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A review by coys
The Peregrine by J.A. Baker
3.25
Honestly probably about to say a lot of really nice things that don't entirely align with the rating, but c'est la vie baby.
I love how meditative this is. I love the dedication. I love that it's a character study of two birds, and love how one feels like they're with an old friend throughout what is, on its face, just writing about a couple specific birds (sort of -- it's complicated), day by day. The talent to pull that off is actually so impressive to me. The human sense of self, the otherness of a human watching nature, that's all gone -- these are fully fledged (heh) characters and occupants of the world in tandem with Baker, which is something to aspire to.
Ultimately it just teetered on the verge of slog, hence the slightly lower rating than it maybe deserves. The writing is very very good in many ways, but it does push up against tedium and repetition. I'm sure Baker would frown on me saying that, seeing the birds as he does, understanding their nuances in a way that a casual observer cannot, even through the magic of his narrative. But unfortunately, that was my experience.
I love how meditative this is. I love the dedication. I love that it's a character study of two birds, and love how one feels like they're with an old friend throughout what is, on its face, just writing about a couple specific birds (sort of -- it's complicated), day by day. The talent to pull that off is actually so impressive to me. The human sense of self, the otherness of a human watching nature, that's all gone -- these are fully fledged (heh) characters and occupants of the world in tandem with Baker, which is something to aspire to.
Ultimately it just teetered on the verge of slog, hence the slightly lower rating than it maybe deserves. The writing is very very good in many ways, but it does push up against tedium and repetition. I'm sure Baker would frown on me saying that, seeing the birds as he does, understanding their nuances in a way that a casual observer cannot, even through the magic of his narrative. But unfortunately, that was my experience.