"Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang" - First Impressions *No Spoilers*

[Sarah]

Spring has sprung so we apparently decided that we really want to read about dead birds. We are wise. Here we have the discussion for Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang and I'm very curious to see what people think of it. It's quite an interesting book and there's plenty to talk about. Have at it, but please remember to keep this discussion spoiler free.

[Sarah]

I read this for the first time when I was fourteen. Read it again a year or two ago for a book club discussion. There are parts that feel dated (technology, social mores) but the writing is great and the ideas and the way they are followed still work.

[Chris]

I liked the themes, but the plot and the characters did not impress me. I often had thoughts about how implausible the premises were, from a social and psychological perspective. Very cool title!

[Hank]

Chris wrote: "I liked the themes, but the plot and the characters did not impress me. I often had thoughts about how implausible the premises were, from a social and psychological perspective. Very cool title!"

I had almost the same reaction. I finished a few weeks ago and it was good but dated.

[Kristin B.]

It certainly is interesting. I'm at about 25% and I'm not sure if I like it or not yet. But I want to keep reading it, so that's something.

The writing is engaging and moves quickly. Sometimes a little too quickly. The time jumps are throwing me off a little. I'm also having a little trouble keeping all the characters straight.

I'm looking forward to seeing where it's going.

[David]

I'm also about a quarter in. The writing feels very precise and has a kind of 60s, LeGuin feel. Was the rather wordy title an homage to Rachel Carson?

[Michael]

It's apparently a line from one of Shakespeare's sonnets. Reading the sonnet might have thematic spoilers (I'm just guessing, I've read neither), but if you are interested it is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnet_73

I just put the book on reserve and will hopefully start it next weekend, if I finish Three Parts Dead fast enough!

[Cheryl]

I've owned this for years; it must have been recommended by some source pre-goodreads. Part of the reason I've not read it yet is that it just doesn't look appealing, to me, in this mm pb:

(I do see there were many editions; it must have been popular, or respected, or both, back in the day...)

[Sarah]

That sky is ominous looking.

[Edwin]

I finished yesterday and though it was certainly touching and well written, I have to agree with Chris that the plot and the genetics in it felt a little bit soft and mushy, even for the time in which it was written. It was enjoyable and had some interesting ideas, but for reasons that are a little hard for me to put my finger on, my overall reaction was kind of meh.

[Dylan]

I thought the book was great. I gobbled it up in two days.

Because the book takes place in the Shenandoah area, I found myself singing "Country Roads, take me home..." to myself throughout the weekend (because the Shenandoah is mentioned in the song).

But then, in my mind, the song would quickly morph from John Denver's version into the version by Toots and the Maytals, which does not mention the Shenandoah at all, but replaces it with "Shining Minko River."

Subsequently to that, I created myself a Toots and the Maytals station on Pandora, and have been enjoying songs that I haven't listened to for a decade or more.

All because of this book. :)

[Maxine Marsh]

I'm joining in on this one, got the audio format from my library and looking forward to it.

[Jordan]

Just finished the audiobook version of this last month. Definitely not a fan of either the book or the narrator. I disliked all the characters and the plot wasn't really interesting enough to keep my attention. The whole logic of the thing felt a bit too sketchy for me. I plowed through it just to be done with it because I knew if I put it down too long I wouldn't want to go back to it.

[Valerie]

I started the audiobook a couple of days ago on my way back from New Orleans. So far, it has been easy to fall into the story and seems to have an interesting concept, although it feels a bit light compared to some scifi reads.

I am about 25% in and I will say at this point I am enjoying it so far.

[Lena]

At 100 pages in I can safely say I'm hooked. I'm really enjoying the treatment of cloning and the clipped prose of the 1970's. The story is moving right along and I'm especially enjoying the family theme. The science is a little clunky for a modern reader but really doesn't bother me in the least. so far so good! I will blow through the rest of it tonight. I love this book club btw and I've only read two selections from 2016. keep them coming!

[Valerie]

I just finished. I am so glad for this group because I doubt that I'd ever have chosen this one on my own, but I really liked it a lot.

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

Picked it up from the library, am starting it now...

[Gav451]

I am going to start in a couple of days.

I ONLY picked it up because its a group read, that’s what I like about the group, I am trying more and more books that I would never have considered otherwise.

[Sarah]

Gav451 wrote: "I am going to start in a couple of days.

I ONLY picked it up because its a group read, that’s what I like about the group, I am trying more and more books that I would never have considered otherw..."

I'm the same way and I almost always enjoy them :)

[JW]

Hey all, new to the group and the group reading.

About 1/3 of the way into the audiobook and its starting to get good. Pretty sure I've never read a dystopia book that yada yada'd the apocalypse, so that was strange. I was wondering where the conflict/drama was gonna come from. Annnd now I see. Looking fwd to the rest.

When does the spoiler / post-read thread go up?

[Sarah]

On the 15th. Have fun :)

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

Finished it. Hmmmm.

[Cheryl]

David wrote: "I'm also about a quarter in. The writing feels very precise and has a kind of 60s, LeGuin feel. ..."

Well, as it happens, I just cannot appreciate LeGuin... but I both enjoy and admire the writing here. :shrug:

Very glad I read the book and looking forward to the spoilery discussion.

[Viv]

I have been looking forward to this one. I started last night and read the first few chapters. It seems like it will be quite a quick read, though it feels rather rushed somehow - like a little more backstory of the descent into chaos might have been nice?!

[Roberta]

I read this many years ago, so it seems new to me now. I'm about one-third finished. Without saying too much here, I've confirmed that it was published 9 years after a certain novel by John Wyndham.

[Michael]

Just started this tonight. Three chapters in and I know there is no way anyone would get away with this pacing today. I read Station Eleven along with the group last year, and even with a lot of slow character development and settings the book got right to the point in the first chapter with flashbacks and life-and-death moments.

That said, I do miss this kind of storytelling, although I don't know if I could read it all the time. Where the first chapter or so is just exposition on character and setting and you don't even know what may or may not happen yet. I think I am more invested in what is happening moment by moment this way.

I also love the dramatic "cliffhangers" at the end of each chapter, that are really just revelations mid-sentence that then continue in the exact same scene 4 lines down as the next chapter starts! Fun, I'd even call it pulpy except the writing is quite lovely.

[Gav451]

Michael wrote: "Just started this tonight. Three chapters in and I know there is no way anyone would get away with this pacing today. I read Station Eleven along with the group last year, and even ..."

I just started it as well, I'm about in the same place. I agree with you, there is a slowness to the pace at the start that gives an atmosphere of a hot slow summers day.

I'm enjoying the slow build and I just hit the first of the big announcements.

[Julie]

I've been enjoying this one a lot. The writing has you pulled in from the start and it's an interesting story.

I don't find the pacing slow - in fact I find that parts of the story are moving forward to quickly, I feel that a lot of events and chapters could do with more detailed information.

[Michael]

JW wrote: "Hey all, new to the group and the group reading.

About 1/3 of the way into the audiobook and its starting to get good. Pretty sure I've never read a dystopia book that yada yada'd the apocalypse,..."

By "yada yada'd" do you mean skipped over? I was hoping to find the actual words "yada yada" but I don't imagine they are in there anywhere, are they?

Anyway, my favorite "yada yada" apocalypse novel is currently The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. Here is the opening line of the book:

"Let's start with the end of the world, why don't we? Get it over with and move on to more interesting things."

I actually thought I remembered her putting "yada yada" in there somewhere but I can't find it. :)

[Jen]

I think I read the original short story - it was only about 40 pages - in Modern Classic Short Novels of Science Fiction. I wonder how it differs from the novel version. As a short story, it was enjoyable to read in one sitting, but I'm not sure I would want to read the full novel.

[Michael]

Wikipedia says that "part one of Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang was featured in the fifteenth edition of Orbit." So it looks like the short story was just the first third of the final book. I'd tell you how parts 2 and 3 change the ending, but that is for the spoiler thread!

I also noticed Wikipedia's assertion: "In its time, Orbit was known for publishing works of SF that differed from the mainstream of science fiction being published at the time."

So maybe this was supposed to be atypical 70's fare? I thought some readers felt it definitely followed some 70's themes and tropes. Also I found this Kirkus review from January 1975:

"The current swing away from space hardware has made genetic engineering one of the most heavily mined sf veins." So "heavily mined" doesn't sound like "different"...

[Karen]

Gav451 wrote: "I am going to start in a couple of days.

I ONLY picked it up because its a group read, that’s what I like about the group, I am trying more and more books that I would never have considered otherw..."

Like you, I picked this up only because it's on the group list. Sucked me right in and I'm thoroughly engrossed in it, much to the detriment of my last batch of cookies.