A review by annexelizabeth
The Birdcatcher by Gayl Jones

dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

sometimes brilliant on the sentence level, but did not coalesce as a novel for me. the birdcatcher felt much more like a collection of intriguing but puzzling vignettes to me. there was some interesting thematic work here on the subjects of creativity, misogyny, and mental health, but overall this book confused me more than it made me think deeply or entertained me. the head-jumping and time-skipping in particular made for a perplexing time. however, i do think gayl jones is a strong writer and i'll probably pick up more of her work in the future despite not loving this one