Journal Entry 1 by Kislany on Saturday, May 14, 2005

In Istanbul, in the late 1590s, the Sultan secretly commissions a great book: a celebration of his life and his empire, to be illuminated by the best artists of the day - in the European manner. But when one of the miniaturists goes missing and is feared murdered, their master seeks outside help.

Available for trade, etc. 

Journal Entry 2 by Kislany at Mailed to BC member in Mailed to another BC member, a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (8/1/2005 UTC) at Mailed to BC member in Mailed to another BC member, a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases

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Sending to asterw, enjoy :) 

Journal Entry 3 by asterw from Athens, Attica Greece on Friday, August 12, 2005

The book came today.

Thank you very much Kislany! I hope you're having a great time in your holidays!


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22.8.05: Still TBR, reserved for LastEdition - trade.

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7.10.05: Wow, I just realized that with all the bookrings and other books that I had promised to people before, it's been 1,5 month since I said that I would trade this with LastEdition and I haven't started it yet! Luckily, I'm starting it as soon as I finish the one I'm reading now -which means that this is the first book I'm going to read after starting my new life in Spain ;o) 

Journal Entry 4 by asterw from Athens, Attica Greece on Saturday, November 19, 2005

I tried to read it but unfortunately I had no time to enjoy it as at that time I was starting my new job, looking for a house in a foreign country. I liked the first chapters that I read, but it´s not a book to read in the metro and bus going to work while trying to wake up...

I remember someone saying something that with bookcrossing books go around and if you can´t read a book now, you´ll be able to find it again later on. So I prefered to send it to LastEdition who was waiting for it for quite a long time, as it was in her eclectic wishlist and I think she´s going to like it quite a lot. Actually, I gave it to my mother who was visiting me last week to mail it from Greece, because postage in Spain is extremely expensive!

Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 5 by LastEdition on Saturday, November 26, 2005

This arrived today, thank you asterw:-) ... and thank your mother from me, such lovely stamps she put on it too.

I will see if I can take to it and will keep you mind when I am done.
 

Journal Entry 6 by LastEdition at RABCK in Controlled Release, --by post or by hand (ie ring, ray, RABCK, trade) -- Controlled Releases on Friday, November 02, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (11/2/2007 UTC) at RABCK in Controlled Release, --by post or by hand (ie ring, ray, RABCK, trade) -- Controlled Releases

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Funny thing about this book: I got way before Pamuk won the Nobel Prize for Literature and way before THAT I had tried and failed to read this book - but then I usually find Nobel Prize winners seriously hard going .. I think this one needs a new chance.

Sent to Cassiopaeia in the Odds & Sods Mysterious Fat Book Box to be dealt with as she sees fit.

Happy Landings!
 

Journal Entry 7 by Cassiopaeia from Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Now this sounds a bit challenging, but I will give it a go, but it might take a while.
Many thanks Last Edition. 

Journal Entry 8 by Cassiopaeia from Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom on Saturday, April 05, 2008

I enjoyed this book so much, thanks Last Edition for sending it to me. Islamic art is something that has always fascinated me, particularly Persian minature painting, this lovely insight, although with its own particular slant, was well worth reading. Each short chapter is narrated by a character from the story which kept the story moving with an interesting perspective. By no means a difficult book to read, I would think if the subject matter interests you, you would enjoy it.

This is going to bookvole next and possibly another reader afterwards

 

Journal Entry 9 by bookvole from Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom on Thursday, April 17, 2008

This was given to me by Cassiopeia. I've been on a bit of a Pamuk roll recetnly, and will read this next. It will then be returned to Cass. as it is promised to another bookcrosser. 

Journal Entry 10 by bookvole from Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Another superb book from Pamuk. I love the way the narrative winds its way via varying points of view, and the disquisition on Art and East and West is fascinating. I think I'll have to read all his books now, or I won't be satisfied. This is being returned to Cassiopeia for onward transmission to another bookcrosser. 

Journal Entry 11 by Cassiopaeia from Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom on Thursday, May 01, 2008

Returned by bookvole, hopefully I'll find another reader soon.

Forwarding Bookray
Iojima, France
katrinat, Essex, UK
LittleSuz, Edinburgh, Scotland
CaterinaAnna. Coventry, UK
And if it ever gets to the US

spaceystacey, New Jersey, US 

Journal Entry 12 by Cassiopaeia at Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Released 4 yrs ago (5/7/2008 UTC) at Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom

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Journal Entry 13 by Iojima from Nyons, Rhône-Alpes France on Saturday, May 10, 2008

Received today and next in line. Thank you. 

Journal Entry 14 by Iojima from Nyons, Rhône-Alpes France on Saturday, May 17, 2008

The information about Art and different perspectives of East and West are interesting, but I gave it slightly more than the 100 pages to get going and I just couldn't care what happened to anyone. I suspect that Eastern literature is too leisurely for us Type A's. Thanks for making me part of the ring, Cassiopaeia. Off to Katrinat. 19/5/08-Katrinat asked to be excused. LittleSuz is next. 

Journal Entry 15 by LittleSuz from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Friday, May 30, 2008

Received in post yesterday - many thanks Iojima.

I should be able to start this next week. 

Journal Entry 16 by LittleSuz from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Saturday, June 14, 2008

Grrr... The bookcrossing website just ate my journal entry due to an error during the posting process and has made me retype it. That's not what I wanted when it is such a hard entry to write.

I found this an interesting and well written novel, but all the same heavy going and difficult to absorb.

But to be honest I can't give a sensible review to this book at all because my mother died last week when I was 1/3 of the way through it. Naturally, my reading has been distracted and chaotic, but I did find the scenes involving dead or dying characters oddly comforting. I'm glad I slogged all the way through, if only because it gave me something to concentrate on during this turmultous time.

Have PMed CaterinaAnna for her address. 

Journal Entry 17 by LittleSuz at By mail in A bookray, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, June 22, 2008

Released 3 yrs ago (6/21/2008 UTC) at By mail in A bookray, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

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Journal Entry 18 by Caterinaanna from Coventry, West Midlands United Kingdom on Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Awaited me on the doormat yesterday, thank you LittleSuz and I hope life starts to even out soon. 

Journal Entry 19 by Caterinaanna from Coventry, West Midlands United Kingdom on Sunday, August 03, 2008

When people ask me how I know so much and I tell them it is from my reading, they find it hard to believe how much one can pick up from novels (in spite of Jane Austen's well-known defence of the same). Well this is certainly one of those that took me into a different world and developed my knowledge and understanding of things I knew nothing, or at least next to nothing, about before.

The ongoing discussion about the philosophy of art, in particular what is and is not appropriate to Islam, was fascinating. My impression of Islamic art is more calligraphic and geometrical: it comes from from societies where the interpretation of the Qu'ran is to avoid the depiction of humans; in my head I'd sort of glossed over the fact that those silk screen reproductions of Mughal minatures I once bought for my mother came from Moslem courts. Finding out about how the latter were produced and some of the history that led to the prevalence of the former was fascinating.

And it's a good story too! I liked the shifting perspective. While many books use this technique, few have as many narrators or have just a single chapter from an inanimate object making a contribution at a key point. Some of the latter in particular seem somewhat tangential at first, but the creatures and objects depicted form part of the plot as well as the atmosphere and the whole is intellectually satisfying.

The not-ten-ness of it is for the dialogue, which sometimes jarred. The voices of the characters added to the sense of time and place, but some of the reported conversations didn't fit, using contractions and anachronistic language. This works for Esther, in the same way as Shakespeare's mechanicals speak in prose rather than verse, but when other characters used similar phrasing it just didn't feel right. Is this the translator or the author? I know no Turkish or even Arabic, so may never find out.

Thank you Cassiopaeia, and my apologies for taking time to journal. I have spaceystacey's address and will get it on its way to her before I see you again, promise. 

Journal Entry 20 by Caterinaanna at Bridgeton, New Jersey USA on Thursday, August 07, 2008

Released 3 yrs ago (8/7/2008 UTC) at Bridgeton, New Jersey USA

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en route to spaceystacey at long last. 

Journal Entry 21 by spaceystacey from Bridgeton, New Jersey USA on Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Received in the post today. Thank you very much for including me in this bookray/ring. There is a lovely bookmark inside which will continue to travel with the book.


08/17/2008. A truly captivating read. I have not been able to set it down once.