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The Master
by Colm Toibin | Literature & Fiction
Registered by NICNIC2 of St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom on Friday, February 01, 2008
Average 8 star rating by BookCrossing Members 

status (set by jaynereader): to be read


12 journalers for this copy...

Journal Entry 1 by NICNIC2 from St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom on Friday, February 01, 2008

9 out of 10

I loved this story so much I read it again as soon as I finished it. The synopsis is:

Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2004, a remarkable novel about Henry James, the American-born novelist and a connoisseur of exile.

In January 1895 Henry James anticipates the opening of his first play, Guy Domville, in London. The production fails, and he returns, chastened and humiliated, to his writing desk. The result is a string of masterpieces, but they are produced at a high personal cost.

In The Master Colm Tóibín captures the exquisite anguish of a man who circulated in the grand parlours and palazzos of Europe, who was astonishingly vibrant and alive in his art, and yet whose attempts at intimacy inevitably failed him and those he tried to love. It is a powerful account of the hazards of putting the life of the mind before affairs of the heart.

Initially I kept thinking that the story read just like a Henry James piece. I enjoyed this book so much that I've decided to start a bookring - that way I can share it and keep it at the same time :)
 

Journal Entry 2 by NICNIC2 from St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom on Friday, February 01, 2008

9 out of 10

Bookring list so far. I'm doing my best to accomodate evryone's shipping prefs but if you want to me moved/removed please PM me:

NICNIC2 (UK)
cat207 (Australia)
arugh48187 (India)
Marsala (Netherlands)
EmgeeNL (Netherlands)
Tubereader(Luxembourg)
brunton11 (UK)
shovelmonkey (UK)
Fluffy-Owl(UK)
pinkydinky(UK)Jozebedee (UK)
mafarrimond (UK)
NICNIC2(UK)- book is now home :)


Rules:

1. Journal when you recieve the book, journal again with your thoughts if you like and then again when you are releasing it to the next person on the list.

2. Please try and read the book within a month - if you'll take longer that's ok, just let us know you'll be keeping it longer :)

3. If the book dies when its with you (e.g. it falls in a puddle or something) don't panic, just let me know so I can get a replacement up and running.

Thanks for joining everyone! Enjoy!

 

Journal Entry 3 by NICNIC2 at By mail, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, September 10, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (9/10/2009 UTC) at By mail, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way at last. Can't wait to see what you all think of it! 

Journal Entry 4 by wingcat207wing from Gladstone, Queensland Australia on Wednesday, September 16, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Arrived in today's mail. Wow, that was a long time coming! Thanks NICNIC2. I have got a few ahead, but shouldn't be any more than a month. 

Journal Entry 5 by wingcat207wing from Gladstone, Queensland Australia on Wednesday, October 14, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Sorry I've been so long with this book. Real life has interfered with my reading time of late. I'm about 3/4 through, so shouldn't be too much longer, but it is dense reading. 

Journal Entry 6 by wingcat207wing from Gladstone, Queensland Australia on Saturday, October 17, 2009

9 out of 10

This took me forever to actually get into, but once I had time to read more than a few pages at a time, I found it exquisite. I'm glad I didn't give up on it.

Thank you Nic. I've PMed arugh48187 for her new address. 

Journal Entry 7 by wingcat207wing from Gladstone, Queensland Australia on Saturday, October 17, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Heading off to arugh48187 in tomorrow's mail. 

Journal Entry 8 by arugh48187 from Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Tuesday, November 10, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Wow! I had given up on this bookring a long time ago. What a pleasant surprise to find it in my mailbox. 

Journal Entry 9 by arugh48187 from Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Wednesday, December 02, 2009

8 out of 10

I have to say that although this book was very slow reading, it was rather enjoyable. Reading only a few pages at a time allowed me to savor the language and ambiance. I do not have any Henry James books, nor have I read any. But reading this book made me definitely interested in getting some and diving in, especially if his books read like this one.

Thanks for sharing. This one will go out to the next reader as soon as I get an address. 

Journal Entry 10 by EmgeeNL from Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Friday, December 18, 2009

7 out of 10

The book arrived. It's going on my tbr for now.

january 16th; I'm curently about half way through the book. I hope to finish it soon.

January 29th: I finished reading the book today. It took me a bit longer than usual which had nothing to do with the book, but more with some stuff that is going on in my own life.
It's an easy read, but the book did not make any real impression on me, so I doubt that I will remember this book in a couple of years. 

Journal Entry 11 by EmgeeNL at by mail, A Bookray -- Controlled Releases on Monday, February 01, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (1/30/2010 UTC) at by mail, A Bookray -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book is on it's way to the next reader. 

Journal Entry 12 by Tubereader from Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Friday, February 05, 2010

This book has not been rated.

The book has arrived safely and I will start reading it as soon as I finish the one I am currently with. I will update the JE when I pick it up so that everybody knows what is going on.

Thanks NICNIC2 for organising the ring and EmgeeNL for sending it!!

10th FEBRUARY UPDATE: Quick note to let everybody know that I will start reading this book today. 

Journal Entry 13 by Tubereader from Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Thursday, March 11, 2010

7 out of 10

I have finally finished reading this book. It was interesting to learn about Henry James' life. I wonder how much of it is a biography and how much is fiction?

Nevertheless, the book did not make a big impression on me. Maybe it is because I did not have much time to read it properly (i.e. I have been reading 5-6 pages at a time) so that doesn't help to get a good grasp of the full book.

Thanks NICNIC2 for sharing. I have Brunton11's address and will post it shortly. 

Journal Entry 14 by Tubereader at Luxembourg, Kanton Luxemburg Luxembourg on Saturday, March 13, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 yr ago (3/13/2010 UTC) at Luxembourg, Kanton Luxemburg Luxembourg

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book was posted to the next in line.

Happy reading! 

Journal Entry 15 by wingbrunton11wing from Salford, Lancashire United Kingdom on Saturday, March 20, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Arrived on Thursday. Will get stuck in to this one once I've finished my current book. Thanks all for sharing. 

Journal Entry 16 by wingbrunton11wing from Salford, Lancashire United Kingdom on Monday, April 05, 2010

7 out of 10

It took me a while to get into this one. There were sections that flowed beautifully and others that dragged and made me a little impatient at times. I'll be on the lookout for anything by HJ as I'm curious to see what his actual books are like.

Shovelmonkey1 has recently received a copy of this book so I will be posting this one to Fluffy-Owl tomorrow. Thanks all for sharing. 

Journal Entry 17 by Fluffy-Owl from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Friday, April 09, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Received in the post, thank you! 

Journal Entry 18 by Fluffy-Owl from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Saturday, May 15, 2010

7 out of 10

I quite enjoyed this. I've never read anything by Henry James, nor do I know much about his life story, so this was an interesting book. A nice slow book, not one to rush. Think I will try and read something by James in the future, especially Portrait of a Lady as that was mentioned quite often.

Posting off to the next in line next week. 

Journal Entry 19 by Fluffy-Owl at Durham, County Durham United Kingdom on Saturday, May 15, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 yr ago (5/17/2010 UTC) at Durham, County Durham United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posting off to the next in line, hope it travels well and arrives safely. 

Journal Entry 20 by pinkydinky from Melksham, Wiltshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 19, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Arrived safely today. Nearly finished my current read so should start this soon. 

Journal Entry 21 by pinkydinky at Melksham, Wiltshire United Kingdom on Thursday, May 27, 2010

9 out of 10

What a great read. Initially not easy to get into but then it gently sweeps you along. Well written and a fascinating story. You do wonder how much is gleaned from actual fact and how much is embellished but that does not detract from the story.

Have PM'd next in line 

Journal Entry 22 by pinkydinky at Posted to another bookcrosser, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Wednesday, June 09, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 yr ago (6/9/2010 UTC) at Posted to another bookcrosser, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On it's way to Jozebedee. Sorry for the delay in posting. 

Journal Entry 23 by Jozebedee at Nantwich, Cheshire United Kingdom on Saturday, June 12, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Thanks so much for sending on pinkydinky - I have received it today :)
Thanks for including me in this ray - I have a few books before it to read first. 

Journal Entry 24 by Jozebedee at Nantwich, Cheshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 13, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Just an update to let you know that I am still reading this at the moment. It should be moving again soon! 

Journal Entry 25 by Jozebedee at Nantwich, Cheshire United Kingdom on Monday, July 19, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Like others I found this quite slow in parts, but a beautifully written story which despite having only been able to read this in fits and starts, I found easy to pick it up and carry on where I had left off.
Apologies for having held on to this longer than planned. 

Journal Entry 26 by Jozebedee at Nantwich, Cheshire United Kingdom on Monday, July 19, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 yr ago (7/19/2010 UTC) at Nantwich, Cheshire United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Now in the post - heading mafarrimond's way. ENJOY! :) 

Journal Entry 27 by mafarrimond at Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Thursday, July 22, 2010

This book has not been rated.

The book has arrived safely. I look forward to reading it. 

Journal Entry 28 by mafarrimond at Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Saturday, August 07, 2010

9 out of 10

I really enjoyed reading this. It took some concentration as the storyline kept switching around in time but that made it more enjoyable somehow.

I am inspired to read some Henry James now if I can find any. Thanks for sharing it with me.  

Journal Entry 29 by mafarrimond at St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom on Sunday, August 08, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 yr ago (8/9/2010 UTC) at St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Travelling home. 

Journal Entry 30 by NICNIC2 at St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, March 14, 2011

10 out of 10

This arrived home safe and sound a long time ago - I've been out of the BC loop for a while but am now back in full swing :)

Thank you all for taking part, I'm glad I got to share this wonderful book with so many people. 

Journal Entry 31 by NICNIC2 at St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom on Tuesday, March 15, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Released 11 mos ago (3/15/2011 UTC) at St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Donated to The 1001 Library 

Journal Entry 32 by 1001-library at Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Sunday, April 10, 2011

This book has not been rated.


Thanks so much for your donation NICNIC2!

This book is now part of the 1001-library. If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the 1001-library bookshelf.

Currently reserved for soffita1's 1001 VBB 

Journal Entry 33 by jaynereader at Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Thursday, May 19, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Thanks NICNIC2, I'm looking forward to this. 



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