Book bought as new in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. To be read for my reading group next month

Sort of a crime novel, but not quite.... The Light of Day is a well crafted suspense novel, written in simplistic prose, it highlights the way in which a life can be altered by a single event. Don't want to say to much else to spoil the plot for the next reader! Not something I would have chosen for myself, as it was picked out by one of my reading group, but im glad I read it.

offered as international bookray.

Participants:-
Goatgrrl (canada)
miss-gonewest (Australia)

Please journal when it arrives and when you have read it. E-mail next in line for address. Last person in ray can decide what to do with the book.

posted to goatgrll today. First leg of bookray.

This book arrived yesterday, and I'll be starting it this evening. I expect I'll have it read quite quickly, as I've just pulled some ligaments in my right knee and been sentenced to several days' "couch time". (I'm secretly glad of the opportunity to get caught up on some reading!) Thanks very much, deebookfairy! Best wishes from New Westminster, British Columbia (at left: the Fraser River, as seen from the top of my street.)

A 2003 novel by Graham Swift (left) set in the district of Wimbledon, in southwest London.

The Light of Day takes place over the course of one day in the life of disgraced police inspector turned private detective George Webb. George's recollections take us back several years to the late 1990s, when he was retained by Sarah Nash to spy on her husband and his refugee mistress as they put the latter on a flight home to war-ravaged Croatia. As deebookfairy notes above, The Light of Day is part murder mystery (though it's more of a why-dunnit than a who-dunnit), but it's equally a contemplation on the nature of "civilized" life -- domestic and professional -- and a statement on the flimsiness of both. The author asks regularly "what's civilization for?". Given the obsessive and degraded behaviour of the principal characters in this story, the reader begins simultaneously to ask: "does it even exist?".

I found the clipped and abbreviated dialogue in Light of Day (most of which takes place inside George's head, as he moves around southwest London on the day in question), and the fact that events in the story must be teased out from the multiple layers of George's memory, made the book occasionally difficult to follow. I also felt dissatisfied with the incomplete rendering of certain characters, expecially George's daughter, Helen (about whom he seems to have lots he wants to say, but never really says it). Ultimately, I felt terribly impatient with George's obsessive and deluded stance in relation to Sarah, so much so that long before the end of the novel I found myself racing to the end (fantasizing all the while about what I'd read next -- never a good sign!). I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this book, since I've been wanting to read something by Graham Swift for some time. Although I can't really say I enjoyed the book, I do appreciate you starting this ring, deebookfairy!

Those interested can read the Guardian's review of this book here, the San Francisco Chronicle's here and a March 2003 interview with Graham Swift in the Independent here.

Graham Swift's first novel was The Sweet Shop Owner in 1980, followed by Shuttlecock and the Booker-shortlisted Waterland in 1983. Out of This World appeared in 1988 and Ever After, winner of the Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger in France, in 1992. Last Orders won the 1996 Booker Prize, and was made into a movie starring Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren.

I've PM'd miss-gonewest for her mailing address, and will send the book along to her just as soon as I receive it. Thanks again, deebookfairy! Happy Hallowe'en and a blessed Samhain from New Westminster, British Columbia.

Addendum: sent by airmail to miss-gonewest on Friday, October 15, 04.

This book (in its lovely decorated parcel) arrived last night all the way from Canada... I just love getting parcels from overseas! Thanks so much for mailing this to me Goatgrrl - and for the lovely bookmark.

I must say that I am slightly daunted about reading this novel - but then this is an exercise in stepping out of my literary comfort zone so I really hope I perservere.

I snuck through the first few pages last night and realised rather quickly that this is a book to be read & concentrated on.

I have "84 Charing Cross Road" on the go at the moment but should be finished that by the weekend, so I will be able to really sink my teeth into "Light of Day" shortly.

I'll pop back when I am finished and let you know how I went.

Deebookfairy, thanks for the chance to read this, I am looking forward to the challenge.

Just an update... after a tricky two months (having a broken arm no less), I have finally gotten in to this book, and to a computer to journal it.

I am at least half way through this book and I am really enjoying it. It took me a while to establish which women were who; and the timings of his thoughts, but I am finding it to be really interesting.

I am looking forward to getting to the climax, but I'm also relishing some of the very succint, but insightful lines he uses.

I should be finished over the holiday break and I will see if I can interest a few more readers to give this book a go, in the New Year.

My best holiday wishes to all.

Seeing as I am the last stop in this ray, I would like to get the book travelling further, so I am offering it up as a bookray. And because I really enjoyed it and think more people should give it a go!


The list so far (still subject to shipping order) is:

1. EDDI, Melbourne, local postage only
2. tqd, Australia, prefers local postage
3. tnelson99, USA, will ship anywhere
4. devon612, USA, prefers USA postage *** Book is HERE
5. bilbi, France, will ship anywhere

... and so on. The last in line is to wild release, trade or RABCK.

RELEASE NOTES:

Posted today to Eddi in Melbourne as part of a new/revived bookray {thanks again to deebookfairy for starting the original ray.}

Happy reading to all - looking forward to reading your journal entries!

Received today. Have 2 ahead of it but will get to it asap!

I didn't enjoy this book as much as other bookcrossers seem to have. It just did not grab me and I did not particularly care about the characters. I did not like the short sentences and clipped style of the writing. Thanks for the opportunity to try Graham Swift any way!

Turned up in the mail yesterday, thanks EDDI!

I've got another ring before this, but it shouldn't take long to start. Thanks to everyone for getting this book to me!

Thanks for this bookring!

I found it rather interesting, although it did take a little while to get into it initially. I just didn't have the patience for a book that didn't lay out the bare bones of the story & characters from the start. This is a shame, as usually I like books that make me work a little to understand what's going on! (I'll blame it on me this time, rather than on the novel.) And I found the ending a bit frustrating, we had been pretty much told everything, but it just kept on going on and on about it all.

But on the whole I liked the fractured storytelling (jumping back and forth in time and all that) and found it easy to read. (And wasn't the print large? I was quite startled every time I opened the book.)

I've got tnelson99's address already, so I'll pop this in the post asap (hopefully sometime this week).

UPDATE 17-March-2005: Popped in the post yesterday to tnelson99. Should be there in a couple of weeks.

Received this book recently while I was on vacation. I will get to it as soon as I finish the two I received before it. THANKS MUCH!

Received as part of a bookray, when it rains it pours. Will read ASAP and send on its way.

Just can't get into this. I don't like the clipped writing style, makes it hard for me to read. I like more of a flowing style. It's just me!!

I'll send this on to bibli!!

Update - Have PM'd Devon to see how she is going with this book... and if it had been sent along to bibli...

Hopefully she & the book are OK.

Update 4th Jan - have PM'd Devon again to see if she has this book... not sure if it was posted. Will also PM bibli.

Got it today by mail ! Books can reach France (from the States) either in 2 weeks or in 2 (and more) months, using surface mail.
The book's here at last. \o/
Just two books to read before starting on this one !
I'll let you know of my feelings about the book ASAP.
Thanks for sharing this book :*

What happened ? That's what you ask yourself from the start.
I can't hardly put the book down. The characters, the story and the writing were so interesting !
Thanks for sharing this book !

As I'm the "last in line" I will release the book (I reserve it for a special challenge I wish to fulfill next automn....)

ENGLAND / WIMBLEDON, FULHAM (Greater London)

RELEASE NOTES:

Arrived today from Bibli as part of the Entente Cordiale Challenge.

By one of those wonderful BookCrossing coincidences, this book is part of one of my reading list projects, in this case 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die [#985], so I will definitely read it before releasing it in accordance with my 'secret instructions'.

Thanks to Bibli for this challenge - it's great fun!

This is the first of Graham Swift's novels that I have read and I enjoyed it, although it I didn't feel that it lived up to all the praise printed inside the front cover.

That notwithstanding, though, I think that Swift suceeded very well in capturing the mindset/tone of voice of a not overly articulate or philosophical man who finds himself in a situation where he needs to think matters through and to try to express them and find some sort of meaning. As a result, and as earlier journallers have noted, the events are not fully explained and people not fully characterised. Although this was perhaps a little frustrating, it reflects the messy nature of real life.

The book was also interesting because I live close to Wimbledon, where George's office is, and I work only 200 metres from the Putney Vale Cemetry and have a few pictures of it at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usm/sets/72057594085547426/

Thanks again to Bilbi for sending this to me. I'll release it next time I'm at an OBCZ.

RELEASE NOTES:

Picked up at the Clarence minimeet yesterday. It's done some travelling, hasn't it!

I read this in a sitting and was very impressed. I hadn't read any of Graham Swift's books before but have seen the film of Last Orders several times and each time discovered another layer of meaning. I think it must be a very faithful adaptation as the narrative proceeds in a very similar way to this book. I'll be looking out for more by this author, but I'll release this copy into the wild when my partner has read it - she doesn't read as fast as I do so this may be a little while. But it's globe trotting will continue!

RELEASE NOTES:

Picked this one up at the mini-meet at lunchtime in the Clarence

RELEASE NOTES:

On top of the filing cabinet

RELEASE NOTES:

About to nip up the road to the Clarence in the hopes of meeting Weebly, so thought I'd drop a few books off at the OBCZ there.