Journal Entry 1 by FrontStreet from Mexico, Maine USA on Friday, April 22, 2005

Just got his from my mom- looking forward to reading it. Have just read Middlesex so am curious about this one.  

Journal Entry 2 by alsgal from Lewes, Delaware USA on Monday, August 08, 2005

Received from chomper as part of the Happiness Day secret gift exchange on the bookrelay forums. Thanks so much chomper!

I listened to Middlesex earlier this year so I'm excited to read this one. 

Journal Entry 3 by alsgal from Lewes, Delaware USA on Friday, September 30, 2005

reserved for paganfrog who accepted it on the book relays. Moving this up to the top of the Reading Queue. 

Journal Entry 4 by alsgal from Lewes, Delaware USA on Thursday, October 13, 2005

A bit of a strange story. I just felt like the whole thing was weird. Not really bad, just strange. I enjoyed Middlesex much more than this one.

Sending off to paganfrog who accepted it on the relays. 

Journal Entry 5 by paganfrog from Wick, Scotland United Kingdom on Wednesday, November 23, 2005

thanks for sending this. i will journal once ive read it. :-) 

Journal Entry 6 by paganfrog from Wick, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, November 28, 2005

well what can i say? when i claimed this book from relay, i wasnt sure if i was going like it or not, but i wanted to give it a chance.
i managed to read about half the book before i thought "why am i subjecting myself to this dirge?" so i quit.
its not that its badly written, because it isnt. i found it about as interesting as watching paint dry! it was boring and depressive.


 

Journal Entry 7 by paganfrog from Wick, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, November 28, 2005

im sending this onto cats-eye who requested it from me even after what i said about it.
so i hope she will enjoy reading this book. 

Journal Entry 8 by paganfrog from Wick, Scotland United Kingdom on Wednesday, November 30, 2005

mailed onto cats-eye as a rabck. enjoy :-) 

Journal Entry 9 by cats-eye from Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on Thursday, December 01, 2005

arrived today in the post along with it's travelling companion, and I'm looking forward to reading both!! Thank you for this RABCK, Paganfrog! Will journal again properly once I've read it... 

Journal Entry 10 by cats-eye from Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on Sunday, April 30, 2006

Pagan, I have to agree with you on this one...I just couldn't get into it! I have decided to call it quits and make it AVL for someone who will give it a new home. I think I'm just not cut out to read Eugenides, as I have picked up (and put down!) "Middlesex" more times than I can count :(
Thanks for sending this wishlist book to me - I'm glad I gave it a try! 

Journal Entry 11 by cats-eye from Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on Tuesday, June 20, 2006

posted to kzel via surface mail as part of a relay - enjoy! 

Journal Entry 12 by kzel from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Sunday, July 02, 2006

Picked up from the post office on Saturday (01/07/06). Looking forward to reading this one sometime soon... 

Journal Entry 13 by kzel from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Sunday, January 14, 2007

Unlike the previous journallers, I found this quite an interesting read (though depressing). Though the story moves very slowly, I enjoyed the portrayal of the characters, though I would have liked more insight into why the girls ultimately came up with the pact, when they had another way out. 

Journal Entry 14 by kzel at James Squire Brewhouse in Melbourne, Vic, at a meetup -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, January 14, 2007

Released 5 yrs ago (1/16/2007 UTC) at James Squire Brewhouse in Melbourne, Vic, at a meetup -- Controlled Releases

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RELEASE NOTES:

Taking to tomorrow night's meet up 

Journal Entry 15 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, January 16, 2007

I picked this one up from meet-up last night. I remember watching the movie ages ago, although I really don't remember much, apart from one girl killing herself in the oven! I'm looking forward to reading this one and possibly revisiting the movie as well.

From Amazon.com:
Eugenides's tantalizing, macabre first novel begins with a suicide, the first of the five bizarre deaths of the teenage daughters in the Lisbon family; the rest of the work, set in the author's native Michigan in the early 1970s, is a backward-looking quest as the male narrator and his nosy, horny pals describe how they strove to understand the odd clan of this first chapter, which appeared in the Paris Review , where it won the 1991 Aga Khan Prize for fiction. The sensationalism of the subject matter (based loosely on a factual account) may be off-putting to some readers, but Eugenides's voice is so fresh and compelling, his powers of observation so startling and acute, that most will be mesmerized. The title derives from a song by the fictional rock band Cruel Crux, a favorite of the Lisbon daughter Lux--who, unlike her sisters Therese, Mary, Bonnie and Cecilia, is anything but a virgin by the tale's end. Her mother forces Lux to burn the album along with others she considers dangerously provocative. Mr. Lisbon, a mild-mannered high school math teacher, is driven to resign by parents who believe his control of their children may be as deficient as his control of his own brood. Eugenides risks sounding sophomoric in his attempt to convey the immaturity of high-school boys; while initially somewhat discomfiting, the narrator's voice (representing the collective memories of the group) acquires the ring of authenticity. The author is equally convincing when he describes the older locals' reactions to the suicide attempts. Under the narrator's goofy, posturing banter are some hard truths: mortality is a fact of life; teenage girls are more attracted to brawn than to brains (contrary to the testimony of the narrator's male relatives). This is an auspicious debut from an imaginative and talented writer. 

Journal Entry 16 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Friday, June 15, 2007

I think if I hadn't watched the movie, I would probably have given up halfway with this book. However, based on my vague memories of the film and remembering that I found it fairly interesting, I made myself read all the way to the last page. I think it was worthwhile in the end to persevere, but I must admit, the story does move very slowly and at times, I was struggling to get through. And of course the subject matter is depressing, it's quite distressing to think that five siblings could find themselves in such despair that the only avenue out was death itself. Still, I'm glad I had the chance to read this book, and I think I will be revisiting the movie soon as well. 

Journal Entry 17 by leeny37 at Post office: Mailed to moocher in Australia, BookMooch -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, June 17, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (6/17/2007 UTC) at Post office: Mailed to moocher in Australia, BookMooch -- Controlled Releases

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RELEASE NOTES:

Released via BookMooch.com.

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