Journal Entry 1 by MaaikeB from Zeist, Utrecht Netherlands on Sunday, June 19, 2005

There were many similarities between this book and Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: in both books a child can't cope with the death of his/her father and starts a kind of therapeutic search for something. Both books root in the Jewish tradition of storytelling, but where Foer's book was moving and funny and original, this one was very much less so. I finished it, which I don't do if there's nothing in a story that is of any interest to me, but I wasn't wildly enthusiastic. The book travels on to croixdeguerre. 

Journal Entry 2 by MaaikeB from Zeist, Utrecht Netherlands on Sunday, June 19, 2005

More people seem to be eager to try this book, so I'm going to turn this into a ring. Participants are:

croixdeguerre
Lot12
maupi
yvonnep
Elefteria
NienkeB <-----
Olifant
powerhouse
violoncellix
Qantaqa
Sternschnuppe28

and then back to me.
 

Journal Entry 3 by KVI-716666 on Sunday, June 26, 2005

Thanks MaaikeB, I'll start reading as soon as I can (may take a while though) 

Journal Entry 4 by lot12 from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, July 17, 2005

Ik kreeg dit in handen, omdat maup er nog geen tijd voor had. Ik zal 'm snel lezen. 

Journal Entry 5 by lot12 from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Friday, August 12, 2005

Elk woord bij Krauss is volgezogen met boodschap. Dat hoeft voor mij niet. Ik vond 50 pagina's voldoende. I! HAVE NOT! BEEN! UNHAPPY! ALL MY LIFE! Nee, werkelijk.

Ik zal eens kijken wie ik hiermee blij kan maken na mij. 

Journal Entry 6 by maupi on Saturday, October 15, 2005

Nu is het boek toch eindelijk bij mij, het heeft zich van Antwerpen naar hier alle tijd genomen. Slome post. Maar het kwam gelukkig goed! 

Journal Entry 7 by maupi on Friday, November 25, 2005

MaaikeB wrote: "I finished it, which I don't do if there's nothing in a story that is of any interest to me, but I wasn't wildly enthusiastic."
Same here. Krauss is far too ambitious and not nearly well enough equipped to control her material. I liked bits and parts, definitely, but overall my opinion is not favourable. I did like the idea of the book in the book and the history of the book in the book. That's about it.
I generally agree with the NRC review somebody put in the back of the book: the voice of Leopold is not the voice of an old man, it is a little girl imagining what an old man would think, say, do.

I'll try to put into words what bothered me most (I discussed this with lot12 some time ago, it might help my train of thought): I do not like the way Krauss treats pre-WWII Jewish life in Poland. It is a sentimental Hollywood version, which seems to have become the real thing for many people, but just isn't accurate. It was not great fun growing up in rural Poland in the beginning of this century. It was mainly tough going. It is highly improbable that a slide of Leopold's boyhood house existed. Rather ludicrous idea, actually.
Generally, Krauss and others seem to claim Holocaust horrors in an exclusive manner. It puts me off, not only because it is often presented as an easily-digestible, simplified view, but also because with it is expressed a complete disregard of other's experiences, which are not worse or less worse, but simply just as valid.
On some level one can feel sorry for those who desperately cling on to this non-existing history. True, life has changed, things have disappeared, but just because they vanished in a rather horrible fashion doesn't make them paradisal in retrospect. It is an immature way of thinking, we did it as kids, Krauss should know better.

Side remark: compare this novel to Hustvedt's What I Loved. Hustvedt's novel also stars an older male first-person narrator, Jewish background, artistic context, NY setting. How superior and infinitely more subtle does Hustvedt tackle her material!

Na mij Elefteria, maar wrsch zie ik yvonnep eerder. Misschien kunnen we de volgorde wat husselen (zoals reeds voor mij gebeurd)? 

Journal Entry 8 by yvonnep from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Thursday, January 05, 2006

oh, gee, oh gee...well... I'll start it (after Trevor)and perhaps...but I have a different opinion about Foers latest book. 

Journal Entry 9 by yvonnep from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, January 29, 2006

Nicole Krauss wrote a beautiful book, too beautiful, so she wrote a beautifull book. It is an enchanting story, too enchanting and a too enchanting story gets merely unlikely. Not only was the voice of Leo not the voice of an old man, the voice of Alma wasn't the voice of a young girl either. On top of that Leo had such an annoying habit: but yet, and yet, yek.

Maupi and Lot described the historical misconceptions. I agree. It made the vexation level go up. Most irritating were the similarities between Krauss' book and the book of her husband. It's even more than the theme things Maaike described. On page 46 she wrote "When I was little, I thought that the pages on the floor were words she would never be able to use again, and I tried to tape them back in where they belonged, out of fear that one day she would be left silent." The theme of losing words and reducing to 'yes' and 'no' we also find on page 115.
Safran Foer has humour. The only time Krauss tries humour is near death in the title of a chapter: Die laughing (page 160). Seldom have I read such a humourless book. The girl takes herself death serious. Oh, I now see that the NRC critic wrote the same. Soit.
Plus all the things she probably claims to have invented all by herself that are coincidentally similar to Safran Foer's last book. The graphic things f.e.
Krauss is a smooth writer, lots of style and not to much content. But she is young, she has time to learn.

The book travels on to Elefteria. And thank you Maaike for ringing, 'cause now I got at least the chance to read it without too much trouble. 

Journal Entry 10 by Elefteria from Enschede, Overijssel Netherlands on Wednesday, February 22, 2006

the book arrived safe and sound, cosy together with another ringbook in my mailbox.
started reading last night in bed. first impression: it reminds me (too) much of Safran Foer her husband, but okay, I'll give her a fair change!
thanks yvonnep for sending 

Journal Entry 11 by Elefteria from Enschede, Overijssel Netherlands on Sunday, February 26, 2006

At first I didn't like the book, it reminded me too much of JSFoer. But after about 50 pages, I became captured by the story and reading became easier. I liked the story, although in the end it was a bit: hurry up to the happy end. But still with some surprises :-)
 

Journal Entry 12 by Elefteria at BookRing in Book Ring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Friday, March 03, 2006

Released 6 yrs ago (3/3/2006 UTC) at BookRing in Book Ring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

straks op de bus naar nienkeb 

Journal Entry 13 by NienkeB from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Monday, March 06, 2006

Bedankt, Elefteria, voor het me toesturen van dit boek. Ik ben benieuwd, na deze uitgesproken reacties!