Book Overview
Anna Smaill’s ‘Bird Life’ is a profound exploration of mental distress encapsulated in a poetic narrative. This novel, a follow-up to her Booker Prize-longlisted debut ‘The Chimes’ (2015), delves deep into the lives of two distinct women as they navigate personal loss and psychological turmoil. The story primarily centers around Dinah and Yasuko, who form an unlikely yet supportive friendship.
Character Analysis
Dinah is a New Zealander who moves to Tokyo on a work visa to teach English. She is mourning the loss of her twin brother, Michael, a classical pianist whose death circumstances are revealed gradually. As she settles in Tokyo, she begins to experience haunting visions of Michael, complicating her grief.
Yasuko, Dinah’s colleague at the university, is an older woman with a college-aged son, Jun. She possesses a unique ability to communicate with animals and hear people’s thoughts, skills that left her for many years and resurface after Jun moves out. Yasuko seeks to use these abilities to reconnect with her son, leading to poignant and mystical scenes throughout the novel.
Themes and Symbolism
‘Bird Life’ stands out for its sensitive portrayal of mental anguish and the search for hope amid suffering. Smaill employs rich, symbolic imagery and intermittent supernatural elements to underscore the character’s emotional landscapes. Particularly memorable are the scenes where Yasuko’s powers manifest vividly, like when carp break a pond’s surface to quote the I Ching or birds land in her hands to offer guidance.
Friendship and Healing
The novel intricately weaves the budding friendship between Dinah and Yasuko, highlighting how shared traumas can foster mutual support and healing. Yasuko’s father, a crystallographer, keeps a photograph of the first x-ray image of DNA on his pin board as a reminder to always seek the unseen, symbolizing the novel’s underlying message of hope and perseverance.
‘Bird Life’ thus tells us that while mental distress can be all-encompassing, moments of hope and connection are always present if one looks for them. This evocative novel is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of holding on to hope in the face of adversity.
