abbie_'s review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
The beginning of this book got off to such a strong, punchy start, I was enraptured. But then there’s a part in the middle where my attention waned somewhat, but it does then ramp up again - an unusual, brooding book about art and mental illness that I will be thinking about for a while!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Violence
deedireads's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Birdcatcher is a slightly challenging but engaging novel that explores friendship, creative expression, and mental illness. Gayl Jones is a master, and it shows here.
For you if: You like novels that feel a bit like literary puzzles.
FULL REVIEW:
The Birdcatcher was written by Gayl Jones in the 80s, in English, but at the time it was curiously only published in German. Now it’s finally been published in English, and it’s a finalist for the National Book Award. What a unique experience, to have a book older than me up for this year’s prize, lol.
Anyway! The Birdcatcher is a raw, honest, disturbing, and somewhat absurd little novel about a romance author named Amanda who goes to stay with her married friends in Ibiza. The wife, Catherine, is routinely institutionalized for calmly and inexplicitly attempting to murder her husband. Catherine is also a sculptor, and she’s working on a long-term piece called the Birdcatcher. Throughout the book, we flash back and forth between Amanda’s time in Ibiza and how she spent the years immediately leading up to it, which is presented as a bit of a puzzle.
This is one of those books I think I appreciated and respected more than enjoyed, per se (although I would NOT to so far as to say that I didn’t enjoy it at all). It’s definitely a bit more challenging — more “literary,” perhaps — than other books on the NBA on the list. The ending in particular lost me a bit, and it left me feeling like I wasn’t *quite* smart enough for this book (which probably just means I need to reread it, tbh!).
Still, there’s no denying that Gayl Jones is a master. You can feel it in her sentences, in the way she plays with structure and point of view. Here she explores sanity and art and women and friendship and freedom in a way I’ve never seen before. Catherine is an enigma. Amanda surprises us. Jones shocks us. It’s a whole experience.
If you don’t mind a little bit of readerly elbow grease to puzzle through a novel, definitely give this a shot.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Birdcatcher is a slightly challenging but engaging novel that explores friendship, creative expression, and mental illness. Gayl Jones is a master, and it shows here.
For you if: You like novels that feel a bit like literary puzzles.
FULL REVIEW:
The Birdcatcher was written by Gayl Jones in the 80s, in English, but at the time it was curiously only published in German. Now it’s finally been published in English, and it’s a finalist for the National Book Award. What a unique experience, to have a book older than me up for this year’s prize, lol.
Anyway! The Birdcatcher is a raw, honest, disturbing, and somewhat absurd little novel about a romance author named Amanda who goes to stay with her married friends in Ibiza. The wife, Catherine, is routinely institutionalized for calmly and inexplicitly attempting to murder her husband. Catherine is also a sculptor, and she’s working on a long-term piece called the Birdcatcher. Throughout the book, we flash back and forth between Amanda’s time in Ibiza and how she spent the years immediately leading up to it, which is presented as a bit of a puzzle.
This is one of those books I think I appreciated and respected more than enjoyed, per se (although I would NOT to so far as to say that I didn’t enjoy it at all). It’s definitely a bit more challenging — more “literary,” perhaps — than other books on the NBA on the list. The ending in particular lost me a bit, and it left me feeling like I wasn’t *quite* smart enough for this book (which probably just means I need to reread it, tbh!).
Still, there’s no denying that Gayl Jones is a master. You can feel it in her sentences, in the way she plays with structure and point of view. Here she explores sanity and art and women and friendship and freedom in a way I’ve never seen before. Catherine is an enigma. Amanda surprises us. Jones shocks us. It’s a whole experience.
If you don’t mind a little bit of readerly elbow grease to puzzle through a novel, definitely give this a shot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body shaming, and Mental illness
Moderate: Child death
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