Scan barcode
lisaortiz1221's review against another edition
3.0
the synopsis of this book (and the cover) really drew me in. a smart and sexy debut book with the unexpected relationship, it promised to be a dark and modern love story. and although the writing was good and the raw and graphic portrayal of their relationship was quick and easy reading, the book just fell flat for me in the end. it’s not that it was bad, but it just left me with a bad taste in my mouth, like i’d just thrown up or eaten something that was rotten.
the story centers on Will, our narrator, and Alice, a couple who are in a challenging relationship. when Will introduces Alice to his friend, also named Will, the dynamic shifts drastically. our narrator begins a downward spiral of doubt and remorse for his inability to react normally in any exchange of emotions, all while watching himself lose Alice but inable to react appropriately. full of lies and deceit and second guessing, this definitely isn’t a feel good book.
the writing was fast paced and quick witted, very reminiscent of Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho (which i also did not like all that much), but very readable. the characters were wary, realistic and very flawed, and the interactions between them were very intense, though i think it all could have been developed better. what i thought was going to be a smart and sexy love story was more just a satire on love, with a lot of sex instead. you know, i’ve read weird books that really delivered before, but in the end, i think The Bird Room was just weird and twisted.
maybe it had to do with the fact that it sort of reminded me of porn in a book, or that the characters weren’t meant to be liked, but i didn’t find myself enjoying it, particularly towards the end. i liked the characterization and writing style, but the overall presentation and packaging left me unsettled and sort of put off. i understand that some people may love this style, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
i think just on writing alone, i’d be willing to pick up another Killen book in the future, but it definitely would be with caution.
the story centers on Will, our narrator, and Alice, a couple who are in a challenging relationship. when Will introduces Alice to his friend, also named Will, the dynamic shifts drastically. our narrator begins a downward spiral of doubt and remorse for his inability to react normally in any exchange of emotions, all while watching himself lose Alice but inable to react appropriately. full of lies and deceit and second guessing, this definitely isn’t a feel good book.
She’d been stood up, she said. I realise now how contrived that sounds. I guess it was. She contrived it. She approached me, asked if I was alone and sat down. (Maybe she was lying. But at the time, both of us piss-drunk, it seemed pretty plausible.) And I was left thinking, She has decided to like me, now I must decide to like her, too.
So I sat there, squinting at her, trying hard to like her, too.
the writing was fast paced and quick witted, very reminiscent of Bret Easton Ellis’ American Psycho (which i also did not like all that much), but very readable. the characters were wary, realistic and very flawed, and the interactions between them were very intense, though i think it all could have been developed better. what i thought was going to be a smart and sexy love story was more just a satire on love, with a lot of sex instead. you know, i’ve read weird books that really delivered before, but in the end, i think The Bird Room was just weird and twisted.
maybe it had to do with the fact that it sort of reminded me of porn in a book, or that the characters weren’t meant to be liked, but i didn’t find myself enjoying it, particularly towards the end. i liked the characterization and writing style, but the overall presentation and packaging left me unsettled and sort of put off. i understand that some people may love this style, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
i think just on writing alone, i’d be willing to pick up another Killen book in the future, but it definitely would be with caution.
jem29's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
I didn't enjoy reading this book.
djrmelvin's review against another edition
3.0
(Discosure: I received this book for free through the Goodreads First Reads Program)
What started out as a really good dark humor story devolved into a much less complex, although definetly darker, observational narrative. Killen has written some deeply flawed characters, and as much as I love flawed characters, that's not enough to make up for a plot that ends about 2/3 of the way through the book for one of the main characters and goes absolutely nowhere for the rest of the characters. This might have made a great short story, but stretching it out to novella length brings on a lot of repetition of the character's actions and inner dialogs. Perhaps that was the point, that these people have no depth beyond what we're given, but then I have to wonder why in the beginning of the story there's so much originality in how they perceived themselves and each other. That was before the story turned into a "there's no 'there' there.
What we're given as a setting (London, or some other very large British city) shows that Killen can be economical and descriptive at the same time. My favorite line from the whole book, in fact, is more about where the story takes place rather than who it's about: A character is lamenting that she has to go to a certain store because at the other, more preferable ones, she might run into people she doesn't want to see. Despite the fact that she lives in one of the most populous, conjested cities of the world, she wishes she could live "...somewhere more anonymous,like the rainforest or the sky". Killen's characters are people who couldn't lose themselves anywhere.
What started out as a really good dark humor story devolved into a much less complex, although definetly darker, observational narrative. Killen has written some deeply flawed characters, and as much as I love flawed characters, that's not enough to make up for a plot that ends about 2/3 of the way through the book for one of the main characters and goes absolutely nowhere for the rest of the characters. This might have made a great short story, but stretching it out to novella length brings on a lot of repetition of the character's actions and inner dialogs. Perhaps that was the point, that these people have no depth beyond what we're given, but then I have to wonder why in the beginning of the story there's so much originality in how they perceived themselves and each other. That was before the story turned into a "there's no 'there' there.
What we're given as a setting (London, or some other very large British city) shows that Killen can be economical and descriptive at the same time. My favorite line from the whole book, in fact, is more about where the story takes place rather than who it's about: A character is lamenting that she has to go to a certain store because at the other, more preferable ones, she might run into people she doesn't want to see. Despite the fact that she lives in one of the most populous, conjested cities of the world, she wishes she could live "...somewhere more anonymous,like the rainforest or the sky". Killen's characters are people who couldn't lose themselves anywhere.
endlessreader's review against another edition
4.0
I received The Bird Room as part the First Reads giveaways and I found that it was sort of bizarre. At first look, you think you get a humorous love story. But then it delves into something depressing and a tad bit profound.
While reading this, I found myself amused at first, and then deeply confused as to where exactly this story was going. It has two separate plots: one of Will and the other of Helen/Clair and then you see how those two plots weave together (and when it did, I found myself laughing at the absurdity of it all).
One thing that the book accomplished was making me feel for the characters. I was interested in where exactly Helen/Clair's story was going. As for Will, I felt extremely sorry for him. Yes, he was pathetic, but in a kicked puppy sort of way and you can't help but like him for his flaws. He just didn't know where to draw that relationship line (and let's face it, I think everybody has had that problem once in a while).
This was a pretty good book. Admittedly, it did have it's flaws. Half the time I had no idea where the story was going or what exactly was the point in some instances, but not knowing what exactly is happening had me flipping the pages faster. It was an incredibly quick read that can be read in one sitting. Highly recommend it. One of the better First Reads books I've read.
While reading this, I found myself amused at first, and then deeply confused as to where exactly this story was going. It has two separate plots: one of Will and the other of Helen/Clair and then you see how those two plots weave together (and when it did, I found myself laughing at the absurdity of it all).
One thing that the book accomplished was making me feel for the characters. I was interested in where exactly Helen/Clair's story was going. As for Will, I felt extremely sorry for him. Yes, he was pathetic, but in a kicked puppy sort of way and you can't help but like him for his flaws. He just didn't know where to draw that relationship line (and let's face it, I think everybody has had that problem once in a while).
This was a pretty good book. Admittedly, it did have it's flaws. Half the time I had no idea where the story was going or what exactly was the point in some instances, but not knowing what exactly is happening had me flipping the pages faster. It was an incredibly quick read that can be read in one sitting. Highly recommend it. One of the better First Reads books I've read.
brizmus's review
4.0
NOTE: I actually gave this 3 1/2 stars
I thought that maybe putting a little time between the end of this book and my review would give me more clarification on how I felt, but nope. I still think that it was just weird. Did I enjoy reading it? Yes! Did I LIKE it? Maybe yes, maybe no. Because really, it was just plain weird.
My favorite thing about this book was that I absolutely adored the writing style. It was one of those books where you sort of feel like the main character is talking to you while at the same time feeling as if he doesn't care about you at all. It just sort of plods along, if that makes sense, and yet the story itself is completely non-linear. It goes back and forth and back and forth while at the same time slowly and succinctly moving forwards. In a way, this caught me off guard, and yet it was also a pleasant surprise. I love books that are written like this.
This book is also extremely interesting in that you never actually get to know any of the characters, which could come from the fact that they never really get to know each other, and yet it is very much character driven. Who is Will, who is the other Will, who is Alice? None of this is really important, as they are only important characters inasmuch as they are important to the first Will. They are all so flawed and confused.
While the style of this book makes it easy to read, the content does it. It's an intriguing look at the sex-lives of adults, at our perception of love and sex . It's an intimate look at relationships, and it's so real. While I didn't relate at all to the relationships in the Bird Room, as I didn't relate at all to the characters, the ideas presented through their relationships did make me think a little bit about the relationships in my life. And how real they may or may not be.
Will (the first) disgusts me, and he absolutely deserves everything he gets. I would NOT deal well with having a person like him in my life. And yet, the book is narrated from his point of view, and I absolutely ate it up. He made me laugh, he made me think, and he almost made me sad while at the same time shunning him.
So it's a good, well-written book, but it will not make you feel good. It might even depress you. And you may like it without actually liking it's content. It's GOOD while at the same time. . .leaving you unsure as to what exactly there was about it that you liked.
I thought that maybe putting a little time between the end of this book and my review would give me more clarification on how I felt, but nope. I still think that it was just weird. Did I enjoy reading it? Yes! Did I LIKE it? Maybe yes, maybe no. Because really, it was just plain weird.
My favorite thing about this book was that I absolutely adored the writing style. It was one of those books where you sort of feel like the main character is talking to you while at the same time feeling as if he doesn't care about you at all. It just sort of plods along, if that makes sense, and yet the story itself is completely non-linear. It goes back and forth and back and forth while at the same time slowly and succinctly moving forwards. In a way, this caught me off guard, and yet it was also a pleasant surprise. I love books that are written like this.
This book is also extremely interesting in that you never actually get to know any of the characters, which could come from the fact that they never really get to know each other, and yet it is very much character driven. Who is Will, who is the other Will, who is Alice? None of this is really important, as they are only important characters inasmuch as they are important to the first Will. They are all so flawed and confused.
While the style of this book makes it easy to read, the content does it. It's an intriguing look at the sex-lives of adults, at our perception of love and sex . It's an intimate look at relationships, and it's so real. While I didn't relate at all to the relationships in the Bird Room, as I didn't relate at all to the characters, the ideas presented through their relationships did make me think a little bit about the relationships in my life. And how real they may or may not be.
Will (the first) disgusts me, and he absolutely deserves everything he gets. I would NOT deal well with having a person like him in my life. And yet, the book is narrated from his point of view, and I absolutely ate it up. He made me laugh, he made me think, and he almost made me sad while at the same time shunning him.
So it's a good, well-written book, but it will not make you feel good. It might even depress you. And you may like it without actually liking it's content. It's GOOD while at the same time. . .leaving you unsure as to what exactly there was about it that you liked.
alyce6d980's review
2.0
Odd.
I might write a full review of this book at some point in the next few days, but until then I'm just going to feel bemused/confused about it.
EDIT 04/07/18:
I wasn't sure whether to review The Bird Room or not, because it's an... Interesting story. My copy is in pretty bad condition so I was only reading it before donating it to a charity shop, which means I'm not too disappointed that I didn't enjoy it, but it's also been playing heavily on my mind for the past couple of days because I have literally no idea what it meant.
William is dating Alice. When William introduces Alice to his artist friend Will, he's certain that they're going to end up sleeping together. Alice references the fact that she made porn with one of her ex-boyfriends. William decides to find it.
Interspersed throughout, a girl called Helen (who used to be called Clair) shares her experiences as a sex worker. Helen doesn't have sex for money, but she does just about everything else. When William contacts her, their worlds collide... But instead of clearing everything up, the combination of the two characters makes everything feel far more convoluted.
I read through some of the other reviews on Goodreads just to see if there was some ~deeper meaning~ that I was missing (literary fiction and a sludgy, book slumping brain are not a great combo) but alas, that didn't clear anything up, either. It seems as though it's supposed to be some kind of social commentary on loneliness, but I've never felt less connected (or interested) in a set of characters in my life.
Why would you give such an emotionally unappealing book two stars, Alyce? Well, that's because the writing style flows beautifully, incorporating short, sharp, snappy sentences in an effective manner that gives this book the pace of a thriller... Even if the events included are completely uninteresting. I read this story with my boyfriend, and it lends itself to being read aloud, even if some of the scenes are a little cringe-inducing.
It looks like it took Chris Killen six years to release his second novel, but I'm not sure whether I'm going to give In Real Life a try. He's certainly got an interesting style, but I'm still not completely sure whether I actually enjoyed it, so I think I'm going to give all of his future novels a skip.
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Blogger.
I might write a full review of this book at some point in the next few days, but until then I'm just going to feel bemused/confused about it.
EDIT 04/07/18:
I wasn't sure whether to review The Bird Room or not, because it's an... Interesting story. My copy is in pretty bad condition so I was only reading it before donating it to a charity shop, which means I'm not too disappointed that I didn't enjoy it, but it's also been playing heavily on my mind for the past couple of days because I have literally no idea what it meant.
William is dating Alice. When William introduces Alice to his artist friend Will, he's certain that they're going to end up sleeping together. Alice references the fact that she made porn with one of her ex-boyfriends. William decides to find it.
Interspersed throughout, a girl called Helen (who used to be called Clair) shares her experiences as a sex worker. Helen doesn't have sex for money, but she does just about everything else. When William contacts her, their worlds collide... But instead of clearing everything up, the combination of the two characters makes everything feel far more convoluted.
I read through some of the other reviews on Goodreads just to see if there was some ~deeper meaning~ that I was missing (literary fiction and a sludgy, book slumping brain are not a great combo) but alas, that didn't clear anything up, either. It seems as though it's supposed to be some kind of social commentary on loneliness, but I've never felt less connected (or interested) in a set of characters in my life.
Why would you give such an emotionally unappealing book two stars, Alyce? Well, that's because the writing style flows beautifully, incorporating short, sharp, snappy sentences in an effective manner that gives this book the pace of a thriller... Even if the events included are completely uninteresting. I read this story with my boyfriend, and it lends itself to being read aloud, even if some of the scenes are a little cringe-inducing.
It looks like it took Chris Killen six years to release his second novel, but I'm not sure whether I'm going to give In Real Life a try. He's certainly got an interesting style, but I'm still not completely sure whether I actually enjoyed it, so I think I'm going to give all of his future novels a skip.
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Blogger.
More...