Small Island
11 journalers for this copy...
This impressive book is heavy in terms of one of its main themes - prejudice in England during and after the Second World War - and in terms of the number of pages: all of 530.
Still, the style is surprisingly light, and Levy is awesome at taking the four very different perspectives and speaking in the four very different voices of the main characters.
By the way, this particular paperback copy of Small island with its thin pages is light, too, and will fit into a mailbox. So why not offer Small island as a book ring?
If you want to read more about this book, reviews of Small island have been collected on http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/small_island
In the following scene, Hortense, educated in a high-class private school in Jamaica and 'golden-skinned', has just arrived in England. Her husband has not kept to his promise to meet her at the harbour, so she has just taken a taxi to her new home. From Hortense's perspective:
The door was answered by an English woman. A blonde-haired, pink cheeked English woman with eyes so blue they were the brightest thing in the street. She looked on my face, parted her slender lips and said, "Yes?"
"Is this the household of Mr Gilbert Joseph?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Gilbert Joseph?" I said, a little slower.
"Oh, Gilbert. Who are you?" She pronounced Gilbert so strangely that for a moment I was anxious that I would be delivered to the wrong man.
"Mr Gilbert Joseph is my husband - I am his wife."
The woman's face looked puzzled and pleased all at one time. She looked back into the house, lifting her head as she did. Then she turned back to me and said, "Didn't he come to meet you?"
"I have not seen Gilbert," I told her, then went on to ask, "but this is perchance where he is aboding?
At which this English woman said, "What?"
Ring participants:
-EmEli (Leiden)
-Fifna (Leiden)
-Suzy26 (Delft)
-MaaikeB (Zeist)
-Olifant (Utrecht)
-Biba89
-Elefteria
-Plinius
-Aaltsje
-Feria
-en terug naar violoncellix (Groningen) <-- now here
Still, the style is surprisingly light, and Levy is awesome at taking the four very different perspectives and speaking in the four very different voices of the main characters.
By the way, this particular paperback copy of Small island with its thin pages is light, too, and will fit into a mailbox. So why not offer Small island as a book ring?
If you want to read more about this book, reviews of Small island have been collected on http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/small_island
In the following scene, Hortense, educated in a high-class private school in Jamaica and 'golden-skinned', has just arrived in England. Her husband has not kept to his promise to meet her at the harbour, so she has just taken a taxi to her new home. From Hortense's perspective:
The door was answered by an English woman. A blonde-haired, pink cheeked English woman with eyes so blue they were the brightest thing in the street. She looked on my face, parted her slender lips and said, "Yes?"
"Is this the household of Mr Gilbert Joseph?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Gilbert Joseph?" I said, a little slower.
"Oh, Gilbert. Who are you?" She pronounced Gilbert so strangely that for a moment I was anxious that I would be delivered to the wrong man.
"Mr Gilbert Joseph is my husband - I am his wife."
The woman's face looked puzzled and pleased all at one time. She looked back into the house, lifting her head as she did. Then she turned back to me and said, "Didn't he come to meet you?"
"I have not seen Gilbert," I told her, then went on to ask, "but this is perchance where he is aboding?
At which this English woman said, "What?"
Ring participants:
-EmEli (Leiden)
-Fifna (Leiden)
-Suzy26 (Delft)
-MaaikeB (Zeist)
-Olifant (Utrecht)
-Biba89
-Elefteria
-Plinius
-Aaltsje
-Feria
-en terug naar violoncellix (Groningen) <-- now here
Received today, the wrappingpaper was slightly torn but thankfully the book couldn't fall out. I am really looking forward to reading this so I'll start as soon as I finish the book I'm reading now. Thank you for offering this as a ring! :-)
It took some time to really get into the story, but when I did it was wonderful! Nicely told, interesting to read the different perspectives, I am very glad I read this book.
I am going to meet up with Fifna soon so I'll hand it over then.
I am going to meet up with Fifna soon so I'll hand it over then.
Journal Entry 4 by 
Fifna
from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Saturday, September 16, 2006
Fifna from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Saturday, September 16, 2006
Got the book from EmEli today when we met up, thanks! Looking forward to reading it.
I really liked this book. Funny at times (I had to laugh at the broom cupboard incident), but sad as well to see the disrespect with which the Jamaicans are treated. I liked the four different voices. The way Bernard keeps adding things in brackets somehow just fits exactly with how I imagine him. I thought all four characters were appealing, each in their own way.
Many thanks, violoncellix, for sharing this book. I'll now see about contacting Suzy26 to organise a handover.
Many thanks, violoncellix, for sharing this book. I'll now see about contacting Suzy26 to organise a handover.
Het boek gaat zondag mee naar de meeting in Lef, zodat hij via zijdewerkster naar Suzy26 kan reizen.
Picked the book up at zijdewerkster's place yesterday evening. Thank you zijdewerkster and Fifna for getting the book to me and thank you violoncellix for ringing it. I look forward to reading it.
Good read. Well-structured story, seen from four different perspectives. All four characters come to life, esp. Hortense, so determined to go and make something of herself in the mother country, only to come crushing down hard when she is faced with all this biass against coloured people. It is amazing to realize that all those young men from the West-Indies who were good enough to fight in the RAF during the war, were suddenly reduced to filth after the war. Also shocking to find out that the Americans took their segregation politics with them when they were stationed in England and expected the British to follow suit. In spite of all this, there is much humour in this story and it is moving to read how Hortense and Gilbert gradually grow towards each other. Queenie is doing the best she can and Bernard is nothing but a pathetic little wimp.
Book arrived today. I'll start reading as soon as I've finished another ringbook.
Really impressive, indeed! Andrea Levy presents four different characters, each with his or her own voice, and every one of them comes alive. Poignant, moving, eloquent and gripping (I really was far too busy to read but finished the book in two weeks anyway, my nights were somewhat short as a result...). I'm really glad you started this ring, violoncellix. I wouldn't have read it otherwise, I suppose. Thanks!
Found this in my letterbox to my surprise. Forgot about joining this bookring. Looking forward to reading it. MaaikeB: once again a beautiful postcard!
Enjoyed this interesting novel very much!
I was about to bend my knee so I could reach the brooch when hear this… it flew away. Black flecks suddenly pitting the air. That jewel was no more than a cluster of flies caught by the light, the radiant iridescent green the movement of their squabbling backs. My eyes no longer believed what they saw. For after the host of flies flew they left me with just the small piece of brown dog’s shit they had all gathered on. Was this a sign. Maybe. For one of the big-eyed newcomer boys walk straight along and step right in the muck.
I was about to bend my knee so I could reach the brooch when hear this… it flew away. Black flecks suddenly pitting the air. That jewel was no more than a cluster of flies caught by the light, the radiant iridescent green the movement of their squabbling backs. My eyes no longer believed what they saw. For after the host of flies flew they left me with just the small piece of brown dog’s shit they had all gathered on. Was this a sign. Maybe. For one of the big-eyed newcomer boys walk straight along and step right in the muck.
Het boek gaat weer op reis naar nieuwe lezers (met hoge verzendkosten helaas, want het boek paste volgens de mevrouw van het postkantoor niet door de brievenbus).
Ha! Een boekringboek! Ik ga er meteen in beginnen.
Dank voor het opsturen.
Dank voor het opsturen.
I enjoyed this one tremendously. These voices, I couldn't get enough of them. Has this author written more? I want it all!
The book was handed to Elefteria already, who graciously sent me the BCID afterwards, since I had not even journalled it.
The book was handed to Elefteria already, who graciously sent me the BCID afterwards, since I had not even journalled it.
yes, the book is here now! that was a sunny book-exchange Biba and I had on monday. hoping for more sun the next weeks, so I can read this book on my balcony or in my garden.
een prachtig, boeiend boek, dat WO2 weer eens vanuit een heel ander gezichtspunt laat zien. bij het stuk over Bernard Before haakte ik even af, dat was me wat teveel van het goede. Levy had die blz misschien beter kunnen gebruiken om het slot wat uitgebreider uit te werken, het werd een beetje afgeraffeld leek me.
Journal Entry 18 by Elefteria at Enjoy! in Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Friday, April 27, 2007
Released 17 yrs ago (4/27/2007 UTC) at Enjoy! in Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
via yinny naar plinius
via yinny naar plinius
! I was looking forward to this book! Now for some time to read...
I enjoyed this book very much! At times it's hard to imagine such a prejudiced and stratified society, but then sounds from the fifties come back to me and tell me that the story of Small Island is true. The multiple perspective is lovingly drawn so that even the weakest character gets a fair deal.
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More people in this ring, Violoncellix? Can I have your address?
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More people in this ring, Violoncellix? Can I have your address?
Journal Entry 21 by Aaltsje from Terschelling West, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Sunday, June 10, 2007
Aaltsje from Terschelling West, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Sunday, June 10, 2007
arrived yesterday
thanks for sending
thanks for sending
Journal Entry 22 by Aaltsje from Terschelling West, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Monday, September 3, 2007
Aaltsje from Terschelling West, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Monday, September 3, 2007
sorry, forgot it was a ring.
I'll send it ASAP to the next participent
I'll send it ASAP to the next participent
Journal Entry 23 by Aaltsje from Terschelling West, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Monday, October 29, 2007
Aaltsje from Terschelling West, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Monday, October 29, 2007
vandaag eindelijk op de bus...
Opgehaald op mijn oude adres. Bedankt voor het opsturen, Aaltsje!
Ga er binnenkort in beginnen... eerst even mijn huidige boek uitlezen.
Ga er binnenkort in beginnen... eerst even mijn huidige boek uitlezen.
And finished!
Very good book! The descriptions are beautiful and funny, and the storyline is very interesting and shocking. The perspectives are nicely caught and add to the different views concerning the darkies living in white post-war England. The book ended in a different way then I'd expected, and the last part was very gripping.
Thanks for sharing this book - it's now one of my favourites from what I read in the past year!
Very good book! The descriptions are beautiful and funny, and the storyline is very interesting and shocking. The perspectives are nicely caught and add to the different views concerning the darkies living in white post-war England. The book ended in a different way then I'd expected, and the last part was very gripping.
Thanks for sharing this book - it's now one of my favourites from what I read in the past year!
Journal Entry 26 by 
violoncellix
from Groningen, Groningen Netherlands on Wednesday, January 9, 2008
violoncellix from Groningen, Groningen Netherlands on Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The book is back home, safe and sound. I've enjoyed following all the journal entries, and am glad the reading experience was appreciated so well by so many!
