Journal Entry 1 by Lotusflower77 from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Monday, March 08, 2004

The humorous, yet touching story of a new Indian immigrant/student in the US.

This copy is an Indian publication. 

Journal Entry 2 by Lotusflower77 from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Thursday, September 22, 2005

Reserved for LyzzyBee. 

Journal Entry 3 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Monday, October 03, 2005

Received in the post from lotusflower77 today as part of our big book swap.

Thank you so much for such a good selection and the extras you sent too! 

Journal Entry 4 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Monday, January 02, 2006

A wonderful, sweet, hysterically funny novel about an Indian guy's year at College in America. Naive and immature, he nevertheless comes through his adventures relatively unscathed and with good humour and dignity intact. A lovely book and I will look out for other novels by this author.

Thank you again lotusflower77.

I'm going to put this aside for Matt to read and offer it on a BookRing - I'm afraid I'll want to keep hold of it till I find a copy for myself! 

Journal Entry 5 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Monday, January 30, 2006

BOOKRING!

Usual rules apply...

Make a journal entry when you receive the book
Contact the next reader for their address when you are almost done
Post a review when you've read the book - please try to send it on within a month of receipt if you can
Make a journal entry or controlled release notes when you send the book on

PARTICIPANTS

Mastulela UK (anywhere)
Butterfly-noir Portugal (Europe)
Potat1556 Switzerland (Europe)
ekaterin4luv Germany (anywhere)
Sirah Finland (anywhere)
RockDg9 Australia (anywhere)
Brookeworm Canada (anywhere)
mysteryfan03 Missouri, US (anywhere)
ldpaulson California US (US only) <--- it's here [11/07/07 will be sent on soon/ checked 26/08/07]
Lpree Nebraska, US (anywhere)
Xanthe-pup Wales (anywhere)
Merimag UK (UK)
scotsbookie UK (UK)
Heaven-Ali UK (UK)
sjr1969 UK (anywhere)
GateGypsy Canada (anywhere)

I now have my own copy of this, so it becomes a ray!
 

Journal Entry 6 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Friday, February 03, 2006

Emailed mastulela for address as this one is ready to go 

Journal Entry 7 by LyzzyBee at on Friday, February 03, 2006

Released 6 yrs ago (2/4/2006 UTC) at

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Posting to Mastulela on Saturday. 

Journal Entry 8 by Mastulela from Nuneaton, Warwickshire United Kingdom on Monday, February 06, 2006

Arrived safely this morning. I am half way through a mystery novel, then this is next. 

Journal Entry 9 by Mastulela from Nuneaton, Warwickshire United Kingdom on Friday, February 10, 2006

Anurag Matur reminds me of Bill Bryson but with more bite - probably because the extrovert Randy is always present to lead the naive Gopal astray. A very funny book which also manages to compare two different cultures in an accessible manner.

I am waiting for Butterfly-noir's address.

Thank you Lotusflower77 and Lyzzybee for circulating it.

Posted on 11 Feb 2006 

Journal Entry 10 by butterfly-noir from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Thursday, February 16, 2006

arrived today. I'll read it as soon as possible.

thanks 

Journal Entry 11 by butterfly-noir from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Tuesday, April 11, 2006

a very funny and entretaining book, which actually saved me from a problematic reading block!!!

sometimes it's too esteriotiped ( I don't think thats the rigth speeling, but I'm presently too lazy to check it out, I promise to correct it later), But it works out because it's that why for every side. 

Journal Entry 12 by Potat1556 from Oberweningen, Zürich Switzerland on Wednesday, July 26, 2006

received it by mail soem days ago but then got lost under all the piles of stuff to be packed as we will shift houses soon. Hopefully, will read it this wekend and send it off by next week. Sorry for delay.
Thanks for sharing with me, LyzzyBee 

Journal Entry 13 by Potat1556 from Oberweningen, Zürich Switzerland on Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Have finally finîshed readign this lovely humourous book, written in the true spirit of love of the country and fellow countrymen.
The author really shows you a clear picture of what kind of thinking or mentality a boy from a small town might have, but also doesnt make exaggerations on that part for the sake of misleading the reader.
Thanks for letting me participate.
Am contacting ekaterin and will send it off by this weekend. 

Journal Entry 14 by ekaterin4luv from Nürnberg, Bayern Germany on Thursday, August 24, 2006

Got it! I'm looking forward to it.

 

Journal Entry 15 by ekaterin4luv from Nürnberg, Bayern Germany on Thursday, September 07, 2006

"Most surprising thing about America is it is full of Americans." (p.9)

Sorry, this really wasn't my cup of tea. It sounds so unrealistic. I mean, come on, who doesn't know a radio alarm for example?
And jokes like the above aren't my thing, too embarrassing.
 

Journal Entry 16 by Sirah from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Thursday, October 05, 2006

Received the book yesterday. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 17 by Sirah from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Sunday, November 19, 2006

Enjoyable and amusing read:D

I´ve been to States, experienced same things as Gopal, though from a little bit different backround, but anyway... Comparison of 2 totally different cultures made the book! 

Journal Entry 18 by RockDg9 from Toowoomba, Queensland Australia on Monday, November 27, 2006

Arrived here in Aus today. 

Journal Entry 19 by RockDg9 from Toowoomba, Queensland Australia on Friday, December 01, 2006

This turned from a charming little story of discovery into a one man quest for sex! Nevertheless I really enjoyed it, and the characters were brilliant. I felt the ending was a bit of an anticlimax (no pun intended), but overall it was great.

Posting onwards to Brookeworm tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 20 by Brookeworm from Etobicoke, Ontario Canada on Sunday, December 31, 2006

This is one of two bookring books waiting for me when I returned from Christmas holidays. I'll try to read them both as quickly as I can. 

Journal Entry 21 by Brookeworm from Etobicoke, Ontario Canada on Saturday, January 20, 2007

While this book had some wonderful moments of being witty, insightful, and observant, I found the majority of it read like a teen sex comedy - "Indian Pie" staring Seann William Scott as Randy. While some of this was genuinely funny, I found I was more interested in the cultural reflections than the sometimes immature sex jokes and seemingly pre-requesite "main character thinks he's propositioning a prostitute" scene.

As for the believability of Gopal's reactions to American culture, I think it's important to remember that there are many countries in the world that do not have the same everyday mundane products that we take for granted, especially those that rely on a universal and consistent supply of electricity. Of course, these countries also have everyday mundane things that we would find completely alien and 15 years ago, when this book was written, there wasn't even the internet to inform the world of all its domestic differences. Keeping this in mind certainly helped me enjoy the sometimes extreme scenes of culture shock and find the humour that was intended, if not always delivered. 

Journal Entry 22 by Brookeworm at Bookring in by mail, by mail -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, January 20, 2007

Released 5 yrs ago (1/20/2007 UTC) at Bookring in by mail, by mail -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

On it's merry bookring way! 

Journal Entry 23 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Thursday, February 08, 2007

Yay! It is here! Can't wait to read it! Thanks! 

Journal Entry 24 by mysteryfan03 from Moberly, Missouri USA on Thursday, March 08, 2007

I couldn't get into this book. I read for a while, but got tired of the immature tone of the book. The things that surprised him seemed so contrived and faked for the sake of trying to be funny. It just seemed sad and bigoted reading, too many stereotypes of women and men (not only in Indian men, but American characters as well) I will pass this on as soon as I get an address. Thanks for letting me try this book! 

Journal Entry 25 by ldpaulson from Ventura, California USA on Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Arrived in the post yesterday. I'm already intrigued by the premise. There's a fine line that an author must walk in this sort of "fish out of water" humor. It will be interesting to read. 

Journal Entry 26 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, July 05, 2008

Sorry to the people who were to receive this - I have given up on the bookring. I will try to source another copy to continue it with and if so I will post it up here and contact the next person.