Birnam Wood
- Downloads：4043
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-02-28 04:51:25
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Eleanor Catton
- ISBN：178378427X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
Booker winning author of The Luminaries， Eleanor Catton's third novel， BIRNAM WOOD， a psychological thriller， set in a remote area of New Zealand where scores of ultra-rich foreigners are building fortress-like homes in preparation for a coming， following the guerrilla gardening outfit Birnam Wood， a ragtag group of leftists who move about the country cultivating other people's land， whose chance encounter with an American billionaire sparks a tragic sequence of events which questions how far each of us would go to ensure our own survival--and at what cost。
Reviews
Pamela
，
did not like the ending
Preeti Mahatme
，
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 cha 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 。。。more
Tara Eakin
，
The characters seemed intriguing with the premise of a guerrilla gardening collective an eccentric billionaire who want to build his bunker for the end of days。 The description sound enticing to me， I was disappointed with the lengthy opening pages， spending too much time on the descriptive writing cantered on the Birnam Wood cooperative characters。 It moved too slow for me。 I felt like being preached to。 I really wanted to enjoy the book but it was dragged out。 I DNF I would like to thank Pengu The characters seemed intriguing with the premise of a guerrilla gardening collective an eccentric billionaire who want to build his bunker for the end of days。 The description sound enticing to me， I was disappointed with the lengthy opening pages， spending too much time on the descriptive writing cantered on the Birnam Wood cooperative characters。 It moved too slow for me。 I felt like being preached to。 I really wanted to enjoy the book but it was dragged out。 I DNF I would like to thank Penguin Random house with gifting me with the ARC in return for my honest feedback。 。。。more
Ciaran Helen
，
I think I'm crying at the end of this both because of the final line， and: what it all means in retrospect considering the tale， but also just the absolute shock that is the third part of this book， that just keeps building and building without respite for 150 odd pages， until you reckon with it all with only a few short words left。 It was just an adrenaline rush getting to the end。 And I loved it the whole time。 I was waiting for the 5 star 2023 read I wanted， and I got it。Thought:- real fan of I think I'm crying at the end of this both because of the final line， and: what it all means in retrospect considering the tale， but also just the absolute shock that is the third part of this book， that just keeps building and building without respite for 150 odd pages， until you reckon with it all with only a few short words left。 It was just an adrenaline rush getting to the end。 And I loved it the whole time。 I was waiting for the 5 star 2023 read I wanted， and I got it。Thought:- real fan of this open， honest narrative。 Can't seem to figure out how to articulate my perspective on truth as a narrative device in this book yet， but hopefully it'll come go me on further pondering。 。。。more
Arin Basu
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The story is an eco-thriller where a lone wolf attempts to find out the truth about illegal ecocidal activity in a National Park in South Island of New Zealand。 The main characters include an American billionaire Robert Lemoine who made money selling surveillance drones wants to buy land in New Zealand to build a bunker and to mine rare earth minerals， a kiwi pest control businessman who is knighted had property up in Korowai national park （actually there is a Korowai/Torless park but Catton cla The story is an eco-thriller where a lone wolf attempts to find out the truth about illegal ecocidal activity in a National Park in South Island of New Zealand。 The main characters include an American billionaire Robert Lemoine who made money selling surveillance drones wants to buy land in New Zealand to build a bunker and to mine rare earth minerals， a kiwi pest control businessman who is knighted had property up in Korowai national park （actually there is a Korowai/Torless park but Catton claims she made it up） at a small town， a ginger group （Birnam Wood group） of stealth gardeners led by Mira Bunting and her sidekick Shelley， and a rebel leftist academic group member of Birnam Wood （Anthony Gallo） who later splits and goes solo because he disagrees with the group taking money from Robert。 Robert pays money to the group and the group comes up and starts planting seeds。 Robert is also a psychopath and gets the group members on acid trip。 Anthony Gallo tries to find out about the site and finds strange activities。 He tries to contact the Kiwi knighted businessman who is the owner of the property。 He plans to come up to view what's going on， and the night he arrives at his house， he is accidentally killed by Shelley driving a car under influence of acid。 Robert helps to change the story or the circumstances of the death of this man。 Later realises that Tony is after him from hacking phones and through his drone based surveillance of the area。 To cut a long story short， Tony is caught， and Robert plans to murder all members of the Birnam Wood， then take the minerals out of the National Park， sell the property again and disappear。 In a macabre end to the story， as he executes all the members of the Birnam Wood， the widow of Sir Owen appears and shoots her。 In turn the security guards of Robert shoot Lady Owen。 Practically everyone except Tony Gallo die on the property。 Tony sets alight some chemicals in a near dying condition and the story ends there。 Overall as an eco-thriller it is readable。 But nothing great。 The story starts slowly， then picks up speed or pace around pp 120 onwards。 The narrative is briliant in places but too slow to build up tension。 Overall， a decent read but a cliche'， meh。 。。。more
Kaily Schell
，
Out darn spot！ This book reaffirms that no matter the context， Eleanor Catton is an exquisite writer。 Birnam Wood is long， but doesn’t drag and is able to explore imagery and character development in-depth without compromising the pace。 It’s a very intriguing story， that felt like a bit of a bibliophiles dream。 It was very philosophical and introspective without being overly cerebral。 It felt like a practical philosophy book。 The story of Birnam Wood， closely parallels Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Out darn spot！ This book reaffirms that no matter the context， Eleanor Catton is an exquisite writer。 Birnam Wood is long， but doesn’t drag and is able to explore imagery and character development in-depth without compromising the pace。 It’s a very intriguing story， that felt like a bit of a bibliophiles dream。 It was very philosophical and introspective without being overly cerebral。 It felt like a practical philosophy book。 The story of Birnam Wood， closely parallels Shakespeare’s Macbeth and reminds us that “Absolute power corrupts， absolutely”。 I’m still in shock from just how quickly the end of the book escalated， snowballing into the perfect storm。I have nothing but the highest praise for Birnam Wood。 From its complex characters to its beautiful writing and perfectly executed plot， there’s something for everyone in this political thriller/tragedy。 In addition， it’s just a ton of FUN！ A must read。 。。。more
Sandra T。
，
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton Publication date: 2 March 2023~~~~~⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 starsThank you to NetGalley and Granta Publications for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 ~~~~~A landslide has closed the Korowai Pass in New Zealand's South Island， presenting an opportunity for Birnam Wood， a guerrilla gardening collective that plants crops wherever no one will notice。 But they hadn't figured on the enigmatic American billionaire Robert Lemoine， who also has an in Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton Publication date: 2 March 2023~~~~~⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 starsThank you to NetGalley and Granta Publications for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 ~~~~~A landslide has closed the Korowai Pass in New Zealand's South Island， presenting an opportunity for Birnam Wood， a guerrilla gardening collective that plants crops wherever no one will notice。 But they hadn't figured on the enigmatic American billionaire Robert Lemoine， who also has an interest in the place。~~~~~I liked the premise of an "eco thriller" about a guerilla gardening group and I appreciated the conversations about environmental activism vs。 predatory capitalism。And who doesn't love a Shakespearean reference？Objectively， this is a very well-written novel but it dragged so much for two-thirds of the book。 Good grief， I was slogging away at it for days！I'd read through almost 300 pages by the time the action picked up， and I had lost all interest in what was happening at that point。 This being said， I did like the very ending （it won't be for everyone，） which happened ridiculously fast over the space of about 6 pages - mercifully short， but jarring compared to the pace of the rest of the book。 Most of the characters were pretentious and mildly unlikeable， which was fine as I never mind that， but I'm not a fan of a moustache-twirling villain - it's so cliché。 I almost expected them to sit in a black armchair， stroking a white cat while saying "Good evening， Mr Bond， I've been expecting you。"'I really wish this story had been better paced because it had the potential to be great。~~~~~ 。。。more
Melissa
，
Huh， I need to think about this one。 Like， the book took a while to get into but the pace just seemed to pick up with every page I turned。 Truly haven't read much like it and I really enjoyed the perspectives of Lemoine and the Darvish's because there lives and experiences are so unlike my own。 I still have a few questions about some things， some minor plot holes but nothing that takes away from my enjoyment as the pace kept increasing。 Huh， I need to think about this one。 Like， the book took a while to get into but the pace just seemed to pick up with every page I turned。 Truly haven't read much like it and I really enjoyed the perspectives of Lemoine and the Darvish's because there lives and experiences are so unlike my own。 I still have a few questions about some things， some minor plot holes but nothing that takes away from my enjoyment as the pace kept increasing。 。。。more
Henry
，
i can believe in a lot but someone getting away with such flagrant disregard for the RMA is tougher to stomachas a thriller？ heaps of fun， great kiwi details， more twists than I was expecting， and i was genuinely invested in some of the relationship。 occasionally they did stuff with iPhones that I am fairly sure you cannot do。as a political novel？ well is it one？ probably。 i found the characters all a bit broad brush in this regard - but well， it is a thriller。 you can’t just dive off for ten pa i can believe in a lot but someone getting away with such flagrant disregard for the RMA is tougher to stomachas a thriller？ heaps of fun， great kiwi details， more twists than I was expecting， and i was genuinely invested in some of the relationship。 occasionally they did stuff with iPhones that I am fairly sure you cannot do。as a political novel？ well is it one？ probably。 i found the characters all a bit broad brush in this regard - but well， it is a thriller。 you can’t just dive off for ten pages to let Tony not sound like such a cliche。 。。。more
Jess
，
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 so 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！ 。。。more
Madeline
，
4。5 stars。。 nuts！！
Karen
，
3。5 starsThis was a very slow-burner to start， to the point I almost gave up on it， but once it got into it， it did pick up and was a good， eco-thriller following g guerilla gardening group Birnam Wood who plant crops on abandoned properties。 When a landslide provides a posilsible lucrative opportunity， the group have no idea the effect the prospective partnerships would have on all of them。 The tension definitely builds as the story unfolds and there a whole cast of well-drawn characters to fol 3。5 starsThis was a very slow-burner to start， to the point I almost gave up on it， but once it got into it， it did pick up and was a good， eco-thriller following g guerilla gardening group Birnam Wood who plant crops on abandoned properties。 When a landslide provides a posilsible lucrative opportunity， the group have no idea the effect the prospective partnerships would have on all of them。 The tension definitely builds as the story unfolds and there a whole cast of well-drawn characters to follow。 I didn't rate it higher as I felt， compared to the slower build up at the start， the ending felt a little rushed。 。。。more
Fran
，
Birnam Wood is a slow-burn thriller about a Kiwi guerrilla gardening co-operative who get tangled up with a self-serving American billionaire。 It doesn't feel like a thriller at the start， but once all the characters' stories start to intersect， the tension grows and grows until the final act when everything comes together。 Some of the thrilling elements are so subtle and clever， and the reader is trusted to understand the big picture - I couldn't have predicted the ending， though。 I really enjo Birnam Wood is a slow-burn thriller about a Kiwi guerrilla gardening co-operative who get tangled up with a self-serving American billionaire。 It doesn't feel like a thriller at the start， but once all the characters' stories start to intersect， the tension grows and grows until the final act when everything comes together。 Some of the thrilling elements are so subtle and clever， and the reader is trusted to understand the big picture - I couldn't have predicted the ending， though。 I really enjoyed it。Thank you to #NetGalley and Granta for an advanced proof of #BirnamWood 。。。more
Eric Anderson
，
Eleanor Catton's prize-winning and best-selling novel “The Luminaries” has a special place in my heart – not only because it's a tremendous story which is brilliantly written – but because it partly inspired me to start my book blog in the first place。 When I finished reading that intricate and impressive book I felt so compelled to discuss it with other people I went online。 It's the first book I posted about here and the conversations which followed encouraged me to continue engaging with the Eleanor Catton's prize-winning and best-selling novel “The Luminaries” has a special place in my heart – not only because it's a tremendous story which is brilliantly written – but because it partly inspired me to start my book blog in the first place。 When I finished reading that intricate and impressive book I felt so compelled to discuss it with other people I went online。 It's the first book I posted about here and the conversations which followed encouraged me to continue engaging with the virtual book community。 So naturally I'm thrilled that now （nearly 10 years after that novel first came out） she's finally published a new novel “Birnam Wood”。 The title is taken from a line in the play 'Macbeth' when the weird sisters predict that “Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him。” It's certainly not necessary to know the implications and meaning of this to appreciate Catton's new novel。 The story plays upon themes of ambition and power， but I don’t think the Shakespearian influence is explicit until very late in the book。 At the centre of the book is a New Zealand guerrilla gardening group or farming collective who use the name Birnam Wood。 They utilize unused land to cultivate crops to be distributed to those in need。 This is both a political act and environmental/humanitarian initiative whose methods aren't often strictly legal。 So when the group's founder Mira researches a large tract of land bordering a national forest which has been seemingly abandoned following a natural disaster she sees an opportunity for a large-scale planting project。 However， an American billionaire and pioneer in drone technology named Robert Lemoine is under negotiations with the land owners to purchase this tract of land – purportedly to build a doomsday bunker。 When Lemoine proposes to the collective that he can charitably fund their activities some members of the group feel that they are making a deal with the devil。 What follows is an ecological thriller， in-depth psychological study and social commentary about modern day politics/technology。 Many readers may grapple with getting into this book because Catton front loads the story with a lot of character detail。 Long sections describe the primary characters' backgrounds， ideologies， mentalities and conflicts。 This means that most of the initial scenes of the novel occur internally as a psycho-drama concerning members of Birnam Wood （especially central members Mira and Shelley）， renegade journalist Tony， scheming Lemoine and newly anointed Lord and Lady Darvish who own the property。 Reading such a rich portrait of these individuals and their relationship to each other is interesting but there is little action involved until some of the later parts of the novel。 It's like spending a long time sitting in a revving car before it launches forward at great speed。 But when it does get going the story is absolutely gripping – especially in the final 150 pages。 The trouble is that there are 275 pages before getting to that point。 I think some readers' patience will have worn thin by then。 Again， that's not to say these early sections aren't interesting but they are slow moving。 However， I found the thrilling ending and the larger meaning of the book that I was left with extremely compelling。 So overall I think it's a worthwhile reading experience and I was glad I went on this journey。 Read my full review of Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton at LonesomeReaderOr watch my video review in which I give a recitation as a Weird Sister: https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=icU7pjJcUb0 。。。more
Sarah
，
Birnam Wood was such a wild ride。 It's been described as an eco-thriller， but for the first two-thirds， I basked in the beautiful， literary writing。 The last third is when things really get chaotic （in a good way！）。 The way my jaw dropped at the end。。。None of the characters are perfect， which makes them all the more realistic。 There's Mira， founder and figurehead of the Birnam Wood collective， which plants crops and gardens in abandoned spaces。 We have Shelley， her second in command， that's been Birnam Wood was such a wild ride。 It's been described as an eco-thriller， but for the first two-thirds， I basked in the beautiful， literary writing。 The last third is when things really get chaotic （in a good way！）。 The way my jaw dropped at the end。。。None of the characters are perfect， which makes them all the more realistic。 There's Mira， founder and figurehead of the Birnam Wood collective， which plants crops and gardens in abandoned spaces。 We have Shelley， her second in command， that's been on the fence about her role in the group。 There's also Tony， the loud-spoken， divisive former member that wants to do something memorable。 The team meets up with Robert Lemoine， an almost cartoonishly devious billionaire whose motives - of course - are unclear。When I started the book， I had no clue where the story would go。 I enjoyed the gradual build of tension and learning more about each character。 As I said， the ending was mayhem， but I was excited to pick this book up for the entire duration。 。。。more
Sarah
，
4。5 rounded upAfter finishing reading Birnam Wood a few days ago I attended a （virtual） event with the author through The Portobello Bookshop in Edinburgh which has informed some of my review。Catton stated that she began the book during the political upheavals of 2016， terror of the rapidly oncoming future。 She had re-read Macbeth at the time and felt it had relevance to the political moment - and realised how much it seemed to be a play about the certainty we can feel about the future， and the 4。5 rounded upAfter finishing reading Birnam Wood a few days ago I attended a （virtual） event with the author through The Portobello Bookshop in Edinburgh which has informed some of my review。Catton stated that she began the book during the political upheavals of 2016， terror of the rapidly oncoming future。 She had re-read Macbeth at the time and felt it had relevance to the political moment - and realised how much it seemed to be a play about the certainty we can feel about the future， and the seductivity of feeling like we know what's going to happen。 She suddenly had the idea that she could write a polyphonic novel which would dramatise a political problem through the characters。 Each was a plausible candidate for Macbeth， even though none of them identified as such: each has a certainty about the future which is their ultimate downfall， Lady Macbeth figure out their side who was collateral to their ambition， witches and a Birnam Wood。Read Elliot Higgins' novel， We Are Bellingcat， which was an inspiration: realised that everything the witches tell Macbeth was effectively open source information （like in this novel）。 Seemed to Catton that people were approaching their political attitudes in a similar way。The author also stated that she knew at the outset that she wanted the book to be satire， but that she didn't want it to be a straight adaptation of Macbeth， adding that you don't need to be overly familiar with the source text。 She wanted to examine the impasse many left wing organisations find themselves at at a certain point: do we shut ourselves off and remain pure or sell out to some degree - and maybe have a greater impact。 People on the left are divided， depending on what the issue is。Wanted the book to speak to the New Zealand national obsession with property and the generational injustice of this obsession。 New Zealand has no capital gains tax， which surprises many because it's seen as a progressive place - but it has been famously hospitable to the ultra rich。 Catton wanted to animate the conversations people are having face to face through the novel。It's a pet peeve of the author where you have an inkling of how much characters use social media but how it's entirely cut out， so the book is honest about this and the surveillance the characters conduct on one another is that which we （almost） all do day-to-day。In Macbeth the plotting allows the reader to have a periscope into the future， which is mimicked in the book: a character will know something about another which gives them power over them。No spoilers！ But the ending was borrowed from Jane Austen's novels （including her adaptation of Emma for the screen）。Researched psychopaths a lot writing the book - wanted the billionaire to have some similarities to this - and realised algorithms have similar traits to them。 On being a woman in public life: we have tacitly agreed that women have to pay a higher price for this position， but the author doesn't think that this is acceptable and it is reflective that the polarisation that happens online is pushing people further towards ugliness; that its not a reflection of who we are but a distortion of this。The author didn't want to write a bleak book， but the ending is a result of all the character's actions to that point: if some of the actions hadn't happened then the ending could have been averted。----------------------------------------------------------------------------After sitting with my thoughts on Eleanor Catton's third novel for a few days I've decided to round my rating up。 The book is a brilliant accomplishment: it is incredibly clever and has plenty of intelligent things to say about contemporary society and politics but is highly readable at the same time。 Highly recommended！Thank you to Netgalley and Granta for the advance copy， which was provided in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Claire
，
This sounded intriguing and looking up the significance of Birnam Wood in Shakespeare's MacBeth had me hopeful。Alas， it really suffered from a head spinning beginning， where it felt like I was sitting at the wrong dinner table and had consumed too much wine to follow the conversation。 There was an over abundance of proselytising in the opening pages that almost had me put this down。 Some of the characters in the novel share verbose opinions and Catton allowed them to rant， which may be enthralli This sounded intriguing and looking up the significance of Birnam Wood in Shakespeare's MacBeth had me hopeful。Alas， it really suffered from a head spinning beginning， where it felt like I was sitting at the wrong dinner table and had consumed too much wine to follow the conversation。 There was an over abundance of proselytising in the opening pages that almost had me put this down。 Some of the characters in the novel share verbose opinions and Catton allowed them to rant， which may be enthralling for some， but they were like an ambush to this reader。I persevered （a characteristic I now associate with Catton's work） and the novel becomes a kind of cat and mouse， eco-warrior-techno suspense story， set in NZ's South Island， in 2017。Birnam Wood is a gardening collective， a group of people doing gently rebellious work， by planting sustainable gardens in places where they don't have permission。 There is a rivalrous friendship between the founder Mira and her flatmate， sidekick Shelley， who we learn early on has a desire to undermine her friend。When a past member Tony turns up looking for Mira， the focus of the novel changes and becomes more character and action oriented。 Embarrassing himself at the group's six weekly 'hui' （meeting）， he maintains a low profile， until he has an idea for an investigative journalism scoop he thinks is going to make his career。Mira hears about a farm up for sale， that has been cut off due to a landslide and thinks it might be a good location for their next project， she decides to scout the location for suitability。She is unaware that someone else has an idea for the property， with a very different agenda， Lemoine is an American tech mogul billionaire looking to build a bolt hole in an isolated location in New Zealand。 Their paths cross and it seems they might be able to coexist， despite the risk of compromising the groups ideals。 The farm， nestled up against a national park， was inherited by Jill Darvish; her husband Owen， a self-made pest-control business man has just been knighted for services to conservation， though he is unsure exactly why。 Everyone pursues their agenda - unaware of being under the watchful eye of the man with the money， while another with few resources， pieces together the larger picture of a damaging conspiracy。Catton excels at mining the introspective psychological depths of her characters intentions， behaviours and motivations and once the plot moves to the farm， the pace picks up and it becomes a more engaging， if not totally satisfying read。 。。。more
Alwynne
，
As her title suggests Eleanor Catton’s novel’s partly inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth， although more in terms of its themes than its plot。 Although it’s billed as an eco-thriller the story starts out at an extremely leisurely pace， a three-part piece that only gradually builds to a bloody crescendo。 It’s set in a fictional version of small-town New Zealand in the moment between the end of John Key's profoundly damaging， neo-liberal government and the early optimism of Jacinda Ardern’s would-be As her title suggests Eleanor Catton’s novel’s partly inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth， although more in terms of its themes than its plot。 Although it’s billed as an eco-thriller the story starts out at an extremely leisurely pace， a three-part piece that only gradually builds to a bloody crescendo。 It’s set in a fictional version of small-town New Zealand in the moment between the end of John Key's profoundly damaging， neo-liberal government and the early optimism of Jacinda Ardern’s would-be progressive administration。 It’s a cynical， broad strokes vision of New Zealand， populated by caricatures rather than fully-fledged characters that explores significant aspects of New Zealand’s social and economic predicaments from massive social inequality and uneasy power dynamics to generational discord and encroaching environmental blight。 At its heart’s an ill-fated encounter between Mira Bunting， leader of guerrilla， environmental activist group Birnam Wood， and American billionaire Robert Lemoines – a stand-in for ultra-wealthy Americans like Peter Thiel who flocked to New Zealand in the days when residency could easily be obtained for the right price。 Bunting and Lemoines are brought together by their interest in a former sheep farm now owned by successful businessman Owen Darvish。 Lemoines heads a tech company Autonomo that specialises in drones， tech that Darvish wants to utilise for a scheme aimed at preserving endangered birds – a fictionalisation of real-world， greenwashing operations linked to the rapidly-declining fairy tern。 But Lemoines has a more sinister， hidden agenda one which former Birnam Wood member and aspiring progressive journalist Tony Gallo becomes intent on exposing， that’s when he’s not caught up in pining over his lost opportunity for a relationship with Mira。Lemoines is a stereotypical figure， possibly psychopathic and rich enough to feel confident he can control anyone he wants to。 Birnam Wood is a predominantly Pākehā or white New Zealander organisation， and Catton seems to be using it to take aim at idealistic， zealous politicos whose realities are far removed from the people they claim to represent， more taken up with their personal relationships than with the causes they espouse and bogged down in theoretical discussions and ideological clashes。 Even Gallo who’s the closest to heroic of Catton’s cast is a fake， his outwardly austere presentation masking his vast amounts of inherited wealth。 Catton apparently spent a lot of time immersed in the work of crime writers like Lee Child in preparation for this， something that only really comes through in the closing sections， elsewhere her style reminded me of Dave Eggers， particularly books like The Circle， although without Eggers’s sense of moral outrage or political conviction。 Catton takes her cues from Shakespeare’s play， focusing instead on the fatal flaws of individuals， the overweening ambitions and personal desires that - like Macbeth – will ultimately lead her cast to their downfall。 It’s a difficult piece to assess， I found the insights into New Zealand’s cultural landscapes fascinating， but the writing itself could be a little dry at times， and the underlying ideas a little too conventional and/or conservative for my taste。 And the deliberately cardboard characters were difficult for me to relate to or， crucially， care about。 I also wondered whether the narrative would have more resonance for a reader with a greater understanding of New Zealand society， for example I wondered how far this was also meant as a critique of Key's versus Ardern’s leadership or even a lament over Ardern’s hesitancies and failures in terms of far-reaching environmental， social and economic reform。Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Granta for an ARC 。。。more
Kieran Sangha
，
well that was fucking incredible
John Derek
，
Birnam Wood by Eleanor CattonMy review📖🖋️ of Birnam Wood by Eleanor CattonAfter an unprecedented disaster occurs， a landslide closes the Korowai Pass in New Zealand's South Island， cutting off the town of Thorndike。 Thorndike systematically closes down。 Shops and businesses close， and the residents move away。An opportunity arises for the guerrilla gardening collective， colloquially known as Birnham Wood， to try and attain an abandoned farm of considerable size to continue their attempts to s Birnam Wood by Eleanor CattonMy review📖🖋️ of Birnam Wood by Eleanor CattonAfter an unprecedented disaster occurs， a landslide closes the Korowai Pass in New Zealand's South Island， cutting off the town of Thorndike。 Thorndike systematically closes down。 Shops and businesses close， and the residents move away。An opportunity arises for the guerrilla gardening collective， colloquially known as Birnham Wood， to try and attain an abandoned farm of considerable size to continue their attempts to save the planet。 But they have a problem。 The American billionaire Robert Lemoine has taken an interest in the farm and its surrounding area。The energetic and astute Mira Bunting， who runs Birnham Wood， was hoping to get a deal done with the farm's owner Owen Darvish。 But it turns out Darvish has sold the farm to Robert Lemoine， who apparently intends to build himself a bunker with being a survivalist as the excuse for his keen interest。I thought Birnham Wood was destined to be just an eco-thriller， but it was more than that。 It started off relatively slowly and a little convoluted， to be honest。 There was a deal of toing-and-froing over title deeds， farm acquisitions and ownerships。 But it soon settled down and got on with the nitty-gritty。Mira is an exceptional main protagonist and comes across as a bit of an eco-terrorist。 Dangerous， when crossed and not afraid to put herself about a bit （if you pardon the footballing term）。 It's a far cry from Robert Lemoine， who I would probably describe as a power-hungry， money-grabbing self-opinionated megalomaniac。These are joined by quite a long list of other characters， far too many to mention。 It doesn't make them any less significant， by the way。 There is a lot of what I would classify as info dumping on some of the characters making the book a little pedestrian。 Saying all that， I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable in any shape or form: but it might just be a case of me being picky。There is passion in the text that emanates throughout the narrative， bringing the array of characters to life。 Each individual character seems so realistic with their variety of personalities and traits。 It is almost too lifelike at times， and it can become quite frightening to see how far people would step in the name of self-preservation。The motivations of group members and the relationships between leading characters are the driving force behind the novel。 Others may think the book was more plot-driven， but I thought there was just too much going on in the background。 Perhaps too much。 You found yourself jumping from one scenario to another without rhyme or reason。The author has a fine sense of descriptive writing and doesn't scrimp on the finer details。 The complexities of the tale and the themes are woven into the fabric of the plot make that self-evident。 Visually the descriptive writing was good， and the author produces vivid pictures with her artistic writing style。 The story is not what I would call unique， but it is still fascinating and has a neat and natural setting。There is the excitement and suspense of reaching the climactic conclusion that you're pleased with when it finally arrives。 There is a certain inevitability about the ending， but the final solution was one I didn't see coming。 It was a little rushed， in all honesty。Birnham Wood is a decent read and a novel that may need patience to get through。 Ultimately it is a slow-burning eco-thriller where the thrills and spills happen towards the latter stages of the narrative。 。。。more
Jenna
，
A Note: I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review。I was so excited to read this novel as The Luminaries is one of the most interesting and unique books I have ever read （also assigned it to my book club not knowing the length。 YIKES）。 First off， the hat tip to Macbeth in multiple ways is something that Catton weaves in with care， not heavy-handedness。 This book has many of the same characteristics that made me love Catton's works。 Worldbuilding with incredible attention to det A Note: I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review。I was so excited to read this novel as The Luminaries is one of the most interesting and unique books I have ever read （also assigned it to my book club not knowing the length。 YIKES）。 First off， the hat tip to Macbeth in multiple ways is something that Catton weaves in with care， not heavy-handedness。 This book has many of the same characteristics that made me love Catton's works。 Worldbuilding with incredible attention to detail。 Complex and compelling characters。 Plus an interesting take on environmental activism。 And while I knocked off a star because it had a really slow start （until Book II began I was ready to throw in the towel）。 But the last 300 pages are a "can't put it down" thriller。 One of my favorite reads thus far in 2023。 。。。more
Stacey
，
I can， hand on heart， say that I've never read a book about a New Zealand guerrilla gardening collective。 And perhaps I never will again - mostly because I'm sure few authors would indeed be ambitious enough or inventive enough to take such a concept and turn it into something so unique。 The eponymous Birnam Wood are said gardening collective。 They spend their time "breaking good" and planting fruit and vegetables in unused spaces - sometimes with， but often without， permission。 Opportunity aris I can， hand on heart， say that I've never read a book about a New Zealand guerrilla gardening collective。 And perhaps I never will again - mostly because I'm sure few authors would indeed be ambitious enough or inventive enough to take such a concept and turn it into something so unique。 The eponymous Birnam Wood are said gardening collective。 They spend their time "breaking good" and planting fruit and vegetables in unused spaces - sometimes with， but often without， permission。 Opportunity arises for them to take advantage of a landslide that has caused a local inland town to become deserted。 They embark on their biggest project yet - but the land has already caught the eye of an American billionaire。 He claims to being building a bunker， but it's not clear whether he can really be trusted。I didn't know what to expect with this novel having not read Catton's The Luminaries。 But being a New Zealander （albeit a displaced one currently）， I was drawn in by the local connection and even more so by the fact that Catton had set this book in an area of the country I know very well （so well that I got very excited when I recognised the real place names， amongst the fictional ones）。 There is something about reading a novel that so unapologetically speaks to a culture that you know so well， and while that might be the norm for many nations， for me， is an unusual novelty。 I loved seeing New Zealand English and Te Reo Maori weaved into the narrative， giving the whole story and its characters such a realistically and typically "Kiwi" flavour。The novel is split into three sections。 The first took a little time to find its feet， but undoubtedly lays the foundation for the rest of the story。 However， once the second part arrives， the narrative begins to move at pace - so much so that the latter half of the book flew by for me。 There were twists I didn't see coming and the ending left me truly surprised。 I've seen others describe this as an "eco-thriller"， and that's definitely correct。 But it is also far more。 It's Shakespearean in sensibility （hence the name）: a novel where everyone thinks they are the good guy， but is anyone good really？Overall， it was a great read。 and one I'd recommend to those who really want to pick up something that seems to defy traditional genres。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book。 。。。more
Ben Dutton
，
Eleanor Catton finally returns after winning the Booker for The Luminaries back in 2013。 I imagine the pressures of following up that mammoth novel weighed heavily on her for sometime。 Based upon the evidence of Birnham Wood， she spent the interim time reading， thinking about and understanding the environment。 This is an eco-thriller， a study of one group that calls themselves Birnham Wood， a group that grows food on unused land， that occasionally trespass， and a billionaire who wishes to build Eleanor Catton finally returns after winning the Booker for The Luminaries back in 2013。 I imagine the pressures of following up that mammoth novel weighed heavily on her for sometime。 Based upon the evidence of Birnham Wood， she spent the interim time reading， thinking about and understanding the environment。 This is an eco-thriller， a study of one group that calls themselves Birnham Wood， a group that grows food on unused land， that occasionally trespass， and a billionaire who wishes to build a doomsday bunker。This is a fast-paced novel yet full of psychological insight， great character creation and truly beautiful prose。 Catton reminds you within just a few pages why she won the Booker。 I read it over two sittings， with great interest， and though not every element works entirely well， these are very minor complaints and did not in any impact my enjoyment of this fine work。Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC 。。。more
Lucy
，
Wow， just wow。 This totally packed a punch I didn't see coming in the first 3/4。 The ending ramped it from a 4 star to a 5 star read。Birnam Wood are a group of guerilla activist gardeners in Christchurch who as well as planting legitimate crops in people's spare ground and harvesting and selling the produce， cultivate hidden spaces in abandoned lots。 They're pretty small fry but founder Mira has her eyes set on bigger things， namely a large farm in Thorndike， bordering the Korowai National Park。 Wow， just wow。 This totally packed a punch I didn't see coming in the first 3/4。 The ending ramped it from a 4 star to a 5 star read。Birnam Wood are a group of guerilla activist gardeners in Christchurch who as well as planting legitimate crops in people's spare ground and harvesting and selling the produce， cultivate hidden spaces in abandoned lots。 They're pretty small fry but founder Mira has her eyes set on bigger things， namely a large farm in Thorndike， bordering the Korowai National Park。 The farm is owned by the newly knighted Sir Owen Darvish a pest controller with aspirations of grandeur and his wife Jill who inherited the property from her parents。 However， since a landslide has created a dead end not far beyond the Darvish farm， essentially ruining the economy of Thorndike， the couple has moved to Wellington and Mira sees the land as claimable。When she arrives at the farm though， billionaire American businessman Robert Lemoine is already there， having secretly offered to buy the property from the Darvishes to allow access to the rare metals in the neighbouring National Park， something he could never get through legitimate channels。Lemoine， seeing in Mira a fellow opportunist decides to woo Birnam Wood with money and fame， and the game between the two is afoot。 There's so much going on in this book - relationships， between Owen and Jill， Mira and her colleague Shelley， and between idealistic and determined free lance writer Tony and the collective。 Tony thinks Lemoine is hiding something， and if he can prove it， it'll be the biggest break of his career。 I also enjoyed the subtle dark humour， especially when things get misinterpreted， misunderstood or lost in translation。 But the real gem in Birnam Wood is the last 1/4 of the book， where all the parts of the story come together for a totally unexpected and brilliantly crafted ending。 。。。more
Pile By the Bed
，
Eleanor Wood shot to literary fame by becoming the youngest winner of the Booker Prize in 2013 for her second luminous historical novel The Luminaries。 Ten years later she returns with Birnam Wood， much more contemporary， no less New Zealand but at the same time just as universal， an deep exploration of humanity that transcends time and place。 But it does so within the bounds of a constantly beguiling， utterly unexpected and gripping story。The book opens with what could possibly be considered a Eleanor Wood shot to literary fame by becoming the youngest winner of the Booker Prize in 2013 for her second luminous historical novel The Luminaries。 Ten years later she returns with Birnam Wood， much more contemporary， no less New Zealand but at the same time just as universal， an deep exploration of humanity that transcends time and place。 But it does so within the bounds of a constantly beguiling， utterly unexpected and gripping story。The book opens with what could possibly be considered a typical New Zealand tragedy – a landslide on a mountain pass which kills some and cuts off the small， National Park adjacent town of Korowai。 This puts an end to new local and soon to be knighted local millionaire Owen Darvish’s plan to subdivide his wife’s family farm。 But in the background another， more lucrative plan was forming – to secretly sell the property to American billionaire and doomsday prepper Robert Lemoine who made his money through drone technology。 Meanwhile， at the other end of the spectrum eco-activists Mira Bunting and Shelley Noakes who run a guerrilla farming collective （they plant vegetables on public and private land） called Birnam Wood are heading towards a falling out。 What keeps them together is an offer by Lemoine to fund them to set on Darvish’s land， a deal that even on its surface feels like it is with the very forces that Birnam Wood and its members campaign against。 And when Catton digs into Lemoine’s real agenda is much much worse than that。 Finally there is Tony， carrying a torch for Mira but disaffected by the decision to take Lemoine’s money， who soon gets a sniff that there is something more going on and decides he is going to make his name as a crusading investigative journalist。There is a lot of set up here which Catton does mainly through deep and complex character studies。 Much like The Luminaries， she takes an almost 19th Century approach to exploring and exposing her main players。 She is interested in the hypocrisies and the fault lines in her characters， the grey areas in which they operate and what they tell themselves in order to justify their actions。 But this also allows the story to go in completely unexpected （but also completely justifiable） directions。 Just when you think Catton is going to zig， she zags， keeping readers constantly on their toes as the pressure builds。And in around this， Catton delivers a novel of ideas and issues。 She critically examines the conservation movement and the bind that it finds itself in in order to operate effectively in the world and， the idea of demonstrative conservation in which the wealthy dabble in order to pretend to show some concern for the environment and the rapaciousness of the modern companies in the face of mounting evidence of the impacts of their greed。Catton also spends some time exploring modern New Zealand and the attitudes of New Zealanders。 As an example， this reflection by Tony:It hadn’t been until he’d gone abroad that he’d been able to identify this trait as particularly Kiwi， reflecting a broader attitude held among his countrymen that to do a thing with effort was always more respectable than to have it doe with ease; inconvenience， in New Zealand， tended to be treated as a test of character， such that it was a point of national pride to withstand discomfort or poor service without giving in to the temptation to complain。Or this insight into the relationship between local millionaire Darvish and US billionaire Lemoine:[Darvish] was intensely proud of their association， and felt he had fulfilled a lofty duty to his country， not just in courting foreign wealth， but in proving – in being proof – that New Zealand could hold its own among the world’s elite… At the same time， however， he wanted desperately to cut the man down to size – and in this he felt even more acutely Kiwi。Birnam Wood shows Catton still well and truly at the top of her writing game。 She makes you care about the characters and think about what they are doing and what they stand for。 The writing is insightful， witty and compelling。 And the plot develops as a pressure cooker， character driven and completely unexpected。 。。。more
Laura Van Rijnsbergen
，
Ik geef vijf sterren aan dit boek， maar het duurt even voor het op gang komt。 Het is cool dat het zich in Nieuw-Zeeland afspeelt， maar het onderwerp spreekt me in eerste instantie niet zo aan: een tuindersclub die verwassen verbouwt en zich ook bezighoudt met de linkse politiek。 In het begin wordt dit allemaal uitgelegd， hoe Birnam Wood tot stand is gekomen en hoe ze denken en doen， en hoe de hoofdpersonages Mira en Shelley hierin terecht zijn gekomen en hoe zij zijn en denken。 Het voelt een bee Ik geef vijf sterren aan dit boek， maar het duurt even voor het op gang komt。 Het is cool dat het zich in Nieuw-Zeeland afspeelt， maar het onderwerp spreekt me in eerste instantie niet zo aan: een tuindersclub die verwassen verbouwt en zich ook bezighoudt met de linkse politiek。 In het begin wordt dit allemaal uitgelegd， hoe Birnam Wood tot stand is gekomen en hoe ze denken en doen， en hoe de hoofdpersonages Mira en Shelley hierin terecht zijn gekomen en hoe zij zijn en denken。 Het voelt een beetje als een ‘dit-moet-je-allemaal-weten-voor-het-verhaal-begint’。De personages， onder andere Mira en Shelley， maar het verhaal kent meerdere perspectieven， zoals miljardair Robert en oud-Birnam Wood-lid Tony， zijn goed beschreven， je mag ze tegelijkertijd niet én wel。 Je staat niet aan hun kant omdat ze slecht zijn， maar tegelijkertijd ook wel aan hun kant omdat je wil dat ze het overleven。 En in deel 2 gebeurt een hoop， miljardairs， geld， drugs， moord， verbloemingen， drones en nog veel meer。 Het is echt ontzettend spannend。 De laatste paar pagina’s heb ik mijn adem ingehouden。 Het gruwelijke einde eindigt met een paar plottwists en onverwachte wendingen。 En een open einde， en daar hou ik van！ Even doorbijten in het begin dus， maar echt een dikke aanrader。 。。。more
Els
，
Het woud van Birnam。 Door: Eleanor Catton。Wow， wat een boek， wat een trip。 3 dagen lang was ik totaal bezeten van dit verhaal。 Het speelde dag en nacht door mijn hoofd。 Dit is voor het eerst dat ik een Catton lees maar zeker niet voor het laatst。Ik zit graag met mijn vingers in de aarde， kweek allerlei zaden， pitten en stekjes tot planten die ik achterlaat voor gelukkige vinders。 Ik heb ook al wel eens iets gezaaid op grond die niet van mij is… Dat sprak me aan in de beschrijving van dit boek: h Het woud van Birnam。 Door: Eleanor Catton。Wow， wat een boek， wat een trip。 3 dagen lang was ik totaal bezeten van dit verhaal。 Het speelde dag en nacht door mijn hoofd。 Dit is voor het eerst dat ik een Catton lees maar zeker niet voor het laatst。Ik zit graag met mijn vingers in de aarde， kweek allerlei zaden， pitten en stekjes tot planten die ik achterlaat voor gelukkige vinders。 Ik heb ook al wel eens iets gezaaid op grond die niet van mij is… Dat sprak me aan in de beschrijving van dit boek: het groene， ideologische activisme， het guerrilla gardening-aspect。 Uiteindelijk blijkt het daar niet （heel veel） over te gaan maar teleurgesteld was ik zeker niet。 De hoofdpersonen zijn Mira， oprichter van het activistische tuinderscollectief Birnam Wood （waarom is de boektitel in hemelsnaam vertaald？） en Lemoine， miljardair en zogenaamd een prepper。 Hun paden kruisen zich in Thorndike， waar ze beiden azen op dezelfde lap grond。 Wat er na hun ontmoeting volgt is een verhaal dat je makkelijk in een serie van 12 afleveringen kan verfilmen。 Er gebeurt enorm veel， de personages zijn divers en uitermate boeiend， het is super spannend én doet je nadenken over de wereld waarin we leven。 Het is een soort van activistische ecothriller en Shakespeareaanse tragedie in één。 Elk karakter， elke scène en setting is enorm gedetailleerd en levendig beschreven。 Je waant je als lezer midden in de actie; of het nu gaat om het planten van erwten of het proberen afslaan van drones die je opjagen。 De ideeën， conversaties， plannen， discussies doen je hoofd tollen en laten je stilstaan bij je eigen handelen en denkbeelden。 Het woud van Birnam is verslavend goed geschreven en verteld。 Een boek dat je nog lang zal bijblijven。 Ferme aanrader。 Laat de serie maar komen！ 。。。more
Danielle
，
I think I would give this a 3。5。 I found it much more accessible and gripping than The Luminaries （which took me two years to read！）。
Emma Joyce
，
“the crypto fascist dirty tricksters who pretended to be populists while defrauding and despising the people， who murdered with impunity， who invented scapegoats， who incited suicides， who encouraged violence and provoked unrest， and who then retreated into a private sphere of luxury so well-insulated from the lives of ordinary people…it basically amounted to a form of secession”。Well， I had high hopes for Birnam Wood。 Billionaires seeing New Zealand as the best place to build a bunker to see ou “the crypto fascist dirty tricksters who pretended to be populists while defrauding and despising the people， who murdered with impunity， who invented scapegoats， who incited suicides， who encouraged violence and provoked unrest， and who then retreated into a private sphere of luxury so well-insulated from the lives of ordinary people…it basically amounted to a form of secession”。Well， I had high hopes for Birnam Wood。 Billionaires seeing New Zealand as the best place to build a bunker to see out the end of the world and guerrilla gardeners growing vegetables on wasteland is an intriguing concept。 Given public sentiment around billionaires buying our land， I felt Catton would be ideal to explore this in novel form。 And that is why I am disappointed。 Rather than this exploration， I got page long diatribes about the rich and late stage capitalism （see above quote）， a long lament on the challenges of being a far left activist in the largely consensus world of New Zealand politics， and some commentary on New Zealand’s tall poppy syndrome。 Nothing I couldn’t have got from a blog post。 Long passages describing what was going on someone’s head allowed Catton to use big words like obsequious and sentences like the "The members were anthropoid"。 While I enjoyed and appreciated Catton’s way with words， it seemed to add length to the story without adding depth to the characters or context。 We already know Tony is a wannabe leftist activist journalist before Catton narrates his internal monologue describing the New Zealand Cabinet as a “cabal of millionaire property tycoons …beefing up their stock portfolio and actively discourages the populace to vote”。 Did we need two pages about someone taking off their boot？It seemed that Catton started off looking at the relationship between the gardeners and the billionaire but didn’t know how to end the story so hastily wrote a third act thriller。 The fact that this turns on the group having a collective acid trip seems laughable。 Perhaps this was the intentional narrative structure but the book did end up reading like two stories hastily mashed together。 It is not an example of a book that successfully combines the literary and the thriller。 Birnam Wood is an average read。 Perhaps my disappointment is a reflection of the high hopes that it would explore the tension between ordinary people and the rich over the land。 （Potiki published several decades ago does an excellent job of this）。 I was not expecting a 400 page thesis on “eat the rich”。 Overall， I enjoyed this novel but I certainly cannot recommend it going to the top of your TBR pile。 。。。more
Rod MacLeod
，
I absolutely loved this。 She’s such a great storyteller
Tag
-
birnam wood birnam wood marches to dunsinane birnam wood comes to dunsinane when birnam wood tree farm birnam wood dunsinane birnam wood macbeth birnam wood in macbeth birnam wood comes to dunsinane meaning birnam wood golf club birnam wood golf club membership cost
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Birnam Wood
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Birnam Wood&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Birnam Wood&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0