Too Dark and Perplexing

Is it sinful to ensure our survival? It’s definitely impulsive. Catton’s thriller forms the basis with tangled characters in an unpredictable setting and plot.

Mira Bunting, twenty-nine years old, is the innovator of Birnam Wood. Mira has a friend Shelley Noakes who believes she is more sensible than Mira and initially tries to outsmart her and leave. Insurrectionist New Zealand gardeners scavenge for resources and plant food on unused land. A natural disaster created a special opportunity for the this band of unregulated friends, calling themselves Birnam Wood. Mira discovers a vacant farming property which was deserted due to an earthquake. The original owner, Owen Darvish, is transferring ownership of this property to Robert Lemoine, a sketchy businessman.

The lead protagonist is Tony Gallo who pontificates on almost every subject and is mortified when Mira tells the collective that this billionaire, Robert Lemoine, wants to invest in their project to the tune of $100,000. Thus, there is a departure of purist, socialist values except for Tony who surveils Robert’s arsenal. What could go wrong? Well, almost everything. Catton entertains the reader with fascinating plotting and surprising twists. What was meant to be a group goal results in terrifying hubris taking center stage.

Is Mira’s group a cult or are they purists? The author endeared me to this setting. In fact, the novel takes place in 2017, the beginning of Jacinda Ardern’s term as Prime Minister. Respected globally, she shocked the world when she announced she would no longer serve as the leader of New Zealand. She felt she was the wrong person, stating…”I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice…” Did she also trust the wrong people? Or do female leaders have to prove themselves every day?

This novel became a page-turner embodying power, greed and always hope and courage. However, the prose meanders and I had to go back and re-read. It was difficult to stick with it. I realize Catton is lauded for her talent, but someone once told me if you don’t understand the movie or the book, it is not really that good.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book moves from the good to great category in the last 75-100 pages. Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying it up until that point, but then it became obvious that Catton had written another amazing novel. The characters in this story are fascinating. And varied. We start with the anarchist gardening collective, Birnam Wood, run by Mira and Shelley. After years of just scraping by, Mira is offered a lot of money by a billionaire, Robert Lemoine. Everyone has a different motivation and goal, and there are many secrets being kept. How does an anarchist group react to a large sum of money? Why is a billionaire suddenly interested in ecology and gardening? It's both an eco/psychological thriller and a meditation on the motivations and self-interests of individuals.

"Birnam Wood is on the move . . .

Five years ago, Mira Bunting founded a guerrilla gardening group: Birnam Wood. An undeclared, unregulated, sometimes-criminal, sometimes-philanthropic gathering of friends, this activist collective plants crops wherever no one will notice: on the sides of roads, in forgotten parks, and neglected backyards. For years, the group has struggled to break even. Then Mira stumbles on an answer, a way to finally set the group up for the long term: a landslide has closed the Korowai Pass, cutting off the town of Thorndike. Natural disaster has created an opportunity, a sizable farm seemingly abandoned.

But Mira is not the only one interested in Thorndike. Robert Lemoine, the enigmatic American billionaire, has snatched it up to build his end-times bunker--or so he tells Mira when he catches her on the property. Intrigued by Mira, Birnam Wood, and their entrepreneurial spirit, he suggests they work this land. But can they trust him? And, as their ideals and ideologies are tested, can they trust each other?"

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus & Giroux for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

We get an omniscient point of view that practically tells the entire story. We do switch characters, a limited number at least, and get each of their personal thoughts, but there is less interaction between the characters, and hardly any dialogue.

It is these thick paragraphs that bogged down the reading for me, with hardly any breaks just endless thoughts and ruminations on past or present circumstances and philosophies.

The action comes later, and yet still somewhat slowed. The book was listed as a mystery/thriller but that isn’t quite true. Although there is something a bit unknown. There is practically no tension in the book.

I suppose I took the book too seriously, as it did have a light-hearted type feel to it, despite some of the content. After finishing I realized I didn’t really like, nor connect with, any of the characters. And I thoroughly did not like the ending. Yet I don’t feel it was a waste to have read the book. I found a moment or two where I learned something about New Zealand, the character of the people there.

I was one of those readers who was make impatient by Eleanor Catton’s widely-praised last novel, The Luminaries — mostly because I found it to be too esoteric; too full of literary tricks and authorial fingers in the plot for my taste — yet I still recognised Catton as a wonderfully talented writer and I looked forward to whatever she came out with next. As a follow-up, Birnam Wood does not disappoint: a thrilling bit of political ecofiction with compelling characters, an immersive setting, and timely commentary on modern social ills, I gobbled this up (aided by the fact that it’s half as long as her last novel). I can see a complaint that this might be a bit potboilery — and especially when compared to the literary fireworks of Catton’s last work — but I personally loved everything about this and am rounding up to five stars.

Catton remains an exceedingly clever and talented writer—Birnam Wood definitely lives up to the hype (both online and in my own heart, since I loved The Luminaries). One of the things I love about Catton's writing is how deeply it explores the interiority of her character's minds. You feel at once that you know their deepest thoughts, and yet there is always something unknowable about each character, creating a continuously new reading experience as the story winds on.

Of course, I would be remiss not to mention the last third of the book. Dang! It flies by and you'll be hooked the moment the twist happens, trying to figure out what will happen next, or just happily along for the ride (I was the latter). Even as the intensity ratchets up, Catton's writing remains unflinching and it's a delight to see how the pieces all rush together. The ending is exceedingly dark and ambiguous—Catton shines a light on all parties, making it impossible to place blame on just one individual or group.

Full of fascinating, annoying and despicable characters, this story wonders at our modern life and the ethical, political battles argued over online and in groups of friends. Catton is a masterful satirist and puppeteer, and biting observer of our present day. I cannot wait for whatever she dreams up next, and in the meantime, I'll go back and read her debut novel.

This was my first Eleanor Catton novel, and it won't be my last. Still not sure how I feel about that wild ending (although I can't STOP thinking about it ...), but her intelligent grasp of character drew me in and kept me hooked. Fantastic.

The cover made me think one thing and the plot was completely different. This book is a psychological thriller, however, but not the kind I usually gravitate toward. The novel is Shakespearean (Macbeth if I had to pick one) in its wit, drama, and immersion in character. A brilliantly constructed consideration of intentions, actions, and consequences, it is an unflinching examination of the human impulse to ensure our own survival.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this e-arc.*

Birnam Wood
By Eleanor Catton

This book is a tough read. It deals with a group of young people with liberal ideologies who form Birnam Wood, a non-profit organization, to help others and to bring down the billionaire capitalists and make the world a better place. Into the mix comes Robert Lemoine, one of the aforementioned billionaires who is up to no good when he gets involved with the group. And then there are Lord Owen Darvish and his wife, Jill, - old-fashioned conservatives who manage to be right in the middle of the plot line because they own the property which is the cause of all the problems, much to their detriment.

The tale is dark and left me feeling rather hopeless by the end. It is a well written story, but will not leave you feeling good about the state of the world.

I found the characters to be compellingly drawn out in the beginning, especially Lemoine (with his sociopathic tendencies) and Mira. The prose and description of New Zealand were also lovely. What became burdensome in the middle were the self-righteous, long tirades that Tony—and to a lesser extent Shelley—went on. I understand that this was intentional but wow did it make it hard for me to like them. Tony was too busy demonizing capitalism, pouting about being underestimated, and obsessing over Mira. Shelley could barely form a sentence without bringing up how manipulative Mira was. It was exhausting.

On a larger scale, I understood that the book is trying to tease out the selfishness that exists on both sides of Birnam Wood's DIY, collectivist ethos and Lemoine's purely money-driven exploitation of public land. I just think the political sparring was too heavy handed in relation to the plot line. Maybe less a thriller and more a thesis in disguise?

eleanor catton can WRITE. arty in the best way, gorgeously rendered, and deeply insightful. tight as hell, probably will end up being divisive, but i loved it.

Delighted to include this title in the March edition of Novel Encounters, my regular column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction, for the Books section of Zoomer magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

This book was worth the wait. It is very ambitious and clever but never feels preachy or like it is talking down to you, and I think Catton wrestles with hot button topics like environmentalism and social media in a really interesting way. She is a talented writer, but her real gift is for description - I highlighted several lines in my review copy just because they stopped me cold. The ending totally reframed my perception of the book, in a way that I think is really rare and extremely difficult to pull off. I will read anything she writes.

I picked this up on a whim, thinking I wouldn't love it after looking at Goodreads. While some of the complaints on Goodreads are valid, I absolutely loved Birnam Wood. This is a very very literary mystery. Do not pick this up looking for a heart pounding thriller. In short, this is the story of a guerilla gardening group and the billionaire they become intertwined with.

The beginning of this book is a slow burn. There is a lot of character set up and a lot of philosophizing going on. Keep reading as it all comes together and makes every word worth it. Birnam Wood, the name of the book and the gardening group, is obviously a reference to Macbeth. This entire story felt very Shakepearean- the wit, the cat and mouse, the drama, the ENDING. I enjoyed the nods to the tropes Shakespeare built out for us.

I just loved this. It was intricately and expertly plotted, the social commentary was on point, and it had me frantically turning pages. I have not read a single thing like it. I find the more I love a book, the less I can articulate about it, and that is what I'm facing here.

Set in New Zealand - about a group Birnam Wood who seizes an opportunity to occupy an abandoned farm - but first a billionaire wants it - it’s a slow burn of a gripping thriller - weird unique characyers

A very original and engrossing new novel from the renowned author of The Luminaries. The story follows the activities of an eccentric tech billionaire Robert Lemoine who gets unwittingly involved with an ecological activist group called Birnam Wood. The group comprises quirky, unconventional, idealistic young members like its leader Mira Bunting, her second in command Shelley and disillusioned reporter Tony Gallo. The story starts off slow and then suddenly becomes a roller coaster ride. The characters are human and well-developed - they are neither all good nor all bad and you can't help develop a sense of empathy. The novel deals with very current topics like the faceoff between development and ecological degradation and the technological competition between the West and China. Be prepared for an all-nighter with major twists and turns. I could not put the book down till the end.

Thank you Farrar Straus and Giroux,, Eleanor Catton and Netgalley

I was excited to have the opportunity to read the eARC of Birnam Wood. Guerilla gardener thriller! Sounds like great fun, right? However, I was ultimately very disappointed. Although I feel rather badly about it, have received the title in return for an honest review, I just couldn't finish it. About half-way through, I realized that I really didn't like any of the characters (and in fact, disliked most of them!) and didn't care what happened to them. The characters seemed wooden, just cut-outs of familiar tropes. Too many books and too many other demands on my time, and so I gave up. I am, nonetheless, grateful to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Birnam Wood.

Set in New Zealand, a Gen-X guerrilla gardening collective, Birnam Wood, votes to work with a tech billionaire whose motivations are devious and hidden. The characters are well drawn, but irritatingly unlikeable. I found the first third of the book a bit of a slog, because I had no empathy with any of them, but the pace really picked up after that and it was hard to put the book down. The nods to Macbethad delicately woven through the story were a treat as well. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

Wow, this book will stay with me for a long time.

Mira and Shelley have spent their last few years working for Birnam Wood, a gardening collective with an activism spin. There is some tension between them and you can feel the closeness in their friendship. Tony has just returned from living abroad for years at the same time that Mira is trying to scope out a new site for their guerilla gardening. Mira has just met billionaire Robert Lemoine, who is interested in funding the group -- which for some goes against everything they stand for.

While I really wanted to like the main characters -- Mira, Shelley, and Tony -- I found I just didn't like any of them. They all keep doing things that made me want to shake them. Yet I was so compelled to keep reading, to find out more about them and their motivations, and figure out how they would get out of various situations. Robert Lemoine is a fascinating character, both charismatic and terrifying -- and the way he was portrayed felt so real to me.

For the first two-thirds of the book I felt intrigued and engaged but then it shifted and I could not put it down, I was eager to find out how it would all resolve and I definitely did not see the ending coming.

And now I only wish I had someone to discuss it with!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

3.5, rounded up. Catton's follow-up to the Booker-winning <i>The Luminaries</i> is a playful novel of ideas and a dark satire of politics piggybacked onto a eco-techno-thriller of online surveillance and drone warfare.

Set in New Zealand in 2017, the novel doesn't require local knowledge, but I was oblivious to the larger cultural and political context (and the fictional geography) Catton was gesturing towards. The first third is burdened with belabored exposition, slowly setting up the character dynamics within Birnam Wood, a millennial guerilla gardening collective, dominated by the earnestly ideological Mira and her ultra-competent frenemy Shelley, who had a short-lived dalliance five years ago with strident ex-member and self-styled investigative blogger Tony (if he were American, he'd be a Bernie Bro) returns after a long absence to denounce-- in a highly polemical diatribe against left-wing pieties and the impossibility of anti-capitalists ever escaping the ideological prison of capitalism-- Mira's agreement to farm a rural estate occupied by the Gen-Xer American sociopathic tech billionaire Robert Lemoine to build an apocalypse-survival bunker as cover for a highly illegal rare-earth mining operation that would make him a trillionaire, but the land is actually owned by the boomer exterminating services millionaire Sir Owen Darvish, who's seeking to greenwash his operation with a drone-based endangered-bird-conservation initiative.

As you can see from that very long and overstuffed sentence, there are wheels within wheels turning here, and the pace picks up in the novel's tightly-plotted second half. Catton gets deep inside her characters' heads, so that when their motivations come into intractable conflict, the fireworks felt completely natural even as the violence and tension ratcheted up to extreme heights, and the prose quality descended to pulp-fictional depths. Nodding to Macbeth, each major character makes ethical compromises to achieve what they envision as a noble goal, but slides down a slippery slope with further ethical compromises, leading to an explosively bloody denouement.

The pages turned, but I couldn't help thinking that this might have worked better as a limited TV series rather than a novel.

<i>Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review</i>.

I understand that Birnam Wood is a location in Scotland that played a role in Macbeth - but I don't know much about Macbeth, so it didn't trigger any memories of the plot for me. I had read a couple of Eleanor Catton's previous novels and is the reason I picked this one up.

Catton's writing is pleasurable to read and flows well. The book really didn't catch my interest until about halfway through though - I found the first part boring and tedious, and only the lyrical writing kept me reading. I'm glad I stuck with it though. The second half of the book was much more interesting.

I enjoyed the concept of guerilla gardening - the gardening's group name is Birnam Wood. I think they found a good use for neglected and underutilized land. I don't know if these groups really exist, but it seems a good cause. There's a billionaire supposedly building an end of times bunker in New Zealand, Robert Lemoine, who is doing some real damage under the radar. The Birnam Wood group has created a threat to Lemoine and things get way out of hand.

This is a good psychological thriller. Make sure you get through the boring part by telling yourself it is setting up information you will need for the much more interesting part.

Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on March 7, 2023.