well-placed exposition into the character. Excellently paced, expertly agile at avoiding cliches (including of left-wing ideologies), and well-balanced especially with multiple points of view.
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Vomit, Murder