Journal Entry 1 by CanPou from Sant Antoni de Portmany, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares Spain on Monday, October 09, 2006

Thriller writer Connolly (Every Dead Thing) turns from criminal fears to primal fears in this enchanting novel about a 12-year-old English boy, David, who is thrust into a realm where eternal stories and fairy tales assume an often gruesome reality. Books are the magic that speak to David, whose mother has died at the start of WWII after a long debilitating illness. His father remarries, and soon his stepmother is pregnant with yet another interloper who will threaten David's place in his father's life. When a portal to another world opens in time-honored fashion, David enters a land of beasts and monsters where he must undertake a quest if he is to earn his way back out. Connolly echoes many great fairy tales and legends (Little Red Riding Hood, Roland, Hansel and Gretel), but cleverly twists them to his own purposes. Despite horrific elements, this tale is never truly frightening, but is consistently entertaining as David learns lessons of bravery, loyalty and honor that all of us should learn. 

Journal Entry 2 by CanPou at Café Restaurante Can Pou in Sant Antoni de Portmany, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares Spain on Monday, October 09, 2006

Released 6 yrs ago (10/9/2006 UTC) at Café Restaurante Can Pou in Sant Antoni de Portmany, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares Spain

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Journal Entry 3 by CanPou from Sant Antoni de Portmany, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares Spain on Thursday, July 05, 2007

Sent to my "baby" sister Chich in hope this will help the "unstressing" for a few hours. It worked for me. :-)) 

Journal Entry 4 by chich from Sant Antoni de Portmany, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares Spain on Thursday, August 09, 2007

Book received today, thanks so much CanPou!

What would I do if you weren't there to ensure I keep my sanity *and* unstress by reading a good book?!
 

Journal Entry 5 by chich from Sant Antoni de Portmany, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares Spain on Wednesday, August 22, 2007

What a fantastic read!!! Even though I didn't really enjoy the very first chapter, I kept on reading and basically couldn't put the book down after that:) A dark fairy tale for grown ups, this book reminded me very much of Roald Dahlh's Revolting Rhymes, which I read last April and enjoyed a lot. Both Connolly and Dahl manage to play with classic fairy tales to give us an original, creative (and often wicked) rendering of these classic tales. I love it!

Thanks again CanPou for sending me this book and being such a great sister for me:-) 

Journal Entry 6 by chich from Sant Antoni de Portmany, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares Spain on Sunday, September 02, 2007

Journal Entry 7 by chich from Sant Antoni de Portmany, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares Spain on Monday, September 10, 2007

Here we go!

Book sent to Jessi626 today, enjoy!
 

Journal Entry 8 by Jessi626 from Otterberg, Rheinland-Pfalz Germany on Wednesday, September 12, 2007

The book arrived today. Thank you for the ray and for sending it to me! 

Journal Entry 9 by Jessi626 from Otterberg, Rheinland-Pfalz Germany on Tuesday, September 18, 2007

That was a nice and easy read. I like how the author used the fairy tales (although I don't know the one about the bears...). I liked the ending, too. But in between there were some parts that were not that interesting for me, although I never thought about not finishing the book.

I'll send it to foxbooks tomorrow, September, 24th. Sorry for the delay, I'm very busy at the moment... 

Journal Entry 10 by foxbooks from Braunschweig, Niedersachsen Germany on Friday, September 28, 2007

hallo, das buch ist bei mir angekommen....... besten dank fürs schicken ....... danke für den ring

the book arrived yesterday . thank you for this ray and for sending it to me!

es wandert erst mal auf meinen TBR-Stapel, da gestern gleich drei ringe eingetroffen sind ..... :-))

i'll put it on my TBR, because yesterday a lot of books arrived. 

Journal Entry 11 by foxbooks from Braunschweig, Niedersachsen Germany on Saturday, October 20, 2007

for my opinion this book is too cruel and too bloody, i didn't like it realy. 

Journal Entry 12 by foxbooks at sent to an other bookcrosser in -- Per Post geschickt/ Persönlich weitergegeben --, Niedersachsen Germany on Saturday, October 20, 2007

Released 5 yrs ago (10/20/2007 UTC) at sent to an other bookcrosser in -- Per Post geschickt/ Persönlich weitergegeben --, Niedersachsen Germany

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the book is on its way to marko167 

Journal Entry 13 by marko167 from Sant Pere de Ribes, Barcelona Spain on Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Arrived safe and sound. Have a couple of books ahead of this but shouldn't be too long. 

Journal Entry 14 by marko167 from Sant Pere de Ribes, Barcelona Spain on Friday, January 18, 2008

Really enjoyed this book. A good mix of classic fairy tales with a modern twist. Especially enjoyed the seven dwarves and wish they had been a bit more involved. 

Journal Entry 15 by marko167 at BookRing in Book Ring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, January 21, 2008

Released 5 yrs ago (1/21/2008 UTC) at BookRing in Book Ring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Off it flies to the land of Mannekin Pis, Jean Claude van Damm and Moules Frites. 

Journal Entry 16 by bestfriends from - Ergens in de provincie, Gelderland Netherlands on Monday, January 28, 2008

In my mailbox today. Thanks chich and marko167.

I almost finished my current read and this will be up next. Looking forward to it! 

Journal Entry 17 by bestfriends from - Ergens in de provincie, Gelderland Netherlands on Sunday, February 03, 2008

Journal Entry 18 by bestfriends at Controlled release by mail in -- controlled release --, Liège / Luik Belgium on Monday, February 04, 2008

Released 5 yrs ago (2/4/2008 UTC) at Controlled release by mail in -- controlled release --, Liège / Luik Belgium

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Journal Entry 19 by iliotropio from Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Arrived safely in... the heart of Europe, Brussels.
Many thanks, bestfriends! 

Journal Entry 20 by iliotropio from Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Monday, April 14, 2008

I've appreciated this book, but I can't say I've enjoyed it. Maybe I haven't been in the right frame of mind for it. Extremely overworked on top of everything else...
Happy reading spy-there! 

Journal Entry 21 by spy-there from Zürich, Zürich Switzerland on Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Woot! the book arrived precisely to the World Book Day!
Thank you, iliotropio - now I can proudly take it to the Bookparade. 

Journal Entry 22 by spy-there from Zürich, Zürich Switzerland on Thursday, June 12, 2008

A rather strange book, methinks: kind of a gloomy goth assemblage, blended with chunks of Grimm’s tales, greek mythology and ... er ... Role Playing Games? In any case there is abundant blood-splashing. I very agree with bestfriends, it’s neither fish nor flesh, neither a childrens book nor interesting enough for grown ups, full of boyish crap as it is.
Which sometimes makes no sense at all: what is a Mark V tank from WW I. doing in the story? Perhaps just slipped through one of the plot holes? LOL ... (remember: the boy escaped from WW II.). Connolly really writes balderdash like: «His hair was white with snow. It made him look much older then he was.» Have you ever mistook snow on someone's head for white hair? Me neither.

The story might be cunning, alas the narrative is rather lukewarm. The dialogues are sort of ... clumsish. If only he had worked them out with the same accuracy he exerts for the bloodthirsty details of beheading, torn apart corpses and dangling bowels.
However I liked the plot, in spite of its constructedness. I found the raping of Grimm's Tales rather amusing. The monstrously mutated Snow White and the seven little unionists were clearly one highlight, made me laugh madly. But imagine ... what had a TC Boyle made out of this scene ...

Yes, I do admit that it is difficult to write fantasy fiction after Lewis, Tolkien and Pratchett. sigh. Someone please teach Connolly how to flesh out a story! It’s a pity how poorly he cares for his promising ideas.
 

Journal Entry 23 by spy-there at Controlled release (Zürich) in -- controlled release --, Zürich Switzerland on Thursday, June 12, 2008

Released 5 yrs ago (6/12/2008 UTC) at Controlled release (Zürich) in -- controlled release --, Zürich Switzerland

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it goes to Mountainflower at the Meet up =^;^= 

Journal Entry 24 by Mountainflower from Winterthur, Zürich Switzerland on Sunday, June 15, 2008

Got the book from spy on last Thursdays MeetUp. Just the right book to sit on the sofa on a rainy weekend...


06-29-2008:
I liked the story very much. It's been a while since I read a fantasy story like this, and I was immediately caught by the woodsman, the dwarfs, the wolves and all the dangers the young hero had to face... I recognized a few fairy tales, but it seems I have to find out about this Roland. Never heard of him.

Thanks to spy for passing it along and to chich for the ray!

Yesterday, I sent the book along to boirina. Have fun! 

Journal Entry 25 by boirina from Calvià, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares Spain on Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The book got here yesterday!

Thanks! 

Journal Entry 26 by boirina from Calvià, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares Spain on Monday, October 13, 2008

PinkManager asked to be skipped and the book has left for blakkat-BNE today.

I haven't had the chance to read it. Life got in the way and I had to travel too much and work too much in the last few months. :(

Thanks for including me in the ring, anyway.

Hugs to all of you. 

Journal Entry 27 by blakkat-BNE from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Monday, January 05, 2009

This book isn't lost! I actually received it ages ago but I'm a bad bad bookcrosser and didn't journal it :(
Anyway, this was quite an interesting book and I enjoyed reading it. It's now time for it to move on, however, so once I get the address of the next person, I will send it on its merry way.
Thanks for sharing the book! 

Journal Entry 28 by blakkat-BNE from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Tuesday, March 31, 2009

I still haven't heard from the next person so am giving up and skipping them. Will contact the next person on the list, as this book really needs to get moving!! 

Journal Entry 29 by blakkat-BNE at Cincinnati, Ohio USA on Saturday, July 25, 2009

Released 3 yrs ago (7/18/2009 UTC) at Cincinnati, Ohio USA

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Posted to rebeccaljames 

Journal Entry 30 by rebeccaljames from Cincinnati, Ohio USA on Saturday, August 01, 2009

I received this book today. I am looking forward to reading. I will get to it as soon I can and then pass it along. Thank you for sharing. 

Journal Entry 31 by oi-reader from Toledo, Ohio USA on Monday, October 26, 2009

Arrived safely today, perfect timing as I was just debating on what to read next! Thanks for sharing :) 

Journal Entry 32 by oi-reader from Toledo, Ohio USA on Friday, November 06, 2009

Thank you for allowing me to participate in this ring, reading a book I might have otherwide passed by.

Over all, I enjoyed the book, but readily admit, the first 100 pages or so seemed to drag on forever. After the chapter about the 7 dwarfs (which had me chuckling) it picked up speed and I finished it in a matter of hours. Usually I read more nonfiction or mystery/thriller tales, and somehow I thought this was a mystery prior to reading it.

I have pm'd brookler and will send it her way once I receive an address to ship.
Thanks again! 

Journal Entry 33 by oi-reader at BOOK RING, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Saturday, November 07, 2009

Released 3 yrs ago (11/7/2009 UTC) at BOOK RING, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom

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on it's way to brookler! Thanks again for sharing. 

Journal Entry 34 by Brookler from Powell River, British Columbia Canada on Friday, November 20, 2009

Look what I found in my mailbox today! Can't wait to start this one, thanks so much. 

Journal Entry 35 by Brookler from Powell River, British Columbia Canada on Sunday, November 29, 2009

I enjoyed this book, but found it a little dark and gory for my taste. It appears to be a psycho-drama disguised as a fantasy/fairy tale. 

Journal Entry 36 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Arrived safe and sound today. I have a few rings here at the moment, but I am keeping them moving. Thank you! 

Journal Entry 37 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Saturday, January 16, 2010

I'm going to send this book on. While I always enjoy books with fairy tales in them, I'm finding this one just a bit too dark for me. If it wasn't a ring, I would most likely press on, but I have others shouting my name.

Thank you for sharing! This book will be on its way Down Under next week. 

Journal Entry 38 by FreePages from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Thursday, April 22, 2010

Found - The Book of Lost Things is now in the Land of Aus! In fact, it's now in the Capital of The Land of Aus ;-)

This is a bookring that I signed up for when I joined bookcrossing in 2007!
Quite a bit has changed for me since then!
However, I am still looking forward to reading this novel :-)

I've got a bit of a line-up before this one, but I'm hoping to get to it sooner then later.
Thanks for sending it on in the post lauraloo29 and everyone before her.

:-)

 

Journal Entry 39 by FreePages from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, May 08, 2010

I really enjoyed getting lost in this book. I found myself looking forward to immersing myself in the dark tales along David's quest each evening as I sat down to read it. I liked the idea of twisting the fairy tales to suit the story ;-)
It had quite a nice little ending. I would really like my two teenagers to read this (they could benefit from the moral of the story ;-) but I suspect they won't read it (they are getting more and more sceptical of my recommendations!) before I send it off to the next in line.
Already PMed - hope to hear from her soon.

Thanks for the opportunity to participate in this one. :-) 

Journal Entry 40 by FreePages at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Friday, May 21, 2010

Released 3 yrs ago (5/20/2010 UTC) at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia

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Journal Entry 41 by scrapaholic at Darwin, Northern Territory Australia on Saturday, June 05, 2010

Have arrived safely in Darwin  

Journal Entry 42 by scrapaholic at Darwin, Northern Territory Australia on Sunday, June 27, 2010

What a great read! Good thing I'm on holidays coz I couldn't put it down. Thanks for sharing this book....will send it on to next person as soon as I get their details.

After much PMing I have sent this book to amcamp1644 (in Oct 2010). 

Journal Entry 43 by amcamp1644 at Wheaton, Maryland USA on Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Sweet! Can't wait to read it, it's #2 on my read list. 

Journal Entry 44 by amcamp1644 at Bethesda, Maryland USA on Saturday, May 28, 2011

I thought it started off predictably, and though it was predictable to the end, it won me over and I still enjoyed it.  

Journal Entry 45 by amcamp1644 at Bethesda, Maryland USA on Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Released 2 yrs ago (6/14/2011 UTC) at Bethesda, Maryland USA

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Off to the next! 

Journal Entry 46 by minesayn at Huron, Ohio USA on Saturday, June 18, 2011

Received via media mail from amcamp1644! Thanks to her and chich for setting up the ray. Leafed through it while waiting for my computer to boot up...looks intriguing and just magical enough to be an enjoyable read (I have always liked to read fairy tales). Will get it read as soon as possible (have two rings I am working on right now). 

Journal Entry 47 by minesayn at Huron, Ohio USA on Monday, August 08, 2011

Interesting use of fairy tales and "things that go bump in the night"...now I know where my nightmares come from, and yet there were compelling moments as David goes from "replaced" child (at least in his mind) to a man. The ending was also touching and a reminder of both the joys and sorrows of a life well lived.

Now, onto to Great Britain with this ray...sorry it took so long to read, but glad I had the opportunity to read it. I'm not sure I would have found out about it otherwise..thanks! 

Journal Entry 48 by minesayn at Abingdon, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Monday, August 08, 2011

Released 1 yr ago (8/8/2011 UTC) at Abingdon, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom

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Book ray book being sent on...thanks to chich for allowing me to read this one. Very enlightening, very enjoyable read about a new twist on the fairy tales that we all grew up reading. 

Journal Entry 49 by abigailann at Abingdon, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on Monday, August 22, 2011

Thanks for sending this onto me. It arrived whilst I was on holiday and was a lovely surprise to find on my doormat when I returned home 

Journal Entry 50 by abigailann at Abingdon, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 06, 2011

I loved the way that this book took classic stories and twisted and turned them into something else. A classic children's tale in many respects, this story turned into much more. It reminded me to some extent of Jasper Fforde, only less humourous and more scary. I'd never have picked it up if I'd seen it in a store, but I'm definatly glad that the description on the bookcrossing ray grabbed me.

Contacting the next person now 

Journal Entry 51 by earthcaroleanne at Falkirk, Scotland United Kingdom on Wednesday, September 14, 2011

This arrived today. Won't get it started straight away but it doesn't look like it will take too long.  

Journal Entry 52 by earthcaroleanne at Falkirk, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, October 17, 2011

I enjoyed this book. I've always said the original fairy tales were quite scary and not the disneyfied version we see nowadays but this took the horror a little bit further. There was plenty of blood but it was never truly scary. It was a book I was keen to finish and couldn't put down in the end. 

Journal Entry 53 by earthcaroleanne at Anstey, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Monday, October 24, 2011

Released 1 yr ago (10/25/2011 UTC) at Anstey, Leicestershire United Kingdom

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On it's way in the ring. 

Journal Entry 54 by raeliz64 at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Sunday, October 30, 2011

It's here - thanks very much :-) 

Journal Entry 55 by raeliz64 at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Tuesday, December 20, 2011

This was an interesting read, very dark versions of familiar fairy tales. Along with other readers I liked the seven dwarves, they made me smile.
I'm the last person on the list, but I'll see if anyone else wants to read it. 

Journal Entry 56 by Tanamo at Hinckley, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Picked up at today's mini meet in Leicester. Thanks Rachel. 

Journal Entry 57 by Tanamo at Hinckley, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Monday, January 28, 2013

A very dark tale but I enjoyed it. Like most readers I liked the dwarves. I thought the ending was good too. 

Journal Entry 58 by Tanamo at Yarm, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Released 1 mo ago (4/23/2013 UTC) at Yarm, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom

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RABCK to another bookcrosser who has this on their wishlist. 

Journal Entry 59 by OpheliaPhillips at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Saturday, May 04, 2013

What a fantastic surprise - thank you so much for sending this! It looks so good.... and wow, this copy really has travelled. 

Journal Entry 60 by OpheliaPhillips at York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Saturday, May 11, 2013

What a fantastic book. Such a great read. Very clever too, in the way it was written like a children's book, and yet it was so dark and gothic that it's clearly not for kids. The different layers of the book are also very clever, the way the fairystories and the escape to the other world are also David dealing with the traumas of life - his mother dying, his father getting a new wife, and then a baby brother on the scene... and even the outbreak of the second world war and how this effects the country and society. It made me think of that fantastic film Pan's Labyrinth in many ways, as that's also about a young child escaping into a world of fairytales and imagination to get away from the realities of a complicated family life, and the effects of war... and a little touch of that cheesey 80s film Labyrinth with David Bowie as the goblin king =).

Curious that the women often don't come out too well in this. I liked the way that he'd adapted some of these fairy stories to his own uses, but the women turned into monsters... perhaps because David wasn't happy about Rose (the second wife).... Red Riding Hood takes on a completely new persona; then there's the witch roasting kiddies, and the huntress who was a particularly nasty, cold piece of work. Even the beast was female.

I'm not too sure what I will do with the book next, but as it's been travelling for so long, I'd like it to continue on its journey...