The Axeman's Carnival
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 2,549 ratings, 358 reviews)Read More
The Axeman's Carnival
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
The Axeman's Carnival
Everywhere, the birds: sparrows and skylarks and thrushes, starlings and bellbirds, fantails and pipits – but above them all and louder, the magpies. We are here and this is our tree and we’re staying and it is ours and you need to leave and now.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! DescriptionIn the bustling countryside, there is a tale that chronicles the intertwining lives of humans and animals in a vivid, haunting narrative. The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey captures this delicate balance through the eyes of an unexpected protagonist: Tama, the magpie. Initially a helpless chick rescued by Marnie, Tama's story could have ended in obscurity. However, fate has grander designs. Despite the ominous warning from Marnie's husband, Rob, that he would wring the bird's neck if it kept him awake, Tama grows to embody new potentials for the couple's strained future.
Unlike any ordinary bird, Tama possesses a remarkable ability: he can speak. This gift soon catapults him to local fame. Within the family, he becomes a confidant for Marnie, who shares the dark secrets of her violent marriage. While outside, perched amongst the pines, his father cautions him against the inherent wickedness of humans. This duality exposes Tama to the fragile, often bleak intersection of the animal and human realms, where hope and despair are inseparably linked.
Tama's journey is not just one of survival but also of revelation, revealing the often cruel tendencies of human nature while also capturing moments of profound beauty. His observations are underscored by the comedic yet sensibly human undertones that Chidgey so eloquently weaves into her narrative.
The story advances inexorably towards its climax: the annual Axeman's Carnival. This event serves as a symbolic fulcrum, balancing the lives and destinies of all involved, whether human or avian. Tama, part trickster, part surrogate child, and ever the observant witness, stands at the heart of this emotional and dramatic culmination.
The Axeman's Carnival showcases Catherine Chidgey at her literary best. It is a work that is simultaneously comic and profound, poetic and true. It is a captivating exploration of the blurred lines between species, highlighting the shared vulnerabilities and hopes that bind us all. With masterful storytelling, Chidgey delivers an unforgettable tale that resonates long after the final page is turned.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey has garnered positive reviews. Readers praise its unique narrative style and vivid characters, particularly the central figure of Tama the magpie. The novel's exploration of human relationships and communication, through the lens of an unusual protagonist, has been highlighted as both innovative and deeply engaging. It weaves a compelling story that blends humour and pathos, making it a standout in contemporary fiction.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781776920051
Publisher: Te Herenga Waka University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 13 October 2022
Country: New Zealand
Imprint: Te Herenga Waka University Press
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 138.0mm
Height: 210.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 352
About the Author
Catherine Chidgey’s novels have been published to international acclaim. Her first, In a Fishbone Church, won Best First Book at the New Zealand Book Awards and at the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (South East Asia and South Pacific). In the UK it won the Betty Trask Award and was longlisted for the Orange Prize. Her second, Golden Deeds, was a Notable Book of the Year in The New York Times Book Review and a Best Book in the LA Times. Catherine has won the Prize in Modern Letters, the Katherine Mansfield Award, the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship, the Janet Frame Fiction Prize, and the Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize for The Wish Child. She lives in Ngāruawāhia and lectures in Creative Writing at the University of Waikato. Her most recent novel, Remote Sympathy, is shortlisted for the DUBLIN Literary Award and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Also by Catherine Chidgey
View allMore from General Fiction
View allWhy buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent specialist on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our cozy 200m2 warehouse in Auckland holds over 10,000 books in-stock so you're not waiting for books to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Pick Ups
We're an online-only store but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.