Journal Entry 1 by Suzy26 from Delft, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Tuesday, September 28, 2004

From the back flap:
When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated mountain village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the plague year, 1666, as her fellow villagers make an extraordinary choice: convinced by a visionary young minister they elect to quarantine themselves within the village boundaries to arrest the spread of the disease. But as death reaches into every household, faith frays. When villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must confront the deaths of family, the disintegration of her community, and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive, a year of plague becomes instead annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders". 

Journal Entry 2 by Suzy26 from Delft, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Tuesday, September 28, 2004

This is going to be a bookring. Participants so far:

janna2
plinius
lot12
Olifant
Hellehond
Elefteria
MaaikeB
yvonnep
powerhouse

and back to Suzy26 

Journal Entry 3 by Suzy26 from Delft, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Friday, October 01, 2004

This book was sent to janna2 today. I cannot wait to hear what you think of it. I hope you like it. 

Journal Entry 4 by janna2 from Castricum, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, October 03, 2004

Yesterday when I came home from work the book was waiting for me. It has to wait a little bit longer for I have two other ringbooks to go.

Thanks Suzy26!
 

Journal Entry 5 by janna2 from Castricum, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Wednesday, October 27, 2004

I enjoyed this book very much: maybe it's a little bit strange but I like to read novels playing in plague-times and I can imagine things happening like decribed in this book. The book contains also many beautiful descriptions of nature and the surroundings of the village.
Only the last twenty pages or so are totally unrealistic to me. I'll tell nothing about the end, but I'm curious to hear what others think of this book. 

Journal Entry 6 by Plinius from Schiedam, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Friday, October 29, 2004

! This looks good, thank you Suzy26 and Janna2!
I like historical novels, because I like to pry around in other times and other places, so I hope it's not a soppy story and I won't start on the last page.
First I'll admit that there are some other ringbooks lying about.... 

Journal Entry 7 by Plinius from Schiedam, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Friday, December 03, 2004

I enjoyed this book very much! The story looks convincing to me (I'm not really sure about the end), and I like the description of how the villagers react to their isolation. I can also see that Geraldine Brooks did a lot of reading for this book and it pays off.
But now and then I get the feeling that 21st century feelings and reasonings are implanted in a 17th century story, especially in the way Anna deals with Mr. Mompellion. You can say that human nature doesn't change, but the way we think and accept things does.
Apart from that a very enjoyable story. Thanks for sharing, Suzy26! 

Journal Entry 8 by Plinius at book ring in Mailed to fellow bookcrosser, Postal Release -- Controlled Releases on Friday, December 03, 2004

Released on Friday, December 03, 2004 at about 4:00:00 AM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at book ring in Mailed to fellow bookcrosser, Postal Release Controlled Releases.

RELEASE NOTES:

 

Journal Entry 9 by lot12 from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Tuesday, December 07, 2004

De laatste in de berg van vijf boeken die ik vanmorgen in de postbus vond. En vrijdag kreeg ik er ook al twee. Jongens, jongens, wat word ik toch verwend. Plinius schreef op haar mooie kaart over enge bevallingen in dit boek. Hmm... als ze net zo beeldend beschreven worden als de herfstscene in het begin sla ik die maar over, hihi. Ik kijk erg naar dit boek uit, maar er liggen nog wat andere boeken die eerst aandacht moeten krijgen. 

Journal Entry 10 by lot12 from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Friday, January 14, 2005

I read this book halfway through before I went on holiday and halfway during it. Now, about four or five days later, I have a hard time saying something about it. That is strange, because I don't have much trouble remembering books, normally.
So, my comments will be short, I'm afraid.

I like the language and the descriptions in the book. Brooks has a good eye for nature and history. I was amazed how well she could describe the feel of nature and the smells of plants and trees. The images she paints of the 17th century are very vivid and beautiful, however horrific.

It's an intriguing story, of course, the story of a village in isolation and a maid in it who is always at the centre of things. The way Brooks tells this story is, I think, nice. It feels quite authentic and convincing, even though, or perhaps because of, the modern voice of the woman.

I remember thinking that there were some debutantes flaws in the book. I don't exactly remember what they were. I was quite flabbergasted by the ending. It is clear it is inspired by Brooks journalistic work. The turn in the characters at the end is not convincing, in my opinion.

All in all: sometimes the characters are a bit too modern, the ending is not convincing and the book didn't really stay with me. But it was a good read, almost magical sometimes. Some of the scenes did stay with me. I liked reading it!

Thank you for sharing, suzy26. 

Journal Entry 11 by Olifant from Porthmadog, Wales United Kingdom on Sunday, January 23, 2005

Op de meeting in Utrecht ontvangen. Ik heb zin in dit boek! 

Journal Entry 12 by Olifant from Porthmadog, Wales United Kingdom on Monday, January 31, 2005

In begonnen en niet meer neergelegd. Ondanks alle tragiek een spannend verhaal. De dorpsbewoners gaan verschillend om met de situatie (de Pest, de daaropvolgende dood, in quarantaine gaan, schuldvraag) en dat vind ik heel geloofwaardig beschreven. Het laatste hoofdstuk vind ik een anticlimax. Voor mijn gevoel had het verhaal moeten stoppen waar het eerste hoofdstuk mee begon.

Een leuke bijkomstigheid: de roman speelt zich af in Derbyshire. Daar ben ik vaak geweest. Ik herkende de beschrijvingen van het landschap en de dorpsnamen. Ik ben zelfs in het gehucht Eyam geweest, waar ik een foto gemaakt heb (hoe toevallig nu) van een huisje met een plakkaat aan de muur waarop het volgende staat:

PLAQUE COTTAGE

The first victim of the plague died here, GEORGE VICARS, a travelling tailor, lodged in this cottage with Mrs Cooper, a miner’s widow, and her two sons.
He died September 7th 1665.

EDWARD COOPER, the second victim, died here September 22 1665
JONATHAN COOPER, also a victim died here October 2nd 1665

De inspiratiebron van Geraldine Brooks boek. 

Journal Entry 13 by Hellehond from Utrecht, Utrecht Netherlands on Monday, February 07, 2005

Olifant heeft dit in mijn brievenbus gedaan. Ik ben benieuwd: de reacties tot nu toe beloven een geweldige leeservaring. 

Journal Entry 14 by Hellehond from Utrecht, Utrecht Netherlands on Monday, February 21, 2005

I liked this book a lot, though it isn't very well written. The story of the plague is intriguing enough to get hold of the reader for many hours. The protagonist however is too good to be true, just like her father is too bad to be true. The end is totally superfluous and very unrealistic. 

Journal Entry 15 by Elefteria from Enschede, Overijssel Netherlands on Wednesday, February 23, 2005

received it yesterday and already started reading. and i like it!! 

Journal Entry 16 by Elefteria from Enschede, Overijssel Netherlands on Friday, March 11, 2005

I liked the book. Always like novels in a historical setting. Only the end was not convincing. The last chapter could have been a book in itself. But on the whole, it was a good read. Sending it to Maaikeb asap. 

Journal Entry 17 by Elefteria at BookRing in Book Ring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Friday, March 11, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (3/11/2005 UTC) at BookRing in Book Ring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

voor Maaike! t is een mooi boek! 

Journal Entry 18 by MaaikeB from Zeist, Utrecht Netherlands on Monday, March 14, 2005

Alweer een ringboek! Het is vast een lekker dóórleesboek. Het moet nog wel even wachten, want Kluun was een paar dagen eerder. Bedankt voor het opsturen, elefteria. 

Journal Entry 19 by MaaikeB from Zeist, Utrecht Netherlands on Sunday, March 27, 2005

I liked the book. Although the ending struck me as slightly unrealistic as well, I hesitate to say so. In real life so many things happen about which one thinks 'if this happened in a book, I wouldn't have believed it' that I'm happy enough to go along with the events as presented here. Maybe Brooks even found an example of someone like Anna who ended up in the Arab world. I don't really care either. I liked the story, even dreamed about it, which is quite rare for me. I'm glad I joined the ring. Thanks, Suzy26 for starting it. 

Journal Entry 20 by yvonnep from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Good grieve, a ringbook. Haven't seen them for a long time. This is a bad omen (watch your mailbox, yvonnep). But: I love books that tell the story of villages in the plaguetime. I know it's morbid, but it has something to do with the isolation of people and the psychological processes. Tralala, it's almost weekend, and I have no appointments...tralala. 

Journal Entry 21 by yvonnep from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Friday, April 08, 2005

No, this was not my plaguebook... I thought the book on the whole unbalanced. Sometimes awfully nice language (as Lot says in Brooks' descriptions of nature) but not very subtle, even extreme and hysterical, in describing a village in isolation. In more ways I thought the story extreme and hysterical and in the end completely round the twist. I forced myself to finish it, because I finish not so many books these days. Most books seem not worth finishing and to be honest, actually neither was this one. 

Journal Entry 22 by powerhouse from Culemborg, Gelderland Netherlands on Friday, April 15, 2005

What a lovely surprise! Just read all your entries, and it sounds promising with a flawed end. Anyway, it will have to wait. I can't read, which is normal in times of (dis)tress. Exciting card, yvonnep! 

Journal Entry 23 by powerhouse from Culemborg, Gelderland Netherlands on Friday, June 03, 2005

I read my own premonitions and they turned out to be more realistic than the end of this book. I liked it, mostly because of the descriptions of the landscape and the colours and scents. I liked Anna a lot, but she was in fact the only interesting character. The story could have ended after Mompellions resurrection, so to say. After that the story flawed and flawed some more. Anyway, Anna was my train companion for a whole week and I missed her today. Thank you Suzy26, does the ring end here? 

Journal Entry 24 by Suzy26 from Delft, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, June 26, 2005

And this book has safely arrived home again. Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts about this book.