Wie geht's?
This post is inspired by my good friend GK who suggested I read Birnam Wood. He was keen to hear about my opinions of the actual writing. So here goes with my initial impressions, GK, bearing in mind that I'm only 50 or so pages into it.
Yeah boy, time for some literary criticism, Wozza style.
First things first: I'm happily reading it. I look forward to picking it up.
Partly, because I feel that Catton is writing so that I might enjoy the experience of reading. She credits her readers with some intelligence and I like that.
Now, I'm no literary snob, I love reading pulp fiction as much as the next philistine. I'm a big fan of Lee Child novels for instance, but Birnam Wood isn't a novel that I can read in a day or two because it's like someone speaking to me in one or two syllable words.
Instead, I have to read Birnam Wood in a deliberate way; concentrating and being present. If my mind wanders I lose track.
In that way it's like a Dickens' novel or a Shakespearean play - she invites that comparison with a title like Birnam Wood (her name for a collective of opportunistic market gardeners).
Like the work of those two giants of literature, it doesn't take long to adjust the brain and get in the groove of the writing.
It also doesn't take long to realise that the language is rich, the sentences are often complex and labyrinthine, and the characters have real depth. Hey! She won The Booker Prize, so she knows what she's doing!
Interestingly, I'm noticing some distinct stylistic changes which suit different subject matter. The interior monologue and character motivation stuff, for instance, tends to be convoluted and that suits the context, while there are plainer, simpler sections for simpler exposition. They all flow quite seamlessly so it's not that obvious and it doesn't get in the way of my enjoyment.
All up, it deserves to be widely read and enjoyed (rather than just admired). That's pretty high praise from me.
Love and peace - WNP
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