Birdbrain
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"From the author of the critically acclaimed Troll, the new novel from Johanna Sinisalo is full of her trademark style, surreal invention, and savage humor
Set in Australasia, this is the story of a young Finnish couple who have embarked on the hiking trip of a lifetime, with Heart of Darkness as their only reading matter. Conrad’s dark odyssey turns out to be a prescient choice as their trip turns into a tortuous thriller, with belongings disappearing, and they soon find themselves at the mercy of untamed nature, seemingly directed by the local kakapo—a highly intellegent parrot threatened with extinction. This is a skillful portrait of the unquenchable desire of Westerners for the pure and the primitive, revealing the dark side of the explorer’s desire—the insatiable need to control, to invade, and leave one’s mark on the landscape. But what happens when nature starts to fight back?"
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After a one-night stand, business traveler Heidi and bartender Jyrki decide to take a weeks-long series of extreme hikes through the most isolated parts of Tasmania, New Zealand, and Australia. Spectacularly beautiful vistas, soul-crushingly difficult treks, and romantic and erotic interludes push Heidi and Jyrki to their limits. As they leave civilization behind, mysterious occurrences threaten their lives in parallel to human activities threatening the environment. Fans of Sinisalo's Tiptree Award winning debut, Troll: A Love Story, may be surprised that overtly speculative elements make few appearances, but the lavish descriptions of panoramas and the experience of pushing beyond all endurance make for a lyrical and occasionally sinister odyssey second only to making one's own foray into the wilderness.
