Catherine, Called Birdy

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Summary: Cathrine, Called Birdy
Review: "Cathrine, Called Birdy" is a young adult book in class of its own. Unlike the pretty, superficial novels usually written for children, this book's historical setting and endearing heroine make it a must read for all precocius children who grew up on fairy-tales, etc. Set in The Middle ages, this novel explores the society of the time and also the conditions of the time including some hilarious insights on the hygiene! When I read this book in 4th gradec I was automatically hooked on everything Middle Ages and actually was inspired to do research in my free time! Setting of the book aside, "Birdy" is a wonderful character that many girls will be able to connect with even though they live more than 500 years later. Each diary entry tells you more about this character, which makes her personality more in-depth than other books for this age group i recommend this book for all ages especially for girls who are just begining to choose what kind of books they want to read and have always enjoyed fary-tale and historical fiction type works.

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Summary: Little bird, little bird, in the cinnamon tree...
Review: Arbitrators of historical accuracy in works of fiction decried "Catherine Called Birdy" as a travesty when it first came out. They said it was inaccurate and filled with factual misrepresentations. They said the main character could not and would not have acted the way she did (Birdy is both headstrong and willful) not because she wasn't capable of it but because of the times in which she lived (Medieval England). I was very partial to "Catherine Called Birdy" when I read it. I thought it was a breezy romp through a time entirely different from our own today. I thought the plot was enjoyable, the main character likable, and the setting fascinating. But yes, if pressed, I would admit that this is definitely not the book you're going to want to read to if you want a realistic portrayal of the Middle Ages. So there it is.

Lady Catherine (called Birdy) is the fourteen-year-old daughter of a knight and lady of a manor. Their only daughter, she is expected to wed soon, thereby bringing in a significant price from her suitor. Birdy, however, has other ideas. She knows that in terms of some people (barons, kings, etc.) her family is not particularly rich, but she also feels that no money in the world would be worth her marriage to some empty headed blockhead. As such, the book follows the day-to-day activities of a young lady in jolly old England as she outsmarts and drives away a variety of different potential husbands. To do so, the tale is told through Birdy's journal entries, usually beginning with a note as to what the saint day it is and how they died. The book really hits its stride when Birdy finds herself engaged to a man that repulses and disgusts her more than any other she's met thus far.

I contest the notion that the book is entirely inaccurate, however. First of all, the ending of the book is, however fortuitous, believable. I feel the book taken as a whole is meant to show how trapped the lives of women during medieval times were. We are constantly bombarded with images of cages and caged birds. Birdy is told not to fight her position in life since it will do her little good. The book does not end with Birdy marrying outside her class or running away to live the single life. Instead, it remains faithful to the ideals of the time, for which I was very glad.

Just the same, Birdy is not your average girl. I have to agree that she's a mighty unlikely character for her time period too. Girls reading about her today might identify with her intrinsically, but that's only because she's written with a particularly modern eye. For example, Birdy expresses an interest in running away and joining the Crusades. I challenge anyone to say that any girl growing up in 1290 England even harbored a glimpse of a thought about such a thing. It wasn't just the girls couldn't, it was the fact that they would have considered such an idea alien to their culture. Birdy has lots of thoughts along these lines as well. She likes to fart and spit and do all sorts of things that, quite frankly, girls younger than fourteen might be into but that a kid her age would probably have outgrown. That was actually one of my problems with the book as well. Too often is Birdy immature for her age or irrational beyond her otherwise cool head. After all, being fourteen now and being fourteen then were two entirely different ideas. People grew up faster back in the day, an idea that Birdy does not seen to convey. In fact, in some things Birdy is perfectly ahead of her years. She seems to have a very clear idea of sex and human reproduction. On viewing some grass stained villagers returning from the woods she observes wryly that there will probably be quite a few babies born the coming December. Nine months away, that is.

Just the same, I liked this book. I liked how Birdy's conceptions of humans on the whole changes. I liked the humor in this tale, something that most books set in the Middle Ages neglect. In short, I liked "Catherine Called Birdy" in spite of its flaws. Author Cushman is good enough to include an Author's Note at the end of this text that offers not only further information about the times, but non-fiction resources and other medieval children's books for reference. I challenge you to read this story and not enjoy it, at least on some level. It's a lovely romp. And if you still find yourself yearning for something a little more believable, check out "Dante's Daughter" instead.

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Summary: suitors, suitors, suitors
Review: catherine is of an age to get married. And with her greedy pathetic excuse of a Father, she is going to be sold like a side of beef to the highest bidder. And she manages to avoid several suitors in the beggining by being gross and corse and rude.... blackened theeth, and such things. but then one of her suitors is nastier than she could ever be, so her plotting fails her. She does what is humanly possible to get out of the marriage.... which is tottaly gross 'cuase the guys way older than she is, but to no avail. And then the unexpected happens.... he dies..... so his heir gets to marry her...

Rating:
Summary: Catherine Called Birdy
Review: Cathrine is the daughter of an old-fashioned knight who gets drunk almost every day. Her mother is prim and proper-and wants Catharine to follow in her footsteps. All Catharine has to say is, "Corpus Bones! I utterly loathe my life." She endures through spinning and weaving lessons, annoying suitors, and a seemingly evil one that she calls, 'Shaggy Beard'. She even runs away once! This entire story was full of mirth and laughter, along with the occasional serious point.

I loved reading throuhg Catharine's diary, which made up the book, and I loved to see her point of view on everything. It seemed all too soon that it ended. God's Feet! I wish that Mrs.Cushman would come out with a sequel to this. I'd love to see how she copes with life in Sir Stephen's castle! But anyway, this was a fun, read, featuring everything from feasts to cures for warts from the Dark Ages. So, i'd reccomend this book to all of you fun-loving readers out there, no matter what age. Enjoy!

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Summary: AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Review: I read this book for the first time when I was in second or third grade. And then I read it again, and again. Today, my copy's spine is peeling and the pages are dog-eared. It was my favorite book for years and years. I don't plan to have any kids, but incase I have an accident or two, I'll probably keep this book forever: it's a perfect children's book. Catherine Called Birdy is funny, educational, realistic, and even heart-warming. But not too much. I'd reccomend it to absolutely anyone.

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Summary: Inside of the Cunning Catherine Called Birdy
Review: Karen Cushman did an incredible job when she wrote Catherine Called Birdy, because the book is one in which you see a different time through a young woman's eyes. Catherine, the main character, is a girl that is smarter, and more cunning, and gets herself into more trouble than most guys. She can even read and write! The book is set in the Middle Ages, in the countryside. Catherine finds her life fine apart from the fact that her father is trying to marry her off as though she's a piece of meat. She has a few devious plans for keeping the suitors away, but they can't work forever. Or can they? One impressive twist through out the story is something to do with romance, or actually no romance. Catherine Called Birdy isn't one of those mushy and compassionate books. Catherine is not exactly the type of girl that enjoys wearing frilly dresses, and the only way she thinks of boys is as friends. I'm sure that if Catherine were alive today she would rather play football, compared to jump rope. Catherine Called Birdy has some memorable characters. Her mother is a timid lady, and her father is a gruff man who is sort of slow, but he does have a lot of pride. There is also a sensitive side to her father, but to find out about that you'll have to read the book. One funny thing in the book is how Catherine and her best friend Perkins manage to execute so many of their tricks to out smart her father. Another funny thing is some of the tricks that Catherine pulled off to drive away the men who were trying to court her. One reason that I would not have read this book, if it had not been assigned, is that it is in diary form. Most diaries are incredibly stop and go, and they make you feel not at all connected with the book and its characters. Catherine Called Birdy is different. It has a real flow to it, and you feel like you are Catherine. You should read this book because it has a plot that is full of little adventures, and you will fall in love with the characters. Can you imagine being a tomboy in the Middle Ages with men coming to buy you to marry you? Even if you can't, you will love this book. This is one book, one girl and a lot of attitude! Trust me, read Catherine Called Birdy!

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Summary: I was hoping for more
Review: This book caught my eye as I was passing the children's section of the bookstore. From the summary and subject it sounded like my kind of thing. I read it all, and while it wasn't awful, I had hoped for something more; I was kind of expecting a humorous story about a girl trying to scare off all her suitors, but was mostly treated to a rather bland "diary" of the day to day life of a Medieval girl, which is okay, but not really what I was after. And truth be told, I caught many errors in the research, though mostly they would be called "nitpicks." (For example, the author seems to have no idea how men's clothing would have been constructed at the time.) I suppose it's fine for preteens who are kind of interested in the Middle Ages.
Everyone else, I would recommend that instead of this, you buy Wodehouse's "The Inimitable Jeeves" along with the Gies's "Marriage and the Family in the Middle Ages." You will be much happier with the effect you get from reading those than anything provided here.

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Summary: boring with absolutely no plot
Review: When I first started this book, I loved it. I thought it was hilarious. After a while, though, I got sick of Catherine's stupidity and immaturity and found that there was just no plot at all. I got so bored of the book I stopped in the middle, which I almost NEVER do. Normally I continue to the end of all books I read, no matter how badly written, because I just want to know what happens at the end. Not with this book! There was absolutely no suspense because there was absolutely no plot. Later, a friend of mine, as we discussed the stupidity of the book, told me what happens at the end of the nonexistant plot the back of the book suggests, and though I won't give it away here, it's as stupid as the rest of the book. I can't really say it was badly written, it was just a bad, boring book.

Rating:
Summary: boring with absolutely no plot
Review: When I first started this book, I loved it. I thought it was hilarious. After a while, though, I got sick of Catherine's stupidity and immaturity and found that there was just no plot at all. I got so bored of the book I stopped in the middle, which I almost NEVER do. Normally I continue to the end of all books I read, no matter how badly written, because I just want to know what happens at the end. Not with this book! There was absolutely no suspense because there was absolutely no plot. Later, a friend of mine, as we discussed the stupidity of the book, told me what happens at the end of the nonexistant plot the back of the book suggests, and though I won't give it away here, it's as stupid as the rest of the book. I can't really say it was badly written, it was just a bad, boring book.

Rating:
Summary: One word: BRILLIANT!
Review: Without exception, I'm a very picky reader, and also a tough reviewer. As a writer myself, I spend much of my time reviewing and editing my own writing, looking for flaws and inconsistencies and cursing my mistakes when I find them. Consequently, when I read other people's writing, I am also similarly critical, and can't help looking for faults. Sadly, almost without exception, I find them in most books. However, this is one book that I really couldn't fault. I tried, but I just couldn't. My picky nature had to admit defeat: this writer is really, REALLY good! Her maturity, comprehension and attention to detail are truly masterful, and I wish I possessed half her skill as a writer!

This book is amazing in its realism. I could actually believe that it really was a diary written in 1290 by a teenage girl. The author, Karen Cushman, knows her history well, but she presents it in such a bright, witty, matter-of-fact way that this is less of a history lesson and more of a day by day revelation.

The main character in the book, Catherine, is a wonderful, endearing girl whom I couldn't help but like. She is bright, intuitive and intelligent, and she's not afraid to ask the tough questions about life. Rather than simply accepting her fate and the society she lives in, she tries to improve her world. She is kind and fair to the people and animals she meets, which makes her an anomaly in her time but a winsome, admirable heroine in ours.

I must say, though, the best thing about this book is that most of the time it's absolutely side-splittingly hilarious! Catherine lives a difficult life in harsh times, but she does so with an unerring sense of humour and a real love of life. And if that isn't a great moral for young people today then I don't know what is!