A Nest of Singing Birds

by Susan Charlotte Haley

In this highly sophisticated modern love story, a group of stuffy professors at a small western university are either sleeping their way to desired tenure or are busy knifing their colleagues in the back in order to get to the top. Ann Callaghan, a philosophy professor, watches with an amused eye until she gets caught up in her own affair with an attractive middle-aged professor.

Genres: Fiction

227 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Susan Haley's first two novels, A Nest of Singing Birds and Getting Married in Buffalo Jump, were made into movies for CBC-TV. Most recently she has published The Complaints Department (2000), Maggie's Family (2002) and The Murder of Medicine Bear (2003). Haley lived in Fort Norman, Northwest Territories, for 15 years where she ran a charter airline with her partner. Haley now lives in Black River, Nova Scotia.

Reviews

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little-free-library impulse acquisition and read. A quick one: Two hours.

A curious book: drama at a small Canadian university, unnamed because of liability issues? V readable, v believable characters, fairly well-written, good dialogue. The whole thing felt oddly specific, somehow, and I wondered how much of it was autobiographical in nature: this specifically Canadian university system, this particular moment when tenure became hard to get, these exact people, Anna with her orange crate furniture and rotting green beans and layers of sweaters.

I found the romance a little disturbing, which I don't think was the intention. The instalove, the relationship made mostly of sex, the copious amounts of alcohol involved, the lack of moral compass, and the age difference all added up to mounting disquiet on my part.

And, I'm sure this is intentional, nothing less like a nest of singing birds could be imagined than this particular Arts department. Haley is v successful on this front.

I don't necessarily think I would go out and look for more Haley, but if she crossed my path again I might pick her up.

[Mark Lisac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually 3.5 stars and nicely written. The book has two facets. The comedy depicting academic jealousies, intrigues, politics, and fixations is witty and well paced. The love story is monotonous and quickly becomes boring. An attempt at spicing it up with a Major Complication adds little because the complication and its resolution (although not the form of the resolution) are easily anticipated. The characters are vivid. A woman from Germany may be drawn with a bit too heavy a hand, leaning on stereotype.
The story charts its own path but wraps up with karmic neatness like a Terry Fallis novel; this one comes with much sharper edges, though. Many of the characters drink so much that the fate of their livers becomes a concern. The most popular drinks seem to be scotch and martinis, but the one thoroughly likable character (the heroine comes a close second) prefers rye.

[lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was so funny i enjoyed every second. anna is a bit of a crash out … the way she gets mad and leaves every staff party yassss i love her. macgregor such an annoying man, like why did you name your son gregor macgregor but i respect anna’s love for him i guess.

[Clivemichael · Rating 4 out of 5]

poignant stories