Journal Entry 1 by mmz18407 from Towson, Maryland USA on Monday, October 20, 2003

Pre-numbered label used for registration. 

Journal Entry 2 by CaptMom from Zephyrhills, Florida USA on Monday, October 20, 2003

Book arrived today. I have just finished a book so I am ready to start on this one. I didn't realise it was so big. 

Journal Entry 3 by CaptMom from Zephyrhills, Florida USA on Monday, November 03, 2003

I forced myself to finish reading it. The author/narrator has an annoying habit of speaking to the reader every now and then. There is not much of a plot, and there are few characters to really care about. And yes, it is about prostitution, but it was excessively/needlessly crude in many parts.

Sent off today to sejent. Maybe she will enjoy it more. 

Journal Entry 4 by sejent from Louisville, Kentucky USA on Thursday, November 06, 2003

Received in today's mail...will start reading soon and will journal again when I have finished. 

Journal Entry 5 by sejent from Louisville, Kentucky USA on Monday, January 12, 2004

Sending to arugh48187 in Apple Valley, MN. 

Journal Entry 6 by arugh48187 from Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Wednesday, January 21, 2004

833 pages!?!?! Yikes! I have a few rings in front of this one, but will get to it soon. 

Journal Entry 7 by arugh48187 from Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Friday, April 16, 2004

Yowza! This one was certainly a tome. I enjoyed every word though. I must agree with the remark I read somewhere that the book is extremely Dickenson. Also I thought the bits in the book that were written in second person were quite clever. It is an unwritten rule that an author should never ever write this way, and so, it is a joy to see somebody successfully breaking the rule. I like Sugar quite a bit and am only disappointed that the author didn't give a last glimpse of her. All in all a good read and I give it one of my rare 10 awards. 

Journal Entry 8 by arugh48187 at Post Office at 153rd and Garrett in Apple Valley, Minnesota USA on Monday, April 19, 2004

Released on Monday, April 19, 2004 at Post Office at 153rd and Garrett in Apple Valley, Minnesota USA.

Sent off to the next on the list... 

Journal Entry 9 by jamieh2003 from Wiley Ford, West Virginia USA on Monday, April 26, 2004

This arrived today and I plan on starting on it by tomorrow at the latest.
Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this. 

Journal Entry 10 by jamieh2003 from Wiley Ford, West Virginia USA on Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Well, I have to agree with Amber about the Dickensian tones to the story. It's perhaps more like a post-modern Dickens I guess with all the vulgarity associated with a story of 19th Century Victorian era prostitution.

I thought it was brilliant how Faber handled the Agnes character and her innocence of the most mundane womanly events, i.e. menustruation and how she truly believed it was a terrible illness that she suffered from and not a regular cycle of life and her continuing mental collapse as life with all its realities overwhelms her.

The character of Sugar, with all her buried rage and hatred of men who had brutalized her over the years was also compelling. Her mistrust of "finer" feelings and her stories of revenge you feel are going to come horribly true some day are some of the best writing in the book.

At first glance it seemed that Faber made the female characters much more sympathetic than the males...in that the males despite their own personal concerns are inherently allowed more power over their lives than those of the women of that era. But in the moment that William takes Sugar to the house you begin to sense his enormous vulnerability and that is when I truly began to care for him as a character. Henry Rackham is a man torn between his pious spirituality and his corporeal lusts, you sense he's a powderkeg...just awaiting the right sort of circumstance to set him alight.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it also benefitted my strength training as it weighs a ton! ;-) It was a remarkably fast read for me despite it's length and heft I think because I was so determined to read the consequences of all these lives intermingling.

This will be off to Kernow8 in the morning mail. 

Journal Entry 11 by jamieh2003 at on Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Journal Entry 12 by arugh48187 from Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Ho-ly Cow! 833 pages in two days. Jamieh is an honest-to-goodness, real-live, voracious, book-eating, page-sucking, word muncher! ;) I think my eyeballs would fall out if I read that fast. And here I was worried that Kernow8 wouldn't get to read this one before she gave up the Stars and Stripes for the Union Jack. :) 

Journal Entry 13 by Kernow8 from Southampton, Hampshire United Kingdom on Thursday, May 06, 2004

It has arrived! I will certainly not be able to read it in two days like my predecessor, but my aim is to finish it before I leave the country, as mailing it back across the Atlantic will be painfully expensive I think! So watch this space, June 10th is the last day I can get to the post office before we fly! I have several books ahead of this so it'll be a challenge. Rest assured though that if for any reason - maybe I'll have one or two other priorities in the next month ;-) - if for any reason I don't finish it before I go, I will keep the ring going anyway! Thanks mmz18407 and all those who have gone before me... 

Journal Entry 14 by Kernow8 from Southampton, Hampshire United Kingdom on Saturday, July 24, 2004

Just a little note to let everyone know what's happening with this book. I tried to contact lensman, who is the only person after me, before I left America. No reply, and he hasn't been active in the forums for 5 months - it's also evident that other people have had difficulty contacting him. So I asked mmz18407 whether it was OK for me to take it to England and continue the ray in Europe when I've finished it. Now as it's such a long book I must admit I've been pushing other bookrings and rays in ahead of it, since there is noone else currently expecting it. I will get around to reading it one day, but it may not be for a while. If that's a problem let me know! 

Journal Entry 15 by Kernow8 from Southampton, Hampshire United Kingdom on Thursday, August 26, 2004

I've started reading this - very impressed so far (120 pages into it). Also I have just announced the European ray I'm setting up to continue its journey. Lensman never got in touch with me, and there was another bookcrosser on the accompanying postcard ray order (amymehta) but according to her profile page she read another copy of this during 2003. So it looks as though I'm free to set it off travelling around Europe.

The order for the European ray is:

1. Zarylia (Poland) * - no time to read it the first time round, adding to end of ray
2. RoryG (Finland) * - skipped
3. Fiery-Fairy (UK) prefers UK shipping
4. daemonwolf (UK) * <--------currently here
5. Zarylia (Poland) - end of ray


* = able to ship anywhere in Europe 

Journal Entry 16 by Kernow8 from Southampton, Hampshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 14, 2004

I sent this off to Zarylia a few days ago so I thought I'd better journal before she does! I thought this was an excellent read. Despite its 836-odd pages, once started the length was no problem at all, since I was immediately drawn into the world within its many pages, and (other than wanting to get on with the sagging shelves of books waiting to be read) I could have carried on reading it for much longer. Great characters, great story, great writing. I liked the use of the second person narrative - at the beginning it made me feel as though a Fagin-type character was leading me through the grottier streets of London, so it really enhanced the Dickensian feel of it. Thanks mmz18407 - and now off around Europe! 

Journal Entry 17 by Zarylia from Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Warsaw/Poland - The book arrived today, and what a book! It's quite hefty to say the least ;-P , but it looks intriguing so it shouldn't be a problem. I've got a few other rings here at the moment, but hopefully it won't be too long before I get to this one. You can check my shelf to see what I'm reading at the moment. Thanks everyone! :-D 

Journal Entry 18 by Zarylia from Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Tuesday, December 07, 2004

I am soooo sorry I've had the book for so long but things got a quite busy and things like reading and mailing books weren't at the top of my priority list. Suffice it to say that the book is currently on it's way to Fiery-Fairy in the UK. I first PMed RoryG who asked my to instead send the book on to Fiery-Fairy, so that is what I did. Thank you to all of you who have been so patient! I really appreciate it! :-D 

Journal Entry 19 by FieryFairy from Capel Garmon, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, December 15, 2004

This arrived yesterday, and it looks very interesting. It's certainly thick enough to keep me entertained over Christmas! 

Journal Entry 20 by AlexInLeeds from Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Caught!

Bulky but interesting... :) 

Journal Entry 21 by AlexInLeeds from Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 05, 2005

This has been reviewed over on my book blog, all comments welcomed! 

Journal Entry 22 by AlexInLeeds from Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, April 18, 2005

Where is this book due next, please? 

Journal Entry 23 by AlexInLeeds at As part of a trade in Mailed to fellow bookcrosser, Postal Release -- Controlled Releases on Friday, May 13, 2005

Released 7 yrs ago (5/14/2005 UTC) at As part of a trade in Mailed to fellow bookcrosser, Postal Release -- Controlled Releases

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RELEASE NOTES:

Trading with MollyGrue for A Wizard Abroad which is on my wishlist. :) 

Journal Entry 24 by MollyGrue from Tacoma, Washington USA on Friday, June 17, 2005

Thanks! This one is definitely going to take me a while.... 

Journal Entry 25 by MollyGrue at Unknown in I don't know, Somewhere -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, September 19, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (9/18/2009 UTC) at Unknown in I don't know, Somewhere -- Controlled Releases

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WILD RELEASE NOTES:

A while ago. 

Journal Entry 26 by MollyGrue from Tacoma, Washington USA on Friday, December 04, 2009

This was not actually traveling, just hiding in my house. Well, it's been served & now has to leave. :) 

Journal Entry 27 by MollyGrue at Group Health MLK - pharmacy waiting room in Tacoma, Washington USA on Friday, January 08, 2010

Released 2 yrs ago (1/7/2010 UTC) at Group Health MLK - pharmacy waiting room in Tacoma, Washington USA

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Happy reading!