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lostinanotherworld's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
smemmott's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Racism
grayjay's review against another edition
3.0
It is very Canadiana. Vanessa MacLeod is brought to life as another heroine from the town of Manawaka, coming of age in the depression, developing the demeanor of, collecting the prerequisite childhood of a future writer.
I wasn't completely sold until the story about Vanessa's cousin Chris, "Horses of the Night". I loved the way she captured the childhood feeling of being around adults all the time, and understanding that much of what they said was beyond you, and much of what you said wouldn't impress them, but so wanting to be part of their world. Chris' story was poignant, but I appreciated more what it developed in Vanessa's character.
I wasn't completely sold until the story about Vanessa's cousin Chris, "Horses of the Night". I loved the way she captured the childhood feeling of being around adults all the time, and understanding that much of what they said was beyond you, and much of what you said wouldn't impress them, but so wanting to be part of their world. Chris' story was poignant, but I appreciated more what it developed in Vanessa's character.
annabelms's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
brittn's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
cakemouse's review against another edition
4.0
I studied abroad in England during my Junior Year of college. I have been searching for this book ever since. I remember loving this story collection, and thought it would be easy to get a hold of stateside (being that Canada is closer to the US than it is the UK). How wrong I was.
I had started to think I'd imagined the author's name and the title of the book. (I was, in fact, misspelling it.)
Looking forward to revisiting the characters in this book and the interconnected stories.
I had started to think I'd imagined the author's name and the title of the book. (I was, in fact, misspelling it.)
Looking forward to revisiting the characters in this book and the interconnected stories.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
"A Bird in the House is a series of eight interconnected short stories narrated by Vanessa MacLeod as she matures from a child at age ten into a young woman at age twenty. Wise for her years, Vanessa reveals much about the adult world in which she lives." (From Amazon)
brilliant collection of short stories about one family set in the town of Manawaka. I first read this in Junior High School and enjoyed it but in reading in context as a "series" I appreciated it even more.
"A Bird in the House is a series of eight interconnected short stories narrated by Vanessa MacLeod as she matures from a child at age ten into a young woman at age twenty. Wise for her years, Vanessa reveals much about the adult world in which she lives." (From Amazon)
brilliant collection of short stories about one family set in the town of Manawaka. I first read this in Junior High School and enjoyed it but in reading in context as a "series" I appreciated it even more.
alyssav's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jadelianne's review against another edition
5.0
Margaret Laurence's A Bird in the House was honestly one of the best works I've read in a long time. Were it possible to give it 11 stars, I would. The writing style is very smooth, and rather unemotional considering the nature of the stories. The format of interconnected short stories featuring the same protagonist is a genius way of telling childhood stories; they don't always run in chronological order, and something about that makes you feel more connected to Vanessa. Perhaps it's that you feel less like you're watching her grow up, and more like you're remembering alongside her.
Each one of these stories is quiet, but profoundly devastating. Quiet in that the tragedies are not something heavily focussed on- they are just things that happen, they are normal. Which is also what made them so devastating.
Each one of these stories is quiet, but profoundly devastating. Quiet in that the tragedies are not something heavily focussed on- they are just things that happen, they are normal. Which is also what made them so devastating.