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Kuş Evi
Kuş Evi, kuşların yoldaşlığını insanlarınkine tercih eden Gwendolen (nam-ı diğer Len) Howard’ın (1894-1973) gerçek yaşamöyküsünü konu ediyor.
Varlıklı bir ailenin kızı olarak dünyaya gelen, küçük yaşlardan itibaren keman çalmaya başlayan Howard, büyüdükçe önce ailesini sonra da büyük şehri terk ederek kendine biçilen rolleri reddedecektir. Doğaya özellikle de kuşlara olan derin tutkusu onu 40’lı yaşlarında Sussex’in gözlerden uzak küçük bir kasabasına sürükler. Burada büyük bir bahçesi ve sayısız ağacı olan bir eve taşınan Howard, kuşları doğal ortamlarında gözlemleme şansı bulur. Çok geçmeden başta Yıldız olmak üzere her biri ayrı bir karakter olan kuşlarla güçlü bağlar kuracak, aralarında doğan benzersiz dostluk onlarla ilgili daha önce hiç bilinmeyen bulguların keşfine yol açacaktır.
Eva Meijer, Hollanda’da büyük bir ilgiyle karşılanmasının ardından yediden fazla dile çevrilen bu duru romanında kuşları koruyan ve kuşların koruduğu bir hayatın portresini kısa fakat yankısı uzun cümlelerle çiziyor.
“Meijer, Len Howard’ın tam bir adanmışlık ve kendine güvenle kurduğu, keyfi ve güzelliği içinde barındıran bu tuhaf yaşamı ikna edici bir biçimde romanlaştırıyor.”
-Carol Birch, The Guardian
Varlıklı bir ailenin kızı olarak dünyaya gelen, küçük yaşlardan itibaren keman çalmaya başlayan Howard, büyüdükçe önce ailesini sonra da büyük şehri terk ederek kendine biçilen rolleri reddedecektir. Doğaya özellikle de kuşlara olan derin tutkusu onu 40’lı yaşlarında Sussex’in gözlerden uzak küçük bir kasabasına sürükler. Burada büyük bir bahçesi ve sayısız ağacı olan bir eve taşınan Howard, kuşları doğal ortamlarında gözlemleme şansı bulur. Çok geçmeden başta Yıldız olmak üzere her biri ayrı bir karakter olan kuşlarla güçlü bağlar kuracak, aralarında doğan benzersiz dostluk onlarla ilgili daha önce hiç bilinmeyen bulguların keşfine yol açacaktır.
Eva Meijer, Hollanda’da büyük bir ilgiyle karşılanmasının ardından yediden fazla dile çevrilen bu duru romanında kuşları koruyan ve kuşların koruduğu bir hayatın portresini kısa fakat yankısı uzun cümlelerle çiziyor.
“Meijer, Len Howard’ın tam bir adanmışlık ve kendine güvenle kurduğu, keyfi ve güzelliği içinde barındıran bu tuhaf yaşamı ikna edici bir biçimde romanlaştırıyor.”
-Carol Birch, The Guardian
248 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2016
79 people are currently reading
3599 people want to read
About the author
Eva Meijer
36 books169 followersEva Meijer is a philosopher, visual artist, writer and singer-songwriter. They write novels, philosophical essays, academic texts, poems and columns, and their work has been translated into over twenty languages. Recurring themes are language including silence, madness, nonhuman animals, and politics. Meijer also works as an academic philosopher, writes essays and columns for Dutch newspapers, and is a member of the Multispecies Collective.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews
April 5, 2020
I was looking for something that was a bit brighter but still hold my interest. Looking at this lovely yellow cover with the wonderful birds cheered me up, so this was the winner for this week.
I was surprised that it was written about an actual person, a talented violinist and self educated birder. Her name in Len Howard and she can be found on the almighty wiki. In the early 1900s, women were expected to marry, but circumstances and her own hutzpah, caused Len to look for another way.
Her interest in birds was fostered by her father, who brought home injured birds. They had a friendly crow named Charlie who often followed her around. She never lost her interest in birds, but she also when 21, played as a violinist for a symphony orchestra. Eventually, in her fifties, she would buy a cottage in Cornwall, spending the balance of her life, making friends with and studying birds.
A delightful book, we get to know some of these birds by name and description. One of those quitter books in which I love to become absorbed. So much if it was just lovely.
If I have to shelter in place, why can't I have a cute little cottage in the county like Len?
ARC from Edelweiss.
I was surprised that it was written about an actual person, a talented violinist and self educated birder. Her name in Len Howard and she can be found on the almighty wiki. In the early 1900s, women were expected to marry, but circumstances and her own hutzpah, caused Len to look for another way.
Her interest in birds was fostered by her father, who brought home injured birds. They had a friendly crow named Charlie who often followed her around. She never lost her interest in birds, but she also when 21, played as a violinist for a symphony orchestra. Eventually, in her fifties, she would buy a cottage in Cornwall, spending the balance of her life, making friends with and studying birds.
A delightful book, we get to know some of these birds by name and description. One of those quitter books in which I love to become absorbed. So much if it was just lovely.
If I have to shelter in place, why can't I have a cute little cottage in the county like Len?
ARC from Edelweiss.
April 9, 2018
~English below~
Wat een prachtig boek. Stil, ingetogen, filosofisch. Soms ook eenzaam, melancholisch en verdrietig. Eva Meijer was voor mij een onbekende, maar wat schrijft ze prachtig. In dit geval over de Britse Len Howard, die twee baanbrekende boeken over tuinvogels op haar naam heeft staan. Howard leidde een bijzonder leven. Ze kwam uit een gefortuneerde familie en koos er in eerste instantie voor om als violiste in een orkest in Londen te spelen.
Maar ze kan niet aarden in de stad. Ze mist het groen om haar heen, en vooral de vogels die ze van jongs af aan met haar vader heeft bestudeerd. Howard is iemand die niet heel makkelijk contact maakt met anderen. Ook niet met haar familie, waar ze van vervreemdt. Als haar vader overlijdt, erft ze veel geld Van dat geld besluit ze een huisje te kopen op het platteland om zich daar helemaal te richten op haar grootste wens: het bestuderen van tuinvogels. En specifiek: de mezen.
Eva Meijer schrijft op een vloeiende, verstillende manier. Alsof je door een prachtig, geurend, groen bos wandelt, vol frisse voorjaarsblaadjes en op gang komende sapstromen. Een verfrissende leeservaring. Hoewel het verhaal lang niet altijd vrolijk is, voelt het toch fris en sprankelend aan. En licht. Niet zwaar.
Howard leeft echt met de vogels, die alles voor haar zijn. De ramen staan altijd open en vogels vliegen in en uit. Ze slapen in nestkastjes in haar slaapkamer. Howard is er van overtuigd dat alle laboratoriumonderzoeken voor vertekende resultaten zorgen. Simpelweg omdat de omgeving kunstmatig is en dieren zich dus nooit zullen gedragen zoals ze in de natuur zouden doen. Voor ieder ander zou Howard's manier van leven een opoffering zijn. Maar niet voor haar. Het is voor haar de enige manier van leven.
En dat heeft uiteindelijk tot twee boeken geleid die ten tijden van het verschijnen heel goed zijn ontvangen. Ik zou ze graag lezen, maar de boeken zijn niet meer verkrijgbaar. Hooguit tweedehands en dat is echt jammer. Dit is een boek om te herlezen.
ENGLISH
What a beautiful book. Quiet, subdued, philosophical. Sometimes lonely, melancholy and sad. Eva Meijer was an unknown writer to me, but she writes beautifully. In this case about the British Len Howard, who has written two pioneering books about garden birds. Howard led a ramarkable life. She came from a wealthy family and initially chose to play as a violinist in an orchestra in London.
But she can not find her place in the city. She misses the greenery around her, and especially the birds she has studied with her father from an early age. Howard is someone who does not make contact with others very easily. Not even with her family, which she is alienated from. When her father dies, she inherits a lot of money. With that money she decides to buy a house in the countryside to focus entirely on her biggest wish: studying garden birds. And specifically: the tits.
Eva Meijer writes in a fluent, quiet way. As if you walk through a beautiful, fragrant, green forest, full of fresh spring leaves and starting juice streams. A refreshing reading experience. Although the story is not always cheerful, it still feels fresh and sparkling. And light. Not heavy.
Howard really lives with the birds, who are everything to her. The windows are always open and birds fly in and out. They sleep in birdhouses in her bedroom. Howard is convinced that all laboratory tests researching birds cause biased results. Simply because the environment is artificial and animals will never behave as they would in nature. Studying them the way she does is almost a religious belief. For everyone else, Howard's way of life would be a sacrifice. But not for her. It is the only way of life for her.
And that eventually led to two books that were very well received at the time of publication. I would like to read them, but the books are no longer available. At most used and that really is a shame. This is a book for rereading.
Wat een prachtig boek. Stil, ingetogen, filosofisch. Soms ook eenzaam, melancholisch en verdrietig. Eva Meijer was voor mij een onbekende, maar wat schrijft ze prachtig. In dit geval over de Britse Len Howard, die twee baanbrekende boeken over tuinvogels op haar naam heeft staan. Howard leidde een bijzonder leven. Ze kwam uit een gefortuneerde familie en koos er in eerste instantie voor om als violiste in een orkest in Londen te spelen.
Maar ze kan niet aarden in de stad. Ze mist het groen om haar heen, en vooral de vogels die ze van jongs af aan met haar vader heeft bestudeerd. Howard is iemand die niet heel makkelijk contact maakt met anderen. Ook niet met haar familie, waar ze van vervreemdt. Als haar vader overlijdt, erft ze veel geld Van dat geld besluit ze een huisje te kopen op het platteland om zich daar helemaal te richten op haar grootste wens: het bestuderen van tuinvogels. En specifiek: de mezen.
Eva Meijer schrijft op een vloeiende, verstillende manier. Alsof je door een prachtig, geurend, groen bos wandelt, vol frisse voorjaarsblaadjes en op gang komende sapstromen. Een verfrissende leeservaring. Hoewel het verhaal lang niet altijd vrolijk is, voelt het toch fris en sprankelend aan. En licht. Niet zwaar.
Howard leeft echt met de vogels, die alles voor haar zijn. De ramen staan altijd open en vogels vliegen in en uit. Ze slapen in nestkastjes in haar slaapkamer. Howard is er van overtuigd dat alle laboratoriumonderzoeken voor vertekende resultaten zorgen. Simpelweg omdat de omgeving kunstmatig is en dieren zich dus nooit zullen gedragen zoals ze in de natuur zouden doen. Voor ieder ander zou Howard's manier van leven een opoffering zijn. Maar niet voor haar. Het is voor haar de enige manier van leven.
En dat heeft uiteindelijk tot twee boeken geleid die ten tijden van het verschijnen heel goed zijn ontvangen. Ik zou ze graag lezen, maar de boeken zijn niet meer verkrijgbaar. Hooguit tweedehands en dat is echt jammer. Dit is een boek om te herlezen.
ENGLISH
What a beautiful book. Quiet, subdued, philosophical. Sometimes lonely, melancholy and sad. Eva Meijer was an unknown writer to me, but she writes beautifully. In this case about the British Len Howard, who has written two pioneering books about garden birds. Howard led a ramarkable life. She came from a wealthy family and initially chose to play as a violinist in an orchestra in London.
But she can not find her place in the city. She misses the greenery around her, and especially the birds she has studied with her father from an early age. Howard is someone who does not make contact with others very easily. Not even with her family, which she is alienated from. When her father dies, she inherits a lot of money. With that money she decides to buy a house in the countryside to focus entirely on her biggest wish: studying garden birds. And specifically: the tits.
Eva Meijer writes in a fluent, quiet way. As if you walk through a beautiful, fragrant, green forest, full of fresh spring leaves and starting juice streams. A refreshing reading experience. Although the story is not always cheerful, it still feels fresh and sparkling. And light. Not heavy.
Howard really lives with the birds, who are everything to her. The windows are always open and birds fly in and out. They sleep in birdhouses in her bedroom. Howard is convinced that all laboratory tests researching birds cause biased results. Simply because the environment is artificial and animals will never behave as they would in nature. Studying them the way she does is almost a religious belief. For everyone else, Howard's way of life would be a sacrifice. But not for her. It is the only way of life for her.
And that eventually led to two books that were very well received at the time of publication. I would like to read them, but the books are no longer available. At most used and that really is a shame. This is a book for rereading.
February 21, 2020
Gwendolen ‘Len’ Howard (1894-1973) was a woman of two great passions, birds and music. Her observations of birds were published in various periodicals and two books.
In 1938, Len Howard moves from London to a little house in Sussex, which she later calls Bird Cottage. There, she observes birds and gains their trust, thus creating a special bond.
The story shifts between present time to when she was a child and later an adult. It is also intertwined with stories about birds, which “have their origin in Howard’s own anecdotes in Birds as Individuals and Living with Birds.”
Wales, 1900. Len’s father brings home a small bird that has fallen from the nest. And this is the beginning of Len’s journey with the birds. Throughout the years, she collects more birds and goes bird-watching with her father.
The story gives a glimpse of her rich family, mother who is occupied with organizing the soirees and managing everyone. At her parties Len also plays her talents on violin. It seems as the parents are struggling with life. Father, who is a poet and struggles more and more to create something that would satisfy him. “Since the accident Mother has started drinking in the afternoons again. Father, however, has stopped.”
Her passion for music takes her to London, where she joins orchestra. But she misses the birds and to fill the gap, she takes long walks from her lodgings in order to observe birds.
It is a story of an incredible woman who pursues her two biggest passions, playing violin and observing birds. Her journey of bird-watching takes her from her passion through her research and being rejected by magazines for her articles as not being scientific enough to selling in the tens of thousands of her books worldwide.
The read is quick, but at the same time it’s very rich, textured with Len’s talents and dedications. Beautifully imagined and written. For those who appreciate nature and simple life, this might be a treasure read.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
In 1938, Len Howard moves from London to a little house in Sussex, which she later calls Bird Cottage. There, she observes birds and gains their trust, thus creating a special bond.
The story shifts between present time to when she was a child and later an adult. It is also intertwined with stories about birds, which “have their origin in Howard’s own anecdotes in Birds as Individuals and Living with Birds.”
Wales, 1900. Len’s father brings home a small bird that has fallen from the nest. And this is the beginning of Len’s journey with the birds. Throughout the years, she collects more birds and goes bird-watching with her father.
The story gives a glimpse of her rich family, mother who is occupied with organizing the soirees and managing everyone. At her parties Len also plays her talents on violin. It seems as the parents are struggling with life. Father, who is a poet and struggles more and more to create something that would satisfy him. “Since the accident Mother has started drinking in the afternoons again. Father, however, has stopped.”
Her passion for music takes her to London, where she joins orchestra. But she misses the birds and to fill the gap, she takes long walks from her lodgings in order to observe birds.
It is a story of an incredible woman who pursues her two biggest passions, playing violin and observing birds. Her journey of bird-watching takes her from her passion through her research and being rejected by magazines for her articles as not being scientific enough to selling in the tens of thousands of her books worldwide.
The read is quick, but at the same time it’s very rich, textured with Len’s talents and dedications. Beautifully imagined and written. For those who appreciate nature and simple life, this might be a treasure read.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 9, 2018
Das Buch beschäftigt sich mit dem Leben von Gwendolen (Len) Howard, einer englischen Naturforscherin, die ihre musikalische Karriere 1942 aufgab, in ein abgelegenes Haus in Sussex zog und dort bis zu ihrem Tod im Jahre 1973 das Verhalten wildlebender Kohlmeisen studierte.
Aus der Welt der Menschen zog sie sich immer mehr zurück und bevorzugte stattdessen die Gesellschaft der Vögel, zu denen sie über die Jahre hinweg eine immer engere Beziehung aufbaute. Ihre Studien waren außergewöhnlich, denn sie warfen ein ganz neues Licht auf die Intelligenz der scheuen Tiere und trotzdem wurde ihre Arbeit nicht wissenschaftlich anerkannt, da Len Howard eine Frau ohne entsprechende Ausbildung war. Dieser Roman schätzt ihr Leben und ihre Arbeit.
Mein Eindruck:
Ich hatte zuvor noch nie etwas von Len Howard gehört und bin der Meinung, dass viel zu wenig über Frauen geschrieben wird, die im 20. Jahrhundert wissenschaftliche Arbeit geleistet und sich gegen die traditionelle Rolle der Frau entschieden haben.
Grundsätzlich ist über das Leben von Len Howard aber nicht allzu viel bekannt und so musste die Autorin große Lücken zwischen den wenigen bekannten Fakten mit Fiktion ausschmücken. Aus meiner Sicht ist ihr das gut gelungen, da sich alles ganz natürlich zusammenfügt und man der Protagonistin bereits in jüngeren Jahren anmerkt, dass ihr die Gesellschaft von Menschen wenig gibt. Das wird während ihrer Zeit in London besonders deutlich, da sie die Gesellschaft der Vögel in der Großstadt schmerzlich vermisst. Dadurch war sie mir sofort sympathisch, denn sie schien nicht so recht in die Welt und Zeit zu passen in der sie lebt.
Mich hat die erste Hälfte ihres Lebens allerdings nicht so sehr interessiert. Es geht dort um ihre musikalische Ausbildung und Karriere in London, die ihr im Laufe der Zeit immer weniger bedeutet und sie zunehmend belastet. Für mich war dieser Teil der Geschichte etwas zäh, obwohl er wichtig war um zu verstehen warum sich die Protagonistin aus diesem Leben zurückzieht.
Ihr abgeschiedenes Leben im „Vogelhaus“ und ihre besondere Beziehung zu den hiesigen Kohlmeisen habe ich hingegen sehr gerne verfolgt. Ich kann mich auch einfach sehr gut mit Menschen identifizieren, die ihre Zeit lieber in der Gesellschaft von Tieren verbringen und den Kontakt zu Menschen reduzieren. Ich finde es unheimlich faszinierend, dass ihr die scheuen Tiere so nah kamen, in ihrem Haus schliefen und sie bei Gefahr sogar um Hilfe baten. Solch innige Beziehungen zwischen Mensch und Tier berühren mich ganz grundsätzlich, ich bin aber froh, dass dieses besondere Verhältnis nie kitschig dargestellt wurde. Denn obwohl Len Howard die Tiere und ihre Studien sehr am Herz lagen, hat sie der Natur ihren Lauf gelassen. Das gefiel mir sehr gut.
Das Buch macht außerdem deutlich wie wenig Anerkennung Len Howard für ihre ornithologischen Studien erhielt. Ihr wurde eine wissenschaftliche Arbeitsweise abgesprochen und ihre Erkenntnisse entsprechend nicht ernst genommen. Die Tatsache, dass sie keine einschlägige Ausbildung in dem Bereich vorweisen konnte, erschwerte ihr Bemühen zusätzlich. Aus diesem Grund bin ich sehr froh durch „Das Vogelhaus“ von ihrer Existenz und Arbeit erfahren zu haben.
Fazit:
Ein sehr ruhiger biografischer Roman über das Leben der englischen Naturforscherin Len Howard, ihre ornithologischen Studien und ihre faszinierend enge Beziehung zu den Tieren. Ein Buch über eine Aussteigerin, die sich erst in der Gesellschaft von Tieren so richtig zuhause fühlte.
Meine Videorezension auf YouTube:
https://youtu.be/aCnqtBPn4UM
Aus der Welt der Menschen zog sie sich immer mehr zurück und bevorzugte stattdessen die Gesellschaft der Vögel, zu denen sie über die Jahre hinweg eine immer engere Beziehung aufbaute. Ihre Studien waren außergewöhnlich, denn sie warfen ein ganz neues Licht auf die Intelligenz der scheuen Tiere und trotzdem wurde ihre Arbeit nicht wissenschaftlich anerkannt, da Len Howard eine Frau ohne entsprechende Ausbildung war. Dieser Roman schätzt ihr Leben und ihre Arbeit.
Mein Eindruck:
Ich hatte zuvor noch nie etwas von Len Howard gehört und bin der Meinung, dass viel zu wenig über Frauen geschrieben wird, die im 20. Jahrhundert wissenschaftliche Arbeit geleistet und sich gegen die traditionelle Rolle der Frau entschieden haben.
Grundsätzlich ist über das Leben von Len Howard aber nicht allzu viel bekannt und so musste die Autorin große Lücken zwischen den wenigen bekannten Fakten mit Fiktion ausschmücken. Aus meiner Sicht ist ihr das gut gelungen, da sich alles ganz natürlich zusammenfügt und man der Protagonistin bereits in jüngeren Jahren anmerkt, dass ihr die Gesellschaft von Menschen wenig gibt. Das wird während ihrer Zeit in London besonders deutlich, da sie die Gesellschaft der Vögel in der Großstadt schmerzlich vermisst. Dadurch war sie mir sofort sympathisch, denn sie schien nicht so recht in die Welt und Zeit zu passen in der sie lebt.
Mich hat die erste Hälfte ihres Lebens allerdings nicht so sehr interessiert. Es geht dort um ihre musikalische Ausbildung und Karriere in London, die ihr im Laufe der Zeit immer weniger bedeutet und sie zunehmend belastet. Für mich war dieser Teil der Geschichte etwas zäh, obwohl er wichtig war um zu verstehen warum sich die Protagonistin aus diesem Leben zurückzieht.
Ihr abgeschiedenes Leben im „Vogelhaus“ und ihre besondere Beziehung zu den hiesigen Kohlmeisen habe ich hingegen sehr gerne verfolgt. Ich kann mich auch einfach sehr gut mit Menschen identifizieren, die ihre Zeit lieber in der Gesellschaft von Tieren verbringen und den Kontakt zu Menschen reduzieren. Ich finde es unheimlich faszinierend, dass ihr die scheuen Tiere so nah kamen, in ihrem Haus schliefen und sie bei Gefahr sogar um Hilfe baten. Solch innige Beziehungen zwischen Mensch und Tier berühren mich ganz grundsätzlich, ich bin aber froh, dass dieses besondere Verhältnis nie kitschig dargestellt wurde. Denn obwohl Len Howard die Tiere und ihre Studien sehr am Herz lagen, hat sie der Natur ihren Lauf gelassen. Das gefiel mir sehr gut.
Das Buch macht außerdem deutlich wie wenig Anerkennung Len Howard für ihre ornithologischen Studien erhielt. Ihr wurde eine wissenschaftliche Arbeitsweise abgesprochen und ihre Erkenntnisse entsprechend nicht ernst genommen. Die Tatsache, dass sie keine einschlägige Ausbildung in dem Bereich vorweisen konnte, erschwerte ihr Bemühen zusätzlich. Aus diesem Grund bin ich sehr froh durch „Das Vogelhaus“ von ihrer Existenz und Arbeit erfahren zu haben.
Fazit:
Ein sehr ruhiger biografischer Roman über das Leben der englischen Naturforscherin Len Howard, ihre ornithologischen Studien und ihre faszinierend enge Beziehung zu den Tieren. Ein Buch über eine Aussteigerin, die sich erst in der Gesellschaft von Tieren so richtig zuhause fühlte.
Meine Videorezension auf YouTube:
https://youtu.be/aCnqtBPn4UM
February 16, 2024
Hallo. Delightful and touching story based around the life of Gwen Howard and her passion for birds. Gwen was way ahead of her time in studying birds in the wild, and considered them to be her research partners. An insightful and charming read.
October 29, 2018
‘Görmek zaman ister.’
.
Eva Meijer bir adanmışlık hikayesi sunuyor bize.Gwendolen (Len) Howard’ın hayatını..Varlıklı bir ailede doğup ona çizilen hayatın dışında,kendi tercihlerini seçerek,yeni bir hayat kuran kadını..
.
Len Howard önce kemanıyla Londra’da buluyor kendini.Ailesinden uzak ama özgür.Kalabalığın peşinden gitmiyor.Çok sevdiği müziği de yanına katıp; başka bir dünyanın kapılarını açıyor: Kuşlar.
.
Kuşları hayatına uydurmuyor,o kuşların dünyasına misafir olmayı tercih ediyor.Onların ne kadar bireysel olduğunu gözlemliyor,ne kadar zeki hatta duygusal olduklarını..Ve bunları yaparken bizlere şu iki kavramın önemini gösteriyor: emek ve saygı.
.
Meijer,bu hayatı romanlaştırırken;sıkmıyor-zorlamıyor kelimeleri.Howard’ın baştankara kuşu Yıldız ile deneyimlerini Howard’ın yazılarından alıyor,sağlam ve hareketli bir kurgu oluşturuyor.Sonsöz ile de bilgilendiriyor.İlgi çekici bir hayatı,daha da parlatıyor..
.
Eva Meijer bir adanmışlık hikayesi sunuyor bize.Gwendolen (Len) Howard’ın hayatını..Varlıklı bir ailede doğup ona çizilen hayatın dışında,kendi tercihlerini seçerek,yeni bir hayat kuran kadını..
.
Len Howard önce kemanıyla Londra’da buluyor kendini.Ailesinden uzak ama özgür.Kalabalığın peşinden gitmiyor.Çok sevdiği müziği de yanına katıp; başka bir dünyanın kapılarını açıyor: Kuşlar.
.
Kuşları hayatına uydurmuyor,o kuşların dünyasına misafir olmayı tercih ediyor.Onların ne kadar bireysel olduğunu gözlemliyor,ne kadar zeki hatta duygusal olduklarını..Ve bunları yaparken bizlere şu iki kavramın önemini gösteriyor: emek ve saygı.
.
Meijer,bu hayatı romanlaştırırken;sıkmıyor-zorlamıyor kelimeleri.Howard’ın baştankara kuşu Yıldız ile deneyimlerini Howard’ın yazılarından alıyor,sağlam ve hareketli bir kurgu oluşturuyor.Sonsöz ile de bilgilendiriyor.İlgi çekici bir hayatı,daha da parlatıyor..
May 17, 2021
Re-read.
January 23, 2020
A must read for bird lovers.
This gorgeous novel tells the story of Len Howard, the incredible woman who defied convention and chose to dedicate much of her life to her studies at Bird Cottage, where she forms fascinating interspecies bonds with the local avians.
Though the book is technically fiction, Meijer does a wonderful job of blending research on the life of Howard with compelling fiction to round out the novel.
The book will break your heart a bit, multiple times throughout the narrative and particularly at the end, but it’s well worth it for the compelling insight into Howard, her avian companions, and the enthralling ways in which they interact and communicate with one another.
And for those who fret about these things (as I do), the translation of the novel into English is wonderfully done.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This gorgeous novel tells the story of Len Howard, the incredible woman who defied convention and chose to dedicate much of her life to her studies at Bird Cottage, where she forms fascinating interspecies bonds with the local avians.
Though the book is technically fiction, Meijer does a wonderful job of blending research on the life of Howard with compelling fiction to round out the novel.
The book will break your heart a bit, multiple times throughout the narrative and particularly at the end, but it’s well worth it for the compelling insight into Howard, her avian companions, and the enthralling ways in which they interact and communicate with one another.
And for those who fret about these things (as I do), the translation of the novel into English is wonderfully done.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
August 21, 2020
Tavsiye üzerine okuma listeme almıştım. Tavsiye için ne kadar teşekkür etsem az. Biyografi okumanın zevki bir yana kurgunun sadeliği ve güzelliği öyle çekiciydi ki elimden bırakamadım. Genç başarılı ve hikayesini yazdığı Len Howard ile benzerlikleri olan çokça maharetli bir yazarla daha tanışmış olmak da harika bir duygu.
February 21, 2019
nasıl sade yazılmış, nasıl güzel bir biyografik roman... adını ilk kez bu romanla duyduğum len howard'ın yaşamından yola çıkmış eva meijer, yaşadığı kasbaya gitmiş, evinde kalmış, kasabalılarla konuşmuş, bulabildiği pek az şeyi derlemiş toplamış, len'in gençliğinden yaşlılığına dek uzanan enfes bir roman çıkarmış ortaya...
romanın parçalı yapısı, bölündüğü yıllar ve en özel baştankara yıldız'a ait bölümler de çok ustaca.
doğayla ilgili kitaplar artık beni çok etkiliyor. kuşlar sanırım en az yakınlık duyduğum canlılardı, atmaca'nın a'sı ve bu kitap sağ olsun bu da değişti. edebiyatın gücü :)
romanın parçalı yapısı, bölündüğü yıllar ve en özel baştankara yıldız'a ait bölümler de çok ustaca.
doğayla ilgili kitaplar artık beni çok etkiliyor. kuşlar sanırım en az yakınlık duyduğum canlılardı, atmaca'nın a'sı ve bu kitap sağ olsun bu da değişti. edebiyatın gücü :)
June 25, 2017
Wat een mooi, ingetogen en bij tijden weemoedig verhaal. Het haalt Len Howard uit de vergetelheid. Om te herlezen.
July 24, 2019
Kuşların yoldaşlığını insanlarınkine tercih eden Len Howard’ın 1900’lerden başlayıp 70’lere varan hikayesi... Arka kapaktaki bu ilk cümle daha başlamadan kitapla aramda 1-0’lık bir bağ kurdu. Kapağına baktığımda bile birbirimizi çok iyi anlayacağımızdan neredeyse emindim. Ve öyle de oldu.
Çok severek, pek çok duygusunu paylaşarak okudum Kuş Evi’ni. Taşradan Londra’ya, kraliyet orkestrasında çalmak üzere geldiği ve şehirdeki ilk yalnızlığını yaşadığı anlardan, yıllar sonra her şeyden bunalıp kendini bir orman kulübesine attığı zamanlara kadar bir kemanı, bir de hep büyük hayranlık ve merakla izlediği kuşları vardı. Su gibi akan, iddiasız cümlelerle dupduru bir hikaye.
Neredeyse yüzde seksenini terastaki sedirde, karşımdaki elektrik tellerine tünemiş kuşların cıvıltısı eşliğinde okudum. Hayatın muazzam denkleştirmelerinden biri... Zaten öyle bir ruhu var ki kitabın, etrafınızdaki kuşlara merak kesilmemeniz, bir an için olsun dünyaya Len Howard gözlüğü takmadan bakmanız mümkün değil.
Teşekkürler Len Howard, iyi ki geçmişsin bu dünyadan.
Çok severek, pek çok duygusunu paylaşarak okudum Kuş Evi’ni. Taşradan Londra’ya, kraliyet orkestrasında çalmak üzere geldiği ve şehirdeki ilk yalnızlığını yaşadığı anlardan, yıllar sonra her şeyden bunalıp kendini bir orman kulübesine attığı zamanlara kadar bir kemanı, bir de hep büyük hayranlık ve merakla izlediği kuşları vardı. Su gibi akan, iddiasız cümlelerle dupduru bir hikaye.
Neredeyse yüzde seksenini terastaki sedirde, karşımdaki elektrik tellerine tünemiş kuşların cıvıltısı eşliğinde okudum. Hayatın muazzam denkleştirmelerinden biri... Zaten öyle bir ruhu var ki kitabın, etrafınızdaki kuşlara merak kesilmemeniz, bir an için olsun dünyaya Len Howard gözlüğü takmadan bakmanız mümkün değil.
Teşekkürler Len Howard, iyi ki geçmişsin bu dünyadan.
May 11, 2021
Toto bolo krásne čítanie. Hudba, príroda, poézia života, nekonečne zaujímavý príbeh v celej svojej pokore a pokojnosti. Zážitok.
"Ptáci mi ukazují, že čas není přímka, kterou z něj dělají lidé. Věci nekončí, jenom mění tvar. Z pocitu se stává myšlenka, z myšlenky jednání, z jednání myšlenka, z myšlenky pocit. První pocit se vrátí, maluje pruhy přes nový pocit. První myšlenka na chvíli usne, pak se zase objeví. Tak se mísí časy, takhle existujeme v různých okamžicích zároveň."
"Ptáci mi ukazují, že čas není přímka, kterou z něj dělají lidé. Věci nekončí, jenom mění tvar. Z pocitu se stává myšlenka, z myšlenky jednání, z jednání myšlenka, z myšlenky pocit. První pocit se vrátí, maluje pruhy přes nový pocit. První myšlenka na chvíli usne, pak se zase objeví. Tak se mísí časy, takhle existujeme v různých okamžicích zároveň."
March 23, 2017
Spijtig dat het uit is, hier heb ik zo van genoten! Veel bijgeleerd over meesjes vooral en ontdekt dat het toch weer niet zo vreemd is dat koolmeespubers op m'n hoofd komen tikken als ik rustig in de tuin zit te lezen. Heerlijk boek, mooi in al zijn eenvoud. Ik ga op zoek naar de ander werk van Eva Meijer!
December 13, 2025
Biyografik nitelikli bir roman Kuş Evi; amatör doğa bilimci ve gözlemci Gwendolen Howard'ın hayatı ve çalışmaları bir araya getirilerek kurgulanmış. Gwendolen -"Len", çocukluğunda babasının yaralı kuşları evde tedavi etmesiyle küçük yaşlarda onlarla tanışıyor -evcil bir kargası var. İlk gençliğinde müzikle büyür ve önce kemanıyla var olmaya çalışıyor. Len zamanla ailesinden ve şehir hayatından uzaklaşıp uzun zamandır haklarında defter tuttuğu, notlar aldığı kuş gözlemine yönelip aslında kendi yolunu seçip; doğanın, sessizliğin ve kuşlarının arasında ıssız bir yaşama çekiliyor. Len; gözlemleriyle düşünen, sessizliğinde değişen, kayıplarıyla büyüyen ve kendi iç sesini kuş cıvıltılarında bulan bir kadın. Metinde en beğendiğim noktalardan biri; sevdiği iki alan müzik ve kuş gözlemi arasında bağ kuruyor olması oldu. İkisinde ortak yanlar buluyor; sessizlik, sürekli tekrar, ritim, dikkat, sabır... İkisinin ortak paydası, insanın kendinden daha büyük bir akışa uyum sağlama isteği/ihtiyacı. Kuşlarla ilişkisini yalnızca gözlem olarak değil, bir yaşam biçimi olarak anlatıyor. Kuşları tanımak için zaman ve sabır gerekiyor -"görmek zaman ister". Yalnızca doğayla iç içe yaşamak üzerine değil, insanın kendini yeniden kurma çabası üzerine düşündüren, okurken insanı sakinleştiren hoş bir metin.
Herkese keyifli okumalar.
Her zaman her şeyde bir amaç, bir neden olduğunu, her şeyde bir hayır olduğunu düşünürüz. Oysa çoğu hayat, kocaman bir hiç içinde tesadüfi olayların, anların bir araya gelmesinden ibaret.syf208
Kuşlar bana zamanın insanların düşündüğü gibi düz bir çizgi olmadığını gösteriyor. Şeyler son bulmuyor, sadece biçim değiştiriyor. Bir duygu düşünceye, bir düşünce davranışa, bir davranış düşünceye, bir düşünce yine duyguya dönüşüyor. İlk duygu geri gelip, yeninin üzerine çizgi çekiyor. İlk düşünce bir süre uyuduktan sonra birdenbire yeniden ortaya çıkıyor. Zamanlar bu şekilde birbirine karışıyor, bu şekilde aynı anda farklı zamanlarda var olabiliyoruz.syf210
Rüzgâr yolun geri kalanında beni uzaklara taşıyor, tepeye, karanlığa yöneliyorum. Etrafımdaki mavilik derinleşiyor. Evde baştankaralar uyumak için kutularına girmiş bile. Kemanımı alıyorum, meydan okuyan bir şeyler çalmak istiyorum. Bartók, parmaklarım yavaş, bedenim paslanan bir makine gibi. Müzik hâlâ içimde, sadece daha önce olduğundan daha uzakta.
Kayıp, hiçbir şeyin hiçbir zaman senin olmadığını anlamaktır.
Keder, umudun kaybolduğunu anlamak ya da henüz tam anlamıyla anlayamamaktır.syf187
Bazı kuşlar hem çok gürültülü hem de kıvrak, bazılarının ise varlığı bile zor fark ediliyor. Artık onları hem seslerinden hem de ötüşlerinden tanımaya başlıyorum. Londra'dayken onları grup hâlinde algılıyordum, parktaki bir baştankarayı tanıyordum, Thomas'ın teknesinin önündeki ağaçta da gözlediğimiz yuva yapmış bir çift vardı fakat yine de birbirlerinden bu kadar farklı olduklarını bilmiyordum. Görmek zaman ister.syf157
...onu görmüyorum ama o oradaymış gibi çalıyorum. Çaldığımız parça doğa manzarası gibi; başlangıçta çimen var (ve ayaklarının altındaki yaprakların her biri canlı) sonra su-bazen sakin bazen dalgalı, denize dökülen bulanık bir nehir suyu- sonra bir çizgi; ufuk ya da sahil çizgisi, bütün bu hareketi bir arada tutan durağan bir çerçeve, hem beklenen hem de beklenmeyen bir geçişin önünde duran bir çit; manzara değişiyor, tepeler ortaya çıkıyor, dik yamaçlar, kayalar, uçurumlar, uzaklarda bir düzlük, dağlar ve dağlardan her şey ya da neredeyse her şey görülebiliyor, dünyayı ve var olan her şeyi görebileceğini düşünüyorsun ve tekrar yavaşça aşağı indiğinde her şey sonsuz incelikler ve detaylar içinde, karmaşık ve küçük büyüğün içinde kayboluyor, işte geri döndün, her yeri gördün ve aynı zamanda olduğun yerden hiç kıpırdamadın.
Çalmak uçmaya benzer; yükseklik, hız, hafiflik, sihirli olanın yakalanabileceğine ve ona sonuna kadar güvenebileceğine dair inanç. Çalmak. Kelime kendi başına her şeyi anlatıyor; biz çalarız. Çalarak yerdekilere, huşu içinde dürbünlerine sarılanlara ve dünyayı yukarıdan görmeyen ya da başkaları tarafından taşınmadıkça göremeyeceklere bir manzara sunarız.syf105
Herkese keyifli okumalar.
Her zaman her şeyde bir amaç, bir neden olduğunu, her şeyde bir hayır olduğunu düşünürüz. Oysa çoğu hayat, kocaman bir hiç içinde tesadüfi olayların, anların bir araya gelmesinden ibaret.syf208
Kuşlar bana zamanın insanların düşündüğü gibi düz bir çizgi olmadığını gösteriyor. Şeyler son bulmuyor, sadece biçim değiştiriyor. Bir duygu düşünceye, bir düşünce davranışa, bir davranış düşünceye, bir düşünce yine duyguya dönüşüyor. İlk duygu geri gelip, yeninin üzerine çizgi çekiyor. İlk düşünce bir süre uyuduktan sonra birdenbire yeniden ortaya çıkıyor. Zamanlar bu şekilde birbirine karışıyor, bu şekilde aynı anda farklı zamanlarda var olabiliyoruz.syf210
Rüzgâr yolun geri kalanında beni uzaklara taşıyor, tepeye, karanlığa yöneliyorum. Etrafımdaki mavilik derinleşiyor. Evde baştankaralar uyumak için kutularına girmiş bile. Kemanımı alıyorum, meydan okuyan bir şeyler çalmak istiyorum. Bartók, parmaklarım yavaş, bedenim paslanan bir makine gibi. Müzik hâlâ içimde, sadece daha önce olduğundan daha uzakta.
Kayıp, hiçbir şeyin hiçbir zaman senin olmadığını anlamaktır.
Keder, umudun kaybolduğunu anlamak ya da henüz tam anlamıyla anlayamamaktır.syf187
Bazı kuşlar hem çok gürültülü hem de kıvrak, bazılarının ise varlığı bile zor fark ediliyor. Artık onları hem seslerinden hem de ötüşlerinden tanımaya başlıyorum. Londra'dayken onları grup hâlinde algılıyordum, parktaki bir baştankarayı tanıyordum, Thomas'ın teknesinin önündeki ağaçta da gözlediğimiz yuva yapmış bir çift vardı fakat yine de birbirlerinden bu kadar farklı olduklarını bilmiyordum. Görmek zaman ister.syf157
...onu görmüyorum ama o oradaymış gibi çalıyorum. Çaldığımız parça doğa manzarası gibi; başlangıçta çimen var (ve ayaklarının altındaki yaprakların her biri canlı) sonra su-bazen sakin bazen dalgalı, denize dökülen bulanık bir nehir suyu- sonra bir çizgi; ufuk ya da sahil çizgisi, bütün bu hareketi bir arada tutan durağan bir çerçeve, hem beklenen hem de beklenmeyen bir geçişin önünde duran bir çit; manzara değişiyor, tepeler ortaya çıkıyor, dik yamaçlar, kayalar, uçurumlar, uzaklarda bir düzlük, dağlar ve dağlardan her şey ya da neredeyse her şey görülebiliyor, dünyayı ve var olan her şeyi görebileceğini düşünüyorsun ve tekrar yavaşça aşağı indiğinde her şey sonsuz incelikler ve detaylar içinde, karmaşık ve küçük büyüğün içinde kayboluyor, işte geri döndün, her yeri gördün ve aynı zamanda olduğun yerden hiç kıpırdamadın.
Çalmak uçmaya benzer; yükseklik, hız, hafiflik, sihirli olanın yakalanabileceğine ve ona sonuna kadar güvenebileceğine dair inanç. Çalmak. Kelime kendi başına her şeyi anlatıyor; biz çalarız. Çalarak yerdekilere, huşu içinde dürbünlerine sarılanlara ve dünyayı yukarıdan görmeyen ya da başkaları tarafından taşınmadıkça göremeyeceklere bir manzara sunarız.syf105
December 23, 2019
This book was available as a "Read Now" selection via Net Galley from Pushkin Press and was published in 2018. The subject matter intrigued me as I had never heard of this woman Len Howard who had made a radical decision to leave her position as a violinist in London and move to remote spot in Sussex where she could devote her life to studying birds.
The construction of the fictionalized account of her life moves between her early childhood in Wales through adulthood in London and her life at Bird Cottage as she gets to know and live with birds. She goes on to write many articles and from that interest then books.
Her family life was interesting, her dedication to her violin was as well, but her decision to act on changing her life dramatically based on her love of birds from childhood was unique.
This is a good book for lovers of nature...is sometimes melancholy and slow paced.
The construction of the fictionalized account of her life moves between her early childhood in Wales through adulthood in London and her life at Bird Cottage as she gets to know and live with birds. She goes on to write many articles and from that interest then books.
Her family life was interesting, her dedication to her violin was as well, but her decision to act on changing her life dramatically based on her love of birds from childhood was unique.
This is a good book for lovers of nature...is sometimes melancholy and slow paced.
July 19, 2020
WONDERFUL WONDERFUL WONDERFUL!!!
I highly recommend every bird-lover to read this gem of a book.
It’s made me feel that it’s normal to name the birds in the garden, they become your friends, companions. I shall see Great Tits in a different light now, I’ll watch them more closely, I’ll see their individual personalities, thanks to Ms Meijer. Thanks to Len.
This is a mix of biography and fiction put together in an enchantingly beautiful way and it didn’t make me cry at all. (Lies, I wept gently because I finished it!)
*Thank you to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley*
I highly recommend every bird-lover to read this gem of a book.
It’s made me feel that it’s normal to name the birds in the garden, they become your friends, companions. I shall see Great Tits in a different light now, I’ll watch them more closely, I’ll see their individual personalities, thanks to Ms Meijer. Thanks to Len.
This is a mix of biography and fiction put together in an enchantingly beautiful way and it didn’t make me cry at all. (Lies, I wept gently because I finished it!)
*Thank you to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley*
January 24, 2018
Een geromantiseerde biografie over het leven van Gwendolen Howard , een vrouw die haar tijd ver vooruit is, zowel in haar visie op relaties als door haar grote mate van zelfstandigheid en ambitie. De schrijfster laat Len zelf haar verhaal vertellen.
Ze is een begenadigd violiste, verhuist begin jaren 1900 op haar eentje naar Londen om daar in een orkest te gaan spelen. Maar in de grote stad mist ze het contact met vogels, iets waar ze van kleinsaf al sterk mee bezig is. Ze koopt een huisje op het platteland dat al snel een paradijs voor vogels wordt. In haar vogelhuis bestudeert ze de vogels in hun natuurlijke habitat en ze publiceert zelfs 2 boeken.
Geen avonturen, geen actie maar het verhaal van een vrouw die haar droom verwezenlijkt en daardoor een stil leven leidt. Zeer aangenaam om te lezen, geschreven in een stijl en een taal die zeer beeldend is. Een van de vogels, de koolmees Ster, wordt in aparte hoofdstukken geobserveerd en beschreven en blijken stukken te zijn uit het werk van Len Howard zelf. Een intimistisch pareltje. Schoon, zeer schoon …
Ze is een begenadigd violiste, verhuist begin jaren 1900 op haar eentje naar Londen om daar in een orkest te gaan spelen. Maar in de grote stad mist ze het contact met vogels, iets waar ze van kleinsaf al sterk mee bezig is. Ze koopt een huisje op het platteland dat al snel een paradijs voor vogels wordt. In haar vogelhuis bestudeert ze de vogels in hun natuurlijke habitat en ze publiceert zelfs 2 boeken.
Geen avonturen, geen actie maar het verhaal van een vrouw die haar droom verwezenlijkt en daardoor een stil leven leidt. Zeer aangenaam om te lezen, geschreven in een stijl en een taal die zeer beeldend is. Een van de vogels, de koolmees Ster, wordt in aparte hoofdstukken geobserveerd en beschreven en blijken stukken te zijn uit het werk van Len Howard zelf. Een intimistisch pareltje. Schoon, zeer schoon …
July 7, 2020
I received a copy of the beautifully designed Bird Cottage by Eva Meijer for my birthday, after hearing many wonderful things about it - Town and Country, for example, describe the novel as 'a celebration of a life spent immersed in nature', and Country Life deems it 'a great pleasure for birders and readers alike'. Bird Cottage has been translated from the original Dutch by Antoinette Fawcett, and is printed in its English edition by Pushkin Press, a publishing house which I always gravitate toward.
Bird Cottage is a fictionalised account of the life of Gwendolen Howard, known as Len. Dissatisfied with her life in London, she decided to retire to the English countryside at the age of forty . In 1938, she purchased a secluded cottage in Sussex, from which she would be able to observe birds. From her new home, she found the peace, and the avian subjects, which she needed to author two bestselling bird books. With these, she managed to captivate a large audience 'with her observations on the tits, robins, sparrows and other birds who lived nearby, flew freely in and out of her windows, and would even perch on her shoulder as she typed.'
The prologue of Bird Cottage is set in 1965, when Len is alarmed to find a 'stocky man' using an electric hedge-cutter in her garden. When she tells him that the hedge is filled with birds' nests, her voice becomes 'shriller than usual. It feels as if someone is strangling me.' We then move back and forth through time; Len in the present day attempts to stop the birds' habitat from being destroyed, and remembers many instances from her past which include her two greatest passions - birds, and music. As a child, living with her parents and siblings in a large house in Wales, Len used to write stories about the birds she came across, and kept lists of the many species which visited her garden each spring and summer.
Len makes a home with the generations of birds which inhabit her garden; indeed, they soon come to inhabit her home, too. On the decision of some Great Tits to nest inside her cottage, she observes: 'Their choices were not always happy - they would roost between the curtain rods and the ceiling, or in the frame of a sliding door, which meant that it could no longer be closed - and so I began to hang boxes on the walls, or old food cartons, or small wooden cases.' Such a glorious sense of place is created, and soon, Len's cottage, with all of its little quirks, feels rather intimate. I loved the descriptions of the outside world too, of which there are many: 'The red in the sky has turned lilac, then purple, then dark blue, the shadow of the earth silhouetted against the pink, and now it's become a blanket full of stars, little openings that let the light shine through.'
The first person perspective which has been used throughout works so well, as does the present tense which is continually used. One is made aware, almost immediately, of how much Len cared about the birds whom she essentially came to plan her life around. Everything is seen through Len's kind eyes, and the birds become characters in their own right. She observes: 'The Great Tits are sunning themselves in the front garden, their wings outspread. Jacob and Monocle II are sitting next to each other, very fraternally, as if they don't usually spend the whole day quarrelling. It's the heat that has made them so placid... Jacob's oldest son is perched on a low, broad branch. He is a little slower than the others - too much feeding at my bird table.'
I very much admired Meijer's interpretation of Len Howard, and would dearly like to learn more about her. Meijer notes that very little about Len's life has actually been preserved, and that she pieced together the novel with the use of sparse known facts, and Len's own work. Unfortunately, Len's books appear very difficult to get hold of affordably, but I can only hope that they are reissued at some point in the near future. I am sure that the many delighted readers of Bird Cottage would love to read Len's original work.
Such warmth suffuses Bird Cottage, and it is such a delightful novel to read. The translation has been seamlessly done, and the prose is often achingly beautiful. Bird Cottage is charming and delightful, and provides a wonderful piece of escapism from the fast-paced world in which we live, where many people often forget to take notice of the little things around them. Bird Cottage is a novel to savour.
Bird Cottage is a fictionalised account of the life of Gwendolen Howard, known as Len. Dissatisfied with her life in London, she decided to retire to the English countryside at the age of forty . In 1938, she purchased a secluded cottage in Sussex, from which she would be able to observe birds. From her new home, she found the peace, and the avian subjects, which she needed to author two bestselling bird books. With these, she managed to captivate a large audience 'with her observations on the tits, robins, sparrows and other birds who lived nearby, flew freely in and out of her windows, and would even perch on her shoulder as she typed.'
The prologue of Bird Cottage is set in 1965, when Len is alarmed to find a 'stocky man' using an electric hedge-cutter in her garden. When she tells him that the hedge is filled with birds' nests, her voice becomes 'shriller than usual. It feels as if someone is strangling me.' We then move back and forth through time; Len in the present day attempts to stop the birds' habitat from being destroyed, and remembers many instances from her past which include her two greatest passions - birds, and music. As a child, living with her parents and siblings in a large house in Wales, Len used to write stories about the birds she came across, and kept lists of the many species which visited her garden each spring and summer.
Len makes a home with the generations of birds which inhabit her garden; indeed, they soon come to inhabit her home, too. On the decision of some Great Tits to nest inside her cottage, she observes: 'Their choices were not always happy - they would roost between the curtain rods and the ceiling, or in the frame of a sliding door, which meant that it could no longer be closed - and so I began to hang boxes on the walls, or old food cartons, or small wooden cases.' Such a glorious sense of place is created, and soon, Len's cottage, with all of its little quirks, feels rather intimate. I loved the descriptions of the outside world too, of which there are many: 'The red in the sky has turned lilac, then purple, then dark blue, the shadow of the earth silhouetted against the pink, and now it's become a blanket full of stars, little openings that let the light shine through.'
The first person perspective which has been used throughout works so well, as does the present tense which is continually used. One is made aware, almost immediately, of how much Len cared about the birds whom she essentially came to plan her life around. Everything is seen through Len's kind eyes, and the birds become characters in their own right. She observes: 'The Great Tits are sunning themselves in the front garden, their wings outspread. Jacob and Monocle II are sitting next to each other, very fraternally, as if they don't usually spend the whole day quarrelling. It's the heat that has made them so placid... Jacob's oldest son is perched on a low, broad branch. He is a little slower than the others - too much feeding at my bird table.'
I very much admired Meijer's interpretation of Len Howard, and would dearly like to learn more about her. Meijer notes that very little about Len's life has actually been preserved, and that she pieced together the novel with the use of sparse known facts, and Len's own work. Unfortunately, Len's books appear very difficult to get hold of affordably, but I can only hope that they are reissued at some point in the near future. I am sure that the many delighted readers of Bird Cottage would love to read Len's original work.
Such warmth suffuses Bird Cottage, and it is such a delightful novel to read. The translation has been seamlessly done, and the prose is often achingly beautiful. Bird Cottage is charming and delightful, and provides a wonderful piece of escapism from the fast-paced world in which we live, where many people often forget to take notice of the little things around them. Bird Cottage is a novel to savour.
January 10, 2023
Kuş Evi, amatör kuş çalışmaları ile tanınan İngiliz müzisyen ve doğa aşığı Gwendolen (Len) Howard’ın gerçek yaşamöyküsünden kurgulanmış biyografik bir roman. Len Howard, müzik eğitimi alabilmek için, 20.yy başlarında, doğup büyüdüğü Galler’den ayrılıp, Londra’ya gidiyor. Hayatının ilerleyen dönemlerinde, kuşları doğal ortamında gözlemleme ve hatta onlarla yaşama imkanı olan küçük bir kasabaya taşınıyor ve ölümüne dek burada yaşıyor. Hayatının çoğunu en büyük tutkusu olan kuşları gözlemlemeye adayan Howard, kuşlarla ilgili kitap ve yazılar yazıyor. Kitabın konusu oldukça ilgi çekici. Zaten kitapçı gezerken tesadüfen görüp arka kapağını okuduğumda beni de cezbeden bu hikaye olmuştu. Ancak ne yazık ki bu çok güzel hikaye muazzam bir roman olabilecekken, kurgulaştırılması o kadar başarılı olmadığından benim çok sevemediğim hatta bitirmekte zorlandığım bir kitap oldu. Yazarın edebi kaygılarının öncelikli olmadığını anlayabiliyorum ancak kitaptaki hikayeler çok yüzeysel geçilmiş ve okurken kopukluk da hissediliyor. O nedenle kurguya girmekte epey zorlandım. Karakterin de yeterince derinlikli yansıtılmadığını düşünüyorum. Howard’ın ikili ilişkiler konusunda dönemin tabularına baş kaldırışı, toplum tarafından biçilen cinsiyet rollerini reddedip Londra’ya eğitim almaya gidişi, arka planda denk geldiğimiz süfrajet hareketi gibi feminist unsurlar ve Howard’ın hayat hikayesi oldukça hoşuma gitti fakat genel olarak maalesef kitabı sevemedim.
February 7, 2022
Masterful novel about Len (Gwendolyn) Howard, a woman who turned to birds and proved at her bird garden that each and every one of them has their own personality which does not consist of instincts alone. These passages are quite funny where a young scientist comes to visit and most of what he says about those birds is wrong. One cannot study living nature in the sterile lab room but needs to go into nature and live within nature without disturbing it. Len Howard becomes The Lady of the Birds and Eva Meijer has written a beautiful as well as memorable half-fictional account of this meaningful life.
PS: I’d like to see the scores of the Songs of Great Tits. I’ve noticed that the accent of Great Tits of UK differs greatly from the accent of Great Tits of Estonia (and Latvia, for that matter - I’m not sure everyone knows that for summer time Estonian Great Tits cross the sea to Finland, and Latvian Great Tits replace them).
PS: I’d like to see the scores of the Songs of Great Tits. I’ve noticed that the accent of Great Tits of UK differs greatly from the accent of Great Tits of Estonia (and Latvia, for that matter - I’m not sure everyone knows that for summer time Estonian Great Tits cross the sea to Finland, and Latvian Great Tits replace them).
November 12, 2022
"Ik moet me niet afvragen of wat ik doe nut heeft, of ik genoeg doe. De vogels laten me zien dat tijd niet de lijn is die mensen ervan maken. Dingen eindigen niet, ze veranderen alleen van vorm. Een gevoel wordt een gedachte, een gedachte een handeling, een handeling een gedachte, een gedachte een gevoel. Het eerste gevoel keert terug, trekt strepen door nieuw gevoel. De eerste gedachte slaapt een tijd, steekt dan weer de kop op. Zo mengen tijden zich, zo bestaan we in verschillende momenten tegelijk."
August 3, 2024
Gwendolen Howard – Gwen o Len per gli amici – sa bene cosa vuole dalla vita e la casa di famiglia nel Surrey non è abbastanza grande per contenere tutti i suoi desideri. Lì è diventata una violinista, lì, insieme a suo padre, ha imparato ad amare la natura e gli uccelli. Quello che le manca davvero, però, è la libertà. Una libertà che non è licenza o disprezzo delle regole, ma la sensazione viva e vivificante che si prova nel trovare la propria strada, nel poterla percorrere a cuor leggero, senza pesi insostenibili da portare sulle spalle, senza sensi di colpa per la felicità che si prova a volare quando gli altri non riescono a stare al tuo passo.
Lotta Gwen, contro le nevrosi che obbligano sua madre a letto chiusa nella propria camera; lotta contro le accuse della sorella Olive, che quasi la odia per la forza che ha trovato di lasciare tutto e tutti, per la stessa forza che lei non ha saputo coltivare in sé e che l’ha ancorata a quella casa piena di spettri e rimpianti.
A ventun anni nessuno può più fermarla e Len arriva a Londra, il violino sotto braccio come unico compagno fidato. Finalmente suonerà in un’orchestra, finalmente potrà fare ciò che ama. Londra la soverchia, con il suo traffico, il suo grigiume; la novità è inebriante, i volti delle persone mappe da percorrere per scoprire nuovi intrecci, giochi con regole tutte diverse, ma sempre uguali. Tra una prova e l’altra, Len alza lo sguardo verso il cielo, si rifugia nei parchi, cerca quella natura che l’ha vista crescere e di cui è profondamente imbevuta.
Aveva sempre pensato che suonare fosse la sua vita, una scelta sicura, stabile, che il mondo poteva comprendere, anche se con un certo sforzo. Già immaginava nelle ore di solitudine nella sua camera che, forse anche lei, prima o poi, avrebbe ceduto all’amore, al matrimonio, un po’ come le donne che la circondano, che si sposano e lasciano indietro tutto il resto, quasi come se la musica non fosse mai esistita, quasi come se loro non fossero mai esistite prima del fatidico sì.
Continua a leggere qui: https://parlaredilibri.wordpress.com/...
Lotta Gwen, contro le nevrosi che obbligano sua madre a letto chiusa nella propria camera; lotta contro le accuse della sorella Olive, che quasi la odia per la forza che ha trovato di lasciare tutto e tutti, per la stessa forza che lei non ha saputo coltivare in sé e che l’ha ancorata a quella casa piena di spettri e rimpianti.
A ventun anni nessuno può più fermarla e Len arriva a Londra, il violino sotto braccio come unico compagno fidato. Finalmente suonerà in un’orchestra, finalmente potrà fare ciò che ama. Londra la soverchia, con il suo traffico, il suo grigiume; la novità è inebriante, i volti delle persone mappe da percorrere per scoprire nuovi intrecci, giochi con regole tutte diverse, ma sempre uguali. Tra una prova e l’altra, Len alza lo sguardo verso il cielo, si rifugia nei parchi, cerca quella natura che l’ha vista crescere e di cui è profondamente imbevuta.
Aveva sempre pensato che suonare fosse la sua vita, una scelta sicura, stabile, che il mondo poteva comprendere, anche se con un certo sforzo. Già immaginava nelle ore di solitudine nella sua camera che, forse anche lei, prima o poi, avrebbe ceduto all’amore, al matrimonio, un po’ come le donne che la circondano, che si sposano e lasciano indietro tutto il resto, quasi come se la musica non fosse mai esistita, quasi come se loro non fossero mai esistite prima del fatidico sì.
Continua a leggere qui: https://parlaredilibri.wordpress.com/...
December 27, 2021
Veľmi krásna knižka plná nevšedných obrazov, ktorá zanechá na duši príjemné pocity. Najviac sa mi páčili "scénky" s trénovaním a chovaním sa vtáčikov, tie boli pôsobivé a osviežujúce.
October 24, 2021
Een ander boek dan "normaal". Dat is mijn (positieve!) oordeel over 'Het vogelhuis' van Eva Meijer. Een bijzonder verhaal over een alles behalve "normale" vrouw die leefde voor de vogels 🐦
Dit boek beschrijft het deels biografische, deels fictieve verhaal van Len Howard. Een vrouw die uit liefde en interesse voor vogels een belangrijk deel van haar leven wijdt aan het observeren van vogelgedrag.
Ze bestudeert de vogels in vrijheid, omdat ze gelooft dat vogels in gevangenschap afwijkende, niet natuurlijke gedragingen laten zien.
Deze opvatting lijkt tevens van toepassing op haar eigen leven. Len kiest tegen de tijdsgeest in steeds voor zichzelf. Ze gaat in haar eentje naar Londen, studeert aan het conservatorium, trouwt niet, verlaat een prestigieus orkest om op het platteland vogels te bestuderen. Ze laat zich niet kooien door de heersende opvattingen over wat een vrouw begin twintigste eeuw moet doen en vooral moet laten. Ze is een vrije vogel.
Het boek staat vol parallellen tussen mensen en vogels. De wijze waarop zij naar het orkest kijkt, vertoont sterke overeenkomsten met de vogelgemeenschap later in haar tuin. Ook treffend zijn de overeenkomsten met Ster, een bijzondere koolmees met wie Len een speciale band ontwikkelt. Beide wijken af van de populatie en leggen een groot zelflerend vermogen aan de dag. Haar observaties brengen mens en dier weer dichter bij elkaar.
Opvallend aan dit boek vind ik de typische cadans. Tussen de regels door gebeuren weliswaar ingrijpende dingen in Lens leven, toch kenmerkt het verhaal zich door een soort rust en eenvoud. Kabbelend maar nooit saai. De persoon van Len krijgt extra vorm in het taalgebruik dat zich ook kenmerkt door een eenvoud, ontdaan van franjes. Bovendien staat het boek vol schitterende observaties:
'Hier is tijd niet veel meer dan het licht dat verandert.'
'In het museum loopt hij als een langzame schaatser, zijn handen op zijn rug; half kind, half filosoof.'
Het Vogelhuis - Eva Meijer: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dit boek beschrijft het deels biografische, deels fictieve verhaal van Len Howard. Een vrouw die uit liefde en interesse voor vogels een belangrijk deel van haar leven wijdt aan het observeren van vogelgedrag.
Ze bestudeert de vogels in vrijheid, omdat ze gelooft dat vogels in gevangenschap afwijkende, niet natuurlijke gedragingen laten zien.
Deze opvatting lijkt tevens van toepassing op haar eigen leven. Len kiest tegen de tijdsgeest in steeds voor zichzelf. Ze gaat in haar eentje naar Londen, studeert aan het conservatorium, trouwt niet, verlaat een prestigieus orkest om op het platteland vogels te bestuderen. Ze laat zich niet kooien door de heersende opvattingen over wat een vrouw begin twintigste eeuw moet doen en vooral moet laten. Ze is een vrije vogel.
Het boek staat vol parallellen tussen mensen en vogels. De wijze waarop zij naar het orkest kijkt, vertoont sterke overeenkomsten met de vogelgemeenschap later in haar tuin. Ook treffend zijn de overeenkomsten met Ster, een bijzondere koolmees met wie Len een speciale band ontwikkelt. Beide wijken af van de populatie en leggen een groot zelflerend vermogen aan de dag. Haar observaties brengen mens en dier weer dichter bij elkaar.
Opvallend aan dit boek vind ik de typische cadans. Tussen de regels door gebeuren weliswaar ingrijpende dingen in Lens leven, toch kenmerkt het verhaal zich door een soort rust en eenvoud. Kabbelend maar nooit saai. De persoon van Len krijgt extra vorm in het taalgebruik dat zich ook kenmerkt door een eenvoud, ontdaan van franjes. Bovendien staat het boek vol schitterende observaties:
'Hier is tijd niet veel meer dan het licht dat verandert.'
'In het museum loopt hij als een langzame schaatser, zijn handen op zijn rug; half kind, half filosoof.'
Het Vogelhuis - Eva Meijer: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 8, 2022
Kao ljubiteljici ptica, ova mi je knjiga blago. Puna je ljubavi prema pticama i znanja i, za mene, saznanja do kojih na drugi način možda ne bih došla.
No, možda je malo čudno napisana. Svakako, drukčije nego sam mislila da će biti, možda malo preodsječno i prešturo. S druge strane, ako čovjek želi obuhvatiti nečiji cijeli život i potrudi se iz njega izvaditi ono što je, prema njegovom uvjerenju, najvažnije, onda može proći. Ipak, sveukupan dojam mi je da je malo prehladna - ili Eva Meijer ili Gwendolen Howard, o kojoj se ovdje govori.
Ipak, dajem četiri zvjezdice, baš zbog velike ljubavi i nježnosti prema pticama; ja ne mogu drukčije. Ptice su velika radost, ptice su život. Zato razumijem Gwendolen. I šaljem zagrljaj Evi Meijer.
No, možda je malo čudno napisana. Svakako, drukčije nego sam mislila da će biti, možda malo preodsječno i prešturo. S druge strane, ako čovjek želi obuhvatiti nečiji cijeli život i potrudi se iz njega izvaditi ono što je, prema njegovom uvjerenju, najvažnije, onda može proći. Ipak, sveukupan dojam mi je da je malo prehladna - ili Eva Meijer ili Gwendolen Howard, o kojoj se ovdje govori.
Ipak, dajem četiri zvjezdice, baš zbog velike ljubavi i nježnosti prema pticama; ja ne mogu drukčije. Ptice su velika radost, ptice su život. Zato razumijem Gwendolen. I šaljem zagrljaj Evi Meijer.
April 25, 2020
What a beautiful, serene, inspiring story! The Bird Cottage is based on an actual person, and her patience, care, and love for the wild birds who reside in her yard. Written in a calm and descriptive manner, the setting comes alive for you.
Len Howard isn’t impressed with people. She really doesn’t care to follow the expectations of her generation: grow up, marry, have kids. Len is independent, quiet, and really not affected by what others think. When she turns forty, she does the one thing that she knows will make her happy. She moves to Sussex, buys a small old cottage, and begins her study of the birds that live around her. Actually writing two very successful books, she was able to study and explain habits of wild birds while they lived freely in their natural habitat.
This is such a peaceful and endearing read, especially if you enjoy birds. It’s so refreshing to read about people who follow their dream and resist the forces and expectations of society.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for making it available.)
Len Howard isn’t impressed with people. She really doesn’t care to follow the expectations of her generation: grow up, marry, have kids. Len is independent, quiet, and really not affected by what others think. When she turns forty, she does the one thing that she knows will make her happy. She moves to Sussex, buys a small old cottage, and begins her study of the birds that live around her. Actually writing two very successful books, she was able to study and explain habits of wild birds while they lived freely in their natural habitat.
This is such a peaceful and endearing read, especially if you enjoy birds. It’s so refreshing to read about people who follow their dream and resist the forces and expectations of society.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for making it available.)
November 17, 2018
Gwendolen “Len” Howard, born in 1894, was a British naturalist and musician. She wrote two popular books, about her own unique observations of birds. In the late 1930s, she purchased a plot of land, with a small house on it and named it the “Bird Cottage”.
This novel, fictionalizes Howard's life. Examining her childhood, a successful career as a violinist and what led her to devote her later years to her passion of birds. I liked this book. It is solidly written and the author deserves credit for her deep research. It never reached quite the heights I was hoping for, but through my love for birds and nature, I found enough to be satisfied with.
This novel, fictionalizes Howard's life. Examining her childhood, a successful career as a violinist and what led her to devote her later years to her passion of birds. I liked this book. It is solidly written and the author deserves credit for her deep research. It never reached quite the heights I was hoping for, but through my love for birds and nature, I found enough to be satisfied with.
February 7, 2019
Some books just chirp their way into your heart, one birdsong at a time. Birds are the original callers of mindfulness. How can you be stressed when you listen to birdsong? ‘Bird Cottage’ is a homage of love from Eva Meijer to an eccentric bird scientist. It’s a fictional retelling of Gwendolen Howard’s fascinating life. Gwen ‘retired’ to a cottage in the UK, observing birds and living in reclusive silence for most of her life. Although her observations on bird behavior were never taken seriously by the scientific community, Meijer paints the picture of a beautiful life.
The chapters that are directly translated from Gwendolen’s own work on the birds that came to her cottage are some of the best I have ever read. This is a whimsical book, full of love, and a lot of chirping.
The chapters that are directly translated from Gwendolen’s own work on the birds that came to her cottage are some of the best I have ever read. This is a whimsical book, full of love, and a lot of chirping.
March 22, 2022
Absolutely loved this book! Its a lovely, captivating fictional account of the life of a real person, Gwendolyn ' Len' Howard, musician, avid bird observer and author from 1900 to 1973 through WWs, set in Wales and London and then finally ending in her small cottage in Sussex, aptly named, The Bird Cottage.
Gorgeous prose, great characterization, wonderful story written by Eva Meijer translated from the Dutch by Antoinette Fawcett. A beautifuly presented book with it's bright yellow cover and her beloved birds front and center. Highly recommend.
Gorgeous prose, great characterization, wonderful story written by Eva Meijer translated from the Dutch by Antoinette Fawcett. A beautifuly presented book with it's bright yellow cover and her beloved birds front and center. Highly recommend.
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