Written in the form of a 19th-century notebook of ornithological observations, Field Notes from an Extinction follows the life and work of one Ignatius Green, a fictitious English scientist dispatched by the Royal Society to the remote island of Tor Mor off the northern Irish coast.
An intriguing and singular setup ... At times strains credibility ... But this is a novel concerned more with the atmosphere of its setting than with narrative verisimilitude — it owes more to Jonathan Swift than to Émile Zola — and in this Walls succeeds admirably.
Poignant ... In the affecting, sardonic historical novel Field Notes from an Extinction, English prejudices are challenged by tumult and the humanity of the Irish.
While the conclusion is unsatisfyingly open-ended, readers will find much to admire, including a third-act twist. This blistering historical is worth a look.
