Journal Entry 1 by SqueakyChu from Rockville, Maryland USA on Sunday, April 04, 2004

My husband got this book from a friend's father in Kensington, Maryland. It's an older Ace paperback published in 1984, intact, but the edges are starting to yellow from age.

This book is a classic, having been named Book of the Year and having won the Hugo, Nebula and Philip K. Dick Awards.

The problem? I am seriously *not* into science fiction and would willingly put it into the hands of those who want to read it. Otherwise, it'll just languish on my bookshelf. I don't want to wild release it.

Perhaps it's destiny is to travel worldwide. I'm going to try setting it free on an bookray. PM me with mailing preferences if you'd like to join. This bookray will remain open. The mailing order is subject to change at any time based on geography and mailing preferences.

Begin International Bookray (12/4/04)
SqueakyChu (Maryland) done
Icekween01 (Missouri) done
harryslibrarian (Michigan) done
caligula03 (California) done
Auglaise (Wales) done
Drusillamac (Scotland) done
catsalive (Australia) done -- 1 year of travel
jubby (Australia) done
Redbank (Australia) done
cosmicflurk (California) done -- stop # 10
sistert (Maryland) done
kizmiaz (Portugal) done
butterfly-noir (Portugal) done
Necroscope (UK) done -- 2 years of travel
mikime (Italy) done
ajdica (Slovenia) done -- 3 years of travel
kiyoitsukikage (Poland) done
hippolein (Finland) done
KiwiinEngland (Ireland) done -- 4 years of travel
perfect-circle (UK) done -- stop # 20
LittleWhiteBird (California, USA) done
deadsteen (New York, USA) done
Oedde (Germany) done -- 5 years of travel
End International Bookray (01/11/10)

This bookray was ended with my permission due to the poor condition of the book. It travelled far and wide with 23 stops for about 5 years, incuding stops to 9 countries (counting UK as one country), and 5 states within the USA. Thanks, everyone for your participation! ~ Squeakychu

The following will be notified that this bookray has ended:
BellaMack (Australia)
Melanie2474 (Australia)
GateGypsy (Canada)

 

Journal Entry 2 by SqueakyChu from Rockville, Maryland USA on Sunday, December 05, 2004

The book is now en route to Icekween01 in Missouri. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 3 by icekween01 from St. Louis, Missouri USA on Saturday, December 11, 2004

Journal Entry 4 by icekween01 from St. Louis, Missouri USA on Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Journal Entry 5 by icekween01 at Mailed to fellow Bookcrosser in St. Louis, Missouri USA on Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Journal Entry 6 by harryslibrarian from Ann Arbor, Michigan USA on Thursday, January 06, 2005

Received in the mail from icekween01. 

Journal Entry 7 by harryslibrarian from Ann Arbor, Michigan USA on Monday, April 25, 2005

I am REALLY sorry to all of those on this bookray--I received the book, and then it got shoved to the back of my bookshelf by accident and I forgot about it. It was an exciting read, although ultimately seemed far more surface than substance. These days it comes off as a sort of "alternate reality", a world that diverged from our own in the early eighties. There are some elements in this that make me think the author should sue the creators of "The Matrix" for plagarism, but it was definitely interesting to see the beginnings of that "cyberpunk" genre. 

Journal Entry 8 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Thursday, April 28, 2005

Book has arrived. Thank you. 

Journal Entry 9 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Thursday, May 19, 2005

I do have acknowledge the book's influence on other writers but I just can't finish it. The writing is terrible. There are too many sentence fragments, cliches, and other errors -- so many so that I'm spending all of my time distracted by the errata that I can't follow the story. 

Journal Entry 10 by caligula03 at on Thursday, May 19, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (6/7/2005 UTC) at

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Mailing to Izys in France. 

Journal Entry 11 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Saturday, June 04, 2005

I just realized that I've never heard back from Izys with an address so I will contact Auglaise. 

Journal Entry 12 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Tuesday, June 07, 2005

I have Auglaise's address. Will mail it there next week. 

Journal Entry 13 by Auglaise from London , Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, September 23, 2005

I'm so sorry that I've had this for so long! It's headed off to Scotland today though, and hopefully the rest of it's journey will be a little faster. ^_^ 

Journal Entry 14 by Drusillamac from Glasgow, Scotland United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Yay, the book has finally arrived here with me. I've got another book in front of this so it's position number 2 on Mount TBR :-)

EDIT 10/10/2005: I'm afraid this book didn't pass my fifty page rule. I just can't seem to get into it at the moment so I'm PMing the next person on the list.

EDIT: 21/10/2005: I have just read the following post on the message board about JeSuisBelle: http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/20/2870918
Due to that I'm going to PM the next person on the list and get this book moving. 

Journal Entry 15 by Drusillamac from Glasgow, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, October 24, 2005

I sent this book off to catsalive via surface mail today. I hope she enjoys the book more than I did. 

Journal Entry 16 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Monday, January 16, 2006

Book received. Thanks, Drusillamac. 

Journal Entry 17 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Friday, January 20, 2006

No, I just couldn't get into this one. I follow the 50 page rule too but I couldn't get that far. I've PMd jubby & hopefully she will appreciate this book more than I have. Thanks SqueakyChu.

Posted to jubby 25/1/6. 

Journal Entry 18 by jubby from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Received the in post a couple of days ago (sorry for not journalling sooner), and I have begun reading.

Thank you. 

Journal Entry 19 by Redbank from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Thursday, February 09, 2006

Have received the book and will start reading it in a day or two. 

Journal Entry 20 by cosmicflurk from San Diego, California USA on Tuesday, February 28, 2006

This book has arrived in San Diego, California. I had recently obtained another copy but lent it to a friend (a self-confessed slow reader) before I had a chance to read it, so this is perfect timing.

Thank you for sharing this book. 

Journal Entry 21 by cosmicflurk from San Diego, California USA on Monday, March 13, 2006

I guess that's meant to be Molly on the cover.

In discussing our shared reading, my friend expressed confusion with the book. He said that the viewpoint tended to jump around with (his example) the main character first in a bar, then walking down the street, then back in the bar, then in a hotel. I didn't feel this so much. He also expressed some boredom with the characters, but I found that it did get more interesting once they returned to the Sprawl.

I must say that I did enjoy the futuristic speech patterns. Someone once said, and I agree, that when one reads mediocre scence fiction, fantasy, or historicals, the characters tend to talk and act like modern-day Americans. It takes a bit more effort to really think about what people of another era would be like rather than just playing dress-up. Yeah, a lot of what I read may all sound really cliche now, even retro-futuristic, but remember that this is probably where everyone else ripped these ideas from.


The book was starting to fall apart so I patched it up a bit. A little glue, a little tape, and it'll make it easily to the end of the ray. 

Journal Entry 22 by cosmicflurk at by mail in By Mail, BookCrosser -- Controlled Releases on Monday, March 13, 2006

Released 5 yrs ago (3/14/2006 UTC) at by mail in By Mail, BookCrosser -- Controlled Releases

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On its way to sistert in Maryland. 

Journal Entry 23 by sistert from Catonsville, Maryland USA on Monday, March 20, 2006

Arrived back in Maryland (LOL) safe and sound. Will be read and then send it on its way to Europe, Portugal to be exact. 

Journal Entry 24 by sistert from Catonsville, Maryland USA on Saturday, April 22, 2006

I tried, I really did. I even got farther than the 50-page rule I tried so hard, but I just couldn't get into this one. Mostly I think because cyberpunk style sci-fi does nothing for me. Ah well, I've contacted kizmiaz and await an address to send this one to. I'm not rating the book because it wouldn't be fair. 

Journal Entry 25 by sistert at Bookring in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, May 25, 2006

Released 5 yrs ago (5/25/2006 UTC) at Bookring in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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On its way to kizmiaz. 

Journal Entry 26 by kizmiaz from Belém , Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Monday, August 21, 2006

Just got it, still have a couple of books on my hands but I'll try to read this as soon as I can. 

Journal Entry 27 by kizmiaz from Belém , Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Thursday, September 21, 2006

Journal Entry 28 by butterfly-noir from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Monday, October 02, 2006

arrived today.

cant waite to read it, but it the number of rings on my tbr pille it will take a while. 

Journal Entry 29 by Necroscope from Paraparaumu, Wellington Province New Zealand on Tuesday, January 16, 2007

received with thanks.....
Excellent - look forward to reading it, after climbing my mountainous toobie pile 

Journal Entry 30 by Necroscope from Paraparaumu, Wellington Province New Zealand on Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Although this is an award winning novel, I found it extremely hard going. It was difficult to follow, as Mr Gibson leaves you to find out what many of the technical terms mean, and the way he writes everday occurances into technical phrases. The lead character of molly and case, were interesting, although I would have liked a better development of their relationship. All in all a complex study in futuristic cyberspace. Interesting to read but extremely hard to follow. I'm still not sure what the story was about.

I give it a 7 out of 10 due to the characterisation of Case, Molly and Maclean. The rastfarian was a great character, and I enjoyed his entry into the novel after about 160 pages.

I would not recommend this book, unless you have read some of Willaim Gibsons other works and enjoyed them. 

Journal Entry 31 by mikime from Roma, Lazio Italy on Thursday, February 08, 2007

I received it yesterday, I'll read it after another bookring that's been here since last week. I'm looking forward to it! 

Journal Entry 32 by mikime from Roma, Lazio Italy on Monday, February 26, 2007

Wow! What an incredible, mind-blowing novel! I haven't read such a pure, brilliant piece of Sci-Fi in ages! Just a few of Philip K. Dick's novels are up to it! It does take quite some imagination to follow it through, along its invented technology, extreme cybernetics, re-mixed socio-geography and futuristic drugs, but the journey is totally worthwhile and exciting! It made me change my mind about the MATRIX movie trilogy and such: nothing that new and groundbreaking in them, Gibson said it all before! ;)
Thanks a lot for letting me read it. I enjoyed it so much, till its very last page! Now it will soon be off to next person! 

Journal Entry 33 by ajdica on Sunday, March 04, 2007

The book arrived yesterday (thank you mikime!). I've heard so much about Neuromancer that I'm really looking forward to reading it. I hope to finish it by the end of March. 

Journal Entry 34 by ajdica on Saturday, December 01, 2007

I've had this book way too long. I'm very sorry I made you all wait. A big thank you to SqueakyChu for being so understanding.
It IS a tough read but I'd really like to see it through, especially since I've come this far (got stuck with only about 50 pages left). I've set myself a deadline - I will PM the next person on the list for their address and send it off before Christmas. Promise. I hope I will finish it by then. Thanks again for your patience.
:) 

Journal Entry 35 by ajdica on Saturday, January 12, 2008

PM sent to kiyoitsukikage asking for her address. Will send it of next week (and hopefully finish the last couple of pages by then).
Reading my previous JE I realized I hadn't kept my promise. Again, I'm very sorry for the delay. My apologies to everyone I kept waiting.

EDITED to add:
It certainly was a tough read, but I'm glad I saw it through. I might have got more out of it had I read it in Slovene. The language in itself is quite difficult. Combine that with Gibson's way of writing and you have the reason why it was quite an effort for me. But it was worth it.

I will send the book to Poland tomorrow. I hope it reaches kiyoitsukikage safely. 

Journal Entry 36 by kiyoitsukikage from Brixton, Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, January 21, 2008

The envelope was a bit damaged but nevertheless the book arrived safely :D Thanks! 

Journal Entry 37 by kiyoitsukikage from Brixton, Greater London United Kingdom on Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The book is simply stunning. The language and the storytelling are superb. Thank you for sharing this book. 

Journal Entry 38 by kiyoitsukikage at by mail in To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, February 21, 2008

Released 3 yrs ago (2/21/2008 UTC) at by mail in To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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On its way to Finland! 

Journal Entry 39 by hippolein from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Tuesday, February 26, 2008

looking forward to reading this book, always loved SF so great to see a different style of it. You can notice from the book that it has travelled LOTS of kilometers, will think about how to keep it together for the ray to get to the end...
 

Journal Entry 40 by hippolein from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Just finished this book, was a VERY wonderful SF-book, just what you would expect from the better books of this genre.
Can't describe the feeling when you get into the story, but it was nice to get into a GREAT ScienceFiction Book again, so long not had any to read!

will try to get a hold of the next person now! 

Journal Entry 41 by hippolein from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Monday, March 24, 2008

book is leaving today for kiwiinengland (in Ireland). Hope it arrives safely and fast! Enjoy the book, I surely did! 

Journal Entry 42 by KiwiinEngland from Dublin, Co. Dublin Ireland on Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Book has indeed arrived safely, thank you. 

Journal Entry 43 by KiwiinEngland from Dublin, Co. Dublin Ireland on Monday, December 01, 2008

Huge apologies for still having this book. I don't have a reason, just an excuse that I moved apartments and the book is now in a bag.

Will locate and read and then pass on this book to continue its FIFTH year of travelling.

pm'ed perfect-circle to obtain address to send on 

Journal Entry 44 by KiwiinEngland at Dublin, Co. Dublin Ireland on Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (5/26/2009 UTC) at Dublin, Co. Dublin Ireland

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This book will be into its fifth year of travelling. Posted to Perfect-Circle to read and enjoy

9 June 2009 - a form has been put in with the Irish postal system to find out where this book is. It should have taken 3-5 days to reach the UK. grrr 

Journal Entry 45 by perfect-circle from Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Saturday, June 13, 2009

The book has finally arrived with me. I am a little busy at the moment, but will get this read and passed on in the next 4 weeks.

Thank you kiwiinengland & squeakychu! 

Journal Entry 46 by perfect-circle from Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Thursday, June 18, 2009

I read the whole thing, but I just couldn't get into it all. Not my cup of tea unfortunately. Will be off to the USA in the next few days. 

Journal Entry 47 by perfect-circle at Bookring, By Post -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, July 02, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (7/2/2009 UTC) at Bookring, By Post -- Controlled Releases

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Apologies for the delay, this was posted off to the next person today. 

Journal Entry 48 by LittleWhiteBird from Arlington, Virginia USA on Tuesday, July 07, 2009

I received the book in the mail today.

I'll have to figure out what to do, because I'm reading a really thick book at the moment. But I'll get to this as soon as possible, I've been wanting to read it for so long.

Update 8/15/09: Good news, I finished the other book and I'm starting to read this book today. 

Journal Entry 49 by LittleWhiteBird at To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (9/17/2009 UTC) at To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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What an unusual book. It took me a while to get into it, but as I did, I found it quite interesting.

I first learned about the book in a scientific article about hypertext that I was reading for my studies many years ago. I'm glad I was able to finally find out what it's all about.

I'm mailing the book to the next person in the ring. 

Journal Entry 50 by deadsteen from Cortlandt Manor, New York USA on Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Arrived safely.... have 1.5 books before this one, but I am going to be spending a good amount of time on airplanes in the weeks ahead! 

Journal Entry 51 by deadsteen from Cortlandt Manor, New York USA on Wednesday, October 21, 2009

This was a tough read! It took me a while to realize that the lines between reality and virtual reality are quite blurred. The story was not easy to follow. But I enjoyed it very much. I think I may have to read it again at some point. If I wasn't concentrating so much on the story and the futuristic constructs, I think I would have gotten more out of it. There are some very interesting themes and ideas running through the book. I'm glad I finally got to read it.

(The book is starting to fall apart and I did look for another copy in 4 or 5 used book stores, but could not find a replacement. Please handle with care!) 

Journal Entry 52 by Oedde from Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania and Partium Romania on Tuesday, November 24, 2009

I got this in the mail yesterday. Thanks for sharing! So now the book is in Germany (Jena, Thuringia) for the first time, right? It will have to wait a little while to be read though, but I promise to hurry. 

Journal Entry 53 by Oedde from Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania and Partium Romania on Monday, January 11, 2010

I'm not finished reading it but I'm going to give it up for now. It's very hard for me to get into the story, figure out what's happening, not to mention what's the broader meaning of it all.

I've talked to SqueakyChu and BellaMack (next on the list after me) and since they're okay with it, I've decided to let this book retire to my bookshelf in Kassel. It's in a very poor condition - for example, if you read it outside and there's a sudden gust of wind, you'll certainly lose a whole bunch of pages. Which would ruin the book completely, of course. It has travelled really far, and there are not too many people left on the list, so I hope everyone agrees that this is the best thing to do with this book.

I might lend it to friends or other people who are interested in reading this, making sure they handle the book 'with care'. And when the time has come, I'll give it another try myself.