A review by serendipitysbooks
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

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

4.5

 
What do you get when you cross the founder of a guerilla gardening group with a billionaire who has ambitious plans and secrets to conceal, and a left-wing journalist desperate to make a name for himself? Birnam Wood, a propulsive literary thriller, one with a surprisingly high body count. The book begins in a leisurely literary way. Some may a find it a little slow to get going - I did not and was invested from the get-go - but by the end, the tension is high, the action fast paced, and the thrillerish vibe very much in evidence. Catton knows how to structure and craft a story and this one has lots to recommend it. The characters are well-drawn and fully fleshed out, most a believable mixture of good and bad - except for the billionaire, who is as amoral, self-serving, egotistical and downright evil. They are also recognisable archetypes and as such allow for some subtle and not-so-subtle satirical skewering which is good fun. Living in the city part of the book is set in, and near to the inspiration for the fictional settings, I can attest to these being well-depicted. Its a special treat for me to read a book and know the setting so well. The plot has many layers, with lots of interesting smaller stories and conflicts incorporated into the main storyline. The themes touch on so many pertinent issues - technology and surveillance, food security, exploitation and degradation of the natural environment, infrastructure resilience, the inordinate power of large amounts of money and the ways that can be abused, the sale of land to foreign owners, capitalism, the divide between rich and poor, old and young, left and right and so much more. And the writing? Simply superb. There are some gorgeous lengthy complex sentences more familiar in nineteenth century novels. There are the Shakespearian allusions and connection, subtle rather than dominant. And then there’s Catton’s experience with screenplays shining through and giving many sections a cinematic feel.

This novel absorbed me from beginning to end and left me with plenty to think about. I very much enjoyed the time I spent with it. 
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