In Xanadu - INTERNATIONAL BOOKRING
Registered by musicalpenguin on 5/13/2006
10 journalers for this copy...
INTERNATIONAL BOOKRING IN XANADU - A Quest by William Dalrymple NOW CLOSED
In Xanadu did Kubla KhanWritten when the author was twenty-two and studying at Cambridge, this book traces Dalrymple's journey from Jerusalem to Xanadu in Mongolia (following the silk route first tracked by Marco Polo). As well as being a wonderful account of his journey, Dalrymple also has a razor-sharp wit which makes the story all the more remarkable.
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph the sacred river ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
"William Dalrymple's In Xanadu carries us breakneck from a pre-dawn glimmer in the Holy Sepulchre right across Asia to a bleak wind in Kubla Khan's palace...it is learned and comic, and a most gifted first book, touched by the spirits of Kinglake, Byron and Waugh."
The participants are:
Buffra - West Virginia, USA...and home to musicalpenguin
ealasaidmae - West Virginia, USA
AmberC - Northern Territories, Australia
RockDg9 - Queensland, Australia
Sujie - New South Wales, Australia
bilbi - Rĥone-Alpes, France
iliotropio - Brussels, Belgium <-- the book is here
jazz-ee2 - Nottinghamshire, England
platypussj - Essex, England
madmadge - Dorset, England
scotsbookie - Peebles, Scotland
GUIDELINES FOR THIS BOOKRING
• When you receive the book, please create a new journal entry to say so.
• When you finish the book, please create a journal entry to let us know your thoughts.
• As soon as you are finished, PM the next person on the list for their address.
• Out of courtesy to myself and the next person on the list, try to read the book within three months. That way we can keep the ring moving.
Yay! It arrived while I was on a brief holiday. (My brother got married!) But now that I am home, I am looking forward to it. Thank you for sharing it.
:)
:)
It's here! Thanks Buffra!
What an exciting journey. Dalrymple is very funny and his irreverence pleased me. I've actually read Marco Polo's Travels; I had to dig up my old copy and follow along. Reading them side by side I was reminded of the fact that, while Polo's book is interesting, much of it is also rather dry and boring. I think I'd rather travel with Dalrymple. Now I'm going to have to search out his book on the First Crusade. I have AmberC's address so this should be off in the morning.
ETA: The book's on its way as of Friday.
ETA: The book's on its way as of Friday.
One of 4 book parcels to arrive today! This will be next to be read.
WOW!! What an adventure. Tho I must say I could without a lot of his travel experiences,he has given me a couple of places I have no interest in seeing, and a couple of methods of transport I probably won't try, lol. I was glad William and Louisa made it to Xanadu.
Posting to Rockdg9 tomorrow.
Posting to Rockdg9 tomorrow.
Shiny.
Arrived here today!
Arrived here today!
It's not often that I will dislike a book so much, I'll know within the first few minutes of picking it up. I started reading this yesterday - got a couple of pages into it and was not enjoying it at all, so I came on here to see what the previous readers thought, and everyone has loved it so far. I thought maybe I just wasn't in the mood yesterday. Today I read the end of the first chapter, got four words into the second and gave up. The constant editorialising is so annoying! I realise it's a book of personal experiences, but his way of putting across his opinion on the people he met and the places he stayed just got to me.
I don't rate books I don't finish, so that's lucky, otherwise this would have only gotten one or two stars!
PMing the next participant ... maybe Sujie will have more luck.
ETA: Posted on 7 June.
I don't rate books I don't finish, so that's lucky, otherwise this would have only gotten one or two stars!
PMing the next participant ... maybe Sujie will have more luck.
ETA: Posted on 7 June.
I am writing for my mother, Sujie, whose computer I have stolen for the week! Rockdg9, she has received your book, Thank you.
I think I know how you feel, RockDg9. I enjoyed this, but made allowances for his background, youth and privilege...some passages really seemed patronising. Even though he satirises the English traveller, he seems to make the same glib errors of judgment at times. Maybe we are too Aussie, too egalitarian, but a lot of his attitude stuck in my craw.
The Silk Road has long held an attraction for me. Thanks, mp for another armchair ride...one day I must make it a reality.
pming bilbi
The Silk Road has long held an attraction for me. Thanks, mp for another armchair ride...one day I must make it a reality.
pming bilbi
Journal Entry 11 by Sujie from Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Sorry about the delay, bilbi. Found mislaid book and posting to you today.
Received today !
Just a book to read before starting this one !
Thanks for sharing \o/
A very nice postcard indeed !
Just a book to read before starting this one !
Thanks for sharing \o/
A very nice postcard indeed !
I enjoyed the book quite a lot. It was really exciting to see the travel through William's and Marco's eyes ;-)
Yet I sometimes find that William was a bit harsh on the things he saw or people he met... I mean on some pages he found everything ugly - both the people and the scenery...
How about reading Samarkand by Amin Maalouf ? <== Sorry I've just come back from work (I'm a librarian - just can't help promoting books) ;-o
Yet I sometimes find that William was a bit harsh on the things he saw or people he met... I mean on some pages he found everything ugly - both the people and the scenery...
How about reading Samarkand by Amin Maalouf ? <== Sorry I've just come back from work (I'm a librarian - just can't help promoting books) ;-o
Journal Entry 14 by iliotropio from Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Xanadu has reached the heart of Europe, Brussels.
Many thanks bilbi (also for the suggestion about Samarkand)!
Many thanks bilbi (also for the suggestion about Samarkand)!
Journal Entry 15 by iliotropio from Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Thursday, December 18, 2008
Witty, hilarious at times, unexpected. I definitely recommend it!
On it way to jazz-ee2. Happy reading!
On it way to jazz-ee2. Happy reading!
Journal Entry 16 by jazz-ee2 from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, December 23, 2008
I got this book last night after a hard day at work, started reading it and am absolutely lovin' it! I'm only up to chapter 2, but I think this might be the book to bring me out of the dreaded book slump....
