Eleanor Catton talks about ‘Birnam Wood’ and ‘the seduction of certainty’
Expertly crafted by Booker Prize-winning author Eleanor Catton, “Birnam Wood” delivers a heart-pumping thriller loaded with characters, conversations, and betrayals. Set in the southern wilds of New Zealand, the novel follows a group of local guerrilla gardeners on a collision course with a cynical and conniving American billionaire. The result is a moral satire spiked with tragic consequences – but also, Ms. Catton insists, notes of hope. She spoke with Monitor contributor Erin Douglass.
The novel’s title alludes to Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth.” Why ground your story in this play?
