Journal Entry 1 by quinnsmom from Hobe Sound, Florida USA on Tuesday, August 30, 2005

will read, then decide to keep/let go 

Journal Entry 2 by quinnsmom from Hobe Sound, Florida USA on Saturday, October 08, 2005

7.75 on the rating scale (I SO Hate giving numbers to books!!)

I SO wanted to like this book, I really did, but the "oomph" of this one just never latched itself on to me while I was reading it. I'm sure that others will find it very good, and maybe I'm being over critical.

The story is told from the perspective of Kathy, who is now grown up, looking back on her childhood and her years after leaving the protection of Hailsham, a private school in England, tucked away in the country. At Hailsham, there are a handful of adults and a number of children, and very few outsiders ever come. These children are taught not only regular school curriculum, but there is an overemphasis on art, and all of the children are highly encouraged to produce various types of projects which end up in what the children call "The Gallery," watched over by a mysterious figure called only Madame. Madame collects all the artwork and takes it away, and the children are never told why. Kathy as a young girl knows that Madame seems somewhat skittish around the children; there are other teachers that Kathy remembers as well, including Miss Lucy and Miss Emily. Hailsham, for Kathy and her friends Tommy and Ruth, seem to have an almost idyllic existence, where every basic need is taken care of.

On the face of it, the story is about the children of Hailsham, but once you've finished the story, you realize there are deeper forces at work than what becomes obvious in piecemeal fashion (which I won't mention here so as not to spoil the story). It is really a story about following a prescribed pattern of life that is set down for you without questioning what might have been otherwise and what makes people do this, even though you have a sense that there may be alternatives, even if they are only for the short-term.

It just didn't grab me the way I'd hoped, but I will say that the voice of Kathy is perfect considering her character...she never seems to lose the innocence of her childhood and tells the story accordingly. 

Journal Entry 3 by quinnsmom from Hobe Sound, Florida USA on Tuesday, October 18, 2005

BOOKRING Participants in order:
EFS300
tobysrus
karenzero
twinkpuddin
buffra
Bulan-Purnama
indygo88*
rebeccaljames**
fsr44
titihood
(lauraloo has asked to be removed -- she got her own copy!)
back to me, quinnsmom

*change in bookring order -- sorry!
**another addition; my apologies for the extra email! 

Journal Entry 4 by efs300 from Bedford, New Hampshire USA on Saturday, October 22, 2005

Never Let Me Go arrived today safe and sound in New Hampshire. I received another bookring book a couple of days ago so this one will be at the top of my TBR pile. The other book is a long one so it may be a little while till I get to this one. 

Journal Entry 5 by efs300 from Bedford, New Hampshire USA on Friday, November 11, 2005

I _really_ enjoyed this book, finished it in 3 days, which for me is really fast as I don't have as much time as I would like to 'just read'. I could not put it down. The 'deeper forces' as quinnsmom puts it was so intriguing and really made me think what our society would do in a similar situation. I think this quote I found on amazon.com really 'hits the nail on the head' for this book:

"only after closing the book do you absorb the magnitude of what his characters endure"

Thank you quinnsmom for sharing this book. I have tobysrus' address and will get this in the mail probably on Monday. I am going to have to look for some of his other books..... 

Journal Entry 6 by efs300 from Bedford, New Hampshire USA on Monday, November 14, 2005

Mailed off to tobysrus today. Thanks quinnsmom for sharing this very good book. 

Journal Entry 7 by tobysrus from Cambridge, Massachusetts USA on Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Arrived in the mail today! Can't wait to read it, this looks like a terrific book! Thanks quinnsmom for sponsoring this bookring! Also, Happy Turkey Day! 

Journal Entry 8 by tobysrus from Cambridge, Massachusetts USA on Saturday, December 03, 2005

WOW! I really enjoyed this book! It was subtle, but kept my interest. I read it in 3 evenings after work. I will definitely seek out more books from this author as well. 

Journal Entry 9 by tobysrus at USPS in Postal Mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, December 05, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (12/5/2005 UTC) at USPS in Postal Mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to KarenZero today! 

Journal Entry 10 by KarenZero from Brooklyn, New York USA on Friday, December 23, 2005

Will read ASAP! 

Journal Entry 11 by KarenZero from Brooklyn, New York USA on Saturday, January 14, 2006

I really liked this book! The ethical questions it brings up reminded me of two books I read recently: "Oryx and Crake" and "My Sister's Keeper" (both for different reasons as the books are markedly different).

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT:

I wasn't sure how I felt about the ending, because I so wanted them to take a leap in a different direction!

Thanks, quinnsmom, for sharing this book as I'd read a lot about it and really wanted to read it.

I'm passing it on to twinkpuddin! 

Journal Entry 12 by twinkpuddin from Venice, California USA on Saturday, January 14, 2006

Getting a start on it today. 

Journal Entry 13 by twinkpuddin from Venice, California USA on Thursday, January 19, 2006

All finished. It's pretty hard to discuss this book without giving away too much of it. But, I will keep it general. Once I figured out what was going on, it definitely got my mind considering things I never spent much time thinking about. Quite the ethical question, indeed! The whole Hailsham thing was very much an 'A Separate Peace' vibe to me. I'd have to agree with quinnsmom and say that this didn't grab me like i expected.

Many thanks to quinnsmom for sharing! Waiting on buffra's address for the book to continue its journey. 

Journal Entry 14 by twinkpuddin from Venice, California USA on Thursday, January 26, 2006

Out to buffra today 

Journal Entry 15 by buffra from Columbus, Ohio USA on Wednesday, February 01, 2006

TBR - Thanks! 

Journal Entry 16 by Bulan-Purnama from Springfield, Oregon USA on Saturday, April 08, 2006

It is here, arrived this afternoon. I am finishing a bookray and will start with this one next week. Thanks buffra for mailing the book. 

Journal Entry 17 by Bulan-Purnama from Springfield, Oregon USA on Saturday, April 22, 2006

A quick reminder to the list. I am halfway through reading, and hope to finish by end of this month. Then, off to the next person. 

Journal Entry 18 by Bulan-Purnama from Springfield, Oregon USA on Tuesday, May 02, 2006

I have just finished reading this amazing book yesterday. Beautifully written throughout. I kept wondering all the time, who are these children? Why are they there, for what reason. No close family to speak of. I was impatient, but, then, toward the end of the book, it was revealed who they were. This story is also about friendship, between Kathy, Ruth and Tommy which had its ups and downs. A great book. Thank you quinnsmom for sharing! I have indygo88 address and will send the book this week. 

Journal Entry 19 by Bulan-Purnama from Springfield, Oregon USA on Friday, May 05, 2006

On the way to indygo88 by media mail this morning. Happy reading! 

Journal Entry 20 by indygo88 from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Thursday, May 11, 2006

Received it today! I hate to say this, but I have two LONG books ahead of it, so it may have a bit longer wait than I'd like, but I'll update my entry when I start reading. :')

5/29/06 -- Starting book today! 

Journal Entry 21 by indygo88 from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Monday, June 05, 2006

There are some things I want to say about this book that would spoil it for upcoming readers, so click & highlight only if you want the spoiler (which you shouldn't, if you haven't read it yet. Shame on you if you're reading it anyway!):

I couldn't help but keep thinking, "Why don't they just run away??!! Why are they just following along this pre-determined path that has been set up for them?! Run! Run! Follow your heart!" But *sigh*...I guess perhaps it was more complicated than that. But I found myself frustrated with these characters, and I really didn't like Ruth much at all.

I thought this book was just okay...maybe the deeper meaning was just beyond me. I didn't find the writing style profound, but rather easy to read and understand for the most part. It does raise some ethical and controversial subject matter, which may or may not have been resolved in the end of the book, depending on how you look at it. I do agree with efs300's Amazon.com quote above. After reading you sort of go, "hmmm....." Overall, I found that this book made me feel sad.

Thanks for sharing, quinnsmom! (Good luck with your move, btw!) I already have rebeccaljames' address, so this will be going out within the next couple of days! 

Journal Entry 22 by rebeccaljames from Cincinnati, Ohio USA on Tuesday, June 13, 2006

I just received this book today. I have two books ahead of it. I should be able to start this in a couple of weeks. 

Journal Entry 23 by rebeccaljames from Cincinnati, Ohio USA on Saturday, July 29, 2006

I just finished reading this book today. I enjoyed this book very much. I will be sending this book to fsr44 on Monday morning. 

Journal Entry 24 by fsr44 from Pawtucket, Rhode Island USA on Friday, August 04, 2006

Received today. Just need to finish the book I'm on now and I'll get right to this. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 25 by fsr44 from Pawtucket, Rhode Island USA on Thursday, August 10, 2006

What a haunting book. Part sci/fi, part metaphor on belief vs. knowledge and the futility of existence. I'm not as clever as indygo at hiding a spoil, so I'll just echo their remarks and say that that was something that nagged at me. Was there some way of recognizing the "students" once they were out in the greater world? Otherwise, this makes a huge gaping plot hole.
PMing titihood, will send when I get addy. 

Journal Entry 26 by fsr44 from Pawtucket, Rhode Island USA on Thursday, August 10, 2006

Sending to titihood today. 

Journal Entry 27 by titihood on Monday, August 21, 2006

Received today after a heavy weekend of partying! I'm really looking forward to reading this; I love his other books and have heard a lot about this one.
:)
25/09/06: I got very caught up in the story and was rather saddened at the end... this tale raises interesting questions about humanity, morality, friendships, love, death, life, memories. Although the characters annoyed me sometimes I quite liked the way it was written. Ready to send back to quinnsmom.
12/10/06: Sorry it has taken me so long to put this in the post; I have had a crazy few weeks work-wise! Sent airmail so should be with you in a few days :) Thanks for sharing this gem; I enjoyed it. 

Journal Entry 28 by quinnsmom from Hobe Sound, Florida USA on Tuesday, November 07, 2006

I'm SOOOOOOOO bad! I got this some time ago, and just stuck it back in my bookshelf without journaling that it arrived safe and sound. Thanks, everyone, for participating!!