Von Amazon.com:
Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain wants to become a writer. Trouble is, she's the daughter of a once-famous author with a severe case of writer's block. Her family--beautiful sister Rose, brooding father James, ethereal stepmother Topaz--is barely scraping by in a crumbling English castle they leased when times were good. Now there's very little furniture, hardly any food, and just a few pages of notebook paper left to write on. Bravely making the best of things, Cassandra gets hold of a journal and begins her literary apprenticeship by refusing to face the facts. She writes, "I have just remarked to Rose that our situation is really rather romantic, two girls in this strange and lonely house. She replied that she saw nothing romantic about being shut up in a crumbling ruin surrounded by a sea of mud."
Rose longs for suitors and new tea dresses while Cassandra scorns romance: "I know all about the facts of life. And I don't think much of them." But romantic isolation comes to an end both for the family and for Cassandra's heart when the wealthy, adventurous Cotton family takes over the nearby estate. Cassandra is a witty, pensive, observant heroine, just the right voice for chronicling the perilous cusp of adulthood. Some people have compared I Capture the Castle to the novels of Jane Austen, and it's just as well-plotted and witty. But the Mortmains are more bohemian--as much like the Addams Family as like any of Austen's characters. Dodie Smith, author of 101 Dalmations, wrote this novel in 1948. And though the story is set in the 1930s, it still feels fresh, and well deserves its reputation as a modern classic.

This book will be my first bookring and I'm very excited about it.
I suppose you all know how a bookring works, please send me a PM if you have any questions! Enjoy the book!


Participants in final order:

1. KathyS (UK)
2. LisaJane (UK)
3. pikkewyn (UK)
4. daemonwolf (UK)
5. lesezeichen (Germany)
6. roadrunner (USA)
7. cyber-librarian (USA)
8. jendudley (USA)
9. chivers (Brazil)
10. Gilli (Australia)
11. samulli (Germany)
12. Rianonne (Austria)
13. Karschtl (Austria)
14. back to me

I really enjoyed reading "I capture the castle" and Cassandra is such a lovely character that you just can't help it, you will be drawn into the story immediately and imagine how it feels like to live in an old castle with a "slightly eccentric" family. It also reminded me of "Little women", which I absolutely loved. I hope you will enjoy this book and I'm really excited that it will travel around the world.

I have sent it off to the first participant, "KathyS" in the UK, on Oct. 24th by surface mail.

Received in the post from allbookedup this morning. I shall read and send it on as soon as possible. Many thanks allbookedup :-)

Great book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Reminded me of all the teenage angst I lived through in my youth - and just what my 13 year old daughter is going through now *Bless*

I will be posting the book on to LisaJane tomorrow and hope it arrives safely for her to enjoy it.

Thanks allbookedup for arranging the bookring and letting me enjoy a book that I might not have chosen to buy.

Sent 2nd class to LisaJane today - I hope she will like it as much as I did !

Received from KathyS today - will get to reading it as soon as possible.

I really enjoyed this book - I can see why it's so well-loved. The writing is very evocative, the descriptions are beautiful and I love the setting - I want to live in a castle! I found it interesting that while it is superficially a coming of age story about the heroine, all of the characters changed and learnt more about themselves in the course of the story.

Sending on to pikkewyn this week.

Book arrived today! Thankyou LisaJane!

One of those books that one feels sad to say goodbye to when its finished.

A delicious old-fashioned romantic novel. Fantasy and fairy tale being interwoven with the real life heartbreak of being in love for the first time. I found Cassandra a thoroughly likeable character.

Thankyou allbookedup for sharing this book with us. Especially since this edition contained a very interesting introduction that I didn't see in any of the editions that are currently in bookshops.

Book is now on its way to daemonwolf...

Received in postal release as part of the bookring. A lovely thing to wake up to! Will post to the next person on 02/01/04 as this isn't a very thick book and I'll probably devour it this week...

This book is stunning, it's so raw and human. I wanted to devour it but I wanted it to go on forever. I am so very, very jealous that all those other people read it before I did. This was a 10/10 for me, and those are extremely rare. I've posted a review up on my site, Alex in Leeds.

I'm not going to risk posting it in the next couple of days, 02/01/04 for release to the next person on the list.

I just wanted to say how much I enjoy reading all your journal entries, it is interesting and makes me happy to see that you all liked the book very much. Merry Christmas to everybody and a happy new year!

Released on Friday, January 02, 2004 at by mail in sent to another BookCrosser, Bookring Controlled Releases.

Posted onto lesezeichen in Germany. I really, really loved this book and gave it 10/10 which is so rare for me, here's hoping everyone else on the ring gets as much out of it.

The book has safely arrived today, thanks allbookedup, thanks deamonwolf. I love the quote. I'll be back soon.

11.01.: I've just 'slammed the book shut' and while I am not as wildly enthousastic about this book as deamonwolf I've liked it a lot and I am glad that it has come my way thanks to bookcrossing and allbookedup. What can I say: Very well written, very engaging characters (especially Cassandra). Also a book that I may consider rereading in a few years time. Needless to say that it has reminded me of Jane Austen but even more so of 'Little Women'. I'm looking forward to watching the movie and to compare. I'll send it along to roadrunner in the next few days.

THis arrived last night after a very loooooong journey. I'm reading a ring right but will get to this asap, especially because the wait has been so long for everyone.

WOW COOL!! I am so happy that the book re-surfaced! I was worreid about it and considered it lost and even ordered a new copy at Amazon! Will cancel that right away... :-)

I so enjoyed this book! It reminded me of the books I read while in high school. I loved the characters of Stephen and Cassandra. I felt like I was right with Cassandra and Simon during their Midsummer Eve rite. And I remembered all over again what it feels like to have your heart broken, especially for the first time. Thanks Allbookedup for sharing this wonderful book. This is off today to Cyber-Librarian via Media Mail.

I received this in the mail today from roadrunner in TX ... as part of a bookring. I have 5 ahead of it and received 3 today. Murphy's Law that they all arrive at the same time. I will read this and send it on asap. You can check my bookshelf profile and see the status.

c. 1949 -- 342 pages -- Trade Paperback -- BBC's "The Big Read" Top 100 Books -- Virago Modern Classics -- Introduction by Valerie Grove -- #57 on BookCrossing 2008 Favorites list

Back Cover: This book has inspired writers as diverse as Armistead Maupin and Joanna Trollope and remains a classic tale of the triumph of youthful naivety over middle-aged cynicism.

"I write this sitting in the kitchen sink." is the first line of a novel about love, sibling rivalry and a bohemian existence in a crumbling castle in the middle of nowhere. Cassandra Mortmain's journal records her fadingly glamorous stepmother, her beautiful, wistful older sister and the man to whom they owe both their isolation and poverty -- Father. The author of one experimental novel, and a minor cause celebre, he has since suffered from writer's block nd is determined to drag his family down with him. But if the iron has entered Father's soul it hasn't penetrated Cassandra's ...

UPDATE: now reading (5/25/04)
I finished reading this today (6/3-got busy over the holiday weekend). This is a GREAT book and I really debated about giving it a 10. I just LOVE how it starts. It was fun to go through the family adventures through a young girl's journal ... and such a beautiful setting (I agree, I want to live in a castle too ... so many twists and turns and hide-aways ... how exciting!!). I didn't know there was a movie .... going to need to check that out. I wish there was a sequel to find out what happens ... but as in "Little Women" that's left to our imagination to play out in various ways.

Quote (page 38): "Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cures for depression."

(page 109): "It was fun while we were all sewing the frills for the dress; I kept pretending we were in a Victorian novel." Some others have mentioned this books similarities to "Little Women." I can't help but think Cassandra was referring to "Little Women" in her remark about 'a Victorian novel.' This book is a 1930's version of Little Women without the Victorian aspect.

(page 149 and throughout book): "A cottage wireless saying it was the British Broadcasting Corporation," wireless = chiefly British : of or relating to radiotelegraphy, radiotelephony, or radio. This might be obvious to others .... or maybe I was just stuck on the 21st century definition .. or maybe it's a British term. It was new to me.

UPDATE: jendudley wants skipped because she already found a copy ... on to contact the next person (6/4/04)

Released on Monday, June 07, 2004 at book ring in Mailed to fellow bookcrosser, Postal Release Controlled Releases.

I'm mailing this today to chivers in Brazil ... as part of the bookring. It should take 4-7 days to arrive.

This is only my 2nd time mailing overseas (1st time was unsuccessful). I looked online and thought I had 2 options:
* Global Priority Mail (6"x10") in 4-6 days for $5.00 OR
* Economy (Surface) Letter Post in 4-6 weeks for $4.95
So I got the Global Priority envelope all ready to go ... BUT postmaster said it only served the cities of Rio de Janeio or Sao Paulo in Brazil ... SO he had me send it:
* Air Letter Post in 4-7 days for $7.65
It was all very confusing to me. The important thing is that it arrives safely. *fingers crossed* And if it arrives in days instead of weeks ... ALL THE BETTER!! :-) I normally use Delivery Confirmation when I send rings/rays BUT the postmaster said I couldn't use that for overseas ... that there's no way to track it.

just arrived. bad news: i got 4 other bookrings with me (reading one right now).
good news: 40 days vacation starting next week.
will read as soon as i can.

update 13/07-> just started reading it. sorry on the delay. i'll do my best to finish it before the end of the week.

it's 2:56 in the morning here in brasil and i just finished reading this book... what can i say about it??? i just couldn't put it down a minute!!!!! i'm really sad it reached it's end. i'm sure going to miss the characters... thanks allbookedup for organizing this ring and for giving me the oportunity to read this beautiful book.

Just received from the postofficer!

As I have some other ring and rays here it may take a little bit till I get to reading it.

What a lovely book! I will miss all the characters, especially Cassandra, and still smile when I think about the part when they lock their father into the tower ...

RELEASE NOTES:

Got it today and will try to read it soon, so that this book can finish its travel within a year.
---------------------------------------------------------------
My Review: Oct 2004

Ok, so it took a little more than a year, but at least it found its way back.

First of all I like the name of the main character. Cassandra has been a favorite name of mine since a long time. And I also saw the likeness to "Little Women" from time to time. The people are poor, but not desperate und fully unhappy - and they still hope for the better.
Finally fortune is coming down the lane...


Sometimes I thought that Cassandra was really naive, whether consciously or not. She is seventeen, but at times acts and thinks like she is 13. I know it was 1930 and not 2004, but still.

--Attention: SPOILER ahead--

I was sad, that it didn't work out with Stephen. He always tried to hard to be as nice to Cassandra as he possibly could. And in the end it didn't even work out with Simon either (as I'm the last in the bookring, I hope I can spill the beans), what I don't understand at all. How does she know, that his true love is for Rose and Cassandra is only second-best? Maybe it is the other way around, and he just thought he has to ask the older sister to marry him. Or he found out on Midsummers Eve that his choice was wrong. But here I really have to say that she is stupid to let him go. Not even asking him what he really feels for her. What a pity...

--SPOILER over---

While reading it I always longed to see a movie of that. But I would have never thought there is one, as I have never heard about it before. I just checked it out on Amazon, it was only made recently and Simon is played by "little Elliot" from E.T. And Stephen does look handsome!!
I really have to get that movie from the videostore some day!

Oh, and I also bought the book for myself 2 days ago. German version, but that's ok since I bought it mostly for my kids (which I will hopefully have some time in future) to read.

For anyone interested, here is a URL where you can see a trailer for the movie: http://www.apple.com/trailers/samuel_goldwyn/icapturethecastle.html

I forgot to make a journal entry, Karschtl returned the book to me a while ago.
This was my first bookring and it is the first one that came back home.
For the moment I will mark it as permanent collection, because I want to re-read it, but if you want to borrow it, just ask me!!

Sandra lent me this book because we want to watch the film version together sometime.

Now I finally know why all my female BC friends just go "aaaahhhhh" when this book is mentioned. It's one of those books that you just can't put aside yet are sad when it's over. A book where you identify with the main character and share her crushes, embarassments and worries. I wish I could have been such a smart, sensible and talented teenager.

I just read through the other journal entries and only now see the similarities too Little Women. I read it years ago, though, so I guess that's why I missed it. I remeber the introduction to "I capture the Castle" making references to Jane Austen. Unfortunately I missed them too, because I haven't read anything of her yet - her books are all standing on my shelf and looking at me reproachfully right now.

I don't give 10 points often. For me this book is up there with "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. I already ordered a copy to give as a Christmas present :-)
Will give this copy back to allbookedup next Friday.

the book was returned to me tonight, thanks verenka.
I am really happy that everybody enjoyed the book :-)