Birdbrain
“Birdbrain” by Johanna Sinisalo, published by Peter Owen in 2010, is a novel that showcases the author’s distinctive style, blending surreal invention with sharp humor. This edition, written in English and spanning 217 pages, follows a young Finnish couple on an ambitious hiking trip in Australasia, armed only with Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness.” As their journey unfolds, it transforms into a tense thriller marked by the disappearance of their belongings and the couple’s struggle against the forces of untamed nature, influenced by the local kakapo, a highly intelligent and endangered parrot.
Readers will encounter a narrative that explores themes of exploration and the often dark motivations behind the Western desire for untouched landscapes. The story delves into the complexities of human interaction with nature, questioning what occurs when the natural world begins to resist human intrusion. With elements of fiction, fantasy, horror, and science fiction, “Birdbrain” presents a thought-provoking examination of the relationship between humanity and the environment, inviting readers to reflect on the consequences of their actions in the wild.
Official synopsis Publisher
From the author of the critically acclaimed Troll, the new novel from Johanna Sinisalo is full of her trademark style, surreal invention, and savage humor Set in Australasia, this is the story of a young Finnish couple who have embarked on the hiking trip of a lifetime, with Heart of Darkness as their only reading matter. Conrad’s dark odyssey turns out to be a prescient choice as their trip turns into a tortuous thriller, with belongings disappearing, and they soon find themselves at the mercy of untamed nature, seemingly directed by the local kakapo–a highly intellegent parrot threatened with extinction. This is a skillful portrait of the unquenchable desire of Westerners for the pure and the primitive, revealing the dark side of the explorer’s desire–the insatiable need to control, to invade, and leave one’s mark on the landscape. But what happens when nature starts to fight back?
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