A Traveller in Time

by Alison Uttley | Children's Books |
ISBN: 0441822134 Global Overview for this book
Registered by estherase on 4/3/2003
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This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!
8 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by estherase on Thursday, April 3, 2003
As an over-imaginative child this book was a godsend. As an adult who has recently re-bought it in a fit of nostalgia it is still charming.

Journal Entry 2 by pennina from Brighton & Hove, East Sussex United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 20, 2004
This arrived this morning from esterase with two surprise books. I'm looking forward to reading this very much and thanks to esterase who lent it to a group of us to share in a small bookring.

Journal Entry 3 by pennina from Brighton & Hove, East Sussex United Kingdom on Thursday, July 22, 2004
This book was kindly lent to a group of bookcrosers by estherase. This is the second time I have tried to register the catch. I was surprised that, when I looked for it on my bookshelf, it wasn't there. Nor were the other 2 books sent with it. I don't know why this happened.

Journal Entry 4 by pennina from Brighton & Hove, East Sussex United Kingdom on Thursday, July 22, 2004
I've had this book for a few days. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would have loved it as a child too. A mixture of history and fiction it is an entirely charming tale of a little girl who flits between the time of Queen Elizabeth 1 and Victorian England. It came with 2 other books, one of which I read and laughed so much. This one also didn't register for some reason so it will be up to Antof9 to do this now.

Journal Entry 5 by Antof9 from Lakewood, Colorado USA on Monday, July 26, 2004
Holy cow this got here fast, pennina! What a pleasant surprise! I seriously didn't expect it for a few weeks, so this was truly a treat! I just hope you didn't pay an arm and a leg to get it here so quickly :)

Pennina sent a note along with the books. Her P.S. just made me smile -- "I had to add the piece of envelope from the one the book came to me in. It really made me laugh and summed up BookCrossing very well -- or the trials & tribulations of it perhaps!" It's the funniest. A cut-out part of an envelope that says "See -- told you I was going to the post office!" LOL Thanks for the chuckle :)

I need to finish another book to pass on to BlueAmazon when she drives through Colorado this weekend on her way to California. I also need to write in this journal and get it out the door, but I don't think this will take too long to get through :)

Estherase -- thanks again for letting us recruit you into a ring you didn't start or suggest :) This looks like a real treat to read.

Journal Entry 6 by Antof9 from Lakewood, Colorado USA on Saturday, July 31, 2004
Just finished reading this charming book while sitting in the sun on our back deck! I've PMd nekki2976 for her addy and will try to write my review tonight. For now, I need to dye my roots!

Here is the link to the ring, in case anyone forgets the order.

Journal Entry 7 by Antof9 from Lakewood, Colorado USA on Monday, August 2, 2004
The review: this book was a little heavier than I expected. Or maybe for a little older audience than I pictured; not sure! But it was definitely enjoyable. The writing style was a little hard to get into in short spurts. I began it multiple times when I only had 10 or 20 minutes. Each time, I couldn't get engrossed. When I finally sat down for a long period of time, I finished it in two sittings. For some reason, I felt as if I needed the time-travelling part explained to me. Maybe because this wasn't as fanciful as something lighter (and younger) like The Borrowers or The Littles. This book took itself much more seriously. So. . . my explanation for the "episodes" is that she was a sickly girl, as she says in the book, and these are all dreams or hallucinations while she was sick.

That said, I really liked this book! The style reminded me a little bit of Jane Austen. Not sure if that's because it's an "English" book, or because of the time, or what, but to me it felt very reminiscent of Jane's style. And I love Jane :)

The descriptions in this book are very vivid. It truly is one of those "lose yourself" kinds of books in that while I was reading, I felt cold when Penelope was cold, confused or lost when she was, etc.

Because I continue to read books that have a lover of books in them, I have to quote this section from the beginning: "When I was kept at home through illness I pored over many leather-backed books from my father's shelves, and found my own friends in the pages. I read legends and folk-lore, books of poetry and stories of knights in armour, antique tales which had been forgotten and lay thick with dust under piled-up newpapers and periodicals." Of course this is where her imagination comes from, and I love that!

Here's another part that especially tickled me. In one of her trips back in time, Penelope is being "tested" on her ability to read, and the mistress expects her to read English AND Latin. Mistress Foljambe is pleased with her Biblical knowledge, but they have a funny discussion about spelling: "I remarked on the change of spelling in the same words, and she reasoned with me. 'Spelling is a matter of individuality,' she told me. 'I have my favourite ways of spelling words, and I choose my letters. My sons and daughters each spell as they wish, and surely you do the same?' 'If I make a mistake I am scolded,' said I. She insisted one couldn't make a mistake, for each spelt according to his whim. That was one of the delights of writing, one was free to invent a pretty word, and she was sure I should not be such a dullard as to spell in the same way always. 'Life would lose one of it's pleasures if we were deprived of the power to write as we wish.' . . . This was a new idea for me and I was delighted that I could spell as I pleased and decorate my words as I wished."

I love this! Of course, the first thing I thought of when I read the last line was all the girls who draw little circles or hearts over the letter "i" when they write . . .sometime in about 2nd - 6th grade. Oh, if they only knew a different time!

I found a new word I was going to put in the American/British words for the same things thread, but by the time I got back to the computer, it had been too many days. Anyway, without looking it up, what is "clemmed"? Several times after a long day, someone in the book said, "you look clemmed". I could guess it in context, but wonder if it's still used today and/or if there is a specific use for it :)

Thanks again, Estherase, for sharing this book. Thanks, KlingonLady for helping to track it down, and thanks pennina for organising us!

Now off to nekki2976 for a visit!

Journal Entry 8 by Antof9 from Lakewood, Colorado USA on Wednesday, August 4, 2004
Off to nekki2976 today with this. Thanks again! And check out what I added to the thread on this!

Journal Entry 9 by nekki2976 from Mumford, New York USA on Monday, August 9, 2004
I can't wait to read it. After I finish Lamb (The Gospel According to Biff), I plan to start this. I don't think it'll take me too long. I also think it'll be good for getting me into a middle-school state of mind since that's what I'm teaching this coming year.

Journal Entry 10 by nekki2976 from Mumford, New York USA on Thursday, August 19, 2004
I just finished reading this yesterday (I had computer issues when trying to post this journal entry yesterday). It was much harder for me to get into than I'd expected.

When I was done, I wanted more. More what? I'm not exactly sure. I enjoyed the premise, but I wanted to know more about Penelope's experiences. I wanted more of what people in current times knew as well about Penelope's adventures (for example, Aunt Tissie seemed to know something).

I did enjoy the storyline though, mostly because I recently finished a biography about Queen Elizabeth, and that book went into the issues with Mary.

Thanks for sharing!

Journal Entry 11 by nekki2976 from Mumford, New York USA on Friday, August 20, 2004
Going out to Deenbat in Priority Envelope, so it should be there soon.

Journal Entry 12 by deenbat from Carlisle, Pennsylvania USA on Monday, August 23, 2004
received today as next link in book ring (with thanks to all organizers) - and was very surprised, because I had managed to forget yet again that I was on the list... am looking forward to this, and will try to get it moving again as quickly as possible!

Journal Entry 13 by deenbat from Carlisle, Pennsylvania USA on Sunday, September 5, 2004
This was an interesting book. I'm glad I didn't read it as a child -I found it somewhat dark, and the sophistication of some of the concepts would have been unhealthy for me, I think. Not that I wouldn't have understood them, but would have been too drawn to them. As an adult, however, I found this enjoyable, although I agree with nekki's comments about wanting a bit more of Penelope's adventures - I thought it was perhaps Uncle Barnabas who knew more than he said. His & Aunt Tissie's entire lack of understanding of the passage of time & history seemed a bit odd...
I found the Elizabethan theory that spelling was a matter of individuality particularly endearing, and think I will adopt that atitude whenever anyone calls me on my lousy spelling.
I have no idea who gets this next, but will figure it out and get it on its way pronto, I promise. Much thanks to estherase for letting us enjoy this little treasure...

Journal Entry 14 by deenbat from Carlisle, Pennsylvania USA on Tuesday, September 7, 2004
being mailed to abs on 9/8/04

Journal Entry 15 by abs from Seattle, Washington USA on Monday, September 20, 2004
Received in the mail today. Thanks!

Journal Entry 16 by abs from Seattle, Washington USA on Friday, September 24, 2004
This book came at a perfect time- I've recently come down with a cold, and all I want to do is curl up in bed with a children's book. Of course, I've read all my favorites a million times, and i still love them, but it was very nice to have a new one to read. I love children's lit.
I did think that Penelope's adventures could have been a bit deeper. I wish she could have spent more time in the past. Also, the matchmaker in me wanted Francis to be able to come to the future to live.
Thank you, Estherase for lending the book out- and also sending the other "surprise" books. The little copy of Lysistrata is cute in its size. My copy is normal size- but I wish it were that small. I've always loved books that could fit in one's pocket, ever since one of my favorite characters read Emerson from a "pocket copy"- it was Mac in Rose In Bloom by Louisa May Alcott.

By the way, I recommend _8 Cousins or Aunt Hill_ and _Rose in Bloom_ if any of you haven't read them yet. That's like being in your own time travel.

I've sent a pm to maupi requesting her address. Her profile notes that she is in the middle of a move right now and that she is a bit slow on replying to pm's presently. She does say that she will be responding soon.


Journal Entry 17 by rem_HHX-328595 on Monday, December 27, 2004
Ah, I've had this for a while and completely forgot to report it here. My apologies!
That's the good news. The bad news is, I have to repeat this kind of journal entry for another book, how embarrassing.

Journal Entry 18 by rem_HHX-328595 on Monday, January 17, 2005
Read it and enjoyed it, but I do believe I would have enjoyed it more had I read it as a child. The crossover from one world into the other, I really loved those books (Narnia for one, Wizard of Oz of course, Alice, and many many more).
I appreciated the nice touch of sending a history book about England along. More about that one here.
Thanks all for ringing and forwarding etc. The book is already on its way to KlingonLady who actually initiated this ring with her search for the book, wasn't it?

Journal Entry 19 by KlingonLady from Dortmund, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Yay, here it is! With my husband being on a business trip, today was a perfect time for the book to arrive. I'm really looking forward to reading it in bed tonight. Thank you, estherase, thank you, maupi! :-)

Journal Entry 20 by KlingonLady from Dortmund, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Tuesday, May 31, 2005
I really enjoyed the story, although it wasn't quite the book I had been looking for in my initial post. It was fun to read, though, since time-travelling is still one of my favourite themes in literature.

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