Member Reviews
What a brilliant book.
I honestly didn't know where this was going until the end.
Books about New Zealand are always of interest to me as I know virtually nothing about it culturally etc. and with the book being set in recent times it is interesting that the culture is slightly different.
The concept of Birnam Wood as a green collective is good, the idea that the collective is a little unorthodox is apparent from the start.
The characters are an unusual but interesting mix.
I didn't guess what would happen at the end until just before it happened.
Tremendous read.
Many thanks to the author.
My thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy for honest review.
The description of Birnam Wood alone interested me; thriller, guerilla gardening, Shakespeare (ish!), What's not to love?
I'm happy to say that this book did not disappoint. It is full of fabulous description alongside rich and intriguing characters. I spent a long time going back and forth over which characters I believed to be Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The book is divided into 3 Acts instead of many chapters, which initially intimidated me. Fortunately there are natural breaks in the story that meant this was not an issue at all.
Whilst the book perhaps starts a little slow, but it builds and builds into what it ultimately an unexpected and intense ending. Highly recommend.
Excellent eco-thriller which is a little more Patricia Highsmith than TC Boyle, a lot more Robert Stone than Diane Cook, featuring the cultural, socio-economic and spiritual confrontation between a fractured set of guerrilla gardeners (Eleanor Catton can make anything work), a disenfranchised wannabe-journalist following a potential scoop, and a sociopathic billionaire Bond baddie -- Elon Musk, basically -- intent on unprecedented natural resource plunder. The fact that only once or twice did I think the book was fairly ludicrous is testament to the author's slightly obscene talent.
'He was so staggered that he started to laugh, but his laughter subsided almost at once, and in its place he felt a wave of fury and despair roll over him at the sheer inexorability of late-capitalist degradation not just of the environment, not just of civic institutions, not just of intellectual and political ideals, but worse, of his own expectations, of what he even felt was possible any more -- a familiar surge of grief and helpless rage at the reckless, wasteful, soulless, narcissistic, barren selfishness of the present day, and at his own political irrelevance and impotence, and at the utter shamelessness with which his natural inheritance, his future, had been either sold or laid to waste by his parents' generation, trapping him in a perpetual adolescence that was further heightened by the infantilising unreality of the Internet as it encroached upon, and colonised, real life -- 'real life', Tony thought, with bitter air quotes, for late capitalism would admit nothing 'real' beyond the logic of late capitalism itself, having declared self-interest the only universal, and profit motive the only absolute, and deriding everything that did not serve its ends as either a contemptible weakness or a fantasy.'
Birnam Wood has a message - loud and clear- well. actually many messages …in some ways it is an essay on the state of the planet, megalomaniacs, political corruption and greed, indecision within the world of environmental campaigners but stripped back there is a thriller that questions and challenges. Birnam Wood is the name given to an environmental group looking at sustainability and building a utopia of sharing and caring for society and planet; when an opportunity to expand their small ambitions arises within the land of a wealthy Australian couple and with the assistance of a man of considerable global influence and fortune all seems perfect to build their dream ..but as with all groups there are splinters and factions which lead to questions and doubts ..no spoilers but there follows a tense story of greed and survival. It’s hard to truly categorise this novel because the questions it raises move it beyond a routine eco- thriller. The characterisation is the strength of the book- each key protagonist questioning themselves ethically and morally. Yes at times some of the philosophical debates between characters are lengthy but these do not slow the pace. Eleanor Catton has written a novel for our times. Ultimate it is the power of technology and its potential use to infringe upon all our freedoms that left the biggest impact upon me from reading this book… gripping , intelligent and disturbing
Birnam Wood is the Scottish forest near Dunsinane Hill that many readers will be aware plays a key role in Shakespeare's Macbeth. In the play, the witches in their prophesy warn Macbeth that he will be king until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane, a seeming impossibility:
“Macbeth shall never vanquished be until / Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill / Shall come against him”
In her latest multilayered and thoughtful philosophical, political,and social environmental literary thriller, Eleanor Catton skilfully weaves in elements of Macbeth. Set in New Zealand, it features a idealistic anti-capitalist guerrilla gardening group, Birnam Wood, run by Mira Bunting, the reason that propelled me towards wanting to read this, they often illegally grow crops on unused land. After a landslide cuts off the town of Thorndike on New Zealand's South Island, Mira spots an ideal opportunity for the group to expand in a abandoned farm owned by businessman Owen Darvish. However, it turns out Darvish has sold the farm to American billionaire, Robert Lemoine, who apparently intends to build himself a bunker.
In a beautifully written narrative, there are shifts in pacing and differences in style that to me felt as if it was written for two different type of readers, those interested in all too human character studies and developments in all their imperfections, including villainy, and those who enjoy a plot driven literary thriller. Lemoine claims to want to invest in Birnam Wood, to allow them to use the land, his background might surely raise a doubt in the group? This is a ruthless man with a covert business, and he has no intention of letting anything or anyone stand in his way. Questioning the deal is Tony Gallo, an aspiring investigative journalist hunting an exclusive who has returned after time away. There is Shelley Noakes, whose strengths and focus on details complement Mira, playing a critical role in the group, but she has reached the end of her tether.
Insights into the characters highlight that each have their own particular agenda, are willing to manipulate and deceive, engage in intrusive surveillance and more, and have secrets, all of which dovetails neatly with compelling plotting in the thriller sections. To be honest, there were parts that were far from engaging for me and which I struggled to make progress in, but this was offset by the more faster paced enthralling aspects along with the unexpected surprises. I think this is not a novel for every reader and might even be a little bit of a marmite read, but I did found it thought provoking, enjoyed the wit and particularly the weaving in the narrative of Shakespeare's Macbeth, a play I am very familiar with. It resonates with current global contemporary issues, examines New Zealand as a country, with Catton reflecting on the wider complexities and motivations of her cast of characters. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
The Luminaries has been on my to read list for
… welp, 10 years. When Birnam Wood was added to NetGalley, I jumped at the opportunity to read the new Catton novel, determined not to have 10 year FOMO again.
The eco-thriller follows a number of characters who intersect in Thorndike, New Zealand. An American billionaire, members of an environmental activist collective and a local businessman and his wife. Every character is scheming and has their own hidden intentions.
Birnam Wood was conceptually really interesting and of the moment, its critique of capitalism timely. Peppered with astute observations (particularly about NZ) and a twisty, cleverly woven plot, there was a lot to like here. I enjoyed the dry humour (the part about ‘Kiwi hospitality’ made me cackle).
Unfortunately the exposition was lengthy, dry and felt too much like being on Twitter. The pacing was a bit off for me - a very slow start, and an action crammed end.
With that said, it is a really rich text and I imagine if your book club is a bit intellectual, you will love analysing this.
Pick up this book up if: you wish Shakespeare had written about a billionaire’s bunker
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Clever, cerebral, but curiously uninvolving
I’ve marked this as ‘Okay’ rather than the lower rating which in some ways would be truer to my own requirements
This is a novel which feels much more like philosophical ideas, arranged, eventually, for dramatic engagement, around a plot, not always plausible, with characters created also to enable the plot to happen
For those who are more drawn to the more purely analytical experience of reading, - I think, for example, of those who look for what is being done experimentally in the form of the novel, Catton may sit well.
My own pleasure in reading comes far more from being taken deeply inside the consciousness of another person. There are writers with the ability to write from the inside – almost ‘method writers’ if you like, and there are writers whom, - and this is the kind of writer Catton feels like, to me, who is very much a writer in observer role – standing outside, describing. Some writers do both, sometimes also in glorious play with form as well
Catton’s two central characters have certain similarities, though they might be thought to occupying different political standpoints. Mira, the environmentalist who enjoys militancy, guerrilla activities, Robert, the classical devious world dominator, obsessed with the garnering of obscene wealth and power. Both are secretive, controlling, power hungry personalities, within their own worlds, They manipulate others. Neither has much heart, or empathetic feeling
Most of the characters in this are far from likeable. I don’t even mind too much if a writer doesn’t give me much to like – but, to be able to experience such a character from within, from where they make sense to themselves, THAT is where a fine writer demonstrate something exceptional, for me.
The challenge here, is that I never cared – or indeed – was interested in any character’s trajectory. So, in the end, wondered what the point of this book was – other than a dissection of issues themselves.
Further challenges ensue because – here is where the author is showing ‘clever, play with form’ credentials – there are NO divisions into chapters. This becomes an awkward reading experience. Particularly when a reader is not taken into involvement, but trudges disiniterestedly through the journey, with no natural rest points or landmarks. Which is what a chapter gives. There are 3 sections, but each is very long.
The first section lays out all the ideas. It is slow, and not much happens, expect we meet the central characters and they have several debates
The second section finally starts to ratchet plot up. This intensifies in the third half, getting more and more implausible and containing lots of coincidences.
The abrupt ending rather feels as if the writer didn’t know quite what to do with the whole thing. I’m afraid I laughed. Not kindly.
2.5 raised
Birnam Wood is a twisty gem of a novel that has a layered plot with many different threads, but the simplest way I can put it is that it follows several young members of a guerrilla gardening collective in New Zealand who get entangled with a shady billionaire figure. It’s been called an “eco-thriller,” and I’d definitely say this is a great pick for anyone who seeks a literary page-turner that will make them think. The first section of the novel is the most straightforward and intimate on a character level. This is where I loved Catton’s witty and thoughtful writing the most. In part two, so much of what we understand of the plot comes in through rapidly alternating perspectives, secret surveillance and missing pieces of information. Characters skim-read articles, make phone calls with bad reception and glance over emails too quickly – to me, this novel explores both the limits of communication and the perils of misinformation, and shows us how devastating the consequences of incomplete information can be an age when we’re also so “connected.” Just when you think the threads are coming together, something will be misinterpreted, twisted or reframed, and our characters instantly feel even more unsure of themselves and their place in the world.
Catton tackles timely issues constantly – maybe some will think a little too constantly. There’s everything from critiques of environmental destruction, capitalism and extreme wealth to social media and cancel culture in here, and it’s absolutely up to you how you interpret these themes. I enjoyed that aspect – in a way, this book is always pointing an uncomfortable lens back toward the reader. You’ll feel just as self-conscious and exposed as the characters. While this is very typical of how I analyse a novel, for me, Birnam Wood was about ego and how we define ourselves in relation to causes, communities and social classes (both online and IRL), as well as our personal relationships and even our nationalities. And if you’re into environmentalism or social justice in any way, this book will undoubtably both vindicate and infuriate you. I really, really enjoyed it. 4 ⭐️! (Thank you so much Granta and NetGalley for the ARC!)
Catton’s Birnam Wood is definitely one of the hottest and most anticipated releases of 2023. Very different in theme (and size) from the Booker-winning The Luminaries, her new book is described as an exciting literary eco-thriller.
I was very much looking forward to reading this book, but I’m afraid I found it extremely dull and annoying from the first few pages. To be fair, I must stress, I’ve only read 12% (the book is about 420 pages long) and looking at other reviews, it is part 3 – the novel is divided into 3 large parts, no chapters – where the story starts to be gripping and finishes with a fascinating, polarizing ending! I admit I’m quite intrigued by that, however not enough to continue after my experience of the first part. I had two main problems with this book: 1) This is the opposite of the ‘show, don’t tell’ rule of writing – it’s just pages and pages of just information dump about each character, I don’t remember when I last read such lengthy exposition in my life. The reader does not know these characters and yet, is forced to read so much about them, and a lot of it feels just redundant and boring. Now, I don’t want to say there should be a more riveting plot (although you COULD expect that from a thriller) where there is very little of it in part 1 - as I usually like slow literary novels - but I don’t think Catton succeeded with her way of writing in capturing my attention as it’s very dry. 2) When we actually get some snippets of dialogue and action, it might make you think of Sally Rooney’s writing, but with more dryness – again, not something I would expect from what this novel is described as.
All in all, I’m grateful I had a chance to read this book. Thank you Netgalley and Granta. Sadly, this wasn’t for me.
The long-awaited second novel from the 2013 Booker Prize winner.
The author’s first novel “The Luminaries” was an odd-mix of lengthy Victorian-crime drama pastiche with two Oulipian constraints: a macro Golden-Ratio linked imposition on section length and a oddly-detailed Zodiacal driving of scene by scene plot elements.
This is an equally unusual mix of political and ecological examination, introspective character analysis and tech thriller.
The action takes place on a large farm on New Zealand’s South Island, owned by a newly Knighted pest-control empire businessman (Owen Darvish). At the start of the book the farm and nearby town have been cut off by a large landslide at the nearby pass which is not likely to be removed for some time.
Mira Bunting, the charismatic leader of Birnam Wood – an anti-capitalist collective with a focus on guerilla gardening sees the abandoned farm as a chance to scale up their operations and (a key driver for her) to keep her closest friend Shelley Noakes (whose more pragmatic and detail focus is an ideal foil for the visionary Mira) from leaving the collective.
But arriving at the farm she meets Robert Lemoine the secretive and differently charismatic billionaire owner of a surveillance-based drone firm and now a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He tells her that he has secretly done a deal with Darvish to buy the farm as a Billionaire Bolthole but we quickly discover (almost as soon as we meet him) that his real motivation is to cover up and complete a clandestine surface-mining operation to extract trillions of dollars of rare earth from the nearby hills (an operation which triggered the landslide).
Lemoine, sticking to his cover story, proposes a partnership with Birnam Wood to share the farm.
Added to the mix – a one time almost-boyfriend of Mira, Tony Gallo an ex-Birnam member, mansplaining anti-rich activisit turned wannabe-investigative journalist returns to the collective just in time to take affront at the proposed capitalist partnership – but then as he investigates further starts to uncover what is going on (although assuming the extraction operation is a government cover-up)
The book starts very slowly – each of Mira, Shelley and Tony is introduced by lengthy explosition - first of their back story and then with an internal examination of their character motivations, for example for Mira and then Tony. I must admit I started the book a few times and struggled to get engaged by this section as although the writing is often strong the book seemed to lack any narrative propulsion.
Then, and to my surprise, the book lifted off but only to enter rather abruptly into what I can only describe as James Paterson/Clive Cussler territory
And then from there the book slows down again – with Tony crashing a meeting of the collective and lecturing them (and us) on the how even anti-capitalist activism has implicitly adopted the world-view and values of the free market – before accelerating back into a fairly conventional thriller which, like many such of that genre, manages to combine detailed research and real-world detail with an increasingly implausible plot albeit with a rather open and sudden ending which I did appreciate rather than the usual wrap-everything-up approach.
Overall an entertaining if unevenly paced well-written but far from literary thriller. Which feels like a little of a lukewarm overall review but hopefully not a lazy one.
Birnam Wood is a political, delightful slow-burner, an absolute pleasure to read from start to finish. This is a book that delves deeply into societal issues and environmental activism, as well as introducing a host of distinct and fleshed out characters who perfectly captivate the reader with their fallibility.
Shelley and Mira spearhead a grassroots non-profit gardening organisation, Birnam Wood, (regrettably, the Macbeth reference is lost on me, I'm not much of a Shakespeare fan), which primarily cultivates multiple vegetable plantations, (in places that they don't strictly have permission to grow crops), growing produce to keep its members fed, supply local charities and sell to earn enough to keep the group solvent.
An intimidating presence manifests in billionaire Robert Lemoine, appearing on the scene when the group's attention is drawn to a local farm property which, unfortunately for them, just happens to interest said billionaire for entirely different, far less charitable, reasons.
Birnam Wood reads like a dream, despite lengthy discussion and debate, as well as a lot of passionate inner monologue, and I absolutely ate it up. Eleanor Catton has an elegant style of writing which I adore, and this novel is absolutely unique from anything else I have read. Starting slow with a lot of focus on character building, it slowly builds pace and spirals into a much more sinister place, culminating in an explosive ending which left me literally holding my breath.
Brilliant, unexpected and memorable, I am so grateful to have been granted early access to this thrilling novel, and I will be purchasing the physical copy to gift to friends! A must-read.
First of all, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book, in return for an honest review.
This contemporary thriller tells the story of a group of young environmentalists (Birnam Wood), who stumble upon a seemingly generous American billionaire willing to help them grow. Mira is the founder of the group, who seeks meaning, but is torn between conflicting motivations, and has to face the fact she is, after all, self-centered and needs the approval of others (above anything else). Shelley, Mira's "2nd in command", starts by seeming even more conflicted, but shows unwavering resolve in times of crisis, and a ruthless streak that further demonstrates her ambition (be it related to environmentalism or not). Tony, a co-founder, is a driven and intelligent self-described journalist (but essentially nothing more than a conspiracy theorist), who stumbles upon facts that would have helped form an accurate picture of reality, if only he could avoid extrapolating and jumping to conclusions. The Billionaire is a rough caricature of what some young people think successful entrepreneurs are - basically a power- and wealth-hungry sociopath, who will stop at nothing (literally) to achieve his goals. The older couple are, in some ways, caricatures of "boomers" who frankly want to enjoy their lives and retirement, and are happy to use enviromentalist credentials when it suits them.
The story covers the duplicity of many older generation environmentalists, the hypocrisy of many younger folk for whom environmentalist is chic, the abusive capitalist attitude often displayed by big business, the incompetence of government, and the tragedy of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I did not like this book. The Luminaries was like a box of chocolates and a puzzle at the same time - I savoured every chapter and every revelation, and continuously struggled to piece everything together. I did love the pacing the writing in this book - it continues to showcase the skill of the author as a storyteller and a weaver of threads that make a reader want to keep unravelling them, one page at a time.
That being said, this book, in contrast to the previous one, lacks the complexity of narrative and form that Luminaries had, and is, in many ways, derivative in the context of much contemporary literature. To be more specific, the thing I disliked most was the run-of-the-mill plot, which was both predictable, and cliche. Many of the characters (perhaps with the exception of Mira and Shelley) were somewhat caricaturistic and way too simplistic. The major plot point and the motivator for the billionaire's actions, is simply so incredible that it beggars belief ("Bond villain"-esque) - there are so many things wrong with the core premise that I can't but feel ashamed for the lack of insight into how the world works by author.
I also found the sexual and romantic overlay a bit too much. This whole storyline felt like a very very amateurish attempt to bask in the glory of the trend that Sally Rooney is perhaps the most prominent representative of. The relationships between the three young protagonists are just too shallow, and the unnecessary sexualisation of our favourite billionaire betrays (perhaps) more about the author's fascination with these individuals than what the plot actually warrants. All in all - the storywould have benefitted from a more nuanced exploration of the psyche of the main characters, vs the at-times seemingfly endless (s)he-loves-me-(s)he-loves-me-not soliloquies.
Finally, there was just nothing new here, neither in form nor in function. I've learnt nothing new about anything by reading this book (whereas Luminaries was superb in illuminating the early years of NZ's settlement), and will forget about it very soon, I'm sure. It felt like an attempt by a talented author to write a Hollywood-bait book. Shame. For what it's worth, there are way better eco thrillers out there (Zodiac being just one name that comes to mind).
Good read if you're looking for something uncomplicated to take to the beach. Very bad idea if you're looking for somehing even half as sophisticated as Luminaries was.
*With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
I didn't know what to expect coming into this novel, except for an expectation (having read both The Rehearsal and The Luminaries) that this would be a smart, character driven novel, with a tendency to cross genres and be a little unpredicted, and that happily is what I got.
The Birnam Wood of the title are a group of guerilla gardening activists; they utilise green spaces that the community allow them to use, sharing the profits and doing good work, but they also take the opportunity to use unused and abandoned land to do the same thing (without profit sharing). We meet two of these characters, Mira and Shelley, at the beginning of the novel, both of whom have been with Birnam Wood for a long time. Mira is keen to take the group further though is also unsure how to, in her own word, "Break Good". Shelley has become disillusioned with the group and wants to move on.
An opportunity arises when the sale of a tract of land in Thorndike (New Zealand) which is due to be parceled off, is suddenly halted by a landslide, which leaves essentially abandoned land which Mira sees as a golden opportunity to raise the groups profile, particularly as this land is owned by Lord Dervish, recently knighted and therefore in the public eye. Things become much more complicated, however, when a billionaire, Robert Lemoine claims to have already, secretly, purchased the land and offers to sponsor Mira and the group to watch them work. Are his intentions pure? Matters become further complicated when a former group member, Tony, who has designs on being a journalist (and who is very anti-capitalist besides) hears about the proposal and decides to find out more.
That in a nutshell is the bones of the novel, on the face of it, it is simple but Eleanor Catton digs deep into her characters motivations, fleshing them out, giving us insight into Birnam wood (including a detailed section on a group meeting), and drawing us in. It takes time to do this, and it is a slow start, but that does not make it a bad start, it means that once the scene setting is done the novel can gather pace, and it does, going to unexpected places.
All the main characters are believable and not entirely likable, but again that isn't bad writing, that's reality. Not everyone is likable and this book does a good job of painting the good and the bad of both sides here, it also does a really good job of obfuscating where it is going, pulling the threads together towards the end, in quite a neat but unexpected way. Though if there is a criticism of the novel it is that it feels a little rushed at the end. If the start of the novel is a slow, patient, build-up, the last section of the novel comes in a quick rush with events taking place all too quickly, and I wished it had been a little longer.
There isn't too much to criticise here though, there are likely some readers who will struggle with the pace of the novel, but my advice is to persevere for this becomes a thrilling read by the end. So glad the Eleanor Catton has finally written another novel and hope that it won't be quite as long until the next one.
An eco political thriller by an author that can write. This really was rather good.
Thoroughly enjoyed this and found the authors take on how people justify their actions fascinating. Suspect this will be in my top reads for 2023.
Thanks to Netgallery for the ARC but the copy was super buggy, not opening where I had left off.
Pedant alert: A note to the editor, you can’t change the apparent date of an email by changing the date in you device!
"Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until
Great Birnam wood to high Dunisnane hill
Shall come against him"
This quote is from, obviously, Macbeth, and is part of one of the prophecies given by the witches that drive the plot of that play forward. It is also part of the epigraph to Eleanor Catton’s new novel. The shadow of Macbeth looms over this novel although definitely not a simple modern re-telling. There is a very helpful interview at thebookseller.com which I will probably quote a few times. Like this:
Birnam Wood transports the ideas of 'Macbeth' to New Zealand in 2017, but it’s far from a direct retelling, which Catton often finds tedious (and she does not believe in boring her readers). Instead, every lead character is a plausible contender for the role of Macbeth, with a Lady Macbeth figure beside them. Noticing in 2016 that everyone around her (including herself) had become adept at diagnosing Macbeth-like qualities in others but not in themselves, she set out to play with the notion that nobody thinks they are the bad guy."
Then there’s this: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/17/billionaires-bolthole-new-zealand-preppers-paradise
This Guardian article talks about the surge of billionaires building bunkers in New Zealand. One of the reasons they choose New Zealand, at least as it appears reading this book, is that the country doesn’t seem to bother with things like residency and permissions should a non-New Zealander want to build, preferring instead to sort it out with a generous amount of cash. Of course, a lot of billionaires are not short of cash.
This is quite a political novel. As thebookseller.com has it "political but not partisan".
Finally there’s the Birnam Wood of the novel. Here, Birnam Wood is not an actual forest but is the name adopted by a “guerrilla gardening” collective, idealistic people who plant crops on spare land, with or without permission.
This is where the novel starts. It is 2017 in New Zealand. Mira Bunting is a leader within the Birnam Wood organisation. Robert Lemoine is a billionaire building a bolt hole just down the road. The two meet and the story sets off.
To return to thebookseller.com:
"In a literary landscape where intricate, 19th century-style plotting has fallen from vogue, the New Zealand writer, currently based in Cambridge in the UK, stands out as its loyal defender. “The moral development of people in plotted novels where people make choices is fascinating and important. I’d like to see more books like that.” In Birnam Wood, a social novel born of the political upheavals of 2016—the Brexit vote, the election of Donald Trump—she looks to that master architect of plot: Shakespeare."
This is a plot-driven novel.
Except it isn’t for the first part, which is 100-odd pages long and almost made me want to stop reading the book. It includes numerous diversions to establish the backstories of the main players in the novel, which I guess we need to know at least part of, but it feels way, way longer than it needs to be.
To be fair to the novel, if you get through that first part, the pace picks up considerably. I don’t normally read novels for their plot, so you might think I would view this book the other way round: an interesting, introspective, starting point and then a plot-driven main body. But I found myself struggling in that first part and the fast-paced story that comes through in the remaining parts of the book is a bit of a relief.
The ending is intriguing, too. No spoilers. I am not sure what I make of it. Some people will hate it, but I think it makes for an intriguing place to stop reading the book.
This is a book a bit about our surveillance culture, a bit about corruption at high levels, a bit about the limits of individuals in standing up for their beliefs. Since The Luminaries, Catton has worked on screen plays (e.g. for The Luminaries) and this book has the feel of a big screen movie. After the first 100 pages or so, I enjoyed reading it even though it feels quite different to the kind of book I would normally read. It’s long (too long, I feel), but it flies by quickly.
It’s a 3.5 star book for me. I’m rounding up and will see how I feel when the book has had time to settle a bit and as other reviewers pass comment.
Birnam Wood is a fast paced psychological thriller from Eleanor Catton. I am a big fan of The Luminaries. The writing is beautiful and the story of the collective garden pulls you from the first pages.
Having never read anything else by this author I was excited to read this one. Set in New Zealand it features Mira who had set up a guerrilla gardening group. They - illegally sometimes - grow crops on unused land. When a landslide cuts off the town of Thorndike, she decides that a large abandoned farm would suit the group perfectly. Then she finds that billionaire, Robert Lemoine, had purchased the farm and intends to install an end of days bunker but offers to invest in the group and to allow them to use the land. But can she trust him? Can he trust her? These are two of the main characters, but the authors also throws in a newly knighted businessman and his wife who have sold the farm to Lemoine, Shelley who is Mira's girl Friday but is getting disillusioned and ready to leave and Tony who has returned to the group after a few years away - a would-be journalist wanting the scoop to make him famous. Each character's personality comes to the stage and each has their own agenda. We have secrets, manipulation, spying and it all leads to a really gripping Part III. Sadly, for all the beautiful descriptions on the land, the characters and the ideas, I did find this very slow to start but once it got going .... On a side note - because of the title, I kept trying to fit the characters into Shakespeare's Macbeth. I think I might have found the villain and Banquo, but I didn't quite find Lady M. But that was just me - I'm not sure if the author was wanting us to compare the novel to the play. Overall, I enjoyed it, once I got past the slow start.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy of Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton. I was drawn to the title and it’s connection to Macbeth, but this is largely unrelated to the plot of the book.
Set in New Zealand Birnam Wood are an organisation of gardening eco-warriors, who thanks to their leader Mira, find themselves connected to an American billionaire. Despite his outwardly benevolent behaviour, he has ulterior motives for supporting Birnam Wood and their work.
I had a number of issues with the book - firstly there are no chapters. The book is divided into parts which are humongous and not exceptionally convenient for picking up, putting down and remembering exactly where you have got to..
Secondly - the characters were all fairly unlikeable.
Thirdly - the ending!
This is a fast-paced eco-thriller and it´s very, very good! One of the most enjoyable reading experiences all year. It was one of my most-anticipated reads for 2023, but I couldn´t restrain myself and finished it on 29 December 2022…
The plot is intricate, but expertly structured and built-up. We have essentially three circles of people: Mira, an environmentalist who runs a guerrilla-planting non-profit organisation called Birnam Wood, Owen, the owner of a large farm in a national park and Robert Lemoine, an American billionaire who is about to buy Owen´s farm but has ulterior motives. Mira finds out about the farm being for sale and decides that while it lays abandoned Birnam Wood might as well use its extended grounds for a clandestine planting operation, which however clashes with Robert Lemoine´s secret business. The setting is the beautiful countryside of New Zealand´s South Island and there are quite a few interesting observations about Kiwi character and NZ politics.
I loved The Luminaries for its perfect execution, structure and research and that once again applies to this mystery. I can see some people complain about limited literary merit (e.g. when discussing whether Catton could win the Booker again), but even though the plot is the star there is definitely good writing and I found the relationships and tensions between the different characters, their principles and beliefs and their psychological development all very well done, never once becoming sentimental.