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Get Ready for Battle
by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala | Literature & Fiction
Registered by reader1107 of Tucson, Arizona USA on Sunday, April 04, 2004
Average 7 star rating by BookCrossing Members 

status (set by jacinta-in-Kent): travelling


9 journalers for this copy...

Journal Entry 1 by reader1107 from Tucson, Arizona USA on Sunday, April 04, 2004

This book has not been rated.

In this touching and delightfully witty novel, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala draws a sharp and perceptive, yet always compassionate, portrait of middle-class family life in contemporary Delhi. Through one family's conflicting ambitions, business intrigues, and personal and emotional entanglements, she gently mocks the self-seeking nature of this group of people, who are all ready for battle -- with each other and themselves. (back cover) 

Journal Entry 2 by reader1107 at Enjoy! in Controlled Release, Given to a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, May 11, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Released on Tuesday, May 11, 2004 at Enjoy! in Controlled Release, Given to a fellow bookcrosser Controlled Releases.

released in book ray
1. goatgrrl
2. lauraloo29
 

Journal Entry 3 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Friday, May 21, 2004

This book has not been rated.

This book arrived in this morning's mail, along with one other bookring book (this is the first time this has happened to me!). I promise to have it in the mail to the next person on the list by the end of May. Thanks very much! 

Journal Entry 4 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Thursday, May 27, 2004

7 out of 10

I finished Get Ready for Battle on my way home from work tonight. I enjoyed it, but nowhere near as much as I liked Prawer Jhabvala's later book, Heat and Dust. It seems to me she really matured as a writer and story-teller between the writing of Get Ready for Battle (in 1962) and her later books -- which makes sense, as she was only in her early 30s when Battle was written. I enjoyed the depiction of the lives of middle class Indians in the early 1960s very much -- it's a world to which I've never given much thought. And I was amazed at the similarity between the social (i.e. professional, familial and romantic) preoccupations of 30 - 50-something Indians in the 1960s and me and my Canadian pals in 2004. There's not much new under the sun.

Thanks very much for sharing this book! I'll be mailing it to lauraloo29 in Edmonton just as soon as I receive her address. (At left: a view of the Fraser River in New Westminster, British Columbia, as seen from the top of my street.)

Addendum: I mailed this book to lauraloo29 on May 31, 2004. 

Journal Entry 5 by winglauraloo29wing from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Thursday, June 03, 2004

This book has not been rated.

This arrived today. I have 1 1/2 bookring books before it. It came with a beautiful Vancouver bookmark. Thank you! It looks like a relatively quick read.

Update June 10th - I tried to get into this book. It took me a while to figure out connections and names. I'm unfamiliar with East Indian culture, perhaps that was it. I'll have to think about it some more. 

Journal Entry 6 by winglauraloo29wing from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Saturday, June 12, 2004

This book has not been rated.

I want this book to continue its adventures. I am sending it out as a bookray.



I will be sending this out as a bookray. When you receive the book, please make a journal entry letting us know you have it. When you are done, please journal again with your thoughts on the book. Contact the next person on the list via PM for their mailing address

Mailing order is below:

1. djfil US (US)
2. Lpree US (Intl)
3. Brujula France (Europe)
4. redhouse UK (Intl)

Going out on July 19th to djfil!

 

Journal Entry 7 by djfil from Atlanta, Georgia USA on Monday, July 19, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Received today. Thanks. I've already started it but am having a hard time getting into it. I've enjoyed contemporary Indian lit ala Jhumpa Lahiri and Manil Suri in the past so I thought I might like this as well. I'll keep trying for now. 

Journal Entry 8 by djfil from Atlanta, Georgia USA on Thursday, July 22, 2004

7 out of 10

Slow start but engaging and entertaining novella which portrays Indian culture at the crossroads with western influence. This story is written in such a way that we are as a fly on the wall to be privy to the personal and private goings-on presented with a slight mocking tone. An intriguing and smart read. Thanks Lauraloo29 for the opportunity. (There's the author in the photo)

I pm'ed Lpree when I received the book, but her profile indicates that she had a death in the family and would be away this week. I will send her the novel once I receive her address. 

Journal Entry 9 by djfil from Atlanta, Georgia USA on Saturday, July 24, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Received Lpree's address today. I'll send this out on Monday. 

Journal Entry 10 by Lpree from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Friday, July 30, 2004

This book has not been rated.

This arrived today, along with another bookring. I have a couple other bookrings already inhouse, but will try to get through those quickly and get this one read. I'll keep an eye on how long I hold it for. 

Journal Entry 11 by Lpree from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Thursday, August 12, 2004

7 out of 10

I finished this book yesterday. I found it an interesting look at life in India and the struggles that go on. The only thing I didn't really like was the ending - I really wanted to have things wrapped up a bit more. I wanted to know how things turned out for all the people in the story. But overall, I enjoyed the book and would certainly recommend it to others.

I will PM the next person on the list for their address.

UPDATE 8/13 - Sent surface mail to Brujula today. 

Journal Entry 12 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Friday, August 20, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Received yesterday in the mail!
I'm really impressed, it only took it 6 days to go from Maryland to Belfort (France) via surface mail. It took a very very fast boat! (guess it somehow got on a plane, actually)

Thank you Lpree and lauraloo29! 

Journal Entry 13 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Wednesday, September 15, 2004

This book has not been rated.

a little update...
I was ready to start reading this book so I could send it along at the end of the week. But when I checked redhouse's bookshelf to ask her for her adress, I saw she is "out of town" for another 2 weeks and a half.
So I guess I will read a few of the other bookrings that are lying around before this one that would have to wait a little anyway before being sent!
 

Journal Entry 14 by winglelliewing from Trimley St Mary, Suffolk United Kingdom on Friday, October 08, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Arrived safely in Suffolk.
Thanks 

Journal Entry 15 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Sunday, October 10, 2004

7 out of 10

I'm astounded at the efficacity of spanish mail!
I mailed this book from Barcelona on October 6th, thinking I would have plenty of time to write the review when I'd be home from vacation...And I open my mail and see it's already made it in the UK!
Well.... I enjoyed this book and the description it gives of the indian middle class.

thank you for letting me read it! 

Journal Entry 16 by winglelliewing from Trimley St Mary, Suffolk United Kingdom on Thursday, November 11, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Oh I really enjoyed this. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala is wonderful. It's funny and touching and very real.
Thanks so much lauraloo for starting this ray.
I'm going to post it on the forum and try to keep it travelling. 

Journal Entry 17 by winglelliewing from Trimley St Mary, Suffolk United Kingdom on Tuesday, November 23, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Mailing today to arturogrande 

Journal Entry 18 by arturogrande from Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Friday, November 26, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Received today from redhouse - thank you very much. I've got a ring ahead of it, but I'll try to get it read and moving as quickly as possible. 

Journal Entry 19 by arturogrande from Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Tuesday, May 24, 2005

8 out of 10

I had quite a strange experience with this book. When it arrived, I started it straight away, but I couldn't get into it. Then a couple of bookrings arrived and I put it aside.
Once the rings were out of the way, I picked it up again, but the same thing happened - couldn't get into it.
Again I put it aside. The last week, I had to have a couple of days off work for a hospital appointment. I picked up Battle - and found I couldn't put it down!
All at once, the characters and their situations seemed to grab me, and it 'clicked' with me at last.
I am in agreement with goatgrrl in that Indian society in the 60s appears to be very 'modern', which surprised me. Friends of mine from an Indian background sometimes talk about how 'old-fashioned' their parents are - these are people who would have been quite young in the period Jhabvala was writing about.
I was also surprised by how much status the mistress of a separated man has, how she is not treated in a judgemental way, and how little divorce was frowned upon in that society.
It was a warm, real and eye-opening book, and I'm so glad I gave it a third chance.
Thanks very much to everyone who shared this book with me. 

Journal Entry 20 by arturogrande at Bookbox in Bookbox, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Friday, September 23, 2005

This book has not been rated.

Released 6 yrs ago (9/23/2005 UTC) at Bookbox in Bookbox, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Added to jacinta2000's women's interest bookbox. 

Journal Entry 21 by jacinta-in-Kent at Telephone Box behind KFC, by the Great Bridge in Tonbridge, Kent United Kingdom on Friday, January 13, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Released 6 yrs ago (1/13/2006 UTC) at Telephone Box behind KFC, by the Great Bridge in Tonbridge, Kent United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

 

Journal Entry 22 by jacinta-in-Kent from Tonbridge, Kent United Kingdom on Friday, January 13, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Received in the Women's Bookfox. However, probably won't get time to read it.. so it better go off on its travels! 



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