Journal Entry 1 by Zmrzlina from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Monday, March 31, 2003

Uncorrected advance reader. I will be sending this out on a book circle before reading it myself. Listing participants as they come in, but order may change to save shipping time.

cestmoi in Canada.
stephc in USA.
minerswifebb in Canada.
SpikesMom in USA.
RealBookWorm in Canada.
moonglow18 in USA.
txcajun in USA.
palomaranch in USA.
Please note change of list here!
JDT in USA.
ADD Seferim in USA to the list.
ADD orchidfancier in USA to the list.
ADD amymehta in USA to the list.

Then back to me :-)

List is closed...promised to bookmaniac70.  

Journal Entry 2 by cestmoi from Hamilton, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, April 09, 2003

Just received this morning. I'll start reading it today and get it off as soon as I can to stephc. I'll journal my thoughts once I've read it.
Thanks for sharing and organising this bookring.
 

Journal Entry 3 by cestmoi from Hamilton, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, April 09, 2003

I'm about a quarter of the way thru...I have to say that the first chapter was very disjointed - I couldn't make head nor tails of it as I was reading it...when the chapter was complete it kind of all fit together like a jigsaw and make sense. Now I'm into the "present" part of the story it is flowing much better and more like a novel.

I'll journal again! 

Journal Entry 4 by Zmrzlina from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, April 09, 2003

HUGE hugs to cestmoi for the "as I read" journal entry! I love to get this kind of entry because it is a little bit like being with the person reading the book. Thank you! 

Journal Entry 5 by cestmoi from Hamilton, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, April 09, 2003

Ok 3/4 of the way thru and I can't put it down, I've done nothing but read this for hours!! The story is fascinating, the history of France, the religious wars, the life in the French countryside, the life in Switzerland - the lives of the children as they grow up- the prejudices of the late 16th century...all of it is so interesting and captivating. Along with that is Ella's journey to find herself while she looks for her family's history makes the whole story so authentic and real. There are times I want to shake Ella to stop her from doing something I know she will regret, and times I cry with Isabelle for all she's lost.

(I've already pm'ed stephc for her addy so this can go out tomorrow..and thanks for the kind words Zmrzlina about the journal entry - I should have one more entry to post as I finish this tonight or tomorrow some time.) 

Journal Entry 6 by cestmoi from Hamilton, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, April 09, 2003

Ok done. What a great, wonderful, moving, eerie story of history and a woman's search to find herself. I won't give away the ending but I think its important to recognize that Ella didn't even know what she was looking for until she went to France and felt so out of place because of her American-ness. What she finds makes her life whole.

I loved so much about this book, the history, the little bit of mystery, the little bit of romance, the relationships in the family. I loved how Ella could just call a European relative she'd never met and them take her in - no questions asked - no inconveniences....this is something I don't find in my husband's "north american" family the way I see it in my own European background - thats not a slam - just an observation!!!

Thanks so much for sharing this with us Zmrzlina. I have Girl With A Pearl Earring, kicking about here somewhere and I think I'm going to bump it way way up in my TBR list since reading this novel by the same author. 

Journal Entry 7 by stephc from Gilroy, California USA on Saturday, April 26, 2003

I just received this today from cestmoi. I will probably start it tonight. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 8 by stephc from Gilroy, California USA on Monday, April 28, 2003

I agree wholeheartedly with cestmoi that this is a wonderful book. All of the things she loved about it I loved just as much. I especially loved the historical character, Isabelle, and felt so much pain for her life and what she has to go through. The modern, American character, Ella, I didn't find to be as sympathetic. I just couldn't relate to her as well as I did to Isabelle. Maybe it's because I love historical novels so much, but I kind of felt like a lot of the Ella story was unnecessary. But then I guess it would have been a different book, and like I said before, I did love this book. It was entirely engrossing from start to finish, a total page-turner. I have read Tracy Chevalier's other books, and loved them too, and was so glad that she put out another wonderful story.


I have already pm'd minerswifebb for her address, and will be putting it in the mail to her tomorrow.


Thanks again, Zmrzlina, for doing this book-ring. Otherwise, we would have had to wait to read this till it comes out in July!  

Journal Entry 9 by minerswifebb from Golden Prairie, Saskatchewan Canada on Monday, May 05, 2003

Received the book today Monday May 5th. Looking forward to reading this. And I have adjusted the list inside the book as zmrzlina's post indicated. Thanks for this bookring Zmrzlina! 

Journal Entry 10 by minerswifebb from Golden Prairie, Saskatchewan Canada on Wednesday, May 07, 2003

I just finished this book and I enjoyed it for pretty much the same reasons already stated here by cestmoi and stephc. One branch of my mother's family were Huegenots in France before they moved to Holland then on to Canada.So I found that part of the story very interesting. And as blue is my favorite colour I loved the descriptions of how the painters mixed their blues in the book. And this quote from Goethe's Theory of Colour is facinating.

'As yellow is always accompanied with light' so it may be said that blue still brings a principle of darkness with it.This colour has a peculiar and almost indescribable effect on the eye. As a hue it is powerful, but it is on the negative side, and in it's highest purity is, as it were, a stimulating negation. Its appearance, then,is a kind of contradiction between excitement and repose.'
I have emailed SpikesMom for her address and will mail as soon as I receive it.
Many thanks to Zmrzlina for making this book available. It is very neat to read books before they are actually published! love it.
Mailed to SpikesMom on Thursday May 8. 

Journal Entry 11 by WestofMars from Mars, Pennsylvania USA on Friday, May 16, 2003

Just received in the mail today. Am going to take it on the plane with me next week and will read it then. Can't wait!

Uh-huh. It's Saturday now, not worth a new journal entry, and I'm oh... 70 pages in.

So much for saving this for the trip! 

Journal Entry 12 by WestofMars from Mars, Pennsylvania USA on Sunday, May 18, 2003

Okay, so I read pretty much non-stop (much to the annoyance of my poor husband last night!) and I just finished the book and...

I was actually sort of disappointed in the end. That's because I wanted more of the back story, Isabelle's story. I wanted to know what happened to her; I needed some closure in this story.

I had no problems with the first chapter, as others have mentioned having, but maybe that's because I was prepared for a bit of disjointedness. And I had no problems with Ella -- again, I think I was prepared. I could sort of relate to her, as I often feel like an outsider, but I certainly wouldn't make the decisions she made or do the things she did. Some of what she did in regards to the Tourniers and her quest seemed a bit too easy to accomplish -- her "ownership" of the family name gave her too much leeway for TOTAL believability.

One thing concerns me, though, and that's the trend of writing about famous paintings. It's a great idea, absolutely. But it's becoming a trend, which always weakens the whole idea. The other thing is the need for characters to go back and find their family roots (see "The Ghost of Hannah Mendes," also on my shelf) -- what is this saying about our society today? Hmmmm... Again, though, the trend here concerns me. Not that the authors are doing it as much as the publishers, but that's a whole other discussion for a whole other time.

Overall, this was one of those books that I'll be winking at people and telling them that I already read it; so should they. Not flawless and I think I might have liked "Pearl Earring" better by the same author, but this definitely is not one to miss.

Off to RealBookWorm as soon as I get her address.  

Journal Entry 13 by RealBookWorm on Friday, May 30, 2003

This book was waiting in my mailbox for me today when I got home from a very busy week at work. I was so looking forward to the weekend and this was just the lift I needed!

I'm in the middle of another bookring book but it isn't very big and I should finish it tonight. I'll start reading this one so I can send it right out to moonglow18.
 

Journal Entry 14 by RealBookWorm on Friday, June 06, 2003

Well, it took me one week to read this wonderful little story. It normally would not have taken me so long to read but I'm still monstrously busy at work and have little time at home to read. It's a good thing I'm a fast reader!

I enjoyed the Isabelle parts of the story every bit as much, if not more, than the Ella parts. I think it's because I liked Isabelle better. Ella's story was interesting and well written but I just didn't like her very much. She complained about everyone and everything around her in France but she was a very self absorbed person, not my favourite kind. That didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book, it's just the way I reacted to her personality.

I've already got moonglow18's address and I'll be putting this in the mail to her tomorrow. Thanks again Zmrzlina for your generosity!
 

Journal Entry 15 by RealBookWorm on Saturday, June 07, 2003

The book is now officially on its way. I just came back from putting it in the mail and I sent it airmail so it shouldn't take long.
 

Journal Entry 16 by moonglow18 from Rainsville, Alabama USA on Tuesday, June 24, 2003

Received today and will start it soon. Will journal again after i read it. 

Journal Entry 17 by JDT from Pleasanton, California USA on Saturday, September 20, 2003

Just received this book from txcajun.
And just to prove I may have gotten carried away signing up for bookrings/rays a few months ago, I'm right in the middle of reading... The Virgin Blue - a bookring from CrazyPooka!
I'm finding this book very compelling/interesting.
When I finish I will journal for both books!
Now I'll send this on to Seferim to keep Zmrzlina's book moving.
Thanks to all before me! 

Journal Entry 18 by JDT from Pleasanton, California USA on Tuesday, September 23, 2003

some thoughts after reading this book...

I loved reading this powerful, compelling, disturbing book!
(I did find toward the end that a tendency to analyze esp. Ella's story, some unlikely elements, detracted from the enjoyment, so I let the analysis go.)

The juxtaposition of Isabelle's and Ella's stories was a nice technique. I found Isabelle's story more substantial, tragic, and disturbing - and Ella's more shallow and self-involved.
I thought she treated Rick shabbily - and didn't have a clue about loyalty amid the challenges of life and relationships - (judgment, excuse me)

Elements I really liked:
-religious contrasts - Heugenots and Catholics
- the role of color!
-Marie's hair
- secrets
-family similarites through generations


sent on to seferim, with great appreciation for a great read! 

Journal Entry 19 by Seferim from Columbia, Maryland USA on Monday, October 13, 2003

Journal Entry 20 by orchidfancier from Orange, Connecticut USA on Saturday, November 15, 2003

I received this in the mail today - thanks Seferim. I will read it soon, given it's in a bookring and send it along to amymehta as soon as possible.  

Journal Entry 21 by amymehta from Torrance, California USA on Friday, December 05, 2003

I just received this book from orchidfancier. Thanks for the note.

I loved this book! I had the same level of interest as with her other two books, absolutely loved it, finished it in a day. What a wonderful historical novel! I will write more about this later.

The book will now be sent back to Zmrzlina! Thanks for sending out this wonderful book! It was one of my favorites of the year. I can't wait to read her next book...

Amy 

Journal Entry 22 by Zmrzlina from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, December 17, 2003

Another to come home, and as soon as I have read it (this weekend, I hope) I will be sending it to Romania. Thank you all for participating! 

Journal Entry 23 by bookmaniac70 from София / Sofia, Sofiya Bulgaria on Wednesday, January 28, 2004

Received yesterday together with "Brick Lane" by Monica Ali.I have read "Girl with a Pearl Earing" and liked it very much.I started reading it immediately.Many thanks to Zmrzlina for her kindness to check my wish list and send me those two books!
I guess I shall make a bookray for this one when I`m finished,if there is still an interest. 

Journal Entry 24 by bookmaniac70 from София / Sofia, Sofiya Bulgaria on Monday, February 02, 2004

I finished reading yesterday.It was very interesting for me to read your opinions,before journaling mine here.I enjoy reading a book with a lot of journaliers! For me this is a part of the joy of being a bookcrosser!

My experience with the book is closest to that of Serafim. I loved "Girl with a pearl earing"- it was a brilliant novel.I expected to see the same purity and exactness of style,the same minute attention to the smallest detail. "Girl with a..." was very good with its wholeness.Everything was interconnected.The plot,the relations between characters were confined to two families,two houses,and psychology played a great role.There was something of a theatre play in this- in the best sense of it.

On the contrary,"The Virgin Blue" was a disappointment to me.I was not convinced by any of the emotions,or stories told there.I found the shifting of time and narration far from smooth.In fact,there was no connection between the two,although it should.The characters were unconvincing, I couldn`t really like anyone,except for Isabelle who might have been an interesting one if placed in a better story.Ella was a mess,and I was left with the impression that even after finding the truth about her past and separating from her husband,she didn`t find herself.I didn`t understand why should she have bad dreams while trying to get pregnant.Nor I understood what different did she find in Jean-Paul.He seemed to me like some dark subject.The Tournier family (Jacob and Susanne)were showed as very insignificant.The story of the old Tournier family (Etienne,Isabelle and etc) remained obscure to me.The fate of Isabelle should have been developed more.
I liked the first part of the book when Ella was having difficulties communicating with the people from the town.This sounded true to me.
There were some good ideas in the book which should have been exploited in a better was:

the idea of the virgin blue
the love for Virgin Mary and the persecutions of hougenots
the color of the hair

I don`t know what to do next with the book.Maybe I will offer it as RABCK,or send to somebody who has it in her/his wish list.

 

Journal Entry 25 by bookmaniac70 at on Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Released on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 at RABCK through mail in Sofia, n/a Controlled Releases.

Sent to Wandecca.This item was on her wish list. 

Journal Entry 26 by Wandeca from Kitchener, Ontario Canada on Thursday, February 19, 2004

Thank you bookmaniac70 for the RABCK. The book has arrived safe and sound in Kitchener. I've noticed that the book has traveled quite a bit. I've added the book to my TBR.