Fred and Edie

by Jill Dawson | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0340751673 Global Overview for this book
Registered by nikiem on 6/12/2008
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
8 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by nikiem on Thursday, June 12, 2008
I have registered this on Bookcrossing as per Fushmush's profile on Bookmooch !

Journal Entry 2 by fushmush from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Monday, June 23, 2008
Thanks for sharing Nikiem. Will add it to my TBR pile :D

In the winter of 1922 Edith Waters and her younger lover, Freddy Bywaters, were found guilty of murdering Percy Waters, Edith's boorish husband. The case caused a sensation, a crime of passion that gripped the nation's imagination and became the raw material for Jill Dawson's sensual and captivating novel Fred and Edie, a fictional account of the lovers' romance and their subsequent trial, predominantly told through Edie's imaginary letters addressed to her lover, "Darlint Freddie". This is a remarkable novel, that brilliantly evokes the suburban world of 1920s London (T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land, published the same year as the trial, runs like a leitmotif throughout the novel). Edie, viewed from the public gallery as "silly, vain" is a superb literary creation--sensual, intelligent, articulate and liberated, bitterly denouncing in her letters to Freddy a world that denies "that our love might be a real love, on a par with other great loves. That just because you are from Norwood and work as a ship's laundry man and I grew up in Stamford Hill and read a certain kind of novel, we are not capable of true emotions, of having feelings and experiences that matter".

Dawson's novel gradually reveals that Edie's "crime" is actually her articulate, contradictory and assertive femininity. "I am not all sweetness and light" she insists, but it is her independent behaviour that ultimately stands trial, as Freddy becomes an increasingly enigmatic and questionable figure on the margins of the novel. Elegantly written and carefully researched, Fred and Edie is as passionate and assured as the tragic heroine it portrays.
-- Amazon

Bookray:
Soulbalm (UK, UK preferred)
Mazzlestar (UK, UK preferred, Europe only)
Frenchnicola (UK, International)
ajsmom (Canada)
debnance (USA, USA only)
bug2004 (USA, USA only)
JenKazoo (USA, USA only)
Please wild release or give to another bookcrosser.

Journal Entry 3 by fushmush from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, December 2, 2008
A beautifully written novel. I think this is going to be my favourite read of this year.

I really sympathised with Edie. Married to a horrible man in a time when he had all the power. She was an intelligent women and held a job with a lot of responsibility and yet there she was still making his porridge every morning before he went to work. Although intelligent and responsible, she wasn’t allowed to make decisions regarding her own life.

Dawson does a great job of questioning whether justice was really served. The jury were only given extracts of Edie’s letters as some subjects (such as orgasm and menstruation) were not deemed suitable for public consumption. Dawson easily explains away incriminating evidence in the letters about poison and ground up glass. In context these have nothing to do with a plan to murder Percy.

I so wanted it to end differently. Poor Edie.

Journal Entry 4 by shewolffe from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, December 18, 2008
Received in the post the other day, but I've had internet problems at home, so only just managed to register it. Looking forward to reading it next.

I finished reading this at the weekend. What a remarkable book.

Dawson has created a voice for Edie, a vibrant, intelligent, lively woman living in the 1920s with few options. She has a good job, but is completely bullied by her husband. And if domestic violence is a silent killer in the early 21st century, just imagine how 'unspoken' it was nearly 100 years ago. Through Edie's letters and memories we start to piece together her life and what led to the murder of her husband by her lover. But do we think she was also guilty? I leave it to future readers to decide for themselves.

While reading this, I couldn't help thinking it would make an incredible play (or possibly a film, but there is something about the enclosed-ness of the prison cell that would make for an interesting event at the theatre).

Journal Entry 5 by shewolffe from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, January 12, 2009
Finished at the weekend, so will pack it up and send it off to mazzlestar this week.

A great book - thanks for sharing fushmush!

Journal Entry 6 by mazzlestar from Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 21, 2009
This is with me now, I'll get round to it sometime soon, hopefully! Looking forward to this one :)

Journal Entry 7 by mazzlestar from Leeds, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, April 29, 2009
I really enjoyed this book, and I'm so sorry I've had it so long! PMing the next participant now, hopefully will have it sent out by friday.

Journal Entry 8 by Frenchnicola from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Thursday, July 16, 2009
Received safely, thanks! I had forgotten about this book - so it was a lovely surprise, and am looking forward to reading it :-)

Journal Entry 9 by Frenchnicola from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Interesting read, which I became more involved in as the story unfolded. The writing style was not the easiest, but it was clearly in keeping with the few genuine letters that survived. There was a telling moment when Edie described really seeing Fred for the first time - that was when I felt the emotion of the story properly.

Thanks for sharing - I have ajsmom's address so it will be in the post today.

Journal Entry 10 by ajsmom from Quesnel, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Received today, thank you!

Journal Entry 11 by ajsmom from Quesnel, British Columbia Canada on Saturday, August 15, 2009
I just finished the novel tonight and pretty much agree with what others have said about Edie's circumstances. I will try and make a mental note in 2022 to find out what the unsealed records have to say about the trial! I will be passing this along as soon as I have an address for debnance.

Journal Entry 12 by ajsmom at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, August 17, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (8/17/2009 UTC) at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On my way to the post office now...this book is travelling to debnance in Texas!

Journal Entry 13 by debnance from Alvin, Texas USA on Monday, August 24, 2009
Fred & Edie arrived today. I'll start it tonight.

Journal Entry 14 by debnance from Alvin, Texas USA on Sunday, August 30, 2009
This came in the mail last week, a BookCrossing bookring. I didn’t like it at first. Fred and Edie, I learned, are murderers. They fell in love with each other and Edie’s husband was in the way. The two teamed up to kill him and be free to be together. Of course, it did not work out as they had planned and both Fred and Edie ended up in jail for murder.

Fred and Edie is based on a true story. Edie wrote letters to Fred and the trials of the two were heavily publicized; the author used these to create this book.

The book is written mostly as letters Edie wrote to Fred, with a few newspaper articles interspersed in the story. Most of the letters are the author’s invention, but a few are actual letters written by Edie and all the newspaper articles are genuine.

I liked the book more as I read along. Edie and Fred were not glorified in the book, nor condemned, but, instead, were revealed to be real human beings, doing things that were both good and bad.


Journal Entry 15 by Bug2004 from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Friday, September 11, 2009
Arrived safely. :)

Journal Entry 16 by Bug2004 at Omaha, Nebraska USA on Thursday, June 3, 2010
A good one. For some reason, it was a little slow for me at the start, but ended up enjoying it. So sorry for keeping this way too long.

Due to a new baby, JenKazoo has asked to be skipped, so I will contact a fellow bookcrosser to see if she is interested, otherwise I will attempt to continue a more formal ray.

Thanks for sharing! :)

Journal Entry 17 by Bug2004 at Omaha, Nebraska USA on Thursday, June 3, 2010
JenKazoo does want it...so, mailed off today!!

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.