A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters (Vintage International)

by Julian Barnes | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0679731377 Global Overview for this book
Registered by tnkbl of Walnut Creek, California USA on 8/4/2004
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11 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by tnkbl from Walnut Creek, California USA on Wednesday, August 4, 2004
Reader beware: This is not a history book! Rather, it is a book about "history"-- small histories, big histories, persnonal ones, public ones... It changed the way I think, the way I read, and my understanding of what it means to chronicle the past.

This is one of my favorite books of all time, so I'd really love to share it. Be prepared for something a little different...

I picked this copy up at a used bookstore, because I cannot bear to part with mine. I hope the book will do some travelling (a very appropriate ambition-- you'll see what I mean once you read it), then come back to me and I will wild release it.


Journal Entry 2 by tnkbl from Walnut Creek, California USA on Thursday, August 5, 2004
updated 10/19/04

Here is the final list and mailing order:

tnkbl (me in CA)

ProfWendi (Canada)
Brujula (France)
anna-angel (Scotland by that time, hopefully)
Auglaise (UK)
Lpree (MD)
deadsteen (NY)
Rrrcaron (NH)
jenjh (IL)
enidq (IL)
reader1107 (WI)
sgscarcliff (CA)
tnkbl again (CA)

Please let me know if I have done anything stupid-- this is the first bookring I've organized and I would love to hear of anything I can do better to make everyone's life easier. Thanks again for joining, everybody!

Journal Entry 3 by tnkbl from Walnut Creek, California USA on Monday, August 9, 2004
Well, off you go. Have a safe trip, have lots of fun, and tell me all about it when you get back.

Coming at you, Rrrcaron!

Journal Entry 4 by Rrrcaron from Lancaster, New Hampshire USA on Friday, August 13, 2004
I received this book yesterday. I plan on starting it soon.
Ruth

Journal Entry 5 by Rrrcaron from Lancaster, New Hampshire USA on Saturday, October 2, 2004
I never had the opportunity to read this book. My rings kind of got out of hand, and since I kept this one for quite some time, I'm sending it on. Hopefully, I can get to it at a later date. Sending off to ProfWendi on Monday.
Ruth

Journal Entry 6 by ProfWendi from Oakville, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Just picked this up in my mailbox from Rrrcaron... Perfect timing as I have a non-teaching week coming up! I'm so eager to read this! Until then... :)

Journal Entry 7 by ProfWendi from Oakville, Ontario Canada on Monday, November 15, 2004
Sorry for taking so long with this one! I don't want to make everyone feel sad, because this is kind of sweet... I had finished the book about a week before I found out that my mom had died... I had been thinking of how much she would really like to read it, so I had planned on buying a copy to send to her. But then I was told she passed away, and later I realized she had died before I started reading the book... so maybe she read it with me! ;)

Anyway, this was an amazing book! It was so entertaining to read, and it evoked so many different emotions, I wouldn't know where to start describing them...

I have two favourite stories: One was the first of "Three Simple Stories". I loved the thinking of the narrator, his thoughts and theories, and how they were portrayed in the story.. Lawrence Beesley and the Hegel/Marx idea of history repeating itself: didn't Hegel's also use Napolean and the Bourbons as an example? I meant to look this up on-line actually but things have been too chaotic. My other favourite was "The Survivor". I really enjoyed the contrast between reality and unreality, hope vs. hopelessness. The story being told in pieces or fragments emphasizes the fragmented mental state of the narrator - the pieces at first seeming disconnected but gradually becoming connected, which was one of the themes presented. Loved the underlying theme from history and the cold war.

So, sorry again for the long delay... finally the book is off to France to visit with Brujula! :)

Journal Entry 8 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Thursday, November 18, 2004
This book arrived today... it's the fifth bookring to find its way to my mailbox in two days, so I'm afraid it's going to take me a little time to read it, but I'll try not to keep it longer than one month!

Journal Entry 9 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Thursday, December 23, 2004
As Profwndi wrote, this is an amazing book!
It is hard to write about it. Several stories involving Noah's arch, ship wreckages, little insects, survival... All told with lots of humour and irony.
I've really enjoyed reading this! Thank you for sharing, tnkbl!

Mailing this today to anna-angel!

Journal Entry 10 by anna-angel from Stockholm, Södermanland Sweden on Thursday, March 3, 2005
Hi. Just a llittle note to say that the book is safe and sound with me here in Scotland. A little time hiccup caused the book to land in sweden after I'd gone back to here so I only just got it now when some of my family came to visit. I've started it now though and it seems really funny so i'll try to get thoguh it quickly and send it on. So sorry for stalling your bookring, didn't mean to!

Anna

Journal Entry 11 by anna-angel from Stockholm, Södermanland Sweden on Wednesday, May 18, 2005
sorry for being th admittedly slowest bookring person in the history of man. It's posted now though, on its way to wales as we speak. I really liked the book though, different from a lot you normally read. Thanks for letting me have it.

Anna

Journal Entry 12 by Auglaise from -- Somewhere in London 🤷‍♀️ , Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, July 4, 2005
Have just looked at the bottom of the journal entries, and realized that I've been so out of it recently that I haven't even made a journal entry for it. And on top of that, I've kept the book much longer than I should have...although it looks like the book has a history of being kept for a while!

Although I've really enjoyed the chapter's I've read, I just don't have time to finish it. Several things have been taking up entirely too much of my time recently, and I haven't been able to give this book the time it deserves. Hopefully the next person on the list will be able to do it justice! I'll be sending it along as soon as I get an address. Thanks for having me on the ring!

Journal Entry 13 by Lpree from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Sunday, September 11, 2005
I just got back from vacation last night, and this was in the stack of mail waiting for me. Another bookring arrived at the same time, but I think I'll probably read this one first. The cover is in delicate shape, so I may keep this at home instead of taking it to work to read so as not to do any further damage to the book.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading this and will get this moving again soon!

Journal Entry 14 by Lpree from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Sorry - I finished this probably a week ago, but hadn't had the chance to post my thoughts. I enjoyed the first story and the last story, but didn't really like the other stories. I'm not really sure why... I really liked the perspective on Noah's Ark, and thought the last story on the "dream" was really neat. The others just didn't do anything for me.

Anyway, I'm sorry for holding this - I hope to mail it out this weekend!

Journal Entry 15 by deadsteen from White Plains, New York USA on Wednesday, October 12, 2005
It arrived yesterday. As soon as I finish my current read (for my f2f bookclub), I will dig in!!

Nov 14-- still have it, going slow. I setting Thanksgiving as my target-- if I haven't finished it, I will move it on anyway.

Dec 4-- I'm just not connecting with this book. Sent PM to the next person to try to move it along.

Jan 12-- I'm really trying to get this book moving. Neither Rrrcaron nor jenjh have responded. Hopefully, enidq will

Jan 16-- yeah!! finally moving on to Enidq tomorrow

Journal Entry 16 by Enidq on Thursday, January 19, 2006
TBR-

Promise to keep this one moving. I have been craving some fiction and this looks like a good read. It seems to have generated all sorts of reactions so I am just curious as to whether I will like it.

Journal Entry 17 by Enidq on Sunday, March 19, 2006
I loved this book for many reasons. It taught me to REALLY read again. The dense writting forced me to pay close attention. I was craving this after all the chic lit I have been reading. Not all of the stories held me but I suffered through because the idea of the book was so new to me and the writing was wonderful. I akin it to a painting of a bur lap bag completed by an artist of enormous talent. The final dream was wonderful and one of the most original stories I have read since 'PI' The first story of Noah is hilarious. Two thumbs up. ;)

Journal Entry 18 by reader1107 from Tucson, Arizona USA on Saturday, July 8, 2006
Received in the mail -- I really look forward to reading this book! Thank you for including me! (see note about name change in forum)

Journal Entry 19 by reader1107 from Tucson, Arizona USA on Sunday, October 22, 2006
Geez, I was cleaning up a shelf and found this book!!!!!! I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry! I will get the next person's address and mail it out on Tuesday!!

Released 17 yrs ago (10/24/2006 UTC) at Enjoy! in Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed out priority mail to the next person on the list. USPS delivery confirmation number: 0306 1070 0005 7159 5582

Enjoy! Sorry I kept it so long!

Journal Entry 21 by wingsgscarcliffwing on Tuesday, October 31, 2006
this arrived quicker than I expected. Because of health stuff, I did not pick it up from the mailbox for a couple of days, and have not been on the computer until today.

Thanks for sharing the book with everyone.

Journal Entry 22 by tnkbl from Walnut Creek, California USA on Thursday, February 8, 2007
Can you believe it? After two and a half years, this book has finally come home! Thanks to everyone who participated in the ring.

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