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The Crocodile Bird
A young woman, sheltered from the outside world, comes to terms with her deluded, murderous mother—and what she must do to survive
When the police come to the door at the gatehouse of a remote British estate, sixteen-year-old Liza and her mother know that their lives are about to change forever. After all, Liza watched her mother kill a man—well, more than just one. Having lived as a virtual hermit on the estate, Liza knows nothing of the outside world, but she sets off to find her way with the help of a newly won lover. As she learns about those around her, she begins to discover herself—and just how alike she and her mother might be.
Rendell carefully unravels this tale of an obsessive bond between mother and daughter and of hope for a new life in a strange land.
When the police come to the door at the gatehouse of a remote British estate, sixteen-year-old Liza and her mother know that their lives are about to change forever. After all, Liza watched her mother kill a man—well, more than just one. Having lived as a virtual hermit on the estate, Liza knows nothing of the outside world, but she sets off to find her way with the help of a newly won lover. As she learns about those around her, she begins to discover herself—and just how alike she and her mother might be.
Rendell carefully unravels this tale of an obsessive bond between mother and daughter and of hope for a new life in a strange land.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1993
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2657 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Rendell
454 books1,624 followersA.K.A. Barbara Vine
Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, who also wrote under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, was an acclaimed English crime writer, known for her many psychological thrillers and murder mysteries and above all for Inspector Wexford.
Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE, who also wrote under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, was an acclaimed English crime writer, known for her many psychological thrillers and murder mysteries and above all for Inspector Wexford.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 390 reviews
June 6, 2020
Nature or nurture, what creates a psychopath? The Crocodile Bird is a deep dive into those troubled waters. A young mother and her daughter live in isolation in a gate house that is the approach to a gorgeous, venerable country estate called the Shrove. Eve Beck, the mother is as beautiful as she is damaged, and her pathology revolves around the Shrove estate. She loves her refuge and will never willingly leave it. She will go to great lengths to destroy those who threaten her ability to live there.
Liza Beck is the voice of the piece, she is on the outside looking in and trying to understand her mother and also the world. Her mother's retreat from society, is purposefully done so that Liza will never be tainted by it. Liza learns from her mother, a brilliant scholar, everything she needs for the intellect, but not what she needs to survive in the outside world. Liza also sees horrific violence, the result of her mother's trauma. Liza is a brilliantly constructed character with nuances to her understanding that you don't see coming. This is not a mystery. You know who does the murders. This is about the why.
Liza Beck is the voice of the piece, she is on the outside looking in and trying to understand her mother and also the world. Her mother's retreat from society, is purposefully done so that Liza will never be tainted by it. Liza learns from her mother, a brilliant scholar, everything she needs for the intellect, but not what she needs to survive in the outside world. Liza also sees horrific violence, the result of her mother's trauma. Liza is a brilliantly constructed character with nuances to her understanding that you don't see coming. This is not a mystery. You know who does the murders. This is about the why.
July 31, 2017
101 Nights …
Stories told to a boyfriend by that small bird who picks the teeth of a crocodile and remains unhurt.
How did it all begin; how did it get so far?
Having a mother who is Oxford schooled but now mysteriously is the warden of an old manor in a remote UK setting, a manor that furthermore is only occasionally visited by its´ is owner, did give now 16-year-old Liza childhood experiences few others would have had.
Being home schooled she reads Latin and French and recites Shakespeare by heart from an early age, but have never seen a television set.
She has never played with other children, never ridden a train or have seen a newspaper.
Liza is living a back-to-the-nature life with her mother Eve, protected from the outside world in nearly all aspects. Living by the land, eating healthy and have no real worries.
But something must have happened, something sinister, or Eve has a feeling, a premonition, that something is about to go terribly wrong.
From the late afternoon till around nine o´clock Eve contemplates the future of her daughter.
The decision she gets to is fairly easy, Liza has to go, leave the only place she knows, to be cast into a modern, a fast moving 90´es world in which she has very little experience. She must go now or latest in the early morning before the police return …
And so it all begins.
The story of two women, one in her thirties and one in her teens, told by a teenage girl.
Two women that in some areas are so strong that nothing would break them and in others have lost grip totally.
A story of loss, deceit, half promises and not least of how to build and how to keep a safe haven for yourself and the one you love.
It makes no sense to overanalyze, everything is there for your taking, if not exactly served on a silver platter.
There are so many it-could-have-happened scenes and scenes you can recognize from reports from Family Services.
Ruth Rendell portrays the women expertly, her reputation for psychological thrillers is absolutely deserved.
A book that made me breath a bit harder and a couple of times wet my eyes, certainly a much deeper reading experience than I expected.
Stories told to a boyfriend by that small bird who picks the teeth of a crocodile and remains unhurt.
How did it all begin; how did it get so far?
Having a mother who is Oxford schooled but now mysteriously is the warden of an old manor in a remote UK setting, a manor that furthermore is only occasionally visited by its´ is owner, did give now 16-year-old Liza childhood experiences few others would have had.
Being home schooled she reads Latin and French and recites Shakespeare by heart from an early age, but have never seen a television set.
She has never played with other children, never ridden a train or have seen a newspaper.
Liza is living a back-to-the-nature life with her mother Eve, protected from the outside world in nearly all aspects. Living by the land, eating healthy and have no real worries.
But something must have happened, something sinister, or Eve has a feeling, a premonition, that something is about to go terribly wrong.
From the late afternoon till around nine o´clock Eve contemplates the future of her daughter.
The decision she gets to is fairly easy, Liza has to go, leave the only place she knows, to be cast into a modern, a fast moving 90´es world in which she has very little experience. She must go now or latest in the early morning before the police return …
And so it all begins.
The story of two women, one in her thirties and one in her teens, told by a teenage girl.
Two women that in some areas are so strong that nothing would break them and in others have lost grip totally.
A story of loss, deceit, half promises and not least of how to build and how to keep a safe haven for yourself and the one you love.
It makes no sense to overanalyze, everything is there for your taking, if not exactly served on a silver platter.
There are so many it-could-have-happened scenes and scenes you can recognize from reports from Family Services.
Ruth Rendell portrays the women expertly, her reputation for psychological thrillers is absolutely deserved.
A book that made me breath a bit harder and a couple of times wet my eyes, certainly a much deeper reading experience than I expected.
October 12, 2018
I found this to be a compelling read ... presented in multiple time frames but all told by a young girl finding her way into the world after what can only be described as a bizarre upbringing ... it would have been easy to take these elements and create a confusing and unreadable narrative, but Rendell's masterful hand kept my confusion within acceptable levels, always making me want to read more ... plus, the ending was touching
October 11, 2007
One of Rendell’s finest works, combining the right mix of thrills with atmosphere. The story, set in rural England, tells the tale of a young girl whose mother has severely sheltered her from all aspects of the world. She does not associate with young people her age, she does not go to school, she rarely accompanies her mother into town for shopping, etc. When her mother gets arrested, she is forced to flee the only home and solace she has ever known. She begins to slowly share her dark, mysterious story with a young man whom she loves. What she reveals about her life are secrets no child should ever know about their mother. Not an “action-packed” story, but a stunning psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages.
January 25, 2012
Ruth Rendell is not your typical formula crime/mystery writer.
i.e. Create a flawed detective, male or female, doesn't matter, give him or her a side kick or a love interest or both. Create an interesting backdrop. Now, create a ruthless, sadistic killer, serial killers and pedophiles being in particular in high demand. Now, as the bodies pile up, have your detective get beat up time or two, then kill the bad guy in a crowning scene of excessive violence and mayhem.
Repeat as needed, to keep your publisher happy.
However, this is not Ruth Rendell, her stories are different, her characters are different. She builds quietly, she builds carefully. Although, you will get caught up, you will wait and things will develop slowly, at their own pace. The story will will simmer, never boil, maybe become somewhat troubling, a little sinister perhaps. You may feel uncomfortable, a bit uneasy, possibly tense.
Each story will be unique, it's own snowflake.
But then, when you are finished, you will most likely be very glad you read her story.
..as before.
i.e. Create a flawed detective, male or female, doesn't matter, give him or her a side kick or a love interest or both. Create an interesting backdrop. Now, create a ruthless, sadistic killer, serial killers and pedophiles being in particular in high demand. Now, as the bodies pile up, have your detective get beat up time or two, then kill the bad guy in a crowning scene of excessive violence and mayhem.
Repeat as needed, to keep your publisher happy.
However, this is not Ruth Rendell, her stories are different, her characters are different. She builds quietly, she builds carefully. Although, you will get caught up, you will wait and things will develop slowly, at their own pace. The story will will simmer, never boil, maybe become somewhat troubling, a little sinister perhaps. You may feel uncomfortable, a bit uneasy, possibly tense.
Each story will be unique, it's own snowflake.
But then, when you are finished, you will most likely be very glad you read her story.
..as before.
gave-up-on-it
March 18, 2023I usually enjoy Ruth Rendell's book immensely but I could not even begin to like this one..........didn't like the characters or the story. Or maybe I should say the "beginning of the story" since I did not finish the book. I seldom do that, and certainly not one by Rendell but I have too many good books waiting to be read. I am probably in the minority on this story but so be it.
September 4, 2007
If you've got mother issues -- and, oh boy, have I got them in spades, read this book. It's about a young girl who has been hidden away by the world by her crazy mum. Whenever I get one of my famous Mother's Day migraines, I pick up this book and console myself that things could be worse.
Gloriously written, Rendell is the finest novelist of our time. Period.
Gloriously written, Rendell is the finest novelist of our time. Period.
July 28, 2015
A psychological study of a girl (Lizzy) growing up in a reclusive situation with her mother (Eve). The story opens with Lizzy being sent away from home for the first time, because police are coming to arrest her mother for murder. Running to her secret boyfriend's trailer for safety, she then tells him of her secluded life and what led up to the arrest.
Although the novel is not a "thriller", it did keep me turning pages to read about Lizzy's life with her strange mother. The writing is very good, but subtle, and the author even got me to see things from Eve's point of view. There is a bit of suspense at the end involving Lizzy, and an ending that I liked. A great character-driven book.
Although the novel is not a "thriller", it did keep me turning pages to read about Lizzy's life with her strange mother. The writing is very good, but subtle, and the author even got me to see things from Eve's point of view. There is a bit of suspense at the end involving Lizzy, and an ending that I liked. A great character-driven book.
September 19, 2016
This book has reinforced my belief that Barbara Vine/Ruth Rendell is one of the best psychological mystery writers ever. Starting a Vine book is like taking the first bite of a comfort food... I am sure that I will be sated, and will never be disappointed. Recently, I have started listening to Barbara Vine audios because the narrators do a wonderful job with the London and village accents which make me feel I am an invisible presence out there.
This would perhaps be one of my best ever books by her. I just loved the main characters - the odd mother and daughter duo - the 37 year old Eve Becker, who is being arrested for a murder, and her 16 year old daughter Liza, who, unknowing to her is a 'chip off the old block'. Liza runs off with her boyfriend after mother's arrest as she doesnot want to live with her mother's friend who has not been very kind to her in the past.
Till the arrest (which occurs in the first page itself) they have been leading an almost monasteric existence in a sleepy old English village, atleast 3 hours by car from London.
Through their eyes we meet their landlord, who has allowed them to live at the Gate House of the Shrove house, cocooned from the deceiving outside world.. and remove all thorns in their way, one after the other.
Not going deeper into the story. One has to read to relish its beauty.
This would perhaps be one of my best ever books by her. I just loved the main characters - the odd mother and daughter duo - the 37 year old Eve Becker, who is being arrested for a murder, and her 16 year old daughter Liza, who, unknowing to her is a 'chip off the old block'. Liza runs off with her boyfriend after mother's arrest as she doesnot want to live with her mother's friend who has not been very kind to her in the past.
Till the arrest (which occurs in the first page itself) they have been leading an almost monasteric existence in a sleepy old English village, atleast 3 hours by car from London.
Through their eyes we meet their landlord, who has allowed them to live at the Gate House of the Shrove house, cocooned from the deceiving outside world.. and remove all thorns in their way, one after the other.
Not going deeper into the story. One has to read to relish its beauty.
June 25, 2017
εξαιρετικο ψυχογραφημα και μια απεικονιση της αγγλικης υπαιθρου που καθηλωνει... Κριμα να μην εχει μισα αστρα. 4,5/5
December 30, 2022
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I am surprised that Ruth Rendell didn't publish this under her pseudonym Barbara Vine since the writing and themes that this novel explores seemed more in 'Vine's style'.
Regardless of the name used, Rendell is a gifted and talented writer, and it shows. Rich descriptions abound within this novel, which help to establish the setting in which the story takes place. Shrove House is rendered in vivid detail.
The dual timeline of the story moves between the past, when Liza was a child, and the present, when Liza is a young woman. Liza in the 'now' narrates her rather quaint life to her lover, envisioning herself as Scheherazade from One Thousand and One Nights. Slowly, throughout the course of the novel, we read of her peculiar mother, Eve, and of her incredibly isolated childhood. Unlike other dual narratives by Rendell/Vine, the 'build up' in this case doesn't really pay off. The mounting suspense...wasn't there. We know too much too soon, and Liza's 'storytelling' offers few surprises, if any. There is a lot, and I mean a lot, of repetition. That Liza gives names to these 'important events' (eg. night of the nightingale) made the events themselves seem funny. There is an overplaying of the importance of these supposedly key moments, the consequence being that they lose relevance.
I wouldn't have minded if the characters had been interesting. But, they often seemed exaggerated caricatures. Liza's naiveté soon became annoying. As a child she is merely an observer, creeping about, spying on her mother and her lovers. I get that she is bored but still. Liza, as a child and to certain extent as an adult, is a 'non-entity'. She likes telly and books. That's it. Eve had the potential to be interesting but never develops into a three-dimensional character. Eve only cares about Shrove and that's pretty much it. Or at least that's what Liza keeps telling us over and over again. Geez, it was repetitive. And the men in this story were rather funny (for the wrong reasons). They were all overly dramatic for no reason whatsoever.
A small positive is that as in her other books, there is a lot of intertextuality in The Crocodile Bird. Rendell loves writing about books and the effects those books have on her characters,
All in all, this would have been okay-ish if written by someone else but as it was Rendell...I was expecting a lot more.
I am surprised that Ruth Rendell didn't publish this under her pseudonym Barbara Vine since the writing and themes that this novel explores seemed more in 'Vine's style'.
Regardless of the name used, Rendell is a gifted and talented writer, and it shows. Rich descriptions abound within this novel, which help to establish the setting in which the story takes place. Shrove House is rendered in vivid detail.
The dual timeline of the story moves between the past, when Liza was a child, and the present, when Liza is a young woman. Liza in the 'now' narrates her rather quaint life to her lover, envisioning herself as Scheherazade from One Thousand and One Nights. Slowly, throughout the course of the novel, we read of her peculiar mother, Eve, and of her incredibly isolated childhood. Unlike other dual narratives by Rendell/Vine, the 'build up' in this case doesn't really pay off. The mounting suspense...wasn't there. We know too much too soon, and Liza's 'storytelling' offers few surprises, if any. There is a lot, and I mean a lot, of repetition. That Liza gives names to these 'important events' (eg. night of the nightingale) made the events themselves seem funny. There is an overplaying of the importance of these supposedly key moments, the consequence being that they lose relevance.
I wouldn't have minded if the characters had been interesting. But, they often seemed exaggerated caricatures. Liza's naiveté soon became annoying. As a child she is merely an observer, creeping about, spying on her mother and her lovers. I get that she is bored but still. Liza, as a child and to certain extent as an adult, is a 'non-entity'. She likes telly and books. That's it. Eve had the potential to be interesting but never develops into a three-dimensional character. Eve only cares about Shrove and that's pretty much it. Or at least that's what Liza keeps telling us over and over again. Geez, it was repetitive. And the men in this story were rather funny (for the wrong reasons). They were all overly dramatic for no reason whatsoever.
A small positive is that as in her other books, there is a lot of intertextuality in The Crocodile Bird. Rendell loves writing about books and the effects those books have on her characters,
All in all, this would have been okay-ish if written by someone else but as it was Rendell...I was expecting a lot more.
January 4, 2013
Once again I have been overwhelmed by Ruth Rendell's writing skill. A master storyteller, Rendell is capable of creating the most intriguing plots filled with ordinary characters with propensities to commit murder. In this instance, the story is set in a remote countryside, not far from a small village. Living in the gatehouse with her mother Eve, Liza grows up isolated from everyone other than Jonathan, owner of Shrove House, and the two men who take care of the grounds. Never imagining living anywhere else, Eve is obsessed with Shrove House. Eve "home schools" her daughter, even teaching her to read Latin. And whenever she needs to go into town to shop locks her daughter inside her room until she returns. The gatehouse is crude with no inside toilet and none of the conveniences of the day. When her mother shoots and kills a man who has tried to rape her, Liza is too young to understand yet she knows something happened. As Liza grows up, she is curious about the outside world; however, when she discovers a television set in Shrove House that her mother cleans, she knows her mother would disapprove. Through watching TV and reading books in the library, she learns a little about the world beyond Shrove. Liza is sixteen when Eve is arrested for murder. With her mother no longer there to protect and provide for her, Liza is on her own. The story evolves around her awakening as she gradually comes to understand herself and the reasons behind her mother's actions.
It is a satisfying read especially the way the story is presented. I was curious about the intriguing title, The Crocodile Bird, and how it related to the story. A crocodile bird is an African bird that feeds on the insects that infest crocodiles. An apt title when the reader assumes Eve represents the crocodile and her daughter Liza, the bird. I quote a blurb written by Sue Grafton. "If there were a craft guild for writers, I'd apprentice myself to Ruth Rendell." I would, too.
It is a satisfying read especially the way the story is presented. I was curious about the intriguing title, The Crocodile Bird, and how it related to the story. A crocodile bird is an African bird that feeds on the insects that infest crocodiles. An apt title when the reader assumes Eve represents the crocodile and her daughter Liza, the bird. I quote a blurb written by Sue Grafton. "If there were a craft guild for writers, I'd apprentice myself to Ruth Rendell." I would, too.
September 21, 2025
Here is my review form 2020 when I didn't finish the book.
"I usually enjoy Ruth Rendell's book immensely but I could not even begin to like this one..........didn't like the characters or the story. Or maybe I should say the "beginning of the story" since I did not finish the book. I seldom do that, and certainly not one by Rendell but I have too many good books waiting to be read. I am probably in the minority on this story but so be it."
I gave it another try and can now say that I that enjoyed it but still was a little disappointed. It was an odd tale about a young girl raised by a mother who could be classified as "strange", although very loving. It follows that life of the these two main characters and is told by the daughter, in a style that resembles 1001 Nights.
An unusual plot but, IMO, not one of Rendell's best. Others will disagree.
"I usually enjoy Ruth Rendell's book immensely but I could not even begin to like this one..........didn't like the characters or the story. Or maybe I should say the "beginning of the story" since I did not finish the book. I seldom do that, and certainly not one by Rendell but I have too many good books waiting to be read. I am probably in the minority on this story but so be it."
I gave it another try and can now say that I that enjoyed it but still was a little disappointed. It was an odd tale about a young girl raised by a mother who could be classified as "strange", although very loving. It follows that life of the these two main characters and is told by the daughter, in a style that resembles 1001 Nights.
An unusual plot but, IMO, not one of Rendell's best. Others will disagree.
April 18, 2019
Ruth Rendell has rarely failed to please me. I continue to be astounded by the multitude of psychological and social pathologies with which she endows her characters. Perhaps these eccentricities are the very things which attract me to her books.
Eve and her daughter, Liza live in a wealthy country estate, isolated from almost an entire segment of humanity. They have no TV, no bathroom and receive no newspapers. The rare visitors are viewed with suspicion and even fear. Mother tutors her child almost constantly in the classics, nature and languages and Liza rises to meet these challenges precociously. Questions arise throughout the novel. Who is the father of this girl? Why does the mother maintain this seclusion? How will Liza cope with the world around her as she matures? Without really introducing a spoiler- why is Eve driven to kill?
Rendell was able to maintain a high level of tension throughout this book. Her descriptive passages were vividly written. I frequently believed that I had figured out how this story would conclude. I even developed alternate conclusions. After all that, Rendell proved me wrong. I am not sure that I liked this ending, but much of the tale ended pretty well wrapped and sealed.
*Crocodile bird (Pluvianus aegyptius), also called Egyptian plover,shorebird belonging to the family Glareolidae (order Charadriiformes). The crocodile bird is a courser that derives its name from its frequent association with the Nile crocodile, from whose hide it picks parasites for food. By its cries, the bird also serves to warn crocodiles of approaching danger. (Encyclopedia Britannica)
March 28, 2017
Wow, what a great book. I'll admit to being a bit leery at first because of the descriptive gothic style which isn't usually my cup of tea, but this is one of those cases where firs impressions are misleading. What a book! This just might make it into my favorites.
Ruth Rendell has one of the most unique approaches to mystery that I've ever seen. In this book, the mystery is no whodunit; it's why.
By page 10, you know that Liza's mother, Eve, has killed a man and he's not her first. Over the next 300 pages in Liza's expansive, Scheherazade-style retelling, we get a peek into Eve's innermost desires and thoughts from Liza's ever-maturing prespective. Despite her status as a serial killer, Eve is not the unhinged, demented monster that she might appear to be. Instead, she's a woman driven mad by the circumstances in her life, and you can't help but feel a bit ... sympathetic. Then, there's what happens after Liza ends her Arabian-Nights-esque retellings. I won't ruin the surprise for you, but damn, what a twist.
What made this book so wonder was the depth of the overarcing issue of women's equality in society and romantic relationships. In a refreshingly non-snobbish and realistic take, Rendell shows us the tiny fissures of the purportedly equal status of women in British society (and I can see this being perfectly applicable to Americans as well).
Hot damn, you have to love it when you stumble across a great book purely by chance.
Ruth Rendell has one of the most unique approaches to mystery that I've ever seen. In this book, the mystery is no whodunit; it's why.
By page 10, you know that Liza's mother, Eve, has killed a man and he's not her first. Over the next 300 pages in Liza's expansive, Scheherazade-style retelling, we get a peek into Eve's innermost desires and thoughts from Liza's ever-maturing prespective. Despite her status as a serial killer, Eve is not the unhinged, demented monster that she might appear to be. Instead, she's a woman driven mad by the circumstances in her life, and you can't help but feel a bit ... sympathetic. Then, there's what happens after Liza ends her Arabian-Nights-esque retellings. I won't ruin the surprise for you, but damn, what a twist.
What made this book so wonder was the depth of the overarcing issue of women's equality in society and romantic relationships. In a refreshingly non-snobbish and realistic take, Rendell shows us the tiny fissures of the purportedly equal status of women in British society (and I can see this being perfectly applicable to Americans as well).
Hot damn, you have to love it when you stumble across a great book purely by chance.
March 24, 2019
Overall, a quite satisfying and stirring reading experience. I found the following quote which describes the protagonist getting into her mother's bed the morning after her mother has had a male visitor quite exquisite in it's ability to stir the senses: "The bed smelled different than usual it didn't smell of clean sheets and mother and her soap but a bit like the river in a season of drought a bit like the dead fishes washed up on the sand and like water with a lot of salt in it for cooking."
Then, the following quote fascinated me greatly: “She would sleep now & in the morning she would kill him.” What kind of a person can fall asleep with the knowledge that they are going to kill someone upon waking? Why not do it first, then, sleep? I might just lay awake pondering this question. Ruth Rendell has this innate ability to truly get under my skin!
Then, the following quote fascinated me greatly: “She would sleep now & in the morning she would kill him.” What kind of a person can fall asleep with the knowledge that they are going to kill someone upon waking? Why not do it first, then, sleep? I might just lay awake pondering this question. Ruth Rendell has this innate ability to truly get under my skin!
November 8, 2024
THE world began to fall apart at nine in the evening. Not at five when it happened, nor at half past six when the policemen came and Eve said to go into the little castle and not show herself, but at nine when all was quiet again and it was dark outside.This is how the novel opens. It is the voice of 16-year old Liza. The novel is told entirely from her point of view though sometimes in the first person, as above, and sometimes in the third person. The timeline is fluid. Much of the novel is the story of the dozen years preceding the opening, alternating with the present.
Given that opening, and from others by Ruth Rendell, I expected more tension. The opening led me to anticipate an impending disaster. But I forgot all of that as I read. The situation in which Liza finds her life is one I think none of us would want, but she never received any physical abuse nor perceived any overt psychological danger. Liza felt safe, and she had no frame of reference to know her mother had imperiled her life.
I think this novel is probably better on reflection than in the reading. I don't know if that says something more about the novel or this reader. I'm coloring in 3-stars, but because I might continue to think about Liza and her situation for longer than most novels of this type, I might be under rating it.
May 12, 2013
Oh, jeez... where do I start? I reckon with the characters. First, you've got Liza, a Mary Sue who is so naive I kind of want to smack her. Shit, I want to smack every character in this book. But more than Liza, I would like to smack Sean, her pedophile boyfriend. Granted, I'm American, which by default makes me ignorant, so I have no idea if it's okay for a 22-year-old to be dating a 16-year-old in Britain, but in my culture, you're considered a sexual predator. By the end of the book, Liza realizes he's a major douchebag, but that doesn't really make her anymore appealing to me. Other than these two horny toads, the other characters are so forgettable that I wished the book itself was actually about a bird that is a crocodile, or even a crocodile that is a bird. Perhaps if Miss Rendell had spent less time using flora pornography to make a point (I don't know what half these plants and flowers look like. Can't really paint a picture in my head cause I have no idea what a begonia is) and more time developing these bland as pie characters, she could have redeemed herself. On top of that, the whole book is filled with typos and grammatical errors and just all around asshattery that I kind of just wanted to sit there and cry.
September 16, 2020
From December 2011 — 4.5 rounded down. Liza, a young girl of sixteen must flee from her secluded home, the gatehouse of a great mansion, to avoid being questioned by the police about a crime that her mother Eve has just committed. She makes her way to her lover and proceeds to tell him, in the style of The Arabian Nights, the story of how she came to be in this situation, in the process revealing a life story full of intrigue and horror. Until then, Eve had tried her best to shield Liza from the world and all its modern amenities, and most of what Liza knows about life is gleaned from the 19th century books available in the mansion. Liza looks just like Eve, and must find out whether she is a an exact copy of her mother in deed as well as in looks, or whether she can exercise her own free will. I found this tale quite gripping, enough so to include it among my favourite reads of the year, and the narration by Juliet Stephenson was of course excellent.
February 6, 2008
At last count Ruth Rendell has written over 40 novels.
As you can well imagine it's a tough job trying to figure out which one to read next. I had decided on Crocodile Bird after seeing an old thread about it in the rec.arts.mystery newsgroup but I'm afraid that particular source has let me down on this one.
The story has an interesting premise: a mother and her daughter are gatehouse residents for a remote country estate. The mother is determined to raise her daughter completely isolated from the evils of society.
Where the past Rendell novels I've read have pulled me along to to the end, I found I was the one pushing forth to get there. It had a hard time keeping my interest, but I kept with it, having faith in Ruthie. I still have faith in her of course, and will definitely read much more of her.
This one didn't quite do it for me though.
As you can well imagine it's a tough job trying to figure out which one to read next. I had decided on Crocodile Bird after seeing an old thread about it in the rec.arts.mystery newsgroup but I'm afraid that particular source has let me down on this one.
The story has an interesting premise: a mother and her daughter are gatehouse residents for a remote country estate. The mother is determined to raise her daughter completely isolated from the evils of society.
Where the past Rendell novels I've read have pulled me along to to the end, I found I was the one pushing forth to get there. It had a hard time keeping my interest, but I kept with it, having faith in Ruthie. I still have faith in her of course, and will definitely read much more of her.
This one didn't quite do it for me though.
July 15, 2012
A fascinating taunt tale about a girl who lives as a recluse with her mother. She struggles to come to terms with the horrifying probability that she’s inherited her mother’s murderous instincts.
March 4, 2017
What fun! I can't believe this is the first book by Rendell I've read. What I've been missing. A terrific literary psychological thriller that kept me glued to the text.
June 4, 2025
The crocodile bird eats food from the jaws. Eve loves and exists for Shrove House and its beautiful grounds. Lisa her daughter grows up with her mother as her teacher. Eve keeps Lisa isolated from society and she grows up in a vacuum.
The story of Lisa and Eve’s life is told to Sean her boyfriend. Nurture versus nature. Rendell keeps us guessing till the end whether Lisa will be a psychopath like her mother.
The story of Lisa and Eve’s life is told to Sean her boyfriend. Nurture versus nature. Rendell keeps us guessing till the end whether Lisa will be a psychopath like her mother.
March 27, 2013
"Shrove House: the palace, the house of pictures and secrets, dolls and keys, books and shadows."
"The Crocodile Bird" tem uma introdução bastante misteriosa. Eve e Liza são, respectivamente, mãe e filha. Longe da sociedade, vivem isoladas por opção própria, como residentes da Casa de Shrove, uma mansão na qual Eve é governanta, sucessora da sua mãe. Atormentada por um passado distante mas doloroso, Eve está determinada a criar a sua filha longe de qualquer contacto com o mundo real.
Ruth Rendell insere-nos num momento crucial destas duas vidas, deixando-nos por momentos enfeitiçados pelas palavras, incapazes de parar de ler em busca de respostas que nos elucidem sobre estas duas mulheres, ainda desconhecidas, tão peculiares. Confesso que, por alguns segundos, me senti como uma intrusa, mas num ambiente familiar, sem compreender os acontecimentos que se desenrolavam perante os meus olhos. Contudo, ninguém deu pela minha interrupção e eu fiquei logo envolvida, estimulada pelo mistério e as suas promessas de futuras revelações.
Infelizmente, estes sentimentos foram sol de pouca dura. O livro é, de uma forma muito linear, a história de vida de Lizzie, contada por si mesmo ao primeiro homem por quem se apaixonou.
A história é muito original e as personagens são maravilhosamente estranhas. As suas vidas são imensamente diferentes daquelas da sociedade dita normal e os seus valores e moral bastante desviados da norma. Apesar disso, o enredo desenrola-se a um ritmo excessivamente lento e pausado. Foi para mim dificil focar a atenção e manter o interesse. A história vai-se arrastando e arrastando até que, a certa altura, conseguimos prever as próximas palavras.
Esta foi a minha estreia com Ruth Rendell e a percepção com que fiquei desta famosa escritora é que as descrições são a sua praia. Descrições de todas as formas e tamanhos: de pessoas, lugares, objectos, sentimentos, enfim, de tudo. Se o seu objectivo é delinear imagens ordenadas na nossa mente, exactamente como ela as vê, então é bem sucedida. Deixa pouco para a nossa imaginação, porque vai ao mais ínfimo detalhe, dizendo-nos as coordenadas exactas da posição de um simples quadro, por exemplo. Dito isto, o nível de envolvimento na história e nas personagens que a habitam ficam para segundo plano. Relativamente aos diálogos acho que a senhora tem medo deles! Eles destacam-se pela sua ausência.
Um thriller psicológico? Dificilmente.
Um livro repleto de mistério e suspense? Talvez até à página 50.
Um livro ideal para uma noite de insónias? Certamente!
"The Crocodile Bird" tem uma introdução bastante misteriosa. Eve e Liza são, respectivamente, mãe e filha. Longe da sociedade, vivem isoladas por opção própria, como residentes da Casa de Shrove, uma mansão na qual Eve é governanta, sucessora da sua mãe. Atormentada por um passado distante mas doloroso, Eve está determinada a criar a sua filha longe de qualquer contacto com o mundo real.
Ruth Rendell insere-nos num momento crucial destas duas vidas, deixando-nos por momentos enfeitiçados pelas palavras, incapazes de parar de ler em busca de respostas que nos elucidem sobre estas duas mulheres, ainda desconhecidas, tão peculiares. Confesso que, por alguns segundos, me senti como uma intrusa, mas num ambiente familiar, sem compreender os acontecimentos que se desenrolavam perante os meus olhos. Contudo, ninguém deu pela minha interrupção e eu fiquei logo envolvida, estimulada pelo mistério e as suas promessas de futuras revelações.
Infelizmente, estes sentimentos foram sol de pouca dura. O livro é, de uma forma muito linear, a história de vida de Lizzie, contada por si mesmo ao primeiro homem por quem se apaixonou.
A história é muito original e as personagens são maravilhosamente estranhas. As suas vidas são imensamente diferentes daquelas da sociedade dita normal e os seus valores e moral bastante desviados da norma. Apesar disso, o enredo desenrola-se a um ritmo excessivamente lento e pausado. Foi para mim dificil focar a atenção e manter o interesse. A história vai-se arrastando e arrastando até que, a certa altura, conseguimos prever as próximas palavras.
Esta foi a minha estreia com Ruth Rendell e a percepção com que fiquei desta famosa escritora é que as descrições são a sua praia. Descrições de todas as formas e tamanhos: de pessoas, lugares, objectos, sentimentos, enfim, de tudo. Se o seu objectivo é delinear imagens ordenadas na nossa mente, exactamente como ela as vê, então é bem sucedida. Deixa pouco para a nossa imaginação, porque vai ao mais ínfimo detalhe, dizendo-nos as coordenadas exactas da posição de um simples quadro, por exemplo. Dito isto, o nível de envolvimento na história e nas personagens que a habitam ficam para segundo plano. Relativamente aos diálogos acho que a senhora tem medo deles! Eles destacam-se pela sua ausência.
Um thriller psicológico? Dificilmente.
Um livro repleto de mistério e suspense? Talvez até à página 50.
Um livro ideal para uma noite de insónias? Certamente!
January 10, 2017
Strange, Surreal yet Tragic and Resolute
A symbiotic relationship in nature is one where two creatures provide mutually beneficial services to each other. A crocodile bird will clean the meat from between the crocodile's teeth. The crocodile, in turn, provides the bird food and protection from its enemies. The bird is always safe with the crocodile where nothing else is. The mother, Eve, is the crocodile, and her daughter, Liza, is the bird.
The story starts like this: A reclusive, young, beautiful mother kills people deep in the English countryside while raising her young daughter in solitude and providing her a classical education. When the police show up to arrest Mom, she tells Liza to hide until the police have left, and Mom gives Liza strict instructions on what to do. After all, Liza knows nothing about money, modern life or surviving in the '80s, and she is only sixteen, pretty and completely naive. Nothing goes to plan after that ...
The real question is: Does Liza have her mother's love for killing?
Interesting book, with Liza as the single protagonist, she tells the tale of her life and her mother's (as she knows it), to a third party, interspersed with her current life after seclusion. A perfect example of an unreliable narrator, but even wilder is an unreliable narrator who has knowledge of some of the problems with their story and later corrects them. Curious and curiouser ...
A very well written psychological thriller which was highly original in its
conception and execution. This is more a psychological study of why some people kill that first time, then continue to solve certain problems permanently. It also raises the question of having offspring that are predisposed, or learn to kill. It is also about what is truly important in life, and what people will do to achieve it.
Fascinating book.
Highly Recommended!
A symbiotic relationship in nature is one where two creatures provide mutually beneficial services to each other. A crocodile bird will clean the meat from between the crocodile's teeth. The crocodile, in turn, provides the bird food and protection from its enemies. The bird is always safe with the crocodile where nothing else is. The mother, Eve, is the crocodile, and her daughter, Liza, is the bird.
The story starts like this: A reclusive, young, beautiful mother kills people deep in the English countryside while raising her young daughter in solitude and providing her a classical education. When the police show up to arrest Mom, she tells Liza to hide until the police have left, and Mom gives Liza strict instructions on what to do. After all, Liza knows nothing about money, modern life or surviving in the '80s, and she is only sixteen, pretty and completely naive. Nothing goes to plan after that ...
The real question is: Does Liza have her mother's love for killing?
Interesting book, with Liza as the single protagonist, she tells the tale of her life and her mother's (as she knows it), to a third party, interspersed with her current life after seclusion. A perfect example of an unreliable narrator, but even wilder is an unreliable narrator who has knowledge of some of the problems with their story and later corrects them. Curious and curiouser ...
A very well written psychological thriller which was highly original in its
conception and execution. This is more a psychological study of why some people kill that first time, then continue to solve certain problems permanently. It also raises the question of having offspring that are predisposed, or learn to kill. It is also about what is truly important in life, and what people will do to achieve it.
Fascinating book.
Highly Recommended!
April 27, 2020
A fascinating tale about a mother and daughter. In this novel, more so than in most of Rendell's, we follow the life of these two characters in their isolated environment. We grow with Liza, a girl who knows almost nothing of the world beyond what her mother has allowed her to glimpse. She is both held back and nurtured by her mother's profound anxieties and grand principles. This tale is heavier on psychology and drama than suspense, and the description of the characters, their internal dialogue, and the beautiful environment of Shrove House and the gatehouse are impressive. The only reason I didn't give The Crocodile Bird five stars is the absence of surprises. The story is wonderfully told but we know just what will happen and where it will end. Rendell knows how to throw wicked twists into her plots and it would have been good to have at least one here.
October 30, 2019
This is my second RR book. I loved this book because I love English manor houses and the idea of living in a remote place. I understand Eve's wanting to be isolated, although not for the same reason. I'm happily married, but I love being alone. I get up at 5:30 every morning to read and sometimes to just listen to the silence and stillness. To have the run of an English manor as a child and the books in the library and the grand paintings! I don't think it's a bad way to grow up, and I would have loved to have had the education Lizzie did. The mystery in this book is not who did it, but rather why. I see that Master of the Moor also deals with isolation, and I can't wait to read it and more of Dame Rendell's books.
May 14, 2012
I don't consider myself a huge Rendell fan on the whole, largely because I find her to be inconsistent. Maybe it's due to her being overly prolific - with such a large and frequent output, she seems to have a lot of hits and misses. However, when Rendell is at her best, she is an exceptional writer, as The Crocodile Bird ably demonstrates. An incredibly compelling mother-daughter relationship forms the heart of a novel that explores the politics and psychology of possession by traveling through a series of horrific events that culminate in an ending no less shocking for its near-inevitability.
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