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emgoboingo 's review for:
Birnam Wood
by Eleanor Catton
The plot revved up just enough to get me over the fact that there are no likable characters. No doubt this was intentional, as Catton is highly skilled, but does it make for an enjoyable read? Catton goes out of her way to depict the do-gooders at the book's core as self-centered and corruptible--only to be outdone by a comically bad "Big Bad" who literally needs his back scratched to enjoy intimacy. This all culminates in a large "final event metaphor" that didn't feel tonally even or earned. Still, readable.