Journal Entry 1 by Fleebo from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, February 07, 2008

A 2007 Booker longlisted title which was a Christmas gift from my mum. I chose it because there seemed to be a lot of people writing in the Booker Prize website guestbook who were disappointed that it didn't make the shortlist.

From Publishers Weekly:
"Esther, a WWII-era Welsh barmaid, finds her father — a fiercely nationalistic, anti-English shepherd — provincial; she daydreams that she'll elope to London with her secret sweetheart, an English soldier. In short order, Esther is raped by her boyfriend, and her Welsh village is turned into a dumping ground for German prisoners. Meanwhile, Karsten, a German POW who is mortified that he'd ordered his men to surrender, believes that only by escaping can he find redemption."

miss-jo
frangipani08
FreePages
jubby
livrecache
DrCris
star-light
lakelady2282
goodthinkingmax
tqd
Fleebo 

Journal Entry 2 by miss-jo from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, June 11, 2008

When you lent me this one I didn't realise it was a Booker book. I'm sorry I didn't read it earlier.

Great book. I liked the characterisation, particularly Karsten. He was such an honest person, caught up in a messed up world. But I've realised how little I know about Welsh history. Were they conquered? When? The Nationalists are as fervent as the Scots.

Shall I pass it on to frangipani08? 

Journal Entry 3 by miss-jo from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, July 03, 2008

I hope to pass this on to frangipani08 this weekend 

Journal Entry 4 by frangipani08 from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Friday, July 04, 2008

Received from miss-Jo at the Brisbane convention. 

Journal Entry 5 by frangipani08 from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Friday, August 29, 2008

I enjoyed this book a lot. The characters were diverse and well fleshed out. My only complaint is that I was left wondering what happened to Esther and Karsten afterwards. However this is praise in itself as it means I engaged with the characters. I will check FreePages address and have it in the mail shortly. 

Journal Entry 6 by frangipani08 from Brisbane, Queensland Australia on Saturday, September 13, 2008

Mailed to FreePages today.
 

Journal Entry 7 by FreePages from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Friday, September 19, 2008

The Welsh Girl has arrived in Canberra, thanks Frangipani08. I've been looking forward to seeing her, although she is going to have to sit with company on Mount TBR for a while. Does look like a book that will flow quite easily, so once I can get to her it might not take me to long to pass on. Note to self, read more! 

Journal Entry 8 by FreePages from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, November 23, 2008

What an enjoyable book. Another of the 2007 Bookers that I have really liked. Beautifully written, I love how Davies writes about and explores concepts like surrender, escape, running away from something, staying put.
Also, another great plot amongst the bookers long-list, with many characters that I felt great sympathy for.
I love the Welsh setting and knowing history of the Welsh dislike for the English, it was a fabulous tale.
The English (Anglo-Saxons) invaded Britain way back somewhere around the 10th century, and drove the Britains into Wales and kept on keeping them down. Yes, it goes back at least that far. Guess where some of the Anglo-Saxons were from - parts of where we now know as Germany! So you could loosely say the English are partly descended from Germans. Anyway that is my little bit of potted history :-)
So this world war II setting where the Welsh are helping the English fight against the Germans, taking in English evacuees, having German POW camps in their midst is just poetic, if you have a sense of history :-)
Such a better book than "The Gathering", which is what I've felt about many others on the list, sign.

In the post to Jubby tomorrow with "The Enchantress of Florence" from the 2008 long-list :-)

 

Journal Entry 9 by jubby from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Received the post today. Thank you. 

Journal Entry 10 by jubby from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Rushing.

Comments to come.

Added 11/1/09:

After reading your journal entry Livrecache I got talking with my husband. He also read the book while it was in my possession.
I put it to him that Rotheram (spelling) was just like the Welsh sheep.
"Thanks! You're saying that Jews are sheep?" he asked.
Well, no that is not what I meant. But rather like the sheep the maternal link with place and culture is passed on, and for Rotheram his mother being Canadian and not Jewish meant that later in life the two descriptors that were used to describe (and define?) him 'German' and 'Jewish' Rotheram didn't identify with.
He'd lost his sense of home.

What's incredible is that I read this book a few weeks ago, but I was still thinking about this story this morning while laying in bed.

The Welsh being a invaded and conquered lot were at the mercy of the English with their language being banned at school,the schools teaching their own version of history and the next generation of children becoming further and further removed from their own history, leading to distorted and misconstrued politics and opinions.

But, like the Welsh the Germans were being forced to re-think their politics and trust in their 'Fatherland'.

Are we a product of geography, climate and place? Can we really identify with an actual place? Or is all a constructed and taught?
I liked Esther's thoughts when pondering her father's nationalist pride (and if I had the book in front of me I would give you a page number here).

Karsten's character was incredibly well constructed too. A young man finding himself, and his place in the world. And becoming a man - just like poor old Rhys.

So many big themes and deftly handled by Ho Davies.

Just thinking back over the story, plot and characters, in the opening chapters I was intrigued by Hess and the role his character would play in the story. I felt let down when the author didn't hand me (the reader) a reason for Hess' behaviour. I understand that he was one of the enigmatic characters of WWII, and many books and papers have been published debating Hess fleeing Germany. But, I really wanted Ho Davies to tell me. While the husband wanted more interaction between Rotheram and Hess.

A beautifully crafted and written book, which I would have been pleased to see win the Booker Prize. Hubby says the book couldn't have won because it is far too conventional. Well, that is his opinion.

Thank you for sharing this book with us Fleebo, and everyone else here for sharing their thoughts.
I think this book would make a great read for a reading group. 

Journal Entry 11 by jubby at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Released 3 yrs ago (1/6/2009 UTC) at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Posting on to Livrecache. 

Journal Entry 12 by livrecache from Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Friday, January 09, 2009

Received safely today thanks. I look forward to reading it. 

Journal Entry 13 by livrecache from Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Saturday, January 10, 2009

I've read this book over the weekend, which must show that I was absorbed by it.

I liked the themes of identity, belonging and alienation. The author describes the ways in which war ruptures the relationship between a human being and the place (or country) that is called home. Some forms of belonging are obvious as the novel begins to weave its strands. The sheep on the Welsh hills know their territory and don't stray from it. This sense of belonging - cynefin - is passed on down the female line, from the ewes to the ewe-lambs, because the ram lambs are sent for slaughter. If the herd loses contact with its territory, it cannot thrive. This metaphor is used consistently throughout the book. I thought the characterisation well done, and the plot skilfully crafted. It was interesting to have a 'real' character about their has been much speculation placed in the book.

I probably need to think a bit more about the book before commenting. There's an awful lot that could be said about it. I'd be interested in your thoughts, Jubby, when you have time.

I'll send the the book to DrCris this week. Thanks Fleebo, for sharing.
 

Journal Entry 14 by livrecache at Caulfield, Victoria Australia on Thursday, January 15, 2009

Released 3 yrs ago (1/15/2009 UTC) at Caulfield, Victoria Australia

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Book ring on its way in good company. 

Journal Entry 15 by DrCris from Templestowe, Victoria Australia on Monday, January 19, 2009

This one is a bit of a surprise. It missed getting on my list of pending bookrings. It is a pleasant surprise, given the excellent reviews so far. I will add it to the pile of Booker and Miles Franklin nominees I have waiting on TBR! 

Journal Entry 16 by DrCris from Templestowe, Victoria Australia on Monday, April 06, 2009

I started reading this against my instincts and got quite caught up in it. But then I floundered again, once we reached Wales. Gonna keep it moving again, as I am not likely to pick it up again. 

Journal Entry 17 by DrCris from Templestowe, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, April 28, 2009

I didn't manage to finish this, so I am finally sending it on its way. 

Journal Entry 18 by star-light from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Thursday, April 30, 2009

Arrived today. I'm not really in the mood for reading right now (shock horror!) but I'll try and psych myself up. Give me a hurry up if I'm taking too long. 

Journal Entry 19 by star-light from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Monday, June 01, 2009

I read this book when I was preoccupied with other things and I think that hampered my enjoyment of it. It's a shame since by glancing at the other journal entries I can see that others thought very highly of this book. However I did like the book and enjoyed reading a World War II story from a perspective I haven't seen before. It made me realise I know nothing about Welsh history. Actually reading all these Booker books has made me realise how little I know about history in general. I am learning more history through fiction than I ever did at school.

Posted to goodthinkingmax today. Sorry about the delay. 

Journal Entry 20 by goodthinkingmax from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Received today. Joins the queue of 5 bookrings but should be able to start reading in the next couple of weeks. 

Journal Entry 21 by goodthinkingmax from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, July 04, 2009

I already know this will be a lazy Journal Entry. I'm not going to attempt such an in depth analysis as some of my fellow readers here! It's a sleepy Sunday morning and I'm sure I can scarcely string a sentence together.

I read this in bits and pieces over the last few weeks so wasn't especially absorbed by it and glad it didn't win. The Welsh angle of the war was intriguing and I was pleased to just read the Journal Entries here and be given a little more Welsh history. Like others here, I looked forward to Karsten's character but I found that the Rotheram/Hess relationship was built up but then seem neglected later in the book.

Catching up for lunch with tqd soon and will pass it on. 

Journal Entry 22 by tqd from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, August 08, 2009

Ack! I got this positively weeks ago from goodthinkingmax, and only just realised I hadn't made a journal entry as yet! My apologies.

This book is currently resting on top of a (serious reduced) Mt TBR, and I hope I shall get to it soon. 

Journal Entry 23 by tqd from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Monday, January 11, 2010

I do have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and knocked it off in pretty much a weekend (plus a day either end). I can see why it didn't make the shortlist for the Booker - it was nothing exceptional writing or plot-wise - but I was mightily entertained, and turned the pages very happily, soaking up the story.

It was good seeing World War 2 from a different point of view - German POWs and the Welsh (who have to have the POWs in their country). A nice change from The Blitz or an American viewpoint. I got the feeling that it was very well researched as well, it had that ring of verisimilitude to the details.

I did get some of the minor male characters a bit muddled, I don't think they were always well enough differentiated. (Or I was just terminally vague while reading it.) And the overall plot did seem rather familiar, even given its unusual setting. But I did enjoy myself while reading it, which isn't something one can always say about a Booker book.

I've sent a PM to lakelady2282 to see if she's still interested (she seems to have been skipped before). If not, I'll get this back to Fleebo asap. Thanks Fleebo for the great read!

UPDATE 12 JAN 2010: lakelady2282 has already read this, so back to Fleebo it goes! 

Journal Entry 24 by tqd at Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Monday, January 11, 2010

Released 2 yrs ago (1/12/2010 UTC) at Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia

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Returning to Fleebo tonight at bookdrinks. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 25 by Fleebo from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Welsh Girl has returned home. Looks like I never even labelled the poor child properly. Thank you to everyone who participated in the bookring!