Mira and Shelley run Birnam Wood, a free-lance collective of guerrilla gardeners, taking over waste land to grow crops., but their relationship is becoming fraught. When their paths cross with a ruthless billionaire their eco-ideals are put under pressure.

Set in a fictionalised New Zealand, 'Birnam Wood' is a genuine page-turner but also highly literary, with some very funny psychological observations, worthy of Austen. One minor character is described as: 'a failed celibate, he regarded the existence of his wife and children with disappointment and profound regret'.

Technology plays a large role in the story with smartphones, tablets, drones and apps all part of the plot. Shelley wonders at one point 'when exactly she had become so technologically dependent that her first instinct in every unpredicted circumstance was to outsource her imagination to her phone.'

This is a taut and well-written novel with fascinating and flawed characters. It's long but so is the recent Oscar-winner, Oppenheimer. You don't have to read it in one sitting! Eleanor Catton has written a great book that flags up the conflict of trying to be environmentally conscious in the real world of big business. And the ending is spectacular...

One of those awful times where every indication suggests a book is good, but you still can't stick it. Birnam Wood is a guerilla agricultural collective in New Zealand, which we see (at least as far as I got) principally through the lens of an uneasy female friendship, the classic Ferrante et al model of one bolder than the other, one more diligent. Which is not to suggest they're stock types; both of them are painfully believable, and so is everything else. Catton anatomises the frustrations and self-sabotages of the modern (well, I think maybe more late 2010s) left brilliantly, without ever slipping past exasperation into neoreaction; the jabs and weary recognition are always telling, never trite. But as against the wonderful, bonkers edifice of The Luminaries, which was operating on a very different version of 'as above, so below', here it feels like the map is the territory, and the territory is one I know far too well to want to read a novel about it. Assuming the rest of the book keeps up the standard of its first fifty pages, and assuming there is a fifty years' time, then in fifty years' time this will be an invaluable record of a moment. But while we're still in that moment, I can't.

(Netgalley ARC, on which I completely stalled, with even a second attempt courtesy of the library not helping matters)

The contemporary answer to Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang

Eleanor Catton has a beautiful writing style and Birnam Wood is the contemporary answer to Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang. Books set in New Zealand are not often popular abroad and I was glad to be able to get my hands on one. I have had Catton’s Booker Prize winner The Luminaries on my list for years now and I was lucky enough to get Birnam Wood through Netgalley.

I am not usually interested in books about environmental activism but I was lured in by the cover, the meaty characters, and because I have been wanting to read Catton’s work for a while. It was an excellent choice. I am also difficult to impress when it comes to thrillers — I think the true test of a genre known for its formulae is “would I enjoy this if I knew all the twists,” and Birnam Wood passes, though the twists are fantastic and shocking. I was compelled by the characters, especially because they were morally ambiguous [at best] and unlikeable. Unlikeable characters, especially main characters, can easily fall flat for being cartoonish or annoying, but Catton has created truly interesting flawed characters. I am going to have to move The Luminaries up the reading list now!

I have not read anything by Catton before, so I can't say if this is a one time thing or her style. I found this book to be a bit slow and dense, but in a way that paid off in the end. A fascinating story with fascinating characters, that truly captures the moment it was written in.

I’m not even going to try and describe this book, simply because there’s so much going on in it! Lies, good intentions, personal agendas, manipulation, secrets, ambition and greed.

There’s the old story of the way that big business and those with all the money manipulate others to get exactly what they want, and on the other side there are those who want to do the right thing, and in this case, reverse climate change.

It’s very much a character based novel, so if you’re like me, and you enjoy a book that has a lot of character development, you’ll love the descriptions and characters in this. This is not a short read and there’s so much going on, and for me that made it feel like a much shorter book - I was pretty much glued to it.

I didn’t see the last few chapters coming at all, but there was definitely a build up to what was a pretty explosive ending. No-one comes out of this book well.

Recommended!

I enjoyed The Luminaries so was excited to read Birnam Wood. It is an all consuming thriller which kept me guessing. The characters are well written and drew me in to the story, I particularly liked Mira. Overall an interesting and thought provoking read.

Eleanor Catton’s long awaited third novel, and second after her Booker win with The Luminaries was billed as an egological, psycological thriller, partially based on Macbeth.

When Mira, founder of anti-capitalist gardening collective Birnam Wood discovers a seemingly abandoned farm, it looks like a turning point for the group to finally break even, or maybe even make it. As a guerilla movement, Birnam Wood is operating growing on abandoned land but are struggling to go futher without sacrificing their ideals. Enter Robert Lemoine an enigmatic, charming billionaire who claims to be buying the land from a local businessman, Owen Darvish, to build a survivalist bunker. When Lemoine offers Mira an unbelievable investment, claiming to be inspired by her entrepreneurial spirit, she invites the collective down to the farm as a ‘trial’ to work the land. How far will Mira be willing go, and what would she be willing to compromise to make Birnam Wood a success?

However, while Mira is caught up with the Collective, ex-love interest and Birnam Wood member Tony is trying to make a break as an investigative journalist. When he discovers odd activity and armed security around the Korowai Pass, near the Darvish farm, Tony begins to investigate. As he discovers links to Lemoine’s drone company, Autonomo, the book takes a turn into a high octane thriller.

The book flits between perspectives, from Mira, to Tony, Lemoine and even Darvish, exposing their interweaving connections, actions and concequences and compromises which affect not only the characters but the land they are all inhabiting.

As well as exploring some very current, relevant social and environmental issues, Catton has weaved an incredible crime thriller which will suprise you at every turn. Her ascerbic wit makes it an incredibly funny read, with a memorable cast of characters. Catton builds tension to an explosive ending, and also manages to weave in social commentary and philosophical musings.

Catton is a masterful storyteller and Birnam Wood is an exquisite novel which will no doubt become a classic of our time.

Catton's "Birnam Wood" is not just a rewritting of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" but an absolutely intriguing, insightful and timely reconceptualization of the Elizabethan tragedy.

I thought this was amazing. Extremely fun and immersive book to read on a plane. Brilliant dialogue, and brilliant use of the third person, and also often quite funny. Entertaining and also substantial. Great stuff! Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Took me a little while to make headway with this, had a couple of tries, but it was definitely worth the effort. A clever literary thriller with complex characters and dubious morals.

A slow burn by an astute, adept writer .. characters are not always consistent, but I find them familiar enough so I can fill in the gaps, as it were. The story of eco-activists fending off a psychopathic billionaire's plans suddenly burns lethal .. and I did struggle with credibility... Catton may find me naive! While everyone seems attracted to Mira, a feisty neurotic, I didn't see the charm that drove everyone to fall for her. Extreme actions are carefully built up but I still found all the late fast-action hard to accept .. slightly a feel of being over written, and over conceptualised hovers over it all .. but impressive nonetheless ..

I loved the Luminaries so I was really looking forward to this one. It's quite different in style. For me, it was a slow burner and there were parts that could have been shortened to get the story moving faster. But I ended up enjoying it.

I went into this novel without any knowledge of what to expect and I'm really glad I did. A large part of the appeal of the story is that you don't know where it is going to go. We start with an association of environmental renegades (the Birnam Wood of the title), focusing on the three central characters of Mira, Shelley and Tony. Before too long, new elements are introduced and the cast of characters widened, adding extra intrigue. There is a really interesting exploration of the themes of morality, environmental conservation and hippy hypocrisy.

The greatest strength of the novel is in its presentation of the inner workings of each character's mind.
Catton takes us deep into each person's head in an incredibly well-realised way that never gets dull.

For me, the weakest point is it's ending, which comes abruptly and with almost every character arc not finding its satisfying end.

That being said, I loved it and would highly recommend!

This literary eco-thriller was very slow at the beginning. Later, reading got a lot more interesting, and I started to like it.

Mira Bunting leads an activist eco-gardening group called Birnam Wood. They plant crops in unusual places where no one will notice - in neglected backyards or some other abandoned places. During a new opportunity research in Thorndike, Mira encounters American billionaire Robert Lemoine, who offers to financially assist the group. But is he truly interested in providing financial aid?

There are many interesting political debates and ideas in this novel. Although, for me, this part was sometimes a bit too long.

Eleanor Catton is an incredible storyteller, judging by this book. Her other novel, The Luminaries, is on my to-read list, as it won the Booker Prize in 2013. I admit its length is a bit intimidating. But after reading this, I’m sure it’s very good too.

Thanks to Granta Publications for the advance copy and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review, and all opinions are my own.

With thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.
#BirnamWood #NetGalley

It's not that this book was not a well written in terms of prose style, and equally in the ambition with what it set out to do - but it lacked cohesion and the 'hook' to keep me engaged.
In a phrase - it dragged. And in this dragging, I lost interest and did not truly garner a connection to characters in any pocket of the narrative.
Birnam Wood as a title perhaps leads to some misconceptions about the tone or feel of what you might expect, [or in my case, WANT] the book to be about. Part thriller, part eco-lit, part saga, Catton has not really settled on a genre, yet the hybridity of three different ones doesn't quite mesh.

The novel explores the world of a so-called 'guerilla gardening collective' in New Zealand, wherein the eco-conscious and the uber wealthy clash. Three of the five main characters are quickly introduced, all passionate in their fight against capitalism and ecological devastation by growing on a range of private and pubic land no matter what. Mira - the founder, Shelley - the nicely conventional sidekick and the male contingency of Tony who has recently returned from living abroad. OBVIOUSLY he is also in love with Mira... therein we get the ingredients to take this spinning into a psychological thriller wherein betrayals, murders and doing whatever it takes to keep the project alive form the skeleton of the novel.

Catton then layers this story as the plot develops and introducing a second location. The action moves to an unoccupied farm owned by the Darvish - very wealthy Kiwis. They have subsequently sold it to a billionaire American who intends to repurpose it. Finishing off the love triangle, he too is attracted to Mira, and thus offers financial support for Birnam Wood. Playing the dicey game between saving the group and corrupting it, the rest of the story unfolds as people vie for dominance love, glory and power.

All in all, the story has a sweeping range of ideas that could work in a more honed and well constructed overall narrative. Catton seems to have ran out of focus and steam the further the novel evolves, with forgettable characters, too little of any one thing to pack much of a punch. This means the book floats along without much impact. What is clear through the astute political observations at the wealth and power divides, and the different classes the characters represent, is the messages about the contemporary world that lie in amongst the tangled genres of the book. Catton does well in maintaining themes - unfortunately the weaving of the thread lost it's way, with the ending of Birnam Wood unravelling completely.

A fantastic read that had me absolutely gripped. It was fast paced and full of tension and mystery. I loved it

Brilliant book…. Loved the different threads … the depth of characterisation … and the relationships are well written. Definitely recommend

What a read. So Intresting and wanting you find out what happens next. Written brilliantly, the storyline and the characters. Would recommend to everyone.

I’’d heard lots of hype about this book but other than knowing it was about guerrilla gardeners I had no idea what it was about. I thought it would be elderly people in England, a bit like the Thursday Murder Club. It was actually about socialist and politically active young people in New Zealand, with an ethical choice to make about whether to accept the funds of a billionaire to expand their mission.

It took a while to get started and at about 60% in really picked up pace. I think it was probably longer than it needed to be but ultimately a unique read.

10 years after the publication of her Booker prize winning novel The Luminaries, Catton has returned to the literary scene with Birnam Wood a story about conservation, morality and truth.

The tone of Birnam Wood is hugely different to that of The Luminaries. For a start (mercifully in my view), it's about half the length. It's pacier too and far more accessible than its much-lauded predecessor.

We follow a group of well-crafted characters each with a stake in a plot of farmland which has been cordoned off following a natural disaster. The eponymous Birnam Wood is a guerrilla gardening collective who plant vegetables on land, often without permission, in a bid to improve the biodiversity of their surroundings and to counteract the environmentally damaging practices of large corporations.

Guided by Catton's assured writing we are introduced to a group of multi-faceted and intriguing characters. Mira is the figurehead of Birnam Wood who despite the anti-capitalist stance of the group, finds herself in partnership with the enigmatic billionaire Robert Lemoine. Lemoine is a villain, father figure, lover, cult-leader all in one and even now a couple of days after finishing the book, I am not sure what to think of him. Tony is a rebel without a cause or perhaps a rebel who struggles to settle on a cause. His motivations were complex and that made him all the more intriguing to read about; I found myself unpicking his choices and actions right until the novel's cinematic ending.

The characters who were perhaps the least convincing were Lord and Lady Darvish, the owners of the land on the Korowai Pass where much of the action of the novel takes place. Their marriage seemed more like a business partnerships than a romantic one. Owen Darvish in particular felt like he existed purely to add texture to the plot and I felt that I didn't get to know enough about him to care about him. Perhaps that was the point, I'm still undecided on that one.

The title is taken from a famous line in Macbeth. Somehow, I managed to get through my entire education in the English school system without studying this particular Shakespearean work. However, the general consensus seems to be that links with the play are tenuous at best and it is rather the image of a wood/natural environment rising up that was being utilised rather than the story itself. In any case I did not find that my lack of familiarity with the play hindered my reading experience so don't let it put you off if, like me, you've never read or seen it.

I very much enjoyed this novel. I liked it much more than The Luminaries. The slow, lilting first half repaid my investment with a heart-racing, propulsive ending that almost had me breathless by the final line. I can't wait to read more from Eleanor Catton and I hope future works from her maintain the same fusion of literary merit and high entertainment value that Birnam Wood achieved.