When Mina Bunting, leader of Birnam Wood, a guerrilla gardening cooperative is caught red-handed by American billionaire Robert Lemoine, reconnoitering a property he is about to purchase, it is a collision of ideologies. But grand ideals don't necessarily pay the bills and with an offer of funding, an unlikely alliance comes into being with Birnam Wood doing what they always do (albeit now with cash in their pockets) and Lemoine doing what he always does - obscuring his real intentions, in this case with the nearby Korowai National Park.
With its complex plot and its superbly-drawn characters let loose in the South Island high country, this is a rollicking thriller, gripping to its very last page and successful in its ambitious examination of the challenges facing 21st century society.
CHCH 179
01-07-2024
'Birnam Wood' generated very interesting discussion and all members were impressed with the cleverly constructed plot, weaving together topical and relevant issues. Some of us were reluctant at the start of the book, but all were engrossed by the middle. Eleanor Catton is such a clever writer.
TAKA 001
13-06-2024
People liked that the setting was in NZ, and reading the descriptions of the landscape. Some found the first half too detailed and long before the action started. Some absolutely loved it. There was disappointment and shock for some with the final outcome for some of the protagonists.
TAUP 015
06-06-2024
We felt the first section of the book was very laborious and not easy to read, however one member who had read the book previously stated that she got a lot more out of it the second time. It was generally felt that the gripping and unexpected ending justified the very wordy set up. We found several of the characters difficult to believe.
PALMN 019
28-05-2024
While we enjoyed the prose and unique story and relevance to our time, we felt it lost momentum/got too long winded in the middle, and we know of others who have given up at this point. Similar to The Luminaries - needed more editing.
WELL 024
23-05-2024
Enjoyed by all although some would have liked the story to get moving a bit faster and have fewer philosophical rants. The discussion covered the therapeutic quality of gardening, the exclusion of a Maori viewpoint in the book, through to the presentation of characters, satire of the story, structure of the story, and other topics! Book was a thriller though we didn't realise it at first.
CHCH 058
18-04-2024
Most in our group found the book very verbose and felt it needed a good editor. The descriptions appealed to some, but the characters took some time to develop. Almost all found initial reading to be quite tiring, and there was a general feeling that it would make an exciting film.
CHCH 051
16-04-2024
This generated a lot of discussion. Some liked it a lot and some didn't.
MOSG 004
16-04-2024
Absolutely brilliant!
MAST 013
06-11-2023
A very mixed reaction! "Didn't read... gave up part way... read all but didn't love it... read all and loved it!... very wordy, long sentences but brilliant writing...an easier read than The Luminaries..."
NEWP 013
03-07-2023
We were all astounded at how different this is from 'The Luminaries' and most of us admired the language. Several of us found it quite hard to get engaged in the plot or to care about the characters. Some people hated the ending. However, one of our group rated this book on a par with the best of Margaret Atwood, in satire and pertinence. We certainly enjoyed a robust discussion.
![Birnam Wood [NZ]](/media/com_eshop/products/resized/111829_LRG-501x500.jpg "Birnam Wood [NZ]")
