Birnam Wood
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Birnam Wood
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Narrated by:
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Saskia Maarleveld
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Written by:
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Eleanor Catton
About this listen
Birnam Wood is on the move...
Five years ago, Mira Bunting founded a guerrilla gardening group: Birnam Wood. An undeclared, unregulated, sometimes-criminal, sometimes-philanthropic gathering of friends, this activist collective plants crops wherever no one will notice, on the sides of roads, in forgotten parks, and neglected backyards. For years, the group has struggled to break even. Then Mira stumbles on an answer, a way to finally set the group up for the long term: a landslide has closed the Korowai Pass, cutting off the town of Thorndike. Natural disaster has created an opportunity, a sizable farm seemingly abandoned.
But Mira is not the only one interested in Thorndike. Robert Lemoine, the enigmatic American billionaire, has snatched it up to build his end-times bunker - or so he tells Mira when he catches her on the property. Intrigued by Mira, Birnam Wood, and their entrepreneurial spirit, he suggests they work this land. But can they trust him? And, as their ideals and ideologies are tested, can they trust each other?
A gripping psychological thriller from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Luminaries, Birnam Wood is Shakespearean in its wit, drama and immersion in character. A brilliantly constructed consideration of intentions, actions, and consequences, it is an unflinching examination of the human impulse to ensure our own survival.
©2023 Granta Books (P)2023 Audible, Ltd.You may also enjoy...
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What listeners say about Birnam Wood
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- annette
- 2024-03-15
Started strong
Excellent performance.
The writing/story dragged about halfway and became a predictable horror story, drawing elements from pop culture and recent history that made the leaps believable.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- TRich
- 2024-01-19
Not carton’s best
Am interesting story, but I found the characters less than believable and therefore their actions often extreme. Guess I expected more of Catton.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carolyn
- 2024-02-12
A slow burn and then bang!
It was interesting from the beginning. But I wondered if this was actually something I could share with my Dark Book club from the beginning. It didn’t seem quite dark enough. Like not murdery enough, or spooky enough, or thrillery enough. UNTIL about 2/3 of the way through the book when s)$t got real. No spoilers here. But wow what an ending. I recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew MacLean
- 2023-05-22
What a great story!
It started a bit slow but I was soon very engaged. Listened to it on a Maine roadtrip and was driving slower by the end to see how it all ends!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ultraLimitem
- 2023-06-08
Important story with outstanding performance
This story is not only captivating and refreshing, but important. It talks mainly about deception and self-deception. The author has a unique and rich way of dissecting the characters’ minds.
The performance is brilliant, with the perfect dosage of accents and always the right intensity.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Janders
- 2023-11-20
the ending is intense. I like that thr author didn't sugar coat anything.
really engaging read. a bit slow to start but worth it. it's the first book where I didn't really like any of the characters but still really enjoyed the plot. I liked how the author contrasted far right and far left narratives that result in unethical behavior and actually offers suggestions for a logical middle ground all within the storyline and without preaching. great read!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Carol
- 2023-05-15
Compelling story
Read this book for our book club as we enjoyed Eleanor Catton’s previous book. Good character development and compelling story that held my interest to the last page - considering what happened next….
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Karen W. Lam
- 2023-08-28
Compelling Listen
Really taut and well-written, even if all the characters are just slightly grotesque. Wonderful narrator and the ending feels like a gut punch.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Todd S. Gallows
- 2023-12-05
Excellent characterization and beautiful prose.
The ending was rushed, chaotic, and sloppy. It felt like the climax of Adaptation but without the sense of irony.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2024-04-29
it was boring...
i was very disappointed with this book tho' had highly anticipated it after the wonderful Luminaries
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