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A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In
A copy that has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
March 6, 2013
Absolutely wonderful, among his very best. This is one of his more overtly fantastical novels, in the sense of an outlandish setting, like Three To See The King and Explorers of the New Century, but really making distinctions between degrees of realism is meaningless when it comes to Magnus Mills. Whether it's a broadly realistic mundane subject such as bus drivers or high-tensile fencing, or a fantasy kingdom or talking 'mules', everything is rendered in the same ultra-stylised super-mundane minimalist dry style, with no variation in tone whatsoever. I can see why some people might find Mills' books infuriating and often baffling, but I love everything about them: the pointless arguments about petty procedural details, the deliberate banality, the repetition, the dryer than dry sense of humor, the vague hints of menace and sinister things lurking in the background. This may not make them sound much fun, but I find them incredibly absorbing and easy to read.
A Cruel Bird... is in many ways more expansive than many Mills novels, and seems to be stretching towards some kind of political metaphor, but his natural reticence keeps everything reliably vague, leaving the reader to fill in the huge blanks, and avoiding any obvious conclusions in terms of plot or theme. The book revolves as usual around work and routine, building up through repetition an accumulation of tiny details that coalesce into something like a plot. The Kafka parallels are prominent here with the nightmare logic of the economy and the absent emperor and unenterable pub hinting at the Castle.
Mills' style has been fully-realised since his very first book (The Restraint of Beasts), and it is in the tiny refinements of it book by book, as he obsessively chips away at his pet themes and subjects, that much of the pleasure of each new novel is derived from. A Cruel Bird... is simultaneously exactly the same as every other Magnus Mills novel and a considerable departure from all that has come before, if such a thing is possible, and it is brilliant.
A Cruel Bird... is in many ways more expansive than many Mills novels, and seems to be stretching towards some kind of political metaphor, but his natural reticence keeps everything reliably vague, leaving the reader to fill in the huge blanks, and avoiding any obvious conclusions in terms of plot or theme. The book revolves as usual around work and routine, building up through repetition an accumulation of tiny details that coalesce into something like a plot. The Kafka parallels are prominent here with the nightmare logic of the economy and the absent emperor and unenterable pub hinting at the Castle.
Mills' style has been fully-realised since his very first book (The Restraint of Beasts), and it is in the tiny refinements of it book by book, as he obsessively chips away at his pet themes and subjects, that much of the pleasure of each new novel is derived from. A Cruel Bird... is simultaneously exactly the same as every other Magnus Mills novel and a considerable departure from all that has come before, if such a thing is possible, and it is brilliant.
April 26, 2017
I do enjoy Magnus Mills, most of all The Restraint of Beasts and All Quiet on the Orient Express. This is more in the mold of The Field of The Cloth of Gold, filled with parody and strangeness.
The story is narrated by an unnamed man who has just been appointed the Principal Composer to the Imperial Court Greater Fallowfields by the strangely absent Emperor, never mind that he has no training in music. He joins the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Postmaster General, the Astronomer General, the Comptroller for the Admiralty, the Surveyor of Imperial Works, the Pellitory-of-the-Wall, and the Librarian-in-Chief, as the cabinet to the "His Exalted Highness, the Majestic Emperor of the Realms, Dominions, Colonies and Commonwealth of Greater Fallowfield." The story centres on the days leading up to the "Twelve-Day Feast," when it becomes evident that not all is well in the surrounding realms, as a group of traveling players bring ill rumors, and someone appears to be building a railroad headed straight for the imperial capital. There is even more of the usual Mills oddness which is the great attraction of his work, such as the orchestra of serfs which spends hours each day playing only the national anthem, or the "stipendary" sixpence each cabinet member receives once a week, but which is not accepted anywhere is the city.
Wonderful stuff.
I do have a question though for Mr Mills, or any other readers who may have an opinion. Why are there no women in the novel? It must be rare for that to be the case, and looking a few the reviews here, it hasn't been mentioned.
The story is narrated by an unnamed man who has just been appointed the Principal Composer to the Imperial Court Greater Fallowfields by the strangely absent Emperor, never mind that he has no training in music. He joins the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Postmaster General, the Astronomer General, the Comptroller for the Admiralty, the Surveyor of Imperial Works, the Pellitory-of-the-Wall, and the Librarian-in-Chief, as the cabinet to the "His Exalted Highness, the Majestic Emperor of the Realms, Dominions, Colonies and Commonwealth of Greater Fallowfield." The story centres on the days leading up to the "Twelve-Day Feast," when it becomes evident that not all is well in the surrounding realms, as a group of traveling players bring ill rumors, and someone appears to be building a railroad headed straight for the imperial capital. There is even more of the usual Mills oddness which is the great attraction of his work, such as the orchestra of serfs which spends hours each day playing only the national anthem, or the "stipendary" sixpence each cabinet member receives once a week, but which is not accepted anywhere is the city.
Wonderful stuff.
I do have a question though for Mr Mills, or any other readers who may have an opinion. Why are there no women in the novel? It must be rare for that to be the case, and looking a few the reviews here, it hasn't been mentioned.
September 27, 2018
It's nonsense... However this is Magnus Mills so it does all make sense! A tale of "empire", somewhat faded. The Emperor is currently unavailable. The cabinet is holding it all together if it is the time tea is served is your primary concern. And there are apparently "dancing girls" coming. Then change comes and some things are not as they seemed.
I see that Mills is described as Kafkaesque (sp?) and that seems reasonable to me. I'm not aware he writes like anyone else. It really will not suit some people at all. Others will find the narrative interesting and I will go back to reading him again definitely. If I have a complaint it would be that the ending was odd (but then so was quite a lot of the book!). And there are always the "dancing girls" to look forward to... ☺️
I see that Mills is described as Kafkaesque (sp?) and that seems reasonable to me. I'm not aware he writes like anyone else. It really will not suit some people at all. Others will find the narrative interesting and I will go back to reading him again definitely. If I have a complaint it would be that the ending was odd (but then so was quite a lot of the book!). And there are always the "dancing girls" to look forward to... ☺️
November 29, 2016
'A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In' is a whimsical and distinctly allegorical fable with an utterly wonderful title. In places, it reminded me of the Gormenghast trilogy, Michael Frayn's 'The Tin Men', and Kafka's 'Amerika', but possessed a gentleness that none of them have. The novel is set in a declining kingdom and narrated by a man who has arbitrarily been chosen as Principle Composer to the Imperial Court. He has no idea of his duties, but attends cabinet meetings and does his best with good humour. Meanwhile, the emperor has vanished and other kingdoms begin to encroach.
To me the story seemed like an allegory for either the decline of Britain as an imperial power and/or for the industrial revolution's transformation of the traditional guild-based manufacturing economy. Whichever you prefer, it is also a nice satire on inept and outdated bureaucracy. I found it a very easy read, perhaps because of its gentleness. The progression of events held little threat or tension, as the narrator's perspective is so fluffy and unworried. I realise this was a stylistic choice, but I generally prefer a bit more darkness and bite to my satire.
Nonetheless, this book definitely amused me. The character names have a fantastic ring to them, for example Whimbrel, Wryneck, and Garganey. In fact, that's one of the aspects that reminded me of Mervyn Peake. I also loved the fact that the concert hall and home of the orchestra is referred to exclusively as 'the cake'. This results in appealing comments like, 'What I really wanted was to have the cake to myself.'
To me the story seemed like an allegory for either the decline of Britain as an imperial power and/or for the industrial revolution's transformation of the traditional guild-based manufacturing economy. Whichever you prefer, it is also a nice satire on inept and outdated bureaucracy. I found it a very easy read, perhaps because of its gentleness. The progression of events held little threat or tension, as the narrator's perspective is so fluffy and unworried. I realise this was a stylistic choice, but I generally prefer a bit more darkness and bite to my satire.
Nonetheless, this book definitely amused me. The character names have a fantastic ring to them, for example Whimbrel, Wryneck, and Garganey. In fact, that's one of the aspects that reminded me of Mervyn Peake. I also loved the fact that the concert hall and home of the orchestra is referred to exclusively as 'the cake'. This results in appealing comments like, 'What I really wanted was to have the cake to myself.'
November 16, 2016
Another dry, funny, wonky piece from Mills, this time set in a fictional empire, with similarities to Britain (sixpence so, half crowns; stiff with meaningless ritual and pomp), and a missing emporer. This is my fourth Mills and all the others I gave 4stars, but I think this one came across as a little forced, or maybe I'm too used to his style now and the surprises are less.
March 31, 2017
Seperti sudah saya koar-koarkan di media lain, saya membeli buku ini murni karena covernya (dan murah). Belum pernah kenal dengan penulisnya, apalagi dengar tentang buku ini. Dan ternyata cukup menyenangkan.
Buku ini berkisah tentang sebuah kerajaan yang rajanya absen untuk sementara waktu. Kabinet tetap bekerja, tetapi tanpa adanya raja, banyak hal menjadi salah. Lalu, satu per satu rahasia terkuak, dan masalah menjadi semakin rumit.
Dikisahkan dari sudut pandang seorang menteri yang, bisa saya bilang, polos. Namun, rasanya kepolosan dan kenaifan itu adalah karakteristik semua orang di negeri itu, akibat dari kerajaan yang 'terisolasi', yang merasa diri mereka besar dan kuat, yang hidup dalam kesenangan dan ketenangan. Hingga saat ada pihak luar yang masuk, mereka menyadari kekurangan diri mereka.
Karena belum pernah mendengar tentang ini, saya agak sulit masuk ke dalam dunia dalam buku ini. Bukan karena deskripsinya yang kurang, tetapi lebih karena pembaca diberi kesempatan untuk membayangkannya sendiri. Saya tidak punya bayangan ataupun referensi sebelumnya, jadi saya masih berpikir apakah ini fantasi, sejarah, atau distopia. Dan ternyata penulis punya cara sendiri untuk membangun dunia fiksi yang berbeda.
Secara keseluruhan, membaca buku ini seperti sebuah perjalanan dengan kereta di malam hari, berliku, tanpa tahu sudah sampai di mana dan kapan akan tiba, kecuali ketika sudah singgah di stasiun. Perjalanan yang menyenangkan, dengan humor yang polos, konflik mulai dari yang remeh sampai pelik, tapi menyimpan segudang sindiran untuk diinterpretasikan, terutama masalah politik dan sosial.
Buku ini berkisah tentang sebuah kerajaan yang rajanya absen untuk sementara waktu. Kabinet tetap bekerja, tetapi tanpa adanya raja, banyak hal menjadi salah. Lalu, satu per satu rahasia terkuak, dan masalah menjadi semakin rumit.
Dikisahkan dari sudut pandang seorang menteri yang, bisa saya bilang, polos. Namun, rasanya kepolosan dan kenaifan itu adalah karakteristik semua orang di negeri itu, akibat dari kerajaan yang 'terisolasi', yang merasa diri mereka besar dan kuat, yang hidup dalam kesenangan dan ketenangan. Hingga saat ada pihak luar yang masuk, mereka menyadari kekurangan diri mereka.
Karena belum pernah mendengar tentang ini, saya agak sulit masuk ke dalam dunia dalam buku ini. Bukan karena deskripsinya yang kurang, tetapi lebih karena pembaca diberi kesempatan untuk membayangkannya sendiri. Saya tidak punya bayangan ataupun referensi sebelumnya, jadi saya masih berpikir apakah ini fantasi, sejarah, atau distopia. Dan ternyata penulis punya cara sendiri untuk membangun dunia fiksi yang berbeda.
Secara keseluruhan, membaca buku ini seperti sebuah perjalanan dengan kereta di malam hari, berliku, tanpa tahu sudah sampai di mana dan kapan akan tiba, kecuali ketika sudah singgah di stasiun. Perjalanan yang menyenangkan, dengan humor yang polos, konflik mulai dari yang remeh sampai pelik, tapi menyimpan segudang sindiran untuk diinterpretasikan, terutama masalah politik dan sosial.
May 22, 2016
Clever title and thesis statement (to mock colonialism through a fictionalized Great Britain named Greater Fallowfields), but other than that, there were very few redeeming qualities of this one. The characters are not well developed (which may have been intentional, but it made for an unsatisfying reading experience nonetheless), and setting was almost nonexistent. I was so very disappointed in this book, because it was hailed by critics as a "Kafkaesque fairytale," and that could not be further from the truth. The only feature Mills takes from Kafka is social criticism, but here we have social criticism done poorly. Imagine Kafka trying to be cheerful by milking the same joke again and again and again...ad nauseum, and there you have "A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked in." I will admit that I liked Mills making fun of the pomposity of daylight savings time, and the fact that almost everything England is known for was stolen from some other culture (usually a British colony), but these are hardly fresh observations. I went through a great deal of trouble to get this book because it wasn't at our public library (which has *everything*), and I had to wait for it to come all the way from England. I suppose the public library was trying to protect us from it. Next time I will heed their warning. The only reason I finished this one so quickly is because I couldn't wait to get it over with, and because I actually bought it. I wish I hadn't wasted the money.
September 26, 2016
Liked most things about it but definitely not the ending. What exactly happened? And how would that help anything? Left me rather bemused.
August 25, 2024
“A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In”, will take the reader to the Empire of Greater Fallowfields, a fantasy world that is home to a feudal society and a cabinet of curious inept men. It’s a comedic tale with a serious underbelly. It basically mocks those people who hold a high official position and simply do not have the adequate qualifications to do it. Then again, you could end up with a designation named after a nettle family herb (Pellitory-of-the-Wall) used to treat infections which is ironic since people who are not properly trained or qualified to do a job are infectious in that role and the results become painful to society as a whole and things just fall apart.
It resonates the inefficiencies on a political level, a satire about the government and the quest for power. It’s an accurate portrayal of the world as we know it and of mankind’s ability to create chaos. It may be comedic, it’s dry, but it’s brilliantly written. Sometimes you have to read between the lines in order to understand what is actually trying to be said, the hidden meaning. While the cat is away, the mouse will play, in this case it’s the emperor.
This was the first novel I have read by Magnus Mills, it was definitely different. The writing itself is simplistic, it’s at times a tad boring, but I enjoyed it all the same. If you’re not into reading off the wall literature that is Kafkaesque in its style, then this is not the book for you.
It resonates the inefficiencies on a political level, a satire about the government and the quest for power. It’s an accurate portrayal of the world as we know it and of mankind’s ability to create chaos. It may be comedic, it’s dry, but it’s brilliantly written. Sometimes you have to read between the lines in order to understand what is actually trying to be said, the hidden meaning. While the cat is away, the mouse will play, in this case it’s the emperor.
This was the first novel I have read by Magnus Mills, it was definitely different. The writing itself is simplistic, it’s at times a tad boring, but I enjoyed it all the same. If you’re not into reading off the wall literature that is Kafkaesque in its style, then this is not the book for you.
March 3, 2020
I've read/loved quite a few Magnus Mills titles before, but was a bit disappointed with this one. All very pleasant/intriguing to read, but rather too many competing minor strands - still 3.5 stars though, but rounding down cos not living up to usual high standards.
June 20, 2024
Well written, easy and light to read yet thought-provoking
September 26, 2016
The clock struck ten, somebody opened the register. The same list of the people with grand titles, but with otherwise quite indistinguishable names (for the first part for sure). Among them, our eyes and ears are - the narrator whose name we won't learn even by following him closely. He strikes as a smart person, willing to do the right thing, but for some reason not doing it. Here I was taking him to be the smartest person in the room, but only until says or does something stupid or fails to perform his duties or naively expects that everything will resolve itself.
Don't know whether I haven't imagined all the allegories and hints towards The Great Britain (Great Fallowfields) with its glorious command of the sea and The USA (SoC) that offers wonderful technical progress, but not so much real human connection (and, well, numbered streets).
Burocrasy settles comfortably among the members of the cabinet and rules in the name of the law and twisted logic. It follows the narrator in the time of crisis to SoC. If you ever had to obtain a visa (travel permit, as they call it) you find this small part quite amusing.
Oh, and let the King join the meeting. A Player King, to be exact. But weren't we always told that the monarchs play a mostly ceremonial role anyway? And who can better play it than an actor?
A bit disappointing is the end, though. It's almost like Magnus Mills abandoned its path, forgot all the laws of twisted logic and just run out of words. At the other hand, it probably shows us that nothing really changes - there might be new names or new posts, but it's same old, same old.
P.S. I was trying to find (unsuccessfully) the reason for so many bird names in the text - maybe you know it? Though, it's quite amusing if you know French: "les noms d'oiseau" is a polite way to say "insult"
Don't know whether I haven't imagined all the allegories and hints towards The Great Britain (Great Fallowfields) with its glorious command of the sea and The USA (SoC) that offers wonderful technical progress, but not so much real human connection (and, well, numbered streets).
Burocrasy settles comfortably among the members of the cabinet and rules in the name of the law and twisted logic. It follows the narrator in the time of crisis to SoC. If you ever had to obtain a visa (travel permit, as they call it) you find this small part quite amusing.
Oh, and let the King join the meeting. A Player King, to be exact. But weren't we always told that the monarchs play a mostly ceremonial role anyway? And who can better play it than an actor?
A bit disappointing is the end, though. It's almost like Magnus Mills abandoned its path, forgot all the laws of twisted logic and just run out of words. At the other hand, it probably shows us that nothing really changes - there might be new names or new posts, but it's same old, same old.
P.S. I was trying to find (unsuccessfully) the reason for so many bird names in the text - maybe you know it? Though, it's quite amusing if you know French: "les noms d'oiseau" is a polite way to say "insult"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2022
'Besides,' I added, 'this is a thoroughly benign empire. It's all jumbled and disorganised; we have a vast hierarchy with serfs at the bottom and the emperor at the top, but in between there exists a pecking order that's vague and unfathomable to say the least; shopkeepers, publicans and postmen happily inconvenience officers-of-state whenever it takes their fancy; we have no police force; no army or navy; no tax collectors; and, finally, the emperor doesn't even bother to turn up for cabinet meetings.' 'Hmm, I see what you mean,' said Whimbrel. 'Treason would be pointless.' 'Exactly,' I said.
As usual with the author, this is a deadpan satire and I enjoyed it.
This in turn required us to set an example, which we duly did by producing the Fallowfieldsman. He was the epitome of all we stood for. Wherever he travelled in the world, the Fallowfieldsman could always be told by his accent, his manners and his temperament. He frowned on uncouth practices but was never outspoken. When he went abroad he took with him the imperial flag, and this came to be widely recognised as a symbol of his natural authority over others; moreover, it was the only flag that could be flown upside down without anybody noticing.
Hmm, it is beyond obvious which country he is satirising, but I was taught how to tell if the flag was the right way up when I was in the Brownies, so some people would notice.
As usual with the author, this is a deadpan satire and I enjoyed it.
This in turn required us to set an example, which we duly did by producing the Fallowfieldsman. He was the epitome of all we stood for. Wherever he travelled in the world, the Fallowfieldsman could always be told by his accent, his manners and his temperament. He frowned on uncouth practices but was never outspoken. When he went abroad he took with him the imperial flag, and this came to be widely recognised as a symbol of his natural authority over others; moreover, it was the only flag that could be flown upside down without anybody noticing.
Hmm, it is beyond obvious which country he is satirising, but I was taught how to tell if the flag was the right way up when I was in the Brownies, so some people would notice.
September 23, 2012
I don't quite know what to think of this. At first, I was really enjoying it - I loved the quirkiness, the quaintness. But the further in I read, the more I felt I was missing out. Was it all a subtle "dig" at something? (Or not so subtle - and I'm just not getting it at all.) Why were they all named after birds?
Frustrating me further was the ending: nothing felt resolved. I came away thinking 'Well, that was all very nice, but what did any of it mean?' Where was the emperor? What was the point of the players? Why did Mills spend all this time getting the narrator to the City of Scoffers, to undo it all in a blink of an eye?
Frustrating me further was the ending: nothing felt resolved. I came away thinking 'Well, that was all very nice, but what did any of it mean?' Where was the emperor? What was the point of the players? Why did Mills spend all this time getting the narrator to the City of Scoffers, to undo it all in a blink of an eye?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2015
When I initially began reading this book I could bring myself to read past chapter three. However when I picked up about a year later I found that I couldn't put it down, I have no idea what changed during that time. It is full of extremely dry humour. It revolves around the goings on in the Kingdom of Greater Fallowfields where the Emperor has disappeared and the ministers are content to continue just as before, however a railway tack is being built that could mean the end of everything. The ending felt a bit sudden but once you get into it it was weird but good.
December 29, 2012
Standing up in the style of Bruno Tonioli……MAGNUS! You little political tease you… Greater Fallowfields… the decline and fall of the British Empire slowly swallowed surreptitiously by the onward march of Eastern promise despite the anodyne support from the Wild West never looked better! Ooh. The cruel bird looking into the nest at the malnourished chicks, just one thing, you have to focus all the way to the end, keep it going, point the toes and drive. Loved it!
March 4, 2019
A Cruel Bird Came to the Next and Looked In was a whimsical allegory for the decline of the British Empire and rise of both Communism and the United States. Magnus Mills has a knack for calling out destructive trends in government and culture, and he did not disappoint here. The sheer amount of government bloat and corruption detailed in Cruel Bird was funny, sad, and a little too real, as were the missing emperor and citizens who were so over it they stopped doing their work.
September 26, 2011
Everyone should be made to read Magnus Mills. The man is a genius. And that's all I have to say, really. Do yourself a favour and check out not only this book, but all of his back catalog.
April 10, 2012
Kind of, but not quite, like a Phantom Tollbooth for adults.
November 5, 2012
Magnus is on top form with this surreal political tale
March 25, 2020
Review dates from 2012.
A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In has been hailed as ‘quirky, curious and very funny’, ‘an enchantingly surreal Kafkaesque/philosophical fairy tale’ and ‘a masterpiece’. These accolades are set to attract a wealth of different readers to Booker Prize shortlisted author Magnus Mills’ latest novel.
A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In takes place in the Empire of Greater Fallowfields, a kind of ‘other England’, where nothing is quite what it seems. The novel is told from the first person narrative perspective of the Principal Composer to the Imperial Court, who has no idea how to guide an orchestra or how to play an instrument.
The novel opens with a cabinet meeting, to which the expected Emperor of Greater Fallowfields does not turn up. His absence, at first, is put down to ‘a brief hiatus in the affairs of state’, and is rescheduled. Whilst one of the characters, Garganey, tells the conductor that ‘we’re all officers of the empire and we’re all equal in the hierarchy’, all of the characters who attend the meeting are given rather elaborate titles that show that they are hierarchically above the everyday citizens of the land. These range from the Librarian-in-Chief, Postmaster General and Astronomer Royal, to the convoluted ‘His Exalted Highness, the Majestic Emperor of the Realms, Dominions, Colonies and Commonwealth of Greater Fallowfields’. The everyday citizens are also referred to as ‘serfs’, all of whom are ‘the personal property of the emperor himself’.
The story itself is rather inventive. The Astronomer Royal may only use the telescope in his observatory once he has sixpence to put in its slot, the most famous landmark in the entire land is an enormous cake-shaped building which sits in the grounds of the royal park, and the orchestra’s instruments take it in turns to ‘sleep’ in the antechamber. Some of the rules are rather laughable – an imperial decree means that nobody is allowed to purchase more than a penny’s worth of sweets at any one time to stop them ‘from being greedy’, for example – but there is a skewed sensibility which runs through the book, one which makes the reader stop and think ‘what if…?’.
The absence of the emperor of Greater Fallowfields stretches on and on, causing a character named Garganey to step into his ‘role as King’, which he has to be reminded is merely a temporary measure until the rightful ruler returns. Nobody in the land really knows what they are doing, and it is difficult to feel much empathy for the mainly daft characters who people the novel.
Echoes of Terry Pratchett’s work can be found in the more quirky and fantastical elements of the story. Mills’ writing style is interesting, but his strength lies more in the world he has created rather than what he causes to occur in it. The storyline is a little weak in places and the characters seem to meander along. It is as though he has put all of his effort into creating Greater Fallowfields and introductions to all the characters which people it, but little else seems to have been considered. Indeed, it is a difficult book to classify. It is a satirical book, but not one which can be classified as a wholly satirical novel; it is a contemporary work of fiction but it the land which Mills has created feels somehow dated and old fashioned; and there are elements of a kind of fantasy throughout, but not one which is developed enough to make the novel fall into such a category.
A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In will certainly appeal more to lovers of quirkiness or pseudo-fantasy than to the average reader.
A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In has been hailed as ‘quirky, curious and very funny’, ‘an enchantingly surreal Kafkaesque/philosophical fairy tale’ and ‘a masterpiece’. These accolades are set to attract a wealth of different readers to Booker Prize shortlisted author Magnus Mills’ latest novel.
A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In takes place in the Empire of Greater Fallowfields, a kind of ‘other England’, where nothing is quite what it seems. The novel is told from the first person narrative perspective of the Principal Composer to the Imperial Court, who has no idea how to guide an orchestra or how to play an instrument.
The novel opens with a cabinet meeting, to which the expected Emperor of Greater Fallowfields does not turn up. His absence, at first, is put down to ‘a brief hiatus in the affairs of state’, and is rescheduled. Whilst one of the characters, Garganey, tells the conductor that ‘we’re all officers of the empire and we’re all equal in the hierarchy’, all of the characters who attend the meeting are given rather elaborate titles that show that they are hierarchically above the everyday citizens of the land. These range from the Librarian-in-Chief, Postmaster General and Astronomer Royal, to the convoluted ‘His Exalted Highness, the Majestic Emperor of the Realms, Dominions, Colonies and Commonwealth of Greater Fallowfields’. The everyday citizens are also referred to as ‘serfs’, all of whom are ‘the personal property of the emperor himself’.
The story itself is rather inventive. The Astronomer Royal may only use the telescope in his observatory once he has sixpence to put in its slot, the most famous landmark in the entire land is an enormous cake-shaped building which sits in the grounds of the royal park, and the orchestra’s instruments take it in turns to ‘sleep’ in the antechamber. Some of the rules are rather laughable – an imperial decree means that nobody is allowed to purchase more than a penny’s worth of sweets at any one time to stop them ‘from being greedy’, for example – but there is a skewed sensibility which runs through the book, one which makes the reader stop and think ‘what if…?’.
The absence of the emperor of Greater Fallowfields stretches on and on, causing a character named Garganey to step into his ‘role as King’, which he has to be reminded is merely a temporary measure until the rightful ruler returns. Nobody in the land really knows what they are doing, and it is difficult to feel much empathy for the mainly daft characters who people the novel.
Echoes of Terry Pratchett’s work can be found in the more quirky and fantastical elements of the story. Mills’ writing style is interesting, but his strength lies more in the world he has created rather than what he causes to occur in it. The storyline is a little weak in places and the characters seem to meander along. It is as though he has put all of his effort into creating Greater Fallowfields and introductions to all the characters which people it, but little else seems to have been considered. Indeed, it is a difficult book to classify. It is a satirical book, but not one which can be classified as a wholly satirical novel; it is a contemporary work of fiction but it the land which Mills has created feels somehow dated and old fashioned; and there are elements of a kind of fantasy throughout, but not one which is developed enough to make the novel fall into such a category.
A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In will certainly appeal more to lovers of quirkiness or pseudo-fantasy than to the average reader.
November 15, 2020
Make no doubt about it, Magnus Mills can write about the absurdity of authority, society and politics like no other. In this fictional kingdom, the cabinet is made up of people who have no idea about the job they're tasked with – the astronomer royal knows nothing about the stars, our narrator the chief composer/conductor can't write a note of music, and the chancellor has to do research into how regularly they all get their stipendiary sixpence – which to a man they find impossible to spend. Not only can they not do their jobs well, but when they try and do logical things they find they'd be breaking the law. And as for the emperor himself – well, he's never at the weekly cabinet meetings, and nobody has pinned him down to add his portrait to the ranks of his predecessors. Things might be OK – it's a genial sort of court, despite some antagonism amongst the men – until someone turns up for whom all the doors seem to instantly open, and who can seem to do whatever he wants without any suggestion of illegality. However even he is not the real threat to the status quo of the empire…
Yes, this was fun, droll – and very entertaining, but only really up to a point. It didn't get to be anywhere near the 'bad' category, but the different flavour of the final act, and the kind of rushed ending, didn't really fit with the previous. Mills has a shelf full of books about work-based bureaucracy and idiocy where box-ticking is concerned, and it's nice to see him branch off into other areas to convey his absurd comedies, but again I think the comparison with our earthly lot could have been better (certainly his early works were definitely in the here and now, unlike this and the novel of his that followed this book). Still, he can write a good orchestral opus, and the idea that societies can work with the utterly inappropriate in every job is a warm and welcome contrast to Britain circa 2020, where only the second condition of that sentence is true. Three and a half stars.
Yes, this was fun, droll – and very entertaining, but only really up to a point. It didn't get to be anywhere near the 'bad' category, but the different flavour of the final act, and the kind of rushed ending, didn't really fit with the previous. Mills has a shelf full of books about work-based bureaucracy and idiocy where box-ticking is concerned, and it's nice to see him branch off into other areas to convey his absurd comedies, but again I think the comparison with our earthly lot could have been better (certainly his early works were definitely in the here and now, unlike this and the novel of his that followed this book). Still, he can write a good orchestral opus, and the idea that societies can work with the utterly inappropriate in every job is a warm and welcome contrast to Britain circa 2020, where only the second condition of that sentence is true. Three and a half stars.
January 22, 2023
"I must say I find it a bit much to write a book called 'A Cruel Bird Came to the Nest and Looked In' when there's no bird, cruel or not, nor any nest either; nor is there any of that looking in malarkey" - that's more or less the familiar-sounding writing tone of this most excellent, very British little novel, which is actually on the very grand scale, being a satire on English life and British politics, social hierarchies, the sciences, and the rise and fall of great empires, all encompassed in a completely crazy tale that amalgamates Monty Python's Flying Circus with Alice in Wonderland, Kafka, and perhaps a touch of the great Irish writer, Flann O'Brien.
The metaphor underlying all this is, approximately, that Britain is ruled by a hierarchy of ridiculous, childish egotists who, proud of their uniforms and their cups of tea, spend their days in complacency and incompetence, in a social arrangement that has gone on for centuries. At one time they had a great empire and they love to bask in the memory of the great sea battles they once won. But change is coming, from the east, and things will never be the same again.
There is a national orchestra that has been used to playing regurgitations of the one national anthem, with variations, until new music is introduced that is highly experimental and proves to be very successful. Magnus Mills is a genius at describing this music which, of, course, the reader cannot actually hear and has to imagine. These parts of the book are a particular delight, enhanced by the lighthearted irony, the throwawayness, with which it is all described.
The metaphor underlying all this is, approximately, that Britain is ruled by a hierarchy of ridiculous, childish egotists who, proud of their uniforms and their cups of tea, spend their days in complacency and incompetence, in a social arrangement that has gone on for centuries. At one time they had a great empire and they love to bask in the memory of the great sea battles they once won. But change is coming, from the east, and things will never be the same again.
There is a national orchestra that has been used to playing regurgitations of the one national anthem, with variations, until new music is introduced that is highly experimental and proves to be very successful. Magnus Mills is a genius at describing this music which, of, course, the reader cannot actually hear and has to imagine. These parts of the book are a particular delight, enhanced by the lighthearted irony, the throwawayness, with which it is all described.
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January 15, 2026A near-perfect gem, let down only by an ending that felt slightly rushed: “Bobby Ewing was in the shower, not dead at all. It had been a dream”. Not that it matters. The idea of a story arc, three acts, beginning, middle and end, is anathema to Magnus Mills. It is only the last three pages that seem to peter out anyway, like a ‘fake’ composer’s ninth symphony.
I think this is the longest of his novels, and probably my favourite. His usual themes - alienation, distance, innocence, workplace politics, non-communication, assumptions that everyone else feels the same way - are all here, but in more expansive form, along with no sense whatsoever of “the previous day”. The Imperial Cabinet of Fallowfields, complete with several new members, meets. They seemingly have no history, simply appearing fully-formed on Page 1.
We have a group of words in English that represent concepts that are too often dismissed - ‘nice’, ‘whimsical’, even ‘twee’ - but Mills produces works that earn them in a way three ducks on a wall, antimacassars and West Highland Terriers never could. Maybe we really want to live in this innocent world of simple pleasures, not having to worry about balancing work and home, earning a living without burning out, having our needs met and being sheltered from harm? Maybe we all sense that we are non-playing characters in someone else’s game?
I love Magnus Mills, and I loved A Cruel Bird. My biggest regret is that I think I have only one of his novels left to read.
I think this is the longest of his novels, and probably my favourite. His usual themes - alienation, distance, innocence, workplace politics, non-communication, assumptions that everyone else feels the same way - are all here, but in more expansive form, along with no sense whatsoever of “the previous day”. The Imperial Cabinet of Fallowfields, complete with several new members, meets. They seemingly have no history, simply appearing fully-formed on Page 1.
We have a group of words in English that represent concepts that are too often dismissed - ‘nice’, ‘whimsical’, even ‘twee’ - but Mills produces works that earn them in a way three ducks on a wall, antimacassars and West Highland Terriers never could. Maybe we really want to live in this innocent world of simple pleasures, not having to worry about balancing work and home, earning a living without burning out, having our needs met and being sheltered from harm? Maybe we all sense that we are non-playing characters in someone else’s game?
I love Magnus Mills, and I loved A Cruel Bird. My biggest regret is that I think I have only one of his novels left to read.
January 5, 2021
Unfortunately I found this utterly boring and nonsensical, and it's likely the last Mills I'll read. Although his writing is, as always, clean and simple, the plot–if I can call it that-fails to materialize like a discombobulated sneeze.
As a big time lover of his earlier, non-fantastical fiction, I've concluded his characters and stories become utterly rootless when Mills severs their ties to the prosaic niceties of the real world. Although "A Cruel Bird..." verges on delivering a pseudo-political morality tale, lacking a dose of reality to ground it, the only thing it delivers is to gradually fall apart like the very kingdom it describes.
While die hard fans might find something else in here, my suggestion for those wanting to read Mills for the first time would be to stick to Restraint of Beasts, All Quiet on the Orient Express, and the gorgeously svelte Maintenance of Headway.
As a big time lover of his earlier, non-fantastical fiction, I've concluded his characters and stories become utterly rootless when Mills severs their ties to the prosaic niceties of the real world. Although "A Cruel Bird..." verges on delivering a pseudo-political morality tale, lacking a dose of reality to ground it, the only thing it delivers is to gradually fall apart like the very kingdom it describes.
While die hard fans might find something else in here, my suggestion for those wanting to read Mills for the first time would be to stick to Restraint of Beasts, All Quiet on the Orient Express, and the gorgeously svelte Maintenance of Headway.
July 21, 2021
Mills does it again and with even more gusto with this, his 7th novel proper. This one is about 100 pages longer than his typical concise works but the volume serves only to add yet more nuances and characters and still manages to leave the reader wanting more. A delicious page turner full of wit and wisdom, a humble ensemble cast homage to the working class wrapped up in fables of political structure, unfounded nationalism, and a whole bunch of ‘the more a thing changes, the more it stays the same’. And gloriously, music plays a big part in this narrative, adding a new dimension to Mills’ oeuvre.
I’ll save the story description for the back of the book (composers, astronomers, missing kings, troubles with clocks, etc etc) If you’re familiar with the author’s work, you’ll love it and this is among his best; oft so delightfully uncanny and beautiful, it made me a bit misty to have it behind me. The only remedy, as always, is his next one; and as always, it’s already ordered!
I’ll save the story description for the back of the book (composers, astronomers, missing kings, troubles with clocks, etc etc) If you’re familiar with the author’s work, you’ll love it and this is among his best; oft so delightfully uncanny and beautiful, it made me a bit misty to have it behind me. The only remedy, as always, is his next one; and as always, it’s already ordered!
July 8, 2018
I was prepared to plough through this one but I didn't need to. It was a funny, savvy, witty read that was quick and surprisingly easy. At points it balanced the edge of boredom and lengthiness, but overall I enjoyed it. I think you have to be in the right headspace for it; it's really funny when you see the parallels with the British Empire and the stuffiness of politics. Sometimes it was less funny - the only females mentioned in the book were the absent, never specified "dancing girls grown big with child", which is a rather poignant and painful way of summarising the role of women in western politics throughout history. Glad I read it, not life-changing.
July 30, 2020
As ever with Mills (my favourite author) I am still hoping to reach the level of enjoyment I got from The Restraint of Beasts or All Quiet on the Orient Express. This didn't achieve that but I did certainly enjoy it. This is as quietly strange, beautiful, beautifully banal and mysterious as his other works and I love reading each and every one so far. I am not sure when this is set, but the entire narrative is built, once again, on rumour and paranoia. No matter how unusual things get, they remain believably human to the last.
June 20, 2024
My first Magnus Mills and I went in without any prior knowledge or expectations. A strange book, seemingly, as I've subsequently learnt from reviews, very much in his traditional style in terms of evoking an uncanny world. Set in a fantastical 'empire' where the Emperor has disappeared and the Cabinet are inept and mis-appointed to areas they know nothing about. It's both farcical and fantastical and I couldn't pin down the appeal while reading, nor easily now, but something kept drawing me back to reading it.
December 25, 2017
This is the least of the Mills books I've read, narrated with the same easy-going naivete that slowly builds to a hard and inescapable conclusion. I found the parable here so cluttered with details that it didn't cleanly strike its target.
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