Fiction Reviews: The Birds

 

From the incipit, it is immediately clear that there is a huge change in the weather / atmosphere / way things are.

Nat Hocken is a war-disabled veteran. He lives with his family on a farm perched above rocks and battered by the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel, in Cornwall.

He is married (his wife is referred to as Mrs. Hocken) and has two children, Jill and Johnny.

He works part-time for Mr. Trigg.

One day, Nat notices that there are far more birds than usual, and strangely, they seem violent — one even tried to attack (or "cut at") a person.

Then, one day, the enraged birds attack Nat's house. The fight is so violent that the birds break their beaks and many die.

The farm is put to the test; the windows are vulnerable, as is the chimney — the birds' favourite entry points.

A flock enters the farmhouse, getting into the children's room; the children remain terrified.

The birds' attacks are happening throughout England. The radio broadcasts advice on how to behave and how to protect families. Nat believes this violence is linked to the tides; the former peace has evaporated, replaced by anxiety and terror.

The angry birds obscure the daylight. It is not safe to go outside — the risk of being killed is too high.

When supplies run out, Nat is forced to venture out to get more. In the sky there are not only seagulls but also rooks, crows, jackdaws, magpies, jays — everyone is imprisoned in their homes.

At 7 p.m., there is a BBC radio bulletin announcing that scientists are studying the origins of this violence. Military planes sent to kill the birds have been shot down by them.

When the tides are low, it is possible to leave the house to gather supplies.

The Trigg family has been killed by the birds. Around Nat's house, there is no trace of life left — only the birds survive.