Book Review - Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
Birnam wood is an anarchist gardening collective in New Zealand, set up by founder Mira bunting, who plant crops in areas where no one will notice. They are struggling to make an impact until Mira comes up with a plan; a landslide has closed the Korowai pass, near the town of Thorndike. It’s the perfect cover to use the land with no one noticing; except, they’re not the only ones with ideas on how to use it.
Although this is a literary novel, it’s also a thriller (is eco-thriller a genre?). One of the authors I thought of when reading this was Donna Tartt, who I think also writes books of a similar ilk. Anyone who knows me and my feelings on Tartt will know I can’t give much higher praise than that. It's a fine line to tread but I think Eleanor Catton manages to achieve it, writing a novel of big ideas with rich characters and a page-turning plot, superbly written.
Characters and Collective
‘Birnam Wood’ is separated into three parts and the story is told via several character perspectives. As well as Mira, there’s her second in command Shelley, who’s much more hands-on in her approach. There’s a conflict brewing between them, as Shelley feels the collective isn’t making any progress and she wonders what she’s doing with her life.
There’s also Sir Owen Darvish, a pest control entrepreneur, and his wife Lady Jill, unable to keep quiet about their recently acquired fortune. And Tony Gallo, recently returned and is determined to make his mark as an investigative journalist, whilst not mentioning the fact that he survives off a trust fund. He and Mira also had a ’thing’ a while back.
Doomsteader
Billionaire Robert Lemoine has his own ideas about riding out the apocalypse as a ‘doomsteader’ with a survivalist bunker. Representing the worst in greed and corruption, he’s a morally ambiguous megalomaniac. Can you compromise your ethics and expect to make a deal with a man like this?
It’s a book that explores ideas about activism. How far would compromise your beliefs if it meant that it would allow you to achieve all of your aims and more? Is there such a thing as caring capitalism? And can big business be stopped, and will it ultimately consume us all? The biggest question of all when it comes to politics - where does the real power lie?
There are power shifts in relationships as well, with changing dynamics between the characters, each trying to get the upper hand. I liked how Catton slowly reveals their personalities, showing their motivations. She’s superb at creating detailed and believable characters.
Power
There’s one long ‘hui' in a kitchen, that I think might not have worked in another writer’s hands, as Tony’s idealism ‘jars’ with some of the other members. But not with Catton, and there’s a wonderful back and forth to the argument, very much central to many of the ideas in the book.
It's also about greenwashing, social activism, and privilege. I don’t know enough about New Zealand politics to comment on how close it is to reality, but the clash between environmentalism and capitalism is something that is never far from the headlines. It feels like the two are oil and water.
‘Birnam Wood’ is a complex book, but always readable. I enjoyed the initial setup, which was quite satirical and often funny. I did read ’the luminaries’ and as much as I enjoyed it I have to say that this is a lot more accessible and for me much more of a page-turner.
Conflict
The author does a great job of letting you get to know the characters, then putting them into conflict with one another. The characters are multi-faceted and complex, and just when you think you’ve understood them, they show you another side to them. They are wonderfully complicated, at times thoroughly dislikable, and flawed, but make for great characters to drive the plot.
I have to say I didn’t have a notion how 'Birnam Wood' was going to end up and I enjoyed the twists along the way; Eleanor Catton does a fine job of ratcheting up to a conclusion I could never have guessed at. Thoroughly enjoyed this.
Thanks to Farrar Straus & Giroux and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.
Book Review - Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
432 pages, First published by Farrar Straus & Giroux March 7, 2023