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The Gravedigger's Daughter
by Joyce Carol Oates | Literature & Fiction
Registered by 4-lele of Elmhurst, Illinois USA on Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Average 9 star rating by BookCrossing Members 

status (set by pammykn): reserved


7 journalers for this copy...

Journal Entry 1 by 4-lele from Elmhurst, Illinois USA on Tuesday, July 24, 2007

This book has not been rated.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Some of Oates' novels are tightly focused; others cover a larger social canvas. he Gravedigger's Daughter is a hybrid of the two. Set in Oates country (poor, working-class, rural New York State), it is a first-person tale told from Oates' signature point of view, that of a young woman in peril, and encompasses one immigrant family's tragedies during the Holocaust. Oates' intense narrator is born on the boat that carried her parents away from Nazi Germany, so Rebecca has never seen her parents happy. All she knows is the gloom of their mausoleumlike stone hovel beside the cemetery her father maintains. Oates evokes the bleak horrors of Thomas Hardy in scenes of suffering and denial as Rebecca's increasingly enraged father insists that they are not Jewish, even as her mother grieves over lost relatives. Madness and bloodshed erupt, and Rebecca is left alone in the world, destitute and uneducated. But she is smart and very strong, surviving her passionate liaison with Niles Tignor, one of Oates' most seductive and diabolical outlaws, and finding her calling in caring for her son, a musical prodigy. Oates is supremely atmospheric, erotic, and suspenseful in this virtuoso novel of identity, power, and moral reckoning. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved





WELCOME to the "Gravedigger's Daughter" bookring!
7 people have signed on so far, a list will posted and this book will ship later this week.

Bookring instructions ( Copied from catsalive):
1. SIGN UP for this bookring by sending me a Private Message. Order of participants will be juggled between geography, date of request and shipping limitations. Late additions may be added to the end of the list.
2. When the person before you on the list finishes reading the book, they will send you a Private Message for your postal address. If you no longer wish to read it, let them (and me!) know and I will move you down/off the list.
3. WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE BOOK please make a journal entry so everyone knows it has safely arrived. Bookrings should NOT be stressful, take your time and enjoy the book. Just make sure it gets mailed on to the next person.
4. WHEN YOU FINISH THE BOOK, make another journal entry telling us what you thought - did you like it? Did you think it was well-written?
5. CONTINUE THE BOOKRING by sending a Private Message to the person after you on the bookring list and request their postal address. Please check back here for the latest distribution list. If the person doesn't respond within 10-14 days (use your judgement), please PM the next person, and then me, so I can update the bookring list.
6. END OF THE RING, Back to me.

A note about shipping:

Please make all shipments Media Mail. Delivery Confirmation preferred but not required. There is no reason to rush this book around the US.


    boomda181...........Canada
    lauraloo29..........Canada
    bakerwhencan........California
    dabercro............Utah
    sarradee............Texas
    Caridad.............Florida
    pammykn.............Florida
    lovelovebooks.........Illinois
 

Journal Entry 2 by boomda181 on Tuesday, September 18, 2007

This book has not been rated.

The book arrived awhile ago in the mail. I am looking forward to reading this book very, very soon and journaling more soon too! 

Journal Entry 3 by boomda181 on Sunday, December 16, 2007

This book has not been rated.

This book was sent on its way to lauraloo29 a little while ago. I tried to get through it but just couldn't. I hope the ring continues allowing bookcrossers to enjoy this book. I will have to try it again sometime.

Thanks! 

Journal Entry 4 by winglauraloo29wing from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Tuesday, December 18, 2007

This book has not been rated.

This has arrived safe and sound. I have a couple of rings before it and the Christmas holidays. But I will keep it moving. :) 

Journal Entry 5 by winglauraloo29wing from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Wednesday, January 09, 2008

This book has not been rated.

I really wanted to get into this book. I just couldn't. I was put off by the first chapter. I'm sad that I'm the first and hope others enjoy it. Perhaps with other's thoughts I'll try to re-read it in the future.

Thank you for sharing. It will be on it's way next week. :) 

Journal Entry 6 by bakerwhencan from San Francisco, California USA on Monday, January 28, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Arrived! I have one book ahead and then will read this.

Thank you. I'm looking forward to this! 

Journal Entry 7 by bakerwhencan at To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, June 08, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (6/8/2009 UTC) at To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I am sorry!! I've had this so long, and now have mailed it to dabercro.


Sorry for the eternal hold up. I'll have to get to this some day. I have not read any of her books yet.

Thank you for including me.

 

Journal Entry 8 by dabercro from Clinton, Utah USA on Wednesday, June 10, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Received this in the mail today. I will start reading this in the next couple of days. 

Journal Entry 9 by dabercro from Clinton, Utah USA on Thursday, June 18, 2009

9 out of 10

I'm not sure why the journalers ahead of me didn't read the book. I really cared about the main character, Rebecca. She uses her smarts and inner strength to overcome insurmountable obstacles. Having physically escaped the Holocaust, her family never emotionally escaped. From a tough childhood, to an abusive relationship, Rebecca escapes to a life on the run with her son to make a better life. I really cared for the main character. I liked the way the author brought the story full circle at the end.

Thanks 4-lele for including me in this bookring! 

Journal Entry 10 by dabercro at Bookring, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Tuesday, June 23, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (6/23/2009 UTC) at Bookring, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sending to the next participant, sarradee, in TX 

Journal Entry 11 by sarradee from Dallas, Texas USA on Saturday, June 27, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Arrived safely today. When it rains it pours, and bookrings seem to come in cycles. I have a small stack of three to read, but I'll get this passed on as soon as I can, I'm really looking forward to it. 

Journal Entry 12 by sarradee from Dallas, Texas USA on Thursday, July 30, 2009

This book has not been rated.

I found this book very slow going, depressing and it felt unfinished when I finally made it to the end. I've never read any of Joyce Carol Oates' work before so I'm not sure if this is a typical experience.

Rebecca was an interesting character and I wanted to know what happened to her which is why I kept reading. Rebecca overcomes obstacles in her life only to move onto an even worse situation, from a dysfunctional family, to an abusive husband, to being on the run she never quite seems to catch a break. Ultimately she finds herself in a stable place, but still moments of high drama tend to creep in.

I've pm'ed the next on the list for their address and hope to have the book moving on in the very near future.

No response from Caridad, will move onto the next on the list.
 

Journal Entry 13 by pammykn from Decatur, Alabama USA on Tuesday, August 11, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Thanks rec'd today -- plan on reading soon. 

Journal Entry 14 by pammykn from Decatur, Alabama USA on Saturday, October 03, 2009

This book has not been rated.

I'm afraid I will have to give up I read the first 102 pages and am not inspired to continue. Maybe the timing is off for me will contact lovelovebooks and mail off as soon as I get her address. Thanks for letting me participate in this ring. 10/29 4-lele will you please contact me I am not getting any response from the pm's I'm sending to you or lovelovebooks. Thank you.

 



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