Journal Entry 1 by guinaveve from Mason, Ohio USA on Monday, July 03, 2006

Someone else on Bookcrossing mentioned this book and the premise sounded interesting so I had to order it.  

Journal Entry 2 by guinaveve from Mason, Ohio USA on Sunday, August 20, 2006

The plot of this book sounded so intriguing. Suddenly, men disappear from the world of women and women disappear from the world of men. This happens all over the Earth and all at the same instant. The story shows how the each gender copes in a world without the other. The story is written and takes place in the 1950s. The atomic bomb and the Cold War featured heavily in this story due to the time period.
I didn't find this book as fascinating as I thought it would be due to an overt focus on philosophy. I was more interested in the actual plot, the lives of the men and women while separated. That was included, but pages and pages at a time seemed rambled on in a philosophical vein.
I would still recommend this book, despite some disappoint with it. I found it interesting though not interesting enough to seek out other works by this author. 

Journal Entry 3 by guinaveve from Mason, Ohio USA on Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Reserved to start a bookring.

Bookring Rules:
The ring is international and I am particularly looking for someone in the US to ship to England. I already have someone there who is looking for the book. Others are also welcome also. My bookring rules:
-Journal the book when you receive it.
-PM the next person after you WHEN YOU RECEIVE IT, so that you have the address when ready to ship instead of spending time looking for it when you are ready to ship.
-Try to read it in 2 months. I like to keep my rings moving and this shouldn't take that long to read. Keep this time-line in mind when signing up.
-Journal your thoughts on the books and make release notes when you send it on so I can keep easy tabs on it.
-Don't mean to sound like a meany, but if someone has stalled my rings before, I have your name down and will not add you to my participant list. 

Journal Entry 4 by guinaveve from Mason, Ohio USA on Saturday, April 28, 2007

Journal Entry 5 by guinaveve at by postal services in Sent by mail, a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases on Monday, August 20, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (8/15/2007 UTC) at by postal services in Sent by mail, a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases

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Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 6 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Friday, August 24, 2007

Arrived safe and sound today. I haven't had a bookring book for a while. :) I should get to this next week. 

Journal Entry 7 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Friday, August 31, 2007

An interesting read. I agree. The plot sounded very interesting, but all the long philosophical pages were too much for me. I did find myself skipping over those parts.

Interesting to think how much humanity has changed in the 50 years since this took place. If it were to happen today, both worlds would be very different from the story. Also interesting to note that this book takes place before American civil rights took hold.

Thank you for sharing. The book will be on its way across the sea next week. 

Journal Entry 8 by AnonymousFinder on Saturday, November 03, 2007

Received in the post yesterday, many thanks! I had almost forgotten about requesting this book so it was a really pleasant surprise. Will journal and return return to Guinaveve when read. Many thanks to you and Lauraloo for helping to get the book 'across the pond'! Much appreciated. xxx

CAUGHT IN DUNSTABLE, BEDFORDSHIRE UK 

Journal Entry 9 by PussInBooks from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Saturday, November 03, 2007

just realised I posted the above anonymously, just to let you know this is PussInBooks, the intended recipient, and not an interloper! 

Journal Entry 10 by PussInBooks from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Really enjoyed this, even more than I expected. I thought this book would royally get my goat by narrating hopelessly sexist attitudes of the 1950s, but instead was pleasantly surprised by how forward-thinking Wylie was. He gets right to the point in identifying culture and its contributors (the main culprit being religion) as the basis for gender roles, rather than any kind of biological truths. He also makes some brave points about the crimes of sexual repression, and highlights the idiocy in bringing up boys and girls to be ignorant and suspicious of their bodies and sexuality. This is no longer perhaps so relevant in relaxed western countries (although the US and UK teen pregnancy rate would imply we're still not getting sex ed right!), but I think is interesting when viewed in the light of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, a belief based around suspicion and repression of sexuality, specifically that of women.
There were some minor irritants - the painfully contrived scene where the first thing the women leaders do is quibble about uniform, and Wylie's assumption that all women in the 1950s were totally ignorant of science and mechanics, or at least incapable of educating themselves on these matters once it became necessary, resulting in a sort of primitive agricultural society. But at times he seems to be implying that perhaps we do need to go back to basics in this way, as the mechanised male society ends up in equal disarray due to the misuse of science and technology. His words on the selfish and greedy use of the planet's resources for our own ends with no consideration of whether our consumption is necessary or productive ring truer today than ever before, and it's depressing to see how things have got worse not better since the time of writing. Sometimes, however, his thinking seems to stray into eugenics. Whilst one can kind of see his point about considering what kind of society we are working towards, it's too easy to translate into an argument for limits on certain people's rights to reproduce. I think the message of responsibility towards society and the planet not just to be a selfish and mindless consumer does come through though, and I suppose the logical extension of that is that each person should think hard about the implications of their own decision to reproduce.
Didn't mind the philosophy bits too much (I studied it at degree level, and believe me none of my course books were ever this lively, well-written and interesting - and a lot of them were also depressingly sexist) but I agree that Wylie needs to rein in his waffle at times. Nonetheless, a brave and fascinating book - many thanks to guinaveve for enabling me to enjoy it!

And back it goes to the States... 

Journal Entry 11 by guinaveve from Mason, Ohio USA on Monday, December 03, 2007

This came back to me today. I am collecting books with 3 or more journal entries (including myself) to either give as gifts to other BCers for my "Keep Them Moving" Challenge or to start a well traveled book box. I will hold onto this book for that purpose. I hope everyone who has read it so far has found it interesting.
Thanks 

Journal Entry 12 by guinaveve at by postal services in Sent by mail, a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases on Friday, February 29, 2008

Released 4 yrs ago (2/29/2008 UTC) at by postal services in Sent by mail, a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases

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I have included this book in my "Well Traveled" Bookbox. 

Journal Entry 13 by ariesgirl29 from Cordova, Tennessee USA on Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Arrived in a well-traveled bookbox. I am putting back in and can't wait to see it's travels! 

Journal Entry 14 by jenptcfan from Conway, Arkansas USA on Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Pulled out of the Well Traveled box. Thanks. 

Journal Entry 15 by jenptcfan from Conway, Arkansas USA on Sunday, July 06, 2008

I don't think I'm going to get around to reading this after all, so I'm setting it to AVL. 

Journal Entry 16 by jenptcfan at controlled release, a controlled release -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, January 10, 2009

Released 3 yrs ago (1/10/2009 UTC) at controlled release, a controlled release -- Controlled Releases

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Adding to tranq1's already been crossed box. 

Journal Entry 17 by affinity4books from Bryan, Texas USA on Thursday, February 12, 2009

I was excited to see this in the box! This has been on my wishlist for ages, ever since I heard about it in a Book Talk thread about favorite/best dystopia novels. I am looking forward to reading it and seeing how it stacks up to the others on that list, like Handmaid's Tale, The Gate to Women's Country, Oryx & Crake, Perdidio Street Station, I who have never known men, The Giver, etc.

Thanks for sharing! 

Journal Entry 18 by affinity4books from Bryan, Texas USA on Friday, March 13, 2009

I am glad I read this one although I did skim over some of the philosophical parts. This thought-provoking dystopia seemed dated in some parts but many of the main themes (e.g., we need to be less materialistic and better caretakers of the earth) are still timely today. The survival aspects of the story and how neighbors banded together to take care of each other was uplifting. I disagreed with Wylie on the eugenics-sounding ideas and his cavalier attitude toward infidelity but liked his ideas about spirituality. On one hand, I was hoping for a happy ending, but on the other, I wished there had been a bit more tying things up or explanation at the end. Definitely gives you some food for thought! I will pass this along soon, probably in a scifi bookbox I am waiting for.

Thanks to all for sharing this one! 

Journal Entry 19 by affinity4books at Bookbox, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (6/24/2009 UTC) at Bookbox, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA

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going into Trekwoman's Prize-winning Bookbox 

Journal Entry 20 by trekwoman from Los Angeles, California USA on Thursday, August 06, 2009

Ooooooooooooh! This looks wonderful! Thanks for including in the box inventory. 

Journal Entry 21 by trekwoman from Los Angeles, California USA on Monday, January 25, 2010

All right. I had really high hopes for this novel. The back cover states, in part, "..written over a half century ago yet brimming with insight and unsettling in its relevance today.." and I thought terrific! Whatever will happen when the women vanish from the face of the Earth? Will men figure out how to work a washing machine? What formalities will break down?

So. The men and the women discover what current modern people know: it's absolutely permissible to depend upon yourself, to love someone whose gender is the same as yours, to not love anybody whatsoever, to become, to lose, to win. Wow. In a way, I almost felt pity for them. But I suppose, if you never had something to battle against, the win wouldn't feel as sweet. 

Journal Entry 22 by trekwoman at Controlled Release, --by post or by hand (ie ring, ray, RABCK, trade) -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Released 2 yrs ago (5/10/2010 UTC) at Controlled Release, --by post or by hand (ie ring, ray, RABCK, trade) -- Controlled Releases

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Donation to library/charity. 

Journal Entry 23 by AnonymousFinder at Matteson, Illinois USA on Sunday, September 19, 2010

Half way thru and find it intriguing, especially the 50s angst.