Journal Entry 1 by OpheliaPhillips from York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, January 27, 2008

Picked this up second hand in York today. 

Journal Entry 2 by OpheliaPhillips from York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, February 10, 2008

Read this during the afternoon as I was in the mood for a bit of fiction.

Pretty good - very French though; them all smoking ciggarettes and being moody and profound. Pretty good little tale about jealously, love, possession and so forth.

It's set in the first half of the 20th century in France and is about father and teenage daughter who are rich, promiscuous and do/think very little. Then in comes Anne, who is refined, has opinions and is in love with the father. The daughter thinks she's great too. The father agrees to marry Anne. Then the daughter, Cecile, decides that maybe having Anne so much in their lives isn't such a great idea....

Terrible teenagers, eh? And foolish Anne for thinking she could change people.

One thing that made me look twice was that there was a character called Charles Webb. It's pure coincidence, but I recently finished reading "The Graduate" by Charles Webb. Which in some ways reminds me of this story. As well as the obvious "The Great Gatsby"; and also in a little way Truman Capote's "Summer Crossing"... 

Journal Entry 3 by OpheliaPhillips from York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, February 11, 2008

Setting up a little bookring before this goes PC on my bookshelves:

Tagesmann – UK (anywhere)
Marsala – Holland (anywhere)
Tqd – Australia (anywhere)
Ophelia Phillips (UK) BACK HOME 

Journal Entry 4 by OpheliaPhillips at By mail in By mail, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Monday, February 18, 2008

Released 4 yrs ago (2/18/2008 UTC) at By mail in By mail, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Popped in the postbox about twenty minutes ago. 

Journal Entry 5 by tagesmann from Kiveton Park, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, February 19, 2008

19 Fenruary 2008.
Arrived five minutes ago.
I've got a couple of other books on the go but should be able to fit this in around them...

29 February 2008.
I've not read many French novels but have seen a few films. Like many of those films this story explores and discusses people's behaviour and feelings. Te conflicted emotions and actions of a teenager are described brilliantly. This is a very a short book which manages to cover everything that is necessary for the tale to be told. There is no padding, no indulgence from the author. It is elegant.

Posted to Marsala. 

Journal Entry 6 by marsala from Chiswick, Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, March 06, 2008

Arrived here safely. It's going on my tbr pile for a little while, but I'll start it as soon as possible!

Thanks OpheliaPhillips for ringing it, and thanks Tagesmann for mailing :D 

Journal Entry 7 by marsala from Chiswick, Greater London United Kingdom on Tuesday, March 11, 2008

A nice and quick read. Like tagesmann said, it reminded me a bit of french films. I could understand why Cecile did what she did, because the feelings and emotions where described so good. Eventhough I didn't identify with her at all. 

Journal Entry 8 by tqd from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Turned up in the mail today, thanks Marsala! With the most delightful magnetic bookmark too, I've been having fun with magnets this evening! (Little things amuse little minds sometimes. ;)

I've got a bookring or two ahead of this, but shouldn't take too long to get to it. 

Journal Entry 9 by tqd from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, March 26, 2008

A rather charming little novel. I did like the decadence of our "heroine" (frankly, she's not very heroic) and her father, wasting their lives being hedonistic and shallow. Wouldn't want to spend a minute with them in real life, but it was rather fun reading.

And what sort of irresponsible stepmother-to-be leaves the drunken teenager to drive home alone so she can seduce the father? Different times and culture, to be sure! And if Anne was so perfect and nice, why did she make Cecile do her dirty work with Elsa? These intriguing french!

I found the ending a bit of a cop out. It's just such an easy way out with a difficult character: kill them off! instead of the author actually putting in some effort and resolving the issues and conflict. But at least in this version there was a lot of guilt for Cecile, which I suppose can be just as good (and terribly French).

And after everyone else's comments about French cinema, I was expecting something set in a moody gloomy Paris with everyone wearing berets and smoking Gittanes! I was pleasantly surprised to be in the Mediterranean, with a beach and casinos nearby.

I shall pop this back in the post to OpheliaPhillips first chance I get! Thanks very much for the chance to read this book!

UPDATE 28 March 2008: In the mail to OpheliaPhillips today. 

Journal Entry 10 by OpheliaPhillips from York, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Arrived in the post today safe and sound. Many thanks for posting it back to me! Lucky book - it's travelled to Australia which is more than can be said for me =)