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Birnam Wood

Birnam Wood

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  • Create Date：2023-03-03 07:51:50
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Eleanor Catton
  • ISBN：1783784253
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Summary

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？

A gripping psychological thriller from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Luminaries， Birnam Wood is Shakespearean 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。

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Reviews

jean ，

To begin with I wasn't quite sure where this book was taking me， it felt like one of the eco thrillers which seem popular at the moment， and a cautionary tale of factions which inevitably seem to occur in any movement。 However as I got further into the book it became more complex with multifaceted characters and opinions and I was keen to discover the （satisfying） conclusion。Thank you to netgalley and Granta books for an advance copy of this book。 To begin with I wasn't quite sure where this book was taking me， it felt like one of the eco thrillers which seem popular at the moment， and a cautionary tale of factions which inevitably seem to occur in any movement。 However as I got further into the book it became more complex with multifaceted characters and opinions and I was keen to discover the （satisfying） conclusion。Thank you to netgalley and Granta books for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more

Kate Vane ，

Birnam Wood pits a group of guerilla gardeners against a billionaire in a New Zealand national park。 Mira Bunting is the de facto leader of the Birnam Wood group， who cultivate unused gardens and public spaces with food which they sell or donate。She has scoped out a property in a national park which she thinks will be deserted after seeing media reports about its owner。 However， when she arrives， she encounters billionaire Robert Lemoine， who is apparently buying the property with a view to buil Birnam Wood pits a group of guerilla gardeners against a billionaire in a New Zealand national park。 Mira Bunting is the de facto leader of the Birnam Wood group， who cultivate unused gardens and public spaces with food which they sell or donate。She has scoped out a property in a national park which she thinks will be deserted after seeing media reports about its owner。 However， when she arrives， she encounters billionaire Robert Lemoine， who is apparently buying the property with a view to building an escape bunker。However， Lemoine has （even） more sinister motives， and he decides to allow Birnam Wood to use the land， neglecting to mention that he hasn’t signed off on the purchase， both because he thinks it will be a smokescreen， and because he finds it amusing。Meanwhile the Birnam Wood members have all kinds of internal dramas of their own。 Mira’s friend and collaborator， Shelley Noakes， wants to leave the group and the home they share， but hasn’t got up the courage to tell her。 The man who is in love with Mira， Tony Gallo， has returned from living abroad， but hasn’t let Mira know he’s back。 The owners of the land think they have got one over on the billionaire by using his name to leverage their own interests。The group move to the national park to begin cultivating the property。 Tony， still estranged from Mira and hoping to find a purpose， thinks he might move from blogger to investigative journalist。 He digs deeper on Lemoine and， without telling the group， travels to the national park to unravel what he's really up to。 And from there the misunderstandings build。Everyone in Birnam Wood is basically good， （apart from the billionaire， of course he’s bad， and yet strangely attractive to some of the Birnam Wood members）。 However， they are each engaging in small acts of deception for selfish or petty or self-righteous reasons。 This leads to consequences which are comical but ultimately devastating。The characterisation is brilliant。 There is great satirisation of the Birnam Wood group， but it’s done from a place of affection。 As someone who has sat in draughty halls going through the democratic processes of progressive groups， I cringed knowingly at the endless digressions and delays that characterise the smallest decision， and the way interpersonal dynamics can sway the room。Catton also captures the paradoxes in such projects。 Shelley is a clever administrator who sees that the group could have a business model as a non-profit， while Mira， who is the most ideologically pure， is also doggedly entrepreneurial and willing to break the rules for her own ends。As someone who reads a lot of crime fiction， I often feel I know where a story is going， but a few pages from the end of Birnam Wood I still had no idea what was about to happen。 The ending manages to be surprising， fitting and pleasingly ironic。*I received a copy of Birnam Wood from the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more

Natalie ，

Birnam WoodBy Eleanor CattonThis 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 r Birnam WoodBy Eleanor CattonThis 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。 。。。more

TrishTalksBooks ，

My Quick Take: I found this to be an ultimately interesting and satisfying read， though it had a changeable nature！ ***I haven’t read Catton’s 2013 Booker Prize-winning The Luminaries， but her new novel was getting a lot of buzz so I was excited to give it a try。 How could I not want to， given that Stephen King said， “As a multilayered， character-driven thriller， it’s as good as it gets。” Okay！ And it seemed right up my alley: an eco-thriller that promised environmental issues and scares。 New Ze My Quick Take: I found this to be an ultimately interesting and satisfying read， though it had a changeable nature！ ***I haven’t read Catton’s 2013 Booker Prize-winning The Luminaries， but her new novel was getting a lot of buzz so I was excited to give it a try。 How could I not want to， given that Stephen King said， “As a multilayered， character-driven thriller， it’s as good as it gets。” Okay！ And it seemed right up my alley: an eco-thriller that promised environmental issues and scares。 New Zealand’s Birnam Wood is a grassroots environmental collective that farms on private and public land， harvesting food for donation and sale。 On the sly， leaders Mira and Shelley guerrilla garden as well， planting in spaces without permission。 Former member Tony reappears， and challenges their political stance， and then an even more risky deal presents itself in the form of a Libertarian billionaire。 The beginning of this novel started quite slowly。 It was well written and interesting， but it required a lot of effort from my brain， which is fine。 There were long pages of character backstories。 Catton’s characters began debating politics at length， and even though I’m moderately well versed in some of the political issues around the Left and Right， I wasn’t sure I was smart enough to know how much this was satire， and how much Catton meant this to be taken at face value。 Essentially， though， I think it was satire， and quite fascinating。 I settled in for an interesting but long ride。 However， the book is a bit of a chameleon。 At about the 50% mark， things really picked up。 Here was the thriller bit！ The pace quickened， and I realized the first half of political talk and character exploration had neatly set up the second half。 I was quite riveted。 I couldn’t wait to finish the last bit–in a good way。 It’s not horror or a classic thriller by any means， but it has those elements and is quite smart about it。 I particularly liked the ending and the very last sentence: so much to contemplate！ What happens when you make a deal with the devil？ Do the ends justify the means？ What’s a woke guerrilla gardener to do？ You’ll have to read it to find out…Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a digital copy in exchange for my unbiased review。 。。。more

Lara Farrell ，

I found this novel really interesting and I was gripped until the end， which sadly didn't land as well for me， although it did give me unpleasant dreams and so probably achieved the intended effect。 The novel as a whole reminded me of some of Jonathan Franzen's later work and the theme is certainly a timely one。 I enjoyed the alternating viewpoints and the characters are really well drawn。 Despite my misgivings over the ending I'd recommend it and I'm sure it will do well - thanks to NetGalley a I found this novel really interesting and I was gripped until the end， which sadly didn't land as well for me， although it did give me unpleasant dreams and so probably achieved the intended effect。 The novel as a whole reminded me of some of Jonathan Franzen's later work and the theme is certainly a timely one。 I enjoyed the alternating viewpoints and the characters are really well drawn。 Despite my misgivings over the ending I'd recommend it and I'm sure it will do well - thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC。 。。。more

Brenda ，

Between having to verify meanings of so many words in such complicated sentence structures and dealing with unlikeable characters， this was a struggle to complete reading， much less reviewing。If you are looking to increase your vocabulary and think in more complicated thought patterns， you will probably enjoy this novel。 The subject matter is even heavy - eco terrorism by a wealthy high tech businessman who uses others to camouflage his activities， including using Mira Bunting a horticulturist a Between having to verify meanings of so many words in such complicated sentence structures and dealing with unlikeable characters， this was a struggle to complete reading， much less reviewing。If you are looking to increase your vocabulary and think in more complicated thought patterns， you will probably enjoy this novel。 The subject matter is even heavy - eco terrorism by a wealthy high tech businessman who uses others to camouflage his activities， including using Mira Bunting a horticulturist and activist who believes every bit of earth should be growing food for the world。 Set in New Zealand， where growing seasons are opposite those in North America， was a challenge that I enjoyed。 I volunteered to read an ARC through Net GalleyRelease date March 7， 2023。 。。。more

Nicolette ，

Can a book that moves so slowly really be considered a thriller？ Slow， but at least it was well written。

Pamela ，

did not like the ending

Kath Walsh ，

'Oh， I won't be reading that，' emphatically stated more than one customer as copies of Eleanor Catton's new book were added to the shop display。 The Booker prize-winning 'The Luminaries' divided opinion here in NZ; obviously some readers weren't going to give the author another chance。Essentially 'The Luminaries' boasted an intricate plot of murder and deception set in a richly described and well researched C19 gold rush Westport， New Zealand。 Admired by many， others decided the novel was too lo 'Oh， I won't be reading that，' emphatically stated more than one customer as copies of Eleanor Catton's new book were added to the shop display。 The Booker prize-winning 'The Luminaries' divided opinion here in NZ; obviously some readers weren't going to give the author another chance。Essentially 'The Luminaries' boasted an intricate plot of murder and deception set in a richly described and well researched C19 gold rush Westport， New Zealand。 Admired by many， others decided the novel was too long， took a good 100+ pages to get going and featured an abundance of description that slowed the forward momentum of the narrative and， by the way， what was with the phases of the moon conceit？'Birnam Wood'， however， employs a much simpler linear plot。 The book's title describes a collective - a grassroots group of young， guerilla gardeners - led by founder Mira Bunting， 29， who seize spare and not so spare land to plant up then share the yield with the owners of the land and amongst themselves， the rest being given in donations or sold in their small S。Island community。There's a whiff of 60's hippiness about the collective; each hui （meeting） opens with a reading of the group's three Principles of Unity。 Members work long and hard and if some actions are questionable - tapping private spigots for water， taking cuttings from suburban gardens and commercial apple growers， sneaking tools from unlocked sheds - so be it。Mira's aided and abetted by her flatmate Shelley who， after several years with the collective （responsible for the backroom work- accounting， schedule planning， not-for-profit funding applications） is considering leaving， but is hostage to a conflict of emotions about her decision - mainly centred on her guilt about abandoning the pair's friendship which has hit a few problems and her realisation that Mira couldn't hold Birnam Wood together on her own。The book opens with Mira traveling 5 hours south to Thorndike， a small town on the edge of a National Park where a recent landslide in the Korowai Pass had resulted in 5 deaths and restricted road access until an improvement in the weather。Mira's interest had been kindled by an online real estate listing for a farm with extensive land （potentially suitable for the collective's purposes） owned by a recently knighted Sir Owen Darvish （for services to conservation: his business， Darvish Pest Control， is a big player in the extermination of pests that threaten both conservation and farming interests）。 Pushing the envelope， Darvish has recently entered into a partnership with Autonomo， an American technology corporation - billionaire Robert Lemoine sits on its board - specialising in drone surveillance， a useful aid to scoping threatened NZ wildlife。Lemoine's self-described 'guise' is 'a far-sighted， short-selling， risk-embracing kleptocrat， an incarnation of unapologetic zero-sum self-interest， a radical misfit。。。。。。a genius， a tyrant， an obsessive， a prophet， a status-symbol survivalist hedging his bets against any number of potential catastrophes that he himself was doing absolutely nothing to prevent， and might even be taking active measures to encourage if there was a proft to be made， or an advantage to be gained'。。。。 but beneath this 'guise' lurks an arch-villain！Sniffing around the farm， Mira bumps into Lemoine who's still in negotiation for Darvish's property and after， a period of sparring and spark， he offers the ambitious Mira a proposition that she finds hard to refuse: a $1000，000 investment in Birnam Wood。 'I want see your garden grow， Mira，' says Lemoine creepily。 And on the farm which he doesn't yet own！ Lemoine's enjoying playing Mira but also a Birnam Wood outpost on the farm will serve to provide a useful camouflage for Lemoine's covert activities - the leaching of the land for rare earth minerals （essential in the manufacture of mobile phones and allied technology）。But when Mira puts Lemoine's proposal to the collective at their regular hui， a dissenting voice comes from Tony， a former Birnam Wood member - and one-time lover of Mira - who's recently returned from several years OE。 Mira is selling out， he declares in an impassioned anti-capitalist tirade。 'It's blood money！' And Shelley inwardly agrees making her further question the authenticity of Mira's principles。 Birnam Wood talks the talks but is choosing to walk another way。 Perhaps their inner motivations were never clear， clean or green in the first place。The scheme goes ahead but then things go wrong， very wrong powered by the hubris of Lemoine - the disrupter， the controller - who， it appears， can't， god-like， control everything。 Cue: armed guards （special force mercenaries）， surveillance drones， sleekly silent black SUVs - totally thrilleresque action， capped off by a gripping， twisty finale。Sounds good。 And the author's descriptions of the National Park's bush and terrain capture its unique unexploited yet treacherous beauty， topped off with a fully itemised catalogue of the contents of an experienced trapper's pack。 Catton has done her research - three years， she told RNZ's Kim Hill in a recent interview - with various assured accounts of the propagation and tending of plants， drone capability and the process of mining rare earth elements， together with its risks （including landslips）。The main characters' family backgrounds are described in detail and the complexity of their inner life minutely and lengthily dissected language。 In fact， too minutely。 Again， the depth of detail， as with 'The Luminaries'， tends to impede the press of the narrative。 It's as if Catton got carried away by her characterisations， according them a disproportionate weight and depth for the purposes of the novel。 And， despite this detail， the characters， for me， never quite came alive。As well as an absence of chapters， a further cavil is the novel's shifting tone。 Initial mild satire （digs at chivalric titles， a ghastly right wing media couple fishing for Lemoine's investment in a right-wing media platform and even the moral contradictions of Birnam Wood） becomes increasingly biting as Catton tackles the contemporary issue of the immense， subversive， self-serving power of the super rich who offer us more and more and our unquestioning complicity in the deal at the expense of global environmental degradation and exploitation of its poor。 Will the world be ready when a metaphorical Birnam Wood approaches as it did for Macbeth？A plot summary of 'Birnam Wood' suggests a thriller but Catton's going for much more here - hence its description as 'a literary thriller' and， indeed， Catton wields words wonderfully。 The movie or TV spinoff （surely there'll be one？） will， I think， balance the thriller tropes and political message in a more succint and captivating way than its source material。 In the right hands nothing will be lost。 3 and a half stars。 。。。more

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

Megan Peters ，

Thank you to GoodReads Giveaways and the publisher for the advanced copy！This was one of my most anticipated novels of the year， so I was thrilled to get an early read。 I can honestly say: this will not be for everyone， but I loved it。 The story is wild so I don't want to try to summarize it too much because I really fell into the twists and turns， but quickly: Birnam Wood is a group of ecosocialists in New Zealand that plants gardens on the underutilized spaces of wealthy landowners， without th Thank you to GoodReads Giveaways and the publisher for the advanced copy！This was one of my most anticipated novels of the year， so I was thrilled to get an early read。 I can honestly say: this will not be for everyone， but I loved it。 The story is wild so I don't want to try to summarize it too much because I really fell into the twists and turns， but quickly: Birnam Wood is a group of ecosocialists in New Zealand that plants gardens on the underutilized spaces of wealthy landowners， without their knowledge。。。a bit of guerilla gardening。 Their next target is a plot of land recently cut off by a landslide--what could be better than an isolated and almost abandoned farm？ It could be their splashiest endeavor yet， and lead to the kinds of growth and opportunity they have always wanted。 While scoping out the land， Mira， one of the group leaders， is approached by enigmatic American billionaire Robert Lemoine， who is also interested in the same plot of land， but for his own reasons。 He works out a plan with Mira to sponsor Birnam Wood， while he navigates his own ventures and his relationship with the owner， Sir Darvish。 Throw in a lot of hidden motives and a lot of people working for their own goals， and you get really messy， really quickly。It does take a bit to get into--I was almost 130 pages in before I started really gaining interest， and now looking back， I can see how much work those 130 pages were doing to set up what came next。 So I guess give it some time。 But also， what likely won't work for many people but that I loved is the ways that Catton gets into the perspectives of her characters。 They are very clearly drawn， and their motivations， even as they change， are so expertly displayed; but what makes this read even more amazing for me is the ways that she shows， almost effortlessly， how each character makes decisions and assumptions about how they are interacting with the people around them。 The varying perspectives， the decisions they make， the ways the try to understand the roles they are playing， it is almost dizzying， and even with as frustrating as almost all of these characters are （and be ready for a doozy of some grad school-level grandstanding on beliefs and staying true to your values！）。 And you do spend a lot of time in the heads of some not always great people。 If that's not your bag: this isn't your book。But for me， the plot alone is exceptional， at times moving so quickly I could barely keep up， at other times mired in a character's mind， and then add on top just how much Catton shows us about each next step that gets taken to drive the plot forward。 It's well。。。it's Shakespearean。 This was a big win for me。 。。。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

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Reference

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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