Journal Entry 1 by bookmaniac70 from София / Sofia, Sofiya Bulgaria on Thursday, February 12, 2004

I liked very much "In the Country of Last Things",and bought this one to read and release.It is a autobiographical novel divided ito two parts: in the first part Paul Auster writes about his father;in the second,he writes about himself as a father.

The picture is from another edition.The copy which I have is published by Faber&Faber. 

Journal Entry 2 by bookmaniac70 from София / Sofia, Sofiya Bulgaria on Friday, August 27, 2004

List of participants for the bookray:


1.SwissToni ( UK, int.)
2.urpfi (Switzerland)
3.suzen (France)
4.Andi1203 (Austria,int.)>>>the book is there!
5. PCSAF (Portugal)
6.Argoitz (Portugal,int.)
7.outofreach (Australia,int.) 

Journal Entry 3 by bookmaniac70 from София / Sofia, Sofiya Bulgaria on Sunday, October 03, 2004

Started reading.It is a fascinating prose,clear,crisp,philosophically deep.I`m now at the beginning,where the writer tells us about re-discovering his father after his death.This book is as good as the best of his works. 

Journal Entry 4 by bookmaniac70 from София / Sofia, Sofiya Bulgaria on Monday, October 11, 2004

Finished yesterday night.I think that next to "I The Country of Last Things","Invention of Solitude" is the best book of Auster I`ve read so far.He was promted to write it after the unexpected death of his dad.It opens with the phrase: "One day there is life.<...>And then,suddenly,it happens there is death.<...>Life become death,and it is as if this death has owned this life all along.Death without warning.Which is to say:life stops.And it can stop at any moment." Words,filled with wisdom and pain.
In the first part of the book Auster remembers his father and their relationship.He turns to his family history to re-discover his roots.In the second part Auster speaks about his own experience as father but also about writing,books and language as a way to see and perceive the world.
I would name this book a philosophical prose,and I think Auster is quite good in it.Nevertheless,the book is an intimate and personal account of fears and doubts every sensitive human being has.
If you are interested,have a look at my Bookcrossing Blog where I have journaled a long quote from the book which I liked very much.

The book is ready to take off on its journey, at last. 

Journal Entry 5 by bookmaniac70 at International Post in postal mail, A Bookray -- Controlled Releases on Friday, October 15, 2004

Released 7 yrs ago (10/14/2004 UTC) at International Post in postal mail, A Bookray -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

This bookray has finally begun! I sent it to the first reader,SwissToni. 

Journal Entry 6 by SwissToni from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Wednesday, January 05, 2005

I am so, so sorry this has taken me so long to journal - I think it got lost in a flood of books on my desk, and then I just assumed I had journalled it when I hadn't. Rest assured that this has arrived safe and sound, and is sitting in pride of place on the top of my pile & is up next.....

I love Paul Auster - he was my big discovery of 2004 - and I am ploughing my way through his back catalogue (I read "In the Country of Last Things" over Christmas and was blown away). So little time, so many Auster's to read.

This should be available to move on the next leg of its journey in the next few weeks without any additional hold-ups. 

Journal Entry 7 by SwissToni from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Monday, February 28, 2005

Hm. Firstly I have to apologise again for grossly underestimating how much time it was going to take me to get though this book. My confident "couple of weeks" has morphed into a couple of months. It's not a long book, and it's not especially hard to read, it's just that I got... distracted... and read a couple of books in the middle of reading this one.

That's a pretty bad sign, wouldn't you say, as an indicator of how much I enjoyed this book??

You'd be right. I thought that in fits and starts this book is excellent. Auster has a really unique and distinctive voice and I have very much enjoyed every book of his that I have picked up.

This one was different.

It's not a BAD book, it's just that it's clearly so personal to the author that I'm not sure it should have been published. The first section finds the author reflecting on this relationship with his father as he sorts out his possessions after his death. Auster's sketch of his father is in parts very moving indeed.... in parts. It all starts to go wrong for me in the second part, which I found fragmented and pretentious (Auster refers to himself throughout as A. and it includes long quotations from people like Freud, Proust and the like). Supposedly a reflection on memory, I found that very few parts of it will stick in mine.

For me it largely read like poorly edited musings. Very self-indulgent.

I've still got a pile of Auster's to read, and I hope they are better than this one.

I'll send this on to urpfi just as soon as I can. 

Journal Entry 8 by SwissToni at Postal Release in Postal release, Postal Release -- Controlled Releases on Friday, March 18, 2005

Released 7 yrs ago (3/19/2005 UTC) at Postal Release in Postal release, Postal Release -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Released into the careworn hands of the nottingham postal service to head out to Urpfi in Switzerland.... 

Journal Entry 9 by urpfi from Basel, Basel-Stadt Switzerland on Saturday, March 26, 2005

The book arrived safely today. Thank to SwissToni for sending it and to bookmaniac70 for offering the bookray. It comes on top of mount TBR... I've got to read another bookring first. 

Journal Entry 10 by urpfi from Basel, Basel-Stadt Switzerland on Monday, April 11, 2005

The book has travelled with me to Umm al Quwain (65 km north of Dubai, United Arabian Emirates) where I read it on the sunny beach with 30°C... while it was snowing back home...
I really liked the first part, the Portrait of an Invisible Man but was absolutely disinterested in the second part. So I read only the first (which would have had a 9 points score alone...) and forgot about the second...
As soon as I got the address of suzen, the book will travel to France...
 

Journal Entry 11 by suzen from Montreuil, Ile-de-France France on Monday, August 29, 2005

I was going through books and found this one; I can't remember when I got it! Sorry!! But I find that I have another copy of it, so I'm going to PM Andi1203 and try to get this one on its way. 

Journal Entry 12 by Andi1203 from Stockerau, Niederösterreich Austria on Monday, September 05, 2005

Recieved the book today from suzen.
Right now I'm already reading another book but as soon as I'm ready I will start this one. I think the next one in the list (PCSAF) will get the book in about a month. 

Journal Entry 13 by Andi1203 from Stockerau, Niederösterreich Austria on Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Due to much work I needed longer than I thought before but I finally finished the book. I personally liked it although it's not the kind of book I expected. It's definitely not a novel but two philosophical essays about fatherhood, solitude and writing.
As soon as I get the address of PCSAF I'll send it on. 

Journal Entry 14 by Andi1203 from Stockerau, Niederösterreich Austria on Friday, November 04, 2005

I sent the book today to PCSAF. 

Journal Entry 15 by PCSAF from Gondomar, Porto Portugal on Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Thank you Andi :-))
I got it. 

Journal Entry 16 by Argoitz on Monday, January 09, 2006

Just got it today in the mail. What a lovely surprise. Thanx bookmaniac70. Looking forward in reading it. I'll soon post my review and pass it on to the next bookcrosser. Love & Peace.