Candida Meyrick's self-help book "Be More Bird" promises to impart wisdom from her prized Harris hawk, Sophia Houdini White Wing, but what actually emerges is a parroting of tired clichés. The author, a novelist and bird enthusiast, attempts to draw parallels between the hawk's life and those of humans, but ends up sacrificing nuance for pithy platitudes.
Rather than delving into the intricate social dynamics of the hawk's world or exploring its remarkable physical abilities, Meyrick focuses on 20 brief "life lessons" that Bird supposedly shares with her. These maxims are often shallow and easily applicable, such as "stay humble" and "hold your ground," which feel more like generic self-help advice than profound insights.
The problem arises when the author attempts to extrapolate these lessons onto a larger human context. Take, for example, Meyrick's musings on the hawk's ability to shed its old feathers during the moult season, shedding "everything bad" and emerging anew. While this might be a meaningful metaphor for humans, Meyrick's execution falls flat, with overly simplistic language that feels more like a Hallmark card than a thoughtful exploration of the human experience.
One can't help but wonder if Meyrick is trying to tap into the popularity of nature writing subgenres, à la Helen Macdonald's "H Is for Hawk" or Chloe Dalton's "Raising Hare." If so, she fails to bring anything new or compelling to the table. The result is a book that feels contrived and ploddingly earthbound – exactly the kind of thing Sophia Houdini White Wing might scold her human counterpart for.
Ultimately, "Be More Bird" falls prey to its own hype, promising more wisdom than it can deliver. Meyrick's attempts at anthropomorphism feel forced, and her prose often succumbs to purple prose, making it difficult to discern what she truly means to convey. It's a shame, given the fascinating subject matter, that this book doesn't soar to greater heights.
Rather than delving into the intricate social dynamics of the hawk's world or exploring its remarkable physical abilities, Meyrick focuses on 20 brief "life lessons" that Bird supposedly shares with her. These maxims are often shallow and easily applicable, such as "stay humble" and "hold your ground," which feel more like generic self-help advice than profound insights.
The problem arises when the author attempts to extrapolate these lessons onto a larger human context. Take, for example, Meyrick's musings on the hawk's ability to shed its old feathers during the moult season, shedding "everything bad" and emerging anew. While this might be a meaningful metaphor for humans, Meyrick's execution falls flat, with overly simplistic language that feels more like a Hallmark card than a thoughtful exploration of the human experience.
One can't help but wonder if Meyrick is trying to tap into the popularity of nature writing subgenres, à la Helen Macdonald's "H Is for Hawk" or Chloe Dalton's "Raising Hare." If so, she fails to bring anything new or compelling to the table. The result is a book that feels contrived and ploddingly earthbound – exactly the kind of thing Sophia Houdini White Wing might scold her human counterpart for.
Ultimately, "Be More Bird" falls prey to its own hype, promising more wisdom than it can deliver. Meyrick's attempts at anthropomorphism feel forced, and her prose often succumbs to purple prose, making it difficult to discern what she truly means to convey. It's a shame, given the fascinating subject matter, that this book doesn't soar to greater heights.
The book feels like a watered-down version of other amazing nature writing books out there. Meyrick tries to pass off these clichéd maxims as profound insights, but they just don't fly (pun intended). It's like she's more interested in checking off a "nature writer" box than actually exploring the complexities of human experience. 
. It's like she took all the cool wisdom from nature writing and squashed it into 20 super shallow "life lessons" 
. And don't even get me started on how forced the anthropomorphism is – Sophia Houdini White Wing deserves better than to be used as a prop for Meyrick's shallow musings 
. Overall, it just felt like a big letdown 
.
. I mean, who hasn't heard "stay humble" before? 
where's the depth? where's the nuance? 
i wanted a book that would take me on a deeper journey of self-discovery, not just offer some trite advice 
. Meyrick's execution feels like she's more interested in tapping into the whole "nature writing" trend than actually bringing something new to the table 
.
. I mean, what about exploring the complexities of human nature instead of relying on simplistic metaphors? It's like they're trying to sell us a bill of feathers... er, goods 
. And don't even get me started on the marketing – it feels like Meyrick is trying to hawk (okay, I'll stop) her book as some kind of revolutionary guide, but really it's just more of the same old tired clichés 
And let's be real, some of those "life lessons" are just plain obvious 
. I don't know, maybe I'm just too invested in Sophia Houdini White Wing's story to care that it's not exactly deep 
. Can we just enjoy the book for what it is - a feel-good read about a beautiful hawk and its human friend? 
OMG you guys I just finished reading "Be More Bird" and I'm still trying to process why it was so disappointing 
? It feels so generic and overused. And don't even get me started on the metaphor about shedding old feathers 
but what happened was just a bunch of shallow clichés strung together with some purple prose 
. It feels like she's trying to cash in on the popularity of books like Helen Macdonald's "H Is for Hawk" but it just doesn't hold up 
.
. But no, instead we get a book that feels contrived and boring 
but honestly, it just feels like a bunch of lazy self-help clichés strung together with some bird-themed buzzwords 
. And don't even get me started on how she tries to force this whole "Sophia Houdini White Wing is my guru" vibe 
. The hawk's got some sick moves, but Meyrick just kinda...meh'd on 'em 
. I mean, "stay humble" and "hold your ground"? Come on, that's not exactly rocket science 
.