Description

In this darkly comic work of literary satire by New Zealand’s most acclaimed and best-selling novelist Tama, a talking magpie and social media influencer, is the sole witness to a marriage in freefall.

Tama is just a helpless chick when he is rescued by Marnie. ‘If it keeps me awake,’ says Marnie’s husband Rob, a farmer in the middle of a years-long drought, ‘I’ll have to wring its neck.’ But with Tama come new possibilities for the couple’s future. Tama’s fame is growing, and with it, his earning potential. The more Tama sees, the more the animal and the human worlds – and all the precarity, darkness and hope within them – bleed into one another. Like a stock truck filled with live cargo, the story moves inexorably towards its dramatic conclusion: the annual Axeman’s Carnival.

Part trickster, part surrogate child, part witness, Tama is the star of this story. And although what he says to humans is often nonsensical (and hilarious), the tale he tells makes disturbingly perfect sense. The Axeman’s Carnival is Catherine Chidgey at her finest – comic, profound, poetic and true.

Publisher Review

“Funny, dark, insightful and unique, this beautifully written novel is a story and a magpie you will NEVER forget.” * Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things * “I didn’t think it was possible to fall in love with a magpie, but from the opening chapter, which is a masterclass in prose, to the final scene, I was spellbound by the foul-mouthed, wisecracking Tama and his quest to save gentle Marnie from unspeakable violence. Another tour de force from Catherine Chidgey.” * Karen Powell, author of Fifteen Wild Decembers * “The Axeman’s Carnival” is both tense and disconcertingly charming. The story is filled with delightful moments but tightens with frightening inevitability to a shocking conclusion.” * Lulu Allison, author of Salt Lick * “A remarkable and original writer, whose novels have the golden combination of being both riveting and superbly-written.” * Lissa Evans * “The work of a writer absolutely on top of her game, narrated with linguistic brio by a magpie chick, who tells the story of her human rescuer Marnie’s escape from a violent marriage.” * John Mitchinson * “The Axeman’s Carnival is remarkable, brilliant, a classic in the making.” — Rachael King * Newsroom * “The Axeman’s Carnival is a compulsive read and flat-out brilliant.” * Elizabeth Knox * “One of our very best novelists knocks it out of the park.” * New Zealand Herald (Book of the Year) * “Chidgey’s writing is masterful, and the underlying sense of dread as the story unfolds is shot through with humour and humanity. The Axeman’s Carnival is unique: poetic, profound and a powerfully compelling read from start to finish.” * Judges’ comments, Ockham NZ Book Awards 2023 *