The Pickup
14 journalers for this copy...
Am part way through, so will finish and then release.
Journal Entry 2 by willjill89 at Mailed to another Bookcrosser in -- Wild Released Somewhere in the Province --, Alberta Canada on Saturday, March 13, 2004
Released on Saturday, March 13, 2004 at Mailed to another Bookcrosser in Red Deer, Alberta Canada.
Journal Entry 3 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Thursday, March 18, 2004
Hey! Thanks so much to willjill89 for mailing this book from Red Deer, Alberta to New Westminster, BC, where it was waiting for me when I got home from work today (you made my day!). I just finished a book on the train home from work, so will start this one tomorrow morning, then release it (possibly my friend nattythrax in Ottawa). Thanks so much for your generosity -- and best wishes from New Westminster.
I'm about halfway through this book, and enjoying it very much. The politics underlying the narrative ("dislocations of exile and immigration"), flagged for the reader on the book's back cover, don't at all overwhelm the story, which caught my attention right from the start. The "pickup" is a man from an unnamed Arabic country (described only as a "desert country"), an illegal immigrant in South Africa with whom the main character, Julie Summers, falls in love. The plot thickens when Abdu ("the pickup") receives an exclusion order from the Home Office, ordering him to leave South Africa within two weeks.
For reviews of some of Gordimer's earlier books, see Per Wastberg's excellent essay at the Nobel Prize site, Nadine Gordimer and the South African Experience.
INTERNATIONAL BOOKRAY
I've had an international bookray running with this book since May 2004. I believe the book is Gordimer's most recent (2001), and I'm hoping there may continue to be sufficient interest to keep it travelling. Please note this is a hardcover, though not an excessively large one (it weighs 450 grams -- about 1 lb.).
Rules of this bookray:
1. This is an international ray -- if you join, you must be willing to ship anywhere.
2. Please journal the book when you receive it, and again when you mail it out -- that way, everyone will know the book's approximate location.
3. If you don't think you'll be able to read this book within a reasonable time of receipt, please let me know before it's sent to you by the previous reader, and I'll be happy to move your name down the list.
4. Whether you have read the book or not, please do not keep it longer than eight weeks.
Participants:
1. lady-anglophile - Kuwait - rec'd May 24, 04; mailed June 1, 04.
2. redhouse - Felixstowe, Suffolk, England - rec'd June 8, 04; mailed June 18, 04.
3. maupi - Utrecht, Netherlands - rec'd June 23, 04; mailed July 5, 04.
4. bookmanu - Cascais, Portugal - rec'd July 14, 04; mailed August 5, 04.
5. ruggergirl - New York City, USA - rec'd August 13, 04; mailed September 7, 04.
6. Rrrcaron - Lancaster, New Hampshire, USA - rec'd September 29, 04; mailed November 24, 04.
7. jenvince - Sherman Oaks, California, USA - rec'd December 2, 04; mailed December 28, 04.
8. tuff517 - McQueeney, Texas, USA - rec'd January 3, 05; mailed January 12, 05.
9. zugenia - Providence, Rhode Island, USA - rec'd January 18, 05; mailed January 31, 05.
10. jhurley2327 - Madison, Wisconsin, USA - rec'd February 3, 05; mailed February 05.
11. AceofHearts - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - rec'd March 1, 05; mailed May 16, 05.
12. miketrollstigen - Cardiff, Wales, UK - rec'd June 17, 05.
13. terpsicore - Algés, Lisboa Portugal
14. mellion108 - Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA
I've had an international bookray running with this book since May 2004. I believe the book is Gordimer's most recent (2001), and I'm hoping there may continue to be sufficient interest to keep it travelling. Please note this is a hardcover, though not an excessively large one (it weighs 450 grams -- about 1 lb.).
Rules of this bookray:
1. This is an international ray -- if you join, you must be willing to ship anywhere.
2. Please journal the book when you receive it, and again when you mail it out -- that way, everyone will know the book's approximate location.
3. If you don't think you'll be able to read this book within a reasonable time of receipt, please let me know before it's sent to you by the previous reader, and I'll be happy to move your name down the list.
4. Whether you have read the book or not, please do not keep it longer than eight weeks.
Participants:
1. lady-anglophile - Kuwait - rec'd May 24, 04; mailed June 1, 04.
2. redhouse - Felixstowe, Suffolk, England - rec'd June 8, 04; mailed June 18, 04.
3. maupi - Utrecht, Netherlands - rec'd June 23, 04; mailed July 5, 04.
4. bookmanu - Cascais, Portugal - rec'd July 14, 04; mailed August 5, 04.
5. ruggergirl - New York City, USA - rec'd August 13, 04; mailed September 7, 04.
6. Rrrcaron - Lancaster, New Hampshire, USA - rec'd September 29, 04; mailed November 24, 04.
7. jenvince - Sherman Oaks, California, USA - rec'd December 2, 04; mailed December 28, 04.
8. tuff517 - McQueeney, Texas, USA - rec'd January 3, 05; mailed January 12, 05.
9. zugenia - Providence, Rhode Island, USA - rec'd January 18, 05; mailed January 31, 05.
10. jhurley2327 - Madison, Wisconsin, USA - rec'd February 3, 05; mailed February 05.
11. AceofHearts - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - rec'd March 1, 05; mailed May 16, 05.
12. miketrollstigen - Cardiff, Wales, UK - rec'd June 17, 05.
13. terpsicore - Algés, Lisboa Portugal
14. mellion108 - Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA
I'll be putting this book in the mail today to lady-anglophile in Kuwait, the first person on my bookring. At left, a photograph of the Fraser River in New Westminster, British Columbia, as seen from the top of my street.
I've received the book today.
I will start reading it right away :)
I will start reading it right away :)
Controlled Postal Release:sent off to redhouse. ENJOY :)
Just arrived.Thanks lady-anglophile.
I may be a week or so getting around to this one as I had another bookring arrive yesterday and I'm still in the middle of yet another, but I'm a fast reader!
I may be a week or so getting around to this one as I had another bookring arrive yesterday and I'm still in the middle of yet another, but I'm a fast reader!
On the whole I enjoyed this book but I have to say I struggled with it. I found the narrative style quite disorientating and for me it was by no means an easy read.
I think perhaps it required a greater level of concentration than I am able to spare at the current time.
Thanks Deborah for sharing it, I may well return to it when my life is more organised.
I'll be mailing this to maupi tomorrow.
I think perhaps it required a greater level of concentration than I am able to spare at the current time.
Thanks Deborah for sharing it, I may well return to it when my life is more organised.
I'll be mailing this to maupi tomorrow.
Received it yesterday, thank you redhouse and goatgrrl. It will be my first Gordimer, one of those authors you are planning to read all your life and now I actually will!
I enjoyed reading this book immensely. Gordimer has a very distinct, succinct style of writing. She does not need long sentences to convey a very complex world.
I had to get accustomed to it the first pages, but then I was astonished how the story had already nestled into my brain and during the working day I kept wondering how the storyline would proceed.
I read the story as a rite of passage for naive WASP Julie. Through her decision to follow her love, life gets meaning for her. For (easy) example when she realises that her expensive education comes to real use only when she is teaching English to the women in her husband's town.
I do not believe Gordimer is implying that all third-world countries are interchangeable. (And I am quite curious to know which country lady-anglophile thinks it is.)
Finally, I liked the intertextual references, which place the book in a larger literary context and make you want to read more and more--as if that that was a problem before ;-).
This has been a wonderful introduction to Gordimer and I will sure read more of her. I have recommended this book to several friends and hope to discuss it with them soon.
Off it goes now to bookmanu.
I had to get accustomed to it the first pages, but then I was astonished how the story had already nestled into my brain and during the working day I kept wondering how the storyline would proceed.
I read the story as a rite of passage for naive WASP Julie. Through her decision to follow her love, life gets meaning for her. For (easy) example when she realises that her expensive education comes to real use only when she is teaching English to the women in her husband's town.
I do not believe Gordimer is implying that all third-world countries are interchangeable. (And I am quite curious to know which country lady-anglophile thinks it is.)
Finally, I liked the intertextual references, which place the book in a larger literary context and make you want to read more and more--as if that that was a problem before ;-).
This has been a wonderful introduction to Gordimer and I will sure read more of her. I have recommended this book to several friends and hope to discuss it with them soon.
Off it goes now to bookmanu.
I received this book about 3 weeks ago, and am only journaling it today! Apologies to goatgrrl and the participants in this bookring.
I found it to be an enjoyable read.Even though I was born and raised in South Africa,this was the first time I've ever read anything by Nadine Gordimer. After having read The pickup I'll definitely be on the look out for more of her works.
I agree with most of lady-anglophile's comments.
Julie Summer's initial reactions were typical of a girl with her 'priveliged' position. The story took an unexpected turn for me at the end.
It will in the post to ruggergirl tomorrow.
I found it to be an enjoyable read.Even though I was born and raised in South Africa,this was the first time I've ever read anything by Nadine Gordimer. After having read The pickup I'll definitely be on the look out for more of her works.
I agree with most of lady-anglophile's comments.
Julie Summer's initial reactions were typical of a girl with her 'priveliged' position. The story took an unexpected turn for me at the end.
It will in the post to ruggergirl tomorrow.
Thank you so much! I'm in the middle of another book, and then this one is next. Can't wait to read it.
I definitely agree with earlier comments about a rite of passage for Julie. I read this book as a part of my South African reading challenge, and although much of the novel doesn't actually take place there, it was a really interesting perspective on a part of South African culture we don't normally consider. Thanks for including me in this bookray! Off to Rrrcaron as soon as I get the address.
I received this book. I plan on starting it soon.
Ruth
Ruth
Sening this one off to jenvince tomorrow. Time has just flown, too fast, so I didn't get the chance to read this one. It looks really good, so enjoy all!
Ruth
Ruth
This arrived yesterday. Oh my gosh! I'm being flooded! LOL! I do have four bookrings ahead of this, so will get to it as soon as I can. It sounds good!
I will be mailing this out to tuff517 tomorrow. I was not able to get to it with the holidays (I work at a mall) and feel bad having kept it this long. Another time, perhaps. Thank you, though, for letting me participate.
Received this today, will start today.
The thing about the book, for me, was that while I was reading it, I felt like I didn't understand what the author was trying to say. Yet if someone asked me to tell them about the book, I could do it very well. So many emotions about the book ... I envied Julie, like her I would find it adventurous to make my home in a new country, I felt sympathy for Ibrahaim, for his desire to leave the barren place of his home, to try for a better life. The strange thing is that I don't remember reading that they "were in love" or them telling each other they loved each other, but I suppose they were.
What choice really did Julie have? Just as Ibrahaim didn't want to move backwards, Julie didn't either. I don't know if their solution would move them ahead together, but I would hope so. Thank you goatgrrl! Another great book.
I'll be mailing this off to zugenia next!
What choice really did Julie have? Just as Ibrahaim didn't want to move backwards, Julie didn't either. I don't know if their solution would move them ahead together, but I would hope so. Thank you goatgrrl! Another great book.
I'll be mailing this off to zugenia next!
This arrived in the mail today...just as I was trying to decide what to read next! Thanks all for sharing.
I had been interested in Gordimer for a while, but was never sure where to start. This book was a wonderful introduction. It took me a little while to get into the prose -- like others have said, it's distinctive -- but I really warmed to it about 50 pages in and then I was completely taken in. The blurb on the back from the late Edward Said calls this novel "a masterpiece of creative empathy," which, indeed, I believe it is. I also loved its consideration of the global movement of people, how that movement is enabled, regulated, and prohibited. It is also a love story, and whereas most love stories are about love struggling against prohibitive powers, this one was subtler, about love cropping up in places that would seem not to sustain it, like the rice Julie sees growing in the desert. A beautiful book. Thanks for sharing.
1st on my list of many books to read.
I read about half of the book. If that much. When I could understand the dialogue it was beautiful. But it was so hard to read for me. It's weird the older I get, the worse my reading comprehension is.
I read about half of the book. If that much. When I could understand the dialogue it was beautiful. But it was so hard to read for me. It's weird the older I get, the worse my reading comprehension is.
Recieved on a very snowy day in the mail
TBR
TBR
I am so sorry to be taking so long. Many bookrings have caught up with me. I will have this mailed within the week
Thanks for your patience
Thanks for your patience
This book is a beautifully written book. I agree with previous comments. I found that I felt that I just wasn't 'getting it' but at the end realized that the writing made it more 'subtle' a story. Julie's rite of passage was interesting to follow. Thanks for sharing
Mailed today
Mailed today
Just received in the mail from AceofHearts. Thank you so much, Ace! My best wishes to Mississauga (not forgetting Mr Auga).
Journal Entry 30 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Tuesday, August 16, 2005
PMd miketrollstigen asking for an update on the status of this book.
