Journal Entry 1 by Ibis3 from Newcastle, Ontario Canada on Monday, March 13, 2006

This charming love story captures the lives of Quebec City’s early English-speaking inhabitants, the Québécois, and the Native people, in the decade between Wolfe’s victory on the Plains of Abraham in 1759 and the American War of Independence in the 1770s.

First published in 1769, The History of Emily Montague, which brings the 18th-century novel into a New World context, is rightly called Canada’s – indeed North America’s – first novel.  

Journal Entry 2 by Ibis3 from Newcastle, Ontario Canada on Saturday, May 27, 2006

I was looking forward to reading this first of North American novels, and for the most part I wasn't disappointed. The epistolary format gave Brooke an ideal opportunity to describe the landscape of the Canadian wilderness and the cultural environment even at that very early period. I was excited at the thought of having a window into that oh-so-close-to-conquest Quebec--would there be a sense of loss? a diminishment of the people? an animosity toward the English? How would the English women feel about living within these militarised outposts of civilisation surrounded by wilderness? What views did the ordinary European visitor or settler have about the native population? Did they see themselves as trespassers or missionaries? Or was there just so much space that the native people were largely ignored? Fascinating questions, and The History of Emily Montague provides plenty of answers--some surprising, some not.
It bogged down a bit about three-quarters of the way through--I was impatient to see the main plot resolved, but wasn't expecting the little twist at the end. 

Journal Entry 3 by Ibis3 from Newcastle, Ontario Canada on Monday, September 11, 2006

I'm sending this out as a Bookring.

Ring Guidelines:

1. When you receive the book, make a journal entry to let me know it got to you ok.
2. While reading the book, feel free to post on the appropriate Book Talk Forum thread here.
3. When you're done, make a journal entry and let us know what you thought.
4. PM the person next in order (please check here for the current order) for a current mailing address (please confirm that they're ready to receive the book).
5. Mail the book, make a journal entry and mark the book as travelling.

*keep the book for a maximum of 4 weeks. If you feel you can't read it in this amount of time, or you wish to be skipped for any reason, let me know & I'll rearrange the mailing order.
*sign your name inside the back cover of the book if you like.
*feel free to include a postcard, bookmark or other trinket with the book.


Thanks & have fun reading!

Order of go:
sent on September 11/06
1. kryan (Ontario, Canada)- arrived September 15/06; sent October 2/06
2. eicuthbertson (British Columbia, Canada)- arrived October 7/06; sent October 25/06
3. molekilby (Wales, UK)- arrived November 1/06; sent December 11/06
4. Thursday5 (Ohio, USA) - arrived December 28/06; ; sent around January 23/07
5. KarenZero (New York, USA) **skipped**
6. bibliotreker (Pennsylvania, USA) - arrived February 1/07;
7. sqdancer (Alberta, Canada)
8. ldpaulson (California, USA)
... Back to Ibis3 (Ontario, Canada)
 

Journal Entry 4 by kryan from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Friday, September 15, 2006

Just plucked this from my mailbox. I'll start reading today. Thank you! :-) 

Journal Entry 5 by kryan from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Sunday, October 01, 2006

Just finished. This is the longest time I've spent reading a bookring novel, but this is not because the book was boring or difficult to follow. For the most part I found it charming, although, as Ibis3 mentioned, it did seem to slow down toward the end.

Very early on, I actually stopped to check that the book had really been published in 1769. There is a strange balance between the way people viewed the world at that time and an amazing foresight. I wondered for a moment if it wasn't a hoax that had been written by a modern person from the point of view of people in that time period.

Because of the way it was written in the form of correspondence between individuals, I was constantly trying to read between lines. What are the words telling me about the person writing the letter, the person receiving the letter or the people described in it? What kind of bias is evident in an English woman author using English characters to describe natives and French Canadian inhabitants of Quebec. For that matter, how accurately does she portray the English men and women?

What is the writing telling me about the author? I find her intriguing. A success woman author who married in her mid-thirties, she demonstrates a feminist leaning. Yet, she is a relatively privileged person and quite conventional in her views on many issues.

I've PMed eicuthbertson for the next mailing address. 

Journal Entry 6 by kryan at Bookring in n/a, Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Released 5 yrs ago (10/4/2006 UTC) at Bookring in n/a, Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Just sent off via express post. 

Journal Entry 7 by eicuthbertson from Burnaby, British Columbia Canada on Saturday, October 07, 2006

Just received, Thanks! 

Journal Entry 8 by eicuthbertson from Burnaby, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Just finished. Read this years ago, and think I enjoyed it more this time round.

I like novels written in letters---and Frances Brooke took care that 'her letters' were relatively short and varied in style from character to character.

Loved the descriptions of the landscape---that's what I remember from before most, I think.
Yes, she's a skilled writer, so, for instance, the sublime landscape is probably as her European readers would have expected. It's still of interest to us, as is the twist at the end of the novel!

For the most part, I felt the character's assessment of the English/Canadians/native people realistic for the times. Not correct necessarily, but suitable to the characters & period (& likely the author's character & period)---Wm. Fermor's comments to the Earl of ____ on the relationship between the supposed poverty of the Canadians & indolence, the church & the climate, for instance, are the same as Arabella's to Miss Rivers. Clearly Arabella has her own opinions, however, she has her own 'evidence' for these.

Thanks, ibis3 for this opportunity! 

Journal Entry 9 by eicuthbertson from Burnaby, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, October 25, 2006

This book is now on its way to molekilby in Gwent. Happy reading! 

Journal Entry 10 by molekilby from BRITHDIR, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Received today. Thanks eicuthbertson for sending and Ibis3 for sharing. A couple before it, but should be finished in a month. 

Journal Entry 11 by molekilby from BRITHDIR, Wales United Kingdom on Monday, November 13, 2006

An interesting read, and a book I would not have chosen for myself if it hadn't been offered as part of Ibis3's CanLit project (thank you).

The book reminded me very much of "Pride And Prejudice", which I read in the summer, maybe this was because of the language used or the romantic theme and position of the characters to it. It may also have been an aid to help me follow and understand the narrative.

As a Brit, and having scanned previous journals, I wondered if I would view the portrayal of the various nationalities in a different way. The English characters letters tended to be disparaging to the French (it seems nothing changes there), but I was also aware of the imperialistic nature of the Europeans. Their main aim seeming to be purchasing land for the object of civilizing the natives and profit.

Descriptions of the landscape I found fascinating, none more so than the Canadian winters. Always believing them to be cold, the river freezing, ice creaking when a coach rides on them and the breaking of the ice at springtime I found facinating.

Thanks again for the opportunity to read, I shall pass to Thursday5 as soon as I have an address. 

Journal Entry 12 by molekilby from BRITHDIR, Wales United Kingdom on Monday, December 11, 2006

On it's way to the next reader today. 

Journal Entry 13 by Thursday5 from Columbus, Ohio USA on Thursday, December 28, 2006

The book arrived safe and sound. I'm looking forward to reading it after I finish the book I'm currently reading and another Canadian Lit. project bookring book. 

Journal Entry 14 by Thursday5 from Columbus, Ohio USA on Tuesday, January 23, 2007

This is one of those books which allow you to enter into another place and time which I find both interesting and educational. A lot of the interest for me came from it being written in 1769. I especially enjoyed the place descriptions like other journalers did. I have PMed the next person for their address. 

Journal Entry 15 by bibliotreker from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA on Thursday, February 01, 2007

Arrived from Ohio today with receipe for Cincinnati Chili. Thanks Thursday5 

Journal Entry 16 by bibliotreker from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA on Thursday, February 15, 2007

I found this quite an interesting book. Once I kept in mind when it was written and that writing styles have changed over time, I was able to follow without too much difficulty. I enjoyed the discriptions of the Canadian weather and environment especially the ones in winter. Having lived in Montreal for a time myself, I appreciated contrasts beween then and now in dealing with the winters; how the frozen St. Lawrence was used as a roadway and how the roads were lined with trees to guide the travelers along the snow covered roads in the days before the snow plow. I thought the views expressed to be very modernistic toward the rights of women considering the time and place. But if I remember correctly, until just this last century, in Quebec women were not allowed to own property. Any property had to be in her husband's father's or brother's name. I ,too, was disappointed more was not written about the French-Canadians, les habitants, since they were in the majority of the population. And what was written of them was not in the best light. But then I had to remind myself that the author was among the English population, as were the characters, so her writing would be biased. I did enjoy the twist at the end of the story which answered some of the actions of Emily Montague and Ed Rivers. All in all a worthwhile read.

Will mail to sqdancer as soon as I get an address. 

Journal Entry 17 by bibliotreker from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA on Monday, February 19, 2007

Mailed to sqdancer in Alberta, Canada Tues. 2/20 via air mail. 

Journal Entry 18 by sqdancer on Monday, March 05, 2007

Arrived safe and sound.

Great bookplate Ibis3!

Thanks for the lovely postcard bibliotreker.
 

Journal Entry 19 by sqdancer on Thursday, August 23, 2007

This book was sent out on Tuesday, August 21st, by Air Mail.

I apologize for the inexcuseable delay. Real life came unravelled on me for the past few months and I'm trying to get all my obligations sorted out.



Good book. I don't usually care for epistolary format novels, but I did enjoy this one. Maybe I've only run into poor examples of this genre in the past?

 

Journal Entry 20 by Ibis3 from Newcastle, Ontario Canada on Sunday, May 11, 2008

ISO ldpaulson: Did you get this book? If so, please journal it and let me know its status. Thank you.