Mike Gayle and Birdy
Jul. 9th, 2023 09:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alobearYesterday, I finished Half A World Away by Mike Gayle - and it was okay. It's about two siblings who were separated when taken into foster care and who reconnect when they're in their 30s and 40s. The book has chapters from alternate points of view and I did really like how distinctive the two voices were - I initially connected more with the upper middle class barrister, Noah, but grew closer to cleaner Kerry as the book went on. The first half was very slow - there didn't seem to be any hint of potential conflict or much tension or really any clue as to where the story might be going. Then there was a 'big reveal' at the midpoint that came absolutely out of nowhere and made me feel a bit misled by the way the timeline and character motivations had been presented early on. I liked some of where the book ended up, but not all - bits of it felt a bit too neat, other bits a bit too depressing, and I wasn't entirely convinced by the way one of the relationships developed. But the characters were well-drawn and sympathetic and it was mostly well-written. I may well try others by this author, as I loved the first one I read.
Yesterday, we also finally got around to watching Catherine Called Birdy - and it was...odd... It's set in 1290 and follows the story of a 14-year-old girl who is expected to marry to bring money into her family. I found the almost constant voiceover a bit much (though the conceit of her writing a diary was good) but it was mostly the very uneven tone that put me off. Parts of the film were very affecting (and I did get invested in the characters by the end, though it took most of the film - the only reason I stuck it out was because I was too tired to get off the sofa...) but a lot of it was just...odd... It felt a bit Monty Python in places (and not in a good way), with the often serious subject matter undermined by weird tonal choices from several of the actors (all of whom were excellent, even if I didn't agree with what they were doing). So, definitely a weird one - certainly not a wholly enjoyable experience, but I think I was glad I watched it overall.
Yesterday, we also finally got around to watching Catherine Called Birdy - and it was...odd... It's set in 1290 and follows the story of a 14-year-old girl who is expected to marry to bring money into her family. I found the almost constant voiceover a bit much (though the conceit of her writing a diary was good) but it was mostly the very uneven tone that put me off. Parts of the film were very affecting (and I did get invested in the characters by the end, though it took most of the film - the only reason I stuck it out was because I was too tired to get off the sofa...) but a lot of it was just...odd... It felt a bit Monty Python in places (and not in a good way), with the often serious subject matter undermined by weird tonal choices from several of the actors (all of whom were excellent, even if I didn't agree with what they were doing). So, definitely a weird one - certainly not a wholly enjoyable experience, but I think I was glad I watched it overall.
