New books added to my TBR Pile! Like I need more! :-) Always!!!

This book was extremely good. It is one of the first mysteries I've read where I haven't been able to figure out who the murderer was. Very well written story. Makes me want to re-read The Inferno.

I'll be sending it out for the bookring sometime this weekend or the beginning of next week.

Edit -
I'm moving the list of participants here to make my profile page just a bit shorter! :-)

Mailed on 5/10/04
1. mlbish, IL - US
2. Kitten22, CT - US
3. butlin, NH - Int'l
4. Rrrcaron, NH - Int'l
5. Banshee, Italy - Int'l
6. fannynatalie, Austria - Int'l
7. maupi, Netherlands - Int'l
8. Metropolitan, Brazil - US/Can
9. Czersk, MN - Int'l
10. ghaweyn, CO - US
11. nicole4, IL - Int'l RECEIVED 2/09/06
12. NGraceD, MO - Int'l
13. dragonfly4, Quebec - US/Can

Released on Monday, May 10, 2004 at Bookring in Bookring, A Bookring Controlled Releases.

The ring has started. I hope that everyone enjoys this as much as I did. :-)

Caught! Thanks so much, rubyjules, for starting a ring that fulfills my wish! I will read it and pass along ASAP.

Sigh. I'm sorry I have taken so long to finish this one. I haven't forgotten about it, my life has just gotten a little out of control. I'm reading it now and I will have it out in the next few days. Thanks for being patient!!

Finally finished last night! Thank you so much, rubyjules, for giving me the opportunity to read this book that's been on my wishlist for quite some time.

What an interesting book! It renewed my interest in reading The Divine Comedy. I listened to a lecture series about the poem several years ago, but I have never had the guts to just jump in and read it. Perhaps I'll find a good translation and go for it!

I thought the book was really intriguing. The use of famous literary characters made it more real and more interesting. I was surprised to discover that there was actually a Dante Club and that they did actually publish Longfellow (and his friends') translation of the work.

The pacing of the novel could have used a little work. It was a bit slow at the start. At many points, it raced along, but at others it could have moved a little faster. There were a lot of characters and names to keep up with. I know that is a particular weakness I have, so others may not feel the same way, but I personally could have used a little dramatis personae or something at the beginning.

The story was set just after the end of the Civil War. I was really struck by the widespread anti-slavery sentiment among the Northerners. I was not aware that Northern people of the time were really all that anti-slavery. It was my understanding that the North had a different economic system (more industrial, less agricultural) and therefore had no need for slaves. And I thought that in many ways the Civil War was more about secession of the Southern states than about freeing the slaves. I started to wonder whether the author was trying to depict a mentality that was actually present in 1865 or whether he was imposing his own modern political correctness on the characters. I don't know.

Because the main characters in this book are highly educated, it's possible that they had a different (more modern) view of slavery and equality than other people of the time. And I detected that somewhat. For example, Captain Rey, the mixed police officer, was never harassed or mistreated by the Dante Club because of his heritage, but other less-educated characters did say some bigoted things to him. So maybe the author was trying to show the social attitudes of high-society folk as opposed to others.

I read that Matthew Pearl was a prominent Dante scholar himself, which is obvious from the dialogue and text of the story. He never misses an opportunity to revere and lionize Dante. That never became distracting or irritating, but I did notice it.

I was suprised at the end to find out who the murderer was. I'm not sure the book was designed so that the reader could figure it out. I suppose that would require a re-read. I suspected pretty much every character at some point throughout the course of the story, but never the one that actually committed the crime! Which made the ending fun and rewarding. :-)

Thanks for sharing this great book!! My apologies for taking so long with it. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

Mailed out last week. Hope you enjoy.

Arrived today. Can't wait to read!

I have to say that I just couldn't get into this one at first. But, after a few tries, I changed my mind.

I found it quite interesting. Even with a negligible knowledge of Dante completely based on my high school history class, I really enjoyed the book. I recognized the Dante inspired murders, and was intrigued at the detail. The blowflies were a great touch.

I personally have zero knowledge of Longfellow or the others, and their work, so the story wasn't all that meaningful for me in that area.

Spoilers ahead - highlight to read:

I had NO idea who the murderer was until they actually said it. I couldn't believe that I'd missed Dan Teal/Dante Al... Too perfect! Just a wonderful extra. I truly thought that Greene was the mastermind and he had someone else - perhaps even Lowell's evil student there - committing the actual murders. It's so refreshing to read a book and truly not know who the murder is until you're told.

All in all, quite intriguing.

Passing on to next ring member.

Received today. A few book rays in front of it but will read as fast as I can!

I am going to send this along to the next person. Just couldn't get interested in this one.

Still trying to get in touch with rrcaron to get address...

10/13/04 - will try one more PM to rrcaron and if no response I will forward to next person.

10/20/04 - still no response from rrcaron. I will forward on to next person and add rrcaron to bottom of list.
10/21/04 - heard from rrcaron today - will forward to her.

Received this in the mail yesterday. I have a few to read before this one, but I'll try to get to it soon...
Ruth

This was such an interesting read!I feel that not only was I entertained, but that I learned a little about these elite literary figures from Harvard in this time era It started slow at first, but then those pages started turning!!! Thanks so much for sharing! I'm contacting NorgeGirl, and will send as soon as I receive an address.
Ruth

Norgegirl has asked to be skipped, so I have contacted grover3d for an address. I will send it along as soon as I hear from her!
Ruth

grover3d has also asked to be skipped, so now I am waiting to here from Banshee. As soon as I do, I'll be sending it on!
Ruth

Arrived yesterday. thanks.

really interesting.
I studied Dante many years ago: his writings are beautiful but quite difficult to read.
After reading "the Dante club" I think I'll try to read "La Divina Commedia" one more time.

The book arrived today. Thanks a lot for starting the bookring and sending it to me!

I have got mixed feelings about the book. I found it interesting how the author described post-civil war society in Boston and the difficulties of the first coloured police officer in this environment. I am also thankful of the realistic description of the battles at the end of the book. Somehow I anticipated that an ex-soldier would be responsible, but I falsely assumed that Oliver Wendell Holmes Junior was connected with it somehow.

I think it is a good idea to invent a crime story around famous American authors and to include Dante, because, when I read "La Divina Commedia", I always thought that the sufferings Dante described would be ideal material for a psychopathic murderer. Nevertheless the 250 first pages went very slowly and I was a bit disappointed about the lack of thrill.

RELEASE NOTES:

Will travel on to maupi.

Yay, got it, thank you!

I can't get into this book. Maybe it's just not the right time and place thing and chances are I'd love it at one go at another time in my life. But as that is not now, I'll send the book on to Brazil. I already have Metropolitan's address.

Arrived safely, thanks! It will take me a while to read it, as I've just become a grandma for the first time! Camila was born on Sept. 6 - 7.300 lbs and 18 inches - that's 3.305 in kilos and 47 cm. Of course I think she's beautiful, but I'll try to post a picture on my profile so you can all see that I'm telling nothing but the truth!

Amazing book! It keeps you looking forward to every single chapter! An enticing read with a great mistery that has you guessing 'til the end.
I'm sorry it took so long for me to journal it. It's traveling to Czerk tomorrow.
Thank you for sharing and for being so patient with me!

It's here! I have finals next week, but after that I have a month and a half to waste away reading! So I intend to get to this book very soon. Thank you Metropolitan- the stamps were so much fun to look at! And thank you rubyjules for starting the ring.

This book did start out dreadfully slow- its lethargy almost did me in, but I persevered. I would read half a chapter, set it aside, read an entire Tamora Pierce novel, and then pick it back up again. This got me through the first canticle, and by that time the plot began to pick up and I no longer required respites from Pearl's story. I spent most of the book trying to keep myself one step ahead of the rest, convinced that this time I would figure out who the killer was before his identity was revealed. Alas, it was to no avail. (*SPOILER*) I went from suspecting Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., like fannynatalie, to Mabel Lowell to Manning himself. In hindsight, most of my suspects were a little farfetched, although they did seem reasonable at the time! I never once thought of Teal. Not once. I agree with mlbish that the book was not designed to reveal the murderer to the more perseptive readers. I paid deliberate attention to details, but he did not even occur to me.

I really did enjoy this book. Thanks to all who made my reading possible!! Off to the next . . .

UPDATE:
I have been going by the bookring list that was passed on with the book, and I am journaling to say that the three BCers after me on that list have all been asked to be skipped (they are RlyLv2Rd, Moraelyn, and kelwood) and I am now sending the book to ghaweyn. It should be in the mail tomorrow.

Being an English Literature Major I thought I'd like this. I couldn't get into it. I will pass it on to the next person as soon as I have an address.

I'm finishing a book right now, but this will be next in line! Can't wait! Thanks!

RELEASE NOTES:

In the magazine rack...

I found the book on thursday. This is the 2nd book that I have found at that store in the last 2 weeks, both left by nicole4. If I find another one there, I think I might ignore it and let someone else find it. I do have an unfair advantage---I basically live at that store. I will begin reading this book as soon as I'm finished with the last book left by nicole4.

RELEASE NOTES:

I left it in a terminal under a seat while waiting for a flight to Denver