| Title | : | The Birdcatcher |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0807029947 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780807029947 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 216 |
| Publication | : | First published September 13, 2022 |
| Awards | : | National Book Award Finalist Fiction (2022) |
Gayl Jones, the novelist Toni Morrison discovered decades ago and Tayari Jones recently called her favorite writer, has been described as one of the great literary writers of the 20th century. Now, for the first time in over 20 years, Jones is publishing again. In the wake of her long-awaited fifth novel, Palmares, The Birdcatcher is another singular achievement, a return to the circles of her National Book Award finalist, The Healing.
Set primarily on the island of Ibiza, the story is narrated by the writer Amanda Wordlaw, whose closest friend, a gifted sculptor named Catherine Shuger, is repeatedly institutionalized for trying to kill a husband who never leaves her. The three form a quirky triangle on the white-washed island.
A study in Black women's creative expression, and the intensity of their relationships, this work from Jones shows off her range and insight into the vicissitudes of all human nature - rewarding longtime fans and bringing her talent to a new generation of readers.
The Birdcatcher Reviews
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NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION FINALIST!
The Publisher Says: Legendary writer Gayl Jones returns with a stunning new novel about Black American artists in exile
Gayl Jones, the novelist Toni Morrison discovered decades ago and Tayari Jones recently called her favorite writer, has been described as one of the great literary writers of the 20th century. Now, for the first time in over 20 years, Jones is publishing again. In the wake of her long-awaited fifth novel, Palmares, The Birdcatcher is another singular achievement, a return to the circles of her National Book Award finalist, The Healing.
Set primarily on the island of Ibiza, the story is narrated by the writer Amanda Wordlaw, whose closest friend, a gifted sculptor named Catherine Shuger, is repeatedly institutionalized for trying to kill a husband who never leaves her. The three form a quirky triangle on the white-washed island.
A study in Black women's creative expression, and the intensity of their relationships, this work from Jones shows off her range and insight into the vicissitudes of all human nature—rewarding longtime fans and bringing her talent to a new generation of readers.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: It's very odd to me that Gayl Jones's voice was silent in American English for over a quarter century. This novel was first published in German during 1986—more than thirty-five years ago—and, until Beacon Press decided to take up the baton of being her publishing champions, simply didn't exist in her native country. It's hard not to see this as the fruits of racism-turbocharged sexism.
That said, this read (nominated for a National Book Award for Fiction, the prize to be awarded tomorrow) is a challenge for most readers. It's very complex and demands focus to derive a full picture of what happens in it; this makes a looser, less organized second half much more effort to decode.
Author Gayl has made a beautiful and strange artist's colony on the Spanish Mediterranean island of Ibiza where we meet Amanda Wordlaw (a name that might be familiar to some with previous exposure to Author Gayl), a Black American writer, as she resumes an intimate and borderline transgressive relationship with sculptor Catherine and her husband Ernest. The couple are deeply enmeshed in a psychically and physically violent relationship. Catherine, suffering from depression and other psychiatric ills, periodically makes strange attempts on Ernest's life. After Catherine is institutionalized, Amanda—in flight from a husband and child of her own for unexplained reasons—becomes ever closer to crossing the line into an inappropriate relationship with scientist and strangely calm Ernest. By the time Catherine comes home to continue work on her magnum opus, "The Birdcatcher" of the title...will she or won't she keep trying to kill Ernest? Are her materials-use restriction for Ernest's safety or are they self-imposed? And what the heck's this other artist, a white lady called "Gillette" like the razors, doing in this book? She's just irrelevant to my eyes...and why is Catherine allowed out of her institution? She's very clearly not in any way improved in her quotidian functioning....
This is why I am rating the book four, not five, stars. The second half shifts narrators from Amanda (whose husband has a *very* peculiar, and I suspect metaphorical, um...physiology) and her ponderings to being all over the place. It's not expected, and it means I now need to re-establish my investment in the tale being told as well as bring that level of investment to people I do not quite think are as interesting as Amanda, Catherine, and Ernest.
It was a very interesting note to end on...Catherine's past as a political activist and racism fighter (while never integrated into the story but rather reported to us at the end) was a major missed opportunity to explore but, more than anything else, explains the role of Catherine's obsessive de- and re-construction of the title sculpture. Such a graceful and beautiful metaphor deserved more from Author Gayl's talented pen.
If Palmares is a lyrical, evocative allohistorical exploration of the roots of identity, The Birdcatcher considers the eternal impossibility of knowing another soul, of being fully in touch with one's own soul, when in the toils of a toxic system of racism, misogyny, and the marginalization of creativity as anything except a commercial pursuit. If you're up for doing some very involved thinking about the story you're reading, this is a worthwhile story to invest in. I really ended up surprised at how much more I wanted from these characters, and then how glad I was not to be given it. -
I'm still trying to figure out how this 36 year old book qualifies for the 2022 NBA for Fiction, and why it needed to be revived. There is some very good writing at the sentence level but not a lot more beyond that. The most interesting character (Gillette Viking) is rather peripheral, and the others were not great company.
3 stars -
I am so curious about the history of this novel. Gayl Jones seems to have written this in the mid-eighties, when she was in her original "heyday" publishing period, but this was never published in English. For some reason, this was published in 1986 in German translation as Die Vogelfangerin (a literal translation of the English-language title). And now it exists in its original English. I don't think I've ever seen a book be published in such a roundabout way before, particularly since that means this book has existed in this form (unless she majorly edited it) for over forty years. It's funny then to think that a novel that's inching closer to being half a century old has now been longlisted for the National Book Award, which typically is meant to highlight the cutting edge/best fiction of our time in America.
Anyway, I'm glad the literary world is acknowledging Gayl Jones' many talents, but it makes me laugh that this and Palmares are her works that get the Pulitzer/NBA nods other than her far superior past NBA-longlistee The Healing. Her main run of books (Corregidora, Eva's Man, The Healing, and Mosquito) are all far more formally innovative and much more successful as beautifully written novels with Gayl Jones' idiosyncratic style. The Birdcatcher feels like Gayl Jones' wonderful sense of character get plopped into a shoddily constructed series of vignettes that interest you enough to get through it but end up being substantially less satisfying than you'd hope. It's like Gayl Jones wrote three quarters of her first draft, kept in the notes for revisions, and decided to simply edit down what was there and chisel it into something recognizably novelistic.
I think this would only really appeal to the Gayl Jones fans (however few there may be), but it seems like she's surprising enough that other first-time readers of her work find much appeal in The Birdcatcher.
At least it's better than Palmares.
Sidenote: What is going on with this cover? The book jacket says that the graphics come from ISTOCKPHOTO. Why can't Gayl Jones get a budget!? The differing fonts! Hideous. You can't see it with the goodreads cover image, but the spine has the title set in the same font as the front cover but in hot pink. It's frightening stuff. -
Honestly, this book was confusing to me. I didn't hate it and I appreciated the vivid writing. But I also don't really know what I just read.
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"What good is the gift of healing if it can't be used in modern times as well as ancient ones?" ✨
With the Friendships between these characters, Gayl Jones delivers Life Quotes to Relish, Honesty, and Humor interwoven like a lyrical Tapestry.
At the end of some chapters, this Author leaves readers with a portion of very Intriguing words of Contemplation. This is a Masterpiece! Ever since her debut novel, "Corregidora", I have adored her literary work that sets her apart from most writers. Although, her work is quite misunderstood by many readers. Her novel, "The Healing" moved me in so many ways that I had to purchase the printed copy. And, could not wait to read her books after her long Hiatus. Even, "Palmares"... another phenomenal read by this Author.
Yet, this novel has a different feel and I loved it even more so! Originally written and published as a translated version in Reinbek in 1986. Then, later released in English on September 13, 2022. So, I'm very glad to see her work back to LIGHT! 💫 -
My first Gayl Jones. And it was wild (!!!!) Although, it did lose me in the second half, which kinda went off the rails. I get the feeling this shouldn’t have been my first Jones; I have a copy of Corregidora; I’ll get to that next. Intriguing writer. Vibrant voice.
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I absolutely loved this book and it does not surprise me that others (mostly men) were confused by it. I can't describe how I feel about it because there aren't words, but I still have questions I'm going to ask for a long time.
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Imma be honest.. Y’all know Gayl Jones has a crazy writing style - and honestly it’s something that you have to get use to. It’s like she tells the story in so many small pieces that you really have to finish it to actually figure out the entire plot.
🦅
Here goes:
Told in 1st person from the POV of a writer named Amanda. The Birdcatcher is mainly about a black couple - Catherine (a sculptor) and her husband Ernest. Amanda and Catherine are best friends - and Amanda always seems to find herself with the couple for long periods of time. Especially since Catherine is always trying to kill her husband. After the attempts, Earnest commits her and after a period of time goes by he gets her out. Only for her to try it again. 😮💨
Now that’s not the craziest part. The craziest part is that Amanda seems to be interested in the chaos, all trying to avoid her own problems - like her husband and daughter she up and left. And for many men she dates while away.
After reading this story, I realized a few things. First, we see the relationship between black women, the complexities of friendship, loyalty or the lack thereof, mental health, and parenting choices.
🦅
So I thought about the title of the book. And Amanda asking Earnest if he called her a “pilgrim”. He replied, “I called you ‘peregrine’. Do you know what a peregrine is?” Amanda replied, “yes. It’s one of those birds that never stays in one place.” My thoughts were, she’s the bird and they’re the Birdcatcher.. 🫨
🦅
Gayl Jones really shaped a world here where you see the complexities of relationships, the human mind and showed ultimately how a person can be sane in one area of the life and have madness in another.
It really made me wonder if I really know the truth of those that are around me. Or if who they’re portraying or who I see them to be is all an act.
I’m slowly working my way through her work but baby - Gayl gonna work your damn brain.. 😮💨 -
I LOVE THIS WRITER!!!
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This is a strange, rather disturbing novel, and as another reviewer wrote, there are several well-crafted sentences that left me impressed but sometimes bewildered, and the shift back and forward in time, setting, and perspective served only to confuse rather than illuminate me. The plot seems to center on a talented Black writer--Amanda Wordlaw--who now writes travel pieces rather than the fiction she once enjoyed writing. Amanda is friends with Catherine Shuger, a sculptor who is frequently institutionalized because of various attempts to kill her husband, Ernest. There are only brief descriptions of the creative processes of either women, an omission that seems strange, given how much of their identities are supposedly wrapped around those crafts. Nor do readers ever come to understand why Catherine is determined to end her husband's life or why he doesn't leave her. The three of them spend time on Ibiza, enjoying each other's company, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why any of them were together. It seems that Amanda has left behind her husband and daughter as she moves from place to place and relationship to relationship. At some point she and Catherine cross paths with another artist, Gillette, who paints with various objects, including mushrooms and cleaning utensils. While there is much to admire about some of the word choice and glimpses into madness as well as tortured relationships as well as some of the very short, one-sentence chapters, the book only hints at various truths, most likely leaving many readers just as baffled on the last page as on the first, and prompting some to wish that this birdcatcher had been edited, revised, and updated since the book was published decades ago outside the United States and seems dated and unnecessarily confusing. I finished it with a feeling of disappointment and wanting more.
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Usually I write my review of a book right after reading it, but I finished reading this one three hours ago, and I am still ruminating and trying to figure out what I just read. The Birdcatcher was intense, uncomfortable, beautiful, ugly, surreal, and puzzling. I think I figured it out, and it’s such a clever study of genius and mental illness and relationships between women and men, artist mothers and daughters, and friends. I want to say so much more about this psychodrama, but if I do, I will give too much away, and I don’t believe in spoilers. If you can get past the Gwendola episode without being too disturbed, keep reading. The main draws for me when I went in search of this book is that it takes place in Ibiza; it’s about art and mental illness; the author, Gayl Jones, was promoted by Toni Morrison, and Tayari Jones also admires her work. That’s why I kept reading past Gwendola, and I’m glad I did, but I desperately need someone to talk to about it now, like a support group.
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Short-listed for the National Book Award 2022
This is one of those pointless, meandering little books that have heavy experimental structures and zero substance. One you read and immediately forget and won’t be able to recall what it was about because it had no plot, or character development or any type of arc. One that writer writes to showcase how clever her sentences can be.
DNF at about 75%, I can’t waste any more time on this, there are better books out there. -
No idea what I just read.
Video review
https://youtu.be/GE5Ae8XDvmQ -
A more than interesting interstitial novel on the permissiveness granted to artists of note. While such behavior would isolate the measly masses to the societal fringes, collective consensus of ‘talent’ provides a far greater berth whose pathway is often allowed to bob and sink with the unlucky little people (not dwarves, but also not dwarf-exclusionary).
Those that willingly participate in this, even conspire to provide fuel for brighter burning, make up the bulk here. Deciding which of the trio of characters most needs help is neither clear nor static, the ‘tortured artist’ too often betraying cognition that others would deny her possession thereof. Great art, great suffering unto? As Depeche Mode, grand philosopher his own self, once said, “Let's play 'Master And Servant'/It's a lot like life and that's what's appealing.” Them Frenches is a smart bunch.
Or: in a pick-and-shoot at the meridians and the top of the key, knowing who to cover, who’s going to shoot, and when means always being on the defensive. You don’t win if you don’t sink your own.
“It’s a lot like life.” -
An unusual, original short novel with punchy, crisp dialogue. An unpredictable first person narrative by Amanda Wordlaw, who has stopped writing fiction for travel writing. The novel begins with Amanda in Ibiza with longtime friend, Catherine Shuger, a prominent, gifted sculptor, and Catherine’s husband, Ernest, who writes articles for popular science magazines. Catherine keeps trying to kill Ernest, who then puts her in an asylum. After sometime, he picks her up from the asylum, and she attempts to kill him again. Ernest puts up with this as when Catherine is free, she produces very good ‘art’.
Amanda comes and goes from wherever Catherine and Ernest are staying. Other characters include Gillette, an eccentric white painter and her mischievous daughter, Tatum; an unnamed black man whose entire lower body is white, and his sister, possibly a natural healer; and Lantis, Amanda’s former husband.
I enjoyed this weird fictional work that has minimal character development, little plot, and then abruptly ends. This novel is an interesting meditation on female creativity.
Here is an example of the author’s prose:
Lantis, Amanda’s former husband states, “Yeah, you can’t publish this shit,” he told her, tossing aside a set of page proofs. Amanda fired back that she could list five female writers she knew who lived with men who thought their work was “shit”. “But I can’t list any, not one, of the men writers I know who live with women who think theirs is less than fantastic.”
I will certainly be reading more of Gayl Jones’s novels.
This book was first published in Germany in 1986 and shortlisted for the 2022 National Book award! -
Honestly ahead of it's time. Could have been written yesterday and be just as relevant. I'd liken it to the antithesis of style of writing of Milkman by Anna Burns where instead of getting more, we get less. Fewer pieces of the puzzle makes it no less meaningful. Ultimately the ties that run between the characters and the themes of motherhood, stability, travel, ambition, sexism, and racism on a global scale is so openly heart wrenching it's no surprise it wasn't published in the US until now.
Especially in the latter half of the book I found myself revisiting the question who believes women when we start to doubt our ownselves? -
What an intriguing story! The Birdcatcher is a story narrated by a writer (love stories about writer, authors, and bookish people) named Amanda who befriends a gifted sculptor and her husband, who she attempted to kill many times. And he refused to leave her. The writing was very lyrical and gave me so many brillant quotes to highlight. Parts had me captivated, while other parts had me wondering what the heck is going on. All in all, it was very good book that encourages me to read more of Jones' work.
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Stunning. More detailed review tk.
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while not Jones' finest work, it her most beautifully written novel without question.
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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.
CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Mental illness, institutionalization; Violence; Body shaming; Death of a child -
This is one strange novel. It was written in the 1980s and had been rereleased just a few years ago. It is narrated by Amanda, a middle aged Black woman writer who writes primarily travel books, but has written fiction in the past. She is visiting her friends Ernest and Catherine in Ibiza off the coast of Spain. She is a sculptor and he is a scientist. They have one significant problem in their relationship in that Catherine is regularly trying to kill her husband. He needs to commit her to a mental institution, where she stays for a while and then comes back home. Amanda and Catherine are rather close and there is also some romantic tension between Amanda and Ernest.
Interspersed with all this is Amanda's back story. She was married to a man in South or Central America who had the odd condition of being very Black from the waist up and completely White from the waist down. She had a daughter with this man, and, for some reason leaves them both to write travel books in Africa and Europe. There is also a White woman painter mixed in with all this who has a daughter who she seems to love but also wants her freedom. This all becomes rather confusing near the end where the author switches narrators and it's not really clear where the plot is going.
There is a lot of dealing with Black women and trying to find their voice in art and in life in general. I'm not sure what the overall message is, but I did enjoy a lot about this book. It was certainly strange and somewhat hard to follow at times, but there were also some fascinating situations devised and some very thoughtful ruminations of race and feminism. -
This would be a five-star book if I didn't suspect Ms. Jones was deliberately trying to confuse me. If I thought she was, I'd knock it down to three stars. As is, I'm going to giver her the benefit of a doubt and assume she's an author of complex, difficult work.
Is it inaccessible? Yeah, pretty close. The timeline is jumbled and the exposition is nonexistent, which makes the book read like an incomplete puzzle. Can you find some consistency in the characters, at least? No, not at all. The narrator lies about both herself and the couple with which she has an uncomfortably close relationship (it doesn't get to the point of polygamy [I don't think so, at least]), and George and Martha from "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' would find the central pair's marriage dysfunctional.
Ms. Jones tries to flip our perceptions in the last few chapters. When I say "tries," I'm not sure if she's successful, I don't know if the 180-degree reversal is earned. But you don't go on trips like this very often, so "The Birdcatcher" is worth reading, just to say you've read it. -
I don't know why I read this book. I keep track of where I heard a recommendation but this book isn't on that list. The summary sounds so much better than the actual story itself which is a rambling narration of a woman who we never really get to know and another couple. I started to call them friends but am not even sure that is correct. Disjointed and no overall arc to the story, this is exactly the type of writing I am not a fan of. Other people are, I understand that, but I am not. The only positive was that the author used quotation marks.
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I just finished and I already need to read it again
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sometimes brilliant on the sentence level, but did not coalesce as a novel for me. the birdcatcher felt much more like a collection of intriguing but puzzling vignettes to me. there was some interesting thematic work here on the subjects of creativity, misogyny, and mental health, but overall this book confused me more than it made me think deeply or entertained me. the head-jumping and time-skipping in particular made for a perplexing time. however, i do think gayl jones is a strong writer and i'll probably pick up more of her work in the future despite not loving this one
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I spent a good two or three weeks trying to get into this book. It wasn’t happening. This weekend, I started over and just fell in deep. There is a brilliance here and I think it isn’t only what is inside, but the outside, too. Jones is so playful.
This is a novel with a lot of questions. I am not saying most are answered. But who said anyone has to give us answers? Jones doesn’t owe us the answers. Jones is brave enough to ask the questions and make us think about the questions and answers.
This deserves a reread. -
Individual I quite enjoyed the scenes, it's just that they didn't run together to form a narrative or novel.
Character work good. -
3.5. Didn’t exactly “get” it but it was an enjoyable read.
