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ottercorg 's review for:
Birnam Wood
by Eleanor Catton
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Whew. What to say about Birnam Wood!
I picked this up from my local bookstore as a "blind date with a book," intrigued primarily by a clue indicating that the story eventually becomes a thriller.
I do not typically, if ever, read books that are almost exclusively prose. I like dialogue, it helps me connect with the characters, so as a result I didn't end up connecting to any of them and didn't end up really liking any of them, either. I don't know if I was supposed to like any of them, though. This was a bit exhausting to read, due in no small part to the run-on sentences (often taking up entire pages) and no chapter breaks.
As for the actual plot, it was interesting for sure. I would not agree in calling this a thriller, though. Sure, the third act (mainly the last 80 pages or so) are more or less thrilling but I wouldn't place this book as a whole in that genre. That ended up being quite a letdown. The ending is rapid and mostly unsatisfying.
Overall, this gets a 3.5 because I liked it more than I didn't, but I don't see myself recommending it. I can see myself reading more of Catton's works in the future, but I won't be rushing to do so.
I picked this up from my local bookstore as a "blind date with a book," intrigued primarily by a clue indicating that the story eventually becomes a thriller.
I do not typically, if ever, read books that are almost exclusively prose. I like dialogue, it helps me connect with the characters, so as a result I didn't end up connecting to any of them and didn't end up really liking any of them, either. I don't know if I was supposed to like any of them, though. This was a bit exhausting to read, due in no small part to the run-on sentences (often taking up entire pages) and no chapter breaks.
As for the actual plot, it was interesting for sure. I would not agree in calling this a thriller, though. Sure, the third act (mainly the last 80 pages or so) are more or less thrilling but I wouldn't place this book as a whole in that genre. That ended up being quite a letdown. The ending is rapid and mostly unsatisfying.
Overall, this gets a 3.5 because I liked it more than I didn't, but I don't see myself recommending it. I can see myself reading more of Catton's works in the future, but I won't be rushing to do so.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail