I have read before. Not a bad story about 2 childhood friends. ( )

The story is that of two men who have known each other since childhood, both of whom are locked up in a military hospital. The book goes back and forth between present day and the past. The past mostly involved one of the boy's obsession with breeding canaries and learning how to fly. This is the kind of book with a plot I don't even want to discuss because if you knew what it was about you'd likely have no interest in it. 10 pages of detailed descriptions of tending to canary breeding? It should be dull but it isn't. It's fascinating, and engaging, and everything an exceptional book should be. This is definitely a very unique book, but one that manages to be unique without the use of gimmicks or manipulation. The narrative voice reminded me very much of John Irving, and overall it was a surprisingly exceptional read. ( )

I saw the movie first and enjoyed it so I thought this would be a good read and it is. I like to read about men's friendships where they have real feelings of love for each other. Sorare because I think there's almost a homophobia about the topic. ( )

En rik berättelse med två starka berättarröster: barndomsvännerna Al och Birdy. Om fåglar och livet.
Den ca 20 sidor långa krigsskildringen mot slutet av boken är verkligen mästerlig. ( )

The late William Wharton was popular in Poland, and my Polish friend has very strongly recommended the book for years. "Birdy" includes an extremely detailed account of raising canaries, a vivid portrayal of a World War II battle scene late in the book, and a terrific ending. The character Birdy is vividly wrought and as memorable as Ignatius in "The Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole. ( )