Mika Waltari is telling the story about the 40 days after Christ rose from the dead from a young Romans point of view.
It is a really good story and Waltari is at his best (IMHO). He has BTW also written 'The Egyptian' and 'The Etruscan'.
This is a book I've given to many friends as a gift and it has often been very appreciated!

This bokray is now CLOSED, and here is the final list!:

1. pikapolonica (Sweden)
2. BoLe (Slovenia)
3. Mrrr (Switzerland - Europe only) - Currently here
4. Fofum (UK - ships internationally)
5.Tuz (Brazil - ships to US only)
6.ppagano (Florida, USA - only US)
7.arugh48187 (Minnesota, USA - only US)
8.shaunesay (Kansas, USA - ships internationally)
9.hathyia (Malaysia, ships Asia/Australia only)
10.charbono (Australia - ships internationally)
11.MaryZee (Maryland, USA - US or Canada only)
12.Kernow8 (Virginia, USA - ships internationally)
.... and then I would prefer a controlled release.....

Released on Friday, October 10, 2003 at postal release to BCer pikapolonica in .., .. Sweden.

The book arrived to Stockholm yesterday, in a very good timing, as I just finished another bookray book. :) Thank you, Silverstone.

Update (15th Oct): this is really an excellent Waltari! Am about half way through the book and love it so far. Interesting, I think that another book by Waltari that I've read lately, The Roman, is the sequel to this one. The Roman is the life story of Minutus Manilianus, the son of Marcus Manilianus and Myrina, who play the main roles in this book.

20th Oct: I have finished it and loved it (but Waltari is one of my favorite authors, so this is not surprising :). The story of the crucifiction and ressurection of Christ is told by the young Roman patricius Marcus Manilianus who happens to find himself in Jerusalem during these events and is a more objective eyewitness than the Jews themselves, unencumbered with Jewish religious traditions and taboos. In spite of his initial unbelief he starts to seek the true way which leads him from Jerusalem to Galilea and back and stubbornly follows this way, even though the Jews do not want him to meddle with their affairs, him being a heathen.

The book will be sent to BoLe this afternoon.

I am just opening the book with my long bony fingers as I am typing that it'll be interesting to read this after I've walked the Waltari's epic The Egyptian. Ahhh... air out.

(Up-to-date :: 9th November) I've enjoyed the book, the message, the reading time!

The story builds up in baby steps, where the dialogues add little here and there, as the story quietly reaches a latent peak. What the book tries validating, quite successfully I may add, is that there is a flower in every weed.

Erase all vain learning from my head and fill in place if you please.

Release planned for Monday, November 10, 2003 at Post Office, Trzaska Street in Ljubljana, Osrednja Slovenija - Okolica Ljubljane in Ljubljana Slovenia.

The book continues on its predesigned course, that is to Mrrr from the French part of Switzerland. Lecture heureuse!

Arrived in my mailbox yesterday! Just as I was wondering which book to read now... Perfect timing :) I have even started to read it today in the train (yes I had a return trip planned to Zurich today, close to 3 hours of reading... I told you the timing could hardly be better!)
Thank you BoLe for your speed! And my thanks to Silverstone for initiating this ray.
I'll tell you my opinion on the book as soon as I finish it.

I cannot say that I loved that book... I do not know yet what I realy think of it.
What I can say that it moved me and gave me a lot to think about...!
Silverstone (I believe) has written inside the backcover: "the book read me and I read it", that's also what I feel... and I know that it will live in me for quite some time...
It goes now to Fofum: enjoy!

I have had this a few days now. Thanks for sending it on. I'll journal once I've read it.

I have had the most awful toothache for the last 3 days but every cloud has a silver lining and while the painkillers and antibiotics have been coursing through my arteries I have had the joy of loafing around and reading a whole book!
I enjoyed this one - just the sort of yarn for times like this! The story was familiar and yet the 'take' on it different enough to keep me interested. I took a dislike to the hero early on in the story and spent sometime feeling this was spoiling the book as I was supposed to like him. By about two-thirds of the way through I think the author gives us 'permission' to find some aspects of Marcus a tad irritating! I then went back to enjoying it.
I'm not sure I would agree with some earlier journallers who suggest this was a spiritual book. I enjoyed it on the level of a good story, interesting characters and the historical setting. The spiritual aspects were happening some of the time to some of the characeters; as most of the characters we met were flawed in one way or another I don't think any one of them was put forward as having solved the riddle of the kingdom!
The toothache is now subsiding, back to the Dentist later on in the week to find out what torture is in store to prevent this happening again....must find another book to get lost in soon!
I have been Bookcrossing long enough to collect addresses and already have Tuz's. I'll post this off to Brazil later in the week.

Release planned for Monday, April 26, 2004 at Royal Mail in Beverley, England United Kingdom.

Across the Atlantic to Brazil. Enjoy

Received this week, thanks a lot! :)

August 2, 2004

I finished it today, it is a cool book :)
I'll be sending it to ppagano next.

August 20, 2004

The book was sent to ppagano today. Thanks for letting me participate in this RAY! :)

I just received this book yesterday at the PO. So far it seems very interesting, but I am still in the very beginning.
I will re-journal again when finished. :-)

I finished this book a week or so ago and will send it off to the next on the list.

I really took my time, but also really enjoyed this book. I can't even imagine living during this period in history and to experience the adventures that Marcus lived - just amazing.

Thanks for sharing this book as it was much enjoyed. :-)

Found this one in my mailbox today. I will finish the book I am now reading and then this is next up. You can keep track of its progress via my bookshelf.

Can't say that I enjoyed this one. It seemed a bit long and tedious. Maybe since I recently read Lamb by Christopher Moore, I was not in the mood for the subject matter. Anyway, I finished it...finally...and now it will continue its journey.

Thanks for sharing.

RELEASE NOTES:

Finally sending on to shaunesay. I hope she enjoys it more than I did. Happy reading!

Just received! Will journal again when I've finished and pass along to the next person. Thanks for the ray Silverstone!

What coincidental timing for this one to come to be, it being Easter week and all! This is the first book by this author I have read, and have the Egyptian on Audible Book waiting to listen to, so I believe I will enjoy it. Thanks again for the ray Silverstone, will contact the next person shortly to send the book on it's way!

update: sending to charbono 4/2/05

May 26: received today.

May 29:
Very realistically-written and believable. The style is very easy to read.

It's sad that many of Christ's followers considered people "unworthy" of His teachings simply because they were female or uncircumcised. (Even though Jesus himself loved everyone). We still have a lot to learn!

Sending this on to MaryZee in the next couple of days.

This arrived safely in the mail today. I have a few other book rings here, but I'll update here when I get started on this one.

7/9 - Starting on this now.

This is the second of Waltari's books I've read - I discovered The Egyptian last year on another bookring.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I thought it was an interesting novel about (supposed) facts many of us learned many years ago. I also thought it was an interesting viewpoint, to have an outsider as the narrator of the story. Marcus' observations were very efficient and judicious, making him a believable storyteller.

This little book needs some tlc (tender loving care) - sending it on to Kernow8 tomorrow. Thanks for sharing, Silverstone!

This well-worn book has arrived in England. As I'm last on the list I'll take my time - but will of course pass it on afterwards. Thanks!