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The Summer Book
by Tove Jansson, Esther Freud | Literature & Fiction
Registered by seethroughfaith of Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Average 7 star rating by BookCrossing Members 

status (set by madpocky): to be read


14 journalers for this copy...

Journal Entry 1 by seethroughfaith from Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Wednesday, July 23, 2008

This book has not been rated.

The Observer, PAPERBACK OF THE WEEK, 15 June 2003
"Few books since Robinson Crusoe have evoked the joys of island living so powerfully as this Finnish novella.


I usually buy books secondhand if I can and this one is no exception. I have set a limit of 2€ /£2 when in the UK a book (unless it is something I have really been looking for, or an author that I am mad about!) and have found charity shops and fleamarkets to be a great sources of paperbacks in English - even here in Turku, Finland. This one cost me £2.50 (so above my usual limit) but I paid it willingly - as Tove Jansson is a Finnish writer, this book is set in Finland

I plan to release this next year to one of the tall ships when they come to Turku 23-26 July 2009 so that they can continue to taste "summer" in Finland after they sail off.

Tall Ships' Race 2009 

Journal Entry 2 by seethroughfaith from Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Monday, November 24, 2008

This book has not been rated.

This is such a beautiful 'sort of' book.


I really loved reading it. I think a better time of year to read it would be just before Summer, when the anticipation of leisurely weeks on the Finnish (or Swedish) archipelago is at its highest.

This is a work in translation from the Swedish. It's very well done, with beautiful vocabularly and expressions woven in. I did wonder though at the use of the word "cod" as I don't think these swim around in the gulf of Finland -so I did wonder if part of the scenes belong on the archipelago of Gothenberg ... which is not on the gulf of Finland but the North Sea. Nothing much else fitted though. There were no tides to contend with and the scenery is quite different.

There's a beautiful picture of Tove Jansson on the inside back cover. She looks so happy. Surely these stories are -in part - glimpses into her own life.


I had originally planned to give it to one of the boats at the tall ships race in Turku but then noticed it was on a fellow BCer's HGG wish list... 

Journal Entry 3 by seethroughfaith at Lappeenranta, Etelä-Karjala Finland on Tuesday, November 25, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Released 4 yrs ago (12/24/2008 UTC) at Lappeenranta, Etelä-Karjala Finland

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Hauskaa joulua!

(HGG from your wish list - I hope you enjoy this lovely little book!) 

Journal Entry 4 by Pellu from St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg (Federal City) Russia on Saturday, December 20, 2008

This book has not been rated.

Thank you seethroughfaith! I really liked Moomin books when I read the few years ago and it's great to get to read something that Tove Jansson has written for adults. Maybe I'll save reading this book until summer. It seems like a book I would enjoy most when laying on the grass or beach in the sun. 

Journal Entry 5 by Pellu from St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg (Federal City) Russia on Sunday, May 23, 2010

9 out of 10

I really liked this book. It was very peaceful without being boring. Wise and funny are very good words to describe this book. My favourite chapter was “Of Angleworms and Others”. It was silly and funny and full of deeper meanings.

The way the grandmother treated Sophia was very respectful. The grandmother took always Sophia’s problems very seriously even though for reader they didn’t always seem so serious. Both of the main characters didn’t get the same respect from the other people in the book. In the view on the other people (father, the Crooks, …) Sophia was too young and the grandmother too old to do some things and they needed to be told what to do. 

Journal Entry 6 by Pellu from St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg (Federal City) Russia on Sunday, May 23, 2010

This book has not been rated.

I will start a bookray with this book. The ray is international and it's open until the book reaches the last participant. Usual bookray rules: Journal when it arrives, try to read it and send to next person within a month (Please PM me if you need more time).

Ray order:
glitterbee Germany
MKtiny UK
Sardonyx UK
Atrus Italy
shovelmonkey1 UK

Edited 30.8.2010
I have altered the ray order, because shovelmonkey1 seems to be hard to reach at the moment.
 

Journal Entry 7 by Pellu at Lappeenranta, Etelä-Karjala Finland on Wednesday, May 26, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (5/26/2010 UTC) at Lappeenranta, Etelä-Karjala Finland

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I sent the book to glitterbee today.

Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 8 by glitterbee at Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz Germany on Wednesday, June 09, 2010

This book has not been rated.

The book arrived today. Thank you, Pellu, for organizing this bookray and sending the book.
I will take it to the river and read it outside in the sun :) 

Journal Entry 9 by glitterbee at Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz Germany on Sunday, July 11, 2010

5 out of 10

Well.... The book is well written and I liked the setting. But I couldn't get into the story at all!
I am glad I got a chance to read it though. Thanks for organizing this ray, Pellu!
I send the book on to the next reader, MKtiny, yesterday! 

Journal Entry 10 by glitterbee at Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz Germany on Sunday, July 11, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (7/11/2010 UTC) at Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz Germany

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book is on its way to MKtiny. Hope you'll enjoy it! :) 

Journal Entry 11 by MKtiny at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Friday, August 06, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Arrived this morning - I've wanted to read this book for ages, so it's going to the top of Mount TBR. Thanks :) 

Journal Entry 12 by MKtiny at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Friday, September 03, 2010

9 out of 10

I've wanted to read this book for a while and it didn't disappoint me. It's a simple story, beautifully told; it's no wonder it has become a classic. On it's way now to pinkydinky 

Journal Entry 13 by pinkydinky at Melksham, Wiltshire United Kingdom on Monday, September 06, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Book arrived today. Thank you to Pellu and MKtiny. 

Journal Entry 14 by pinkydinky at Melksham, Wiltshire United Kingdom on Thursday, September 09, 2010

9 out of 10

Loved it. A simple story told in such a beautiful way. I could almost smell the sea and the seaweed. The love between the grandmother and Sophia was not an overt kind of love. The love is bubbling under everything they do with each other.

Sardonyx has asked to be skipped so will PM Shovelmonkey1. 

Journal Entry 15 by pinkydinky at by mail, Another bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, October 13, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (10/13/2010 UTC) at by mail, Another bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On to the next reader today. 

Journal Entry 16 by Atrus at Reggio Emilia, Emilia Romagna Italy on Friday, October 22, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Got it today in the mail :) 

Journal Entry 17 by Atrus at Reggio Emilia, Emilia Romagna Italy on Saturday, November 13, 2010

9 out of 10

I'm lazy so I'll just copypaste my review from Goodreads. ;)
The wonderful story of a small child and her grandmother, living together a long summer on an isolated island, learning to know and adjust to each other. Tove Jansson's style is, at least in this translation, short and to the point, quite matter of fact, and that oddly contributes to make this collection of short vignettes even more poetic in its simplicity.

Waiting for shovelmonkey1's address to send it on. 

Journal Entry 18 by Atrus at Reggio Emilia, Emilia Romagna Italy on Tuesday, November 16, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (11/16/2010 UTC) at Reggio Emilia, Emilia Romagna Italy

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to shovelmonkey! 

Journal Entry 19 by shovelmonkey1 at Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom on Monday, November 22, 2010

This book has not been rated.

This arrived safely at my office today. Thanks for sending this on to me - sorry for being so hard to reach over the summer but I was working abroad in (the mountainous region of the Konya Plain in Turkey) and so had no access to email. I'm currently reading The Shipping News but will try to get to this book asap! 

Journal Entry 20 by shovelmonkey1 at Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom on Saturday, December 04, 2010

This book has not been rated.

This is not the sort of book i'd normally pick up - I think that's part of the joy of the 1001 books challenge - it has introduced me to so many books that I would normally walk straight passed in a book shop. I enjoyed this story and it was quite similar in some ways to The Shipping News by Annie Proulx (the book i read immediately before this one) - stories of island living and a world revolving around the sea and its various moods. More like a series of short stories or rememberings than a novel, but that is part of the appeal. Sadly no guest appearances from any moomin trolls.

This book is now waiting for more people to sign up to the bookray before it heads off on its travels.

The reading order is as follows:
Shovelmonkey1 - HOST
Icila - EU/Int
Frutz - EU/Intl
mafarrimond - UK/EU
salvami - EU/Intl
chiboiler - US/Intl
davemurray101 - Aus/Intl
akosikulot -Intl/ Intl
madpocky - Intl/Intl<-------------------THIS BOOK IS NOW TRAVELLING HERE!
petchmo - UK/?

 

Journal Entry 21 by shovelmonkey1 at Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom on Thursday, December 09, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (12/9/2010 UTC) at Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

This book is on a ray-it-forward mission. It's now on its way to France. 

Journal Entry 22 by wingIcilawing at Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Thursday, December 16, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Thanks a lot shovelmonkey for the book and for the so nice card !
I'm in a hurry now to be ready to leave and I have to rule out any reading for the time being (difficult).

Merry Christmas to all of you ! 

Journal Entry 23 by wingIcilawing at Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Wednesday, March 16, 2011

This book has not been rated.

I'm sorry, I gave it a try and couldn't get through.
I should have pass it sooner.
Thanks anyway for sharing. 

Journal Entry 24 by wingIcilawing at La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Pays de la Loire France on Friday, March 18, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (3/18/2011 UTC) at La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Pays de la Loire France

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to Luxembourg. 

Journal Entry 25 by wingfrutzwing at Beringen, Kanton Mersch Luxembourg on Wednesday, March 23, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Thank you Icila for sending this book and shovelmonkey for hosting this ray! It looks like a quick read and I put it on top of my TBR pile. 

Journal Entry 26 by wingfrutzwing at Beringen, Kanton Mersch Luxembourg on Saturday, April 02, 2011

7 out of 10

I had a bit of trouble to get into the story at the beginning so I read it in small portions but I found the characters, especially the grandmother, very touching and sincere and the setting is beautifully described. Especially nice reading right now, as I'm taking advantage of the first sunny days of spring.

Thanks again shovelmonkey1 for sharing this book. I already have mafarrimond's address, so will send out the book beginning of next week. 

Journal Entry 27 by wingfrutzwing at BOOK RING, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Friday, April 08, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (4/8/2011 UTC) at BOOK RING, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Send out to mafarrimond this morning, sorry I took some time to get to the post office.
Have fun with the book! 

Journal Entry 28 by mafarrimond at Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Thursday, April 14, 2011

This book has not been rated.

The book has arrived safely. Thanks for sharing it. 

Journal Entry 29 by mafarrimond at Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Monday, May 09, 2011

8 out of 10

A delightful book. I loved all the stories about Sophia and her grandmother. I loved the descriptions of the landscape. 

Journal Entry 30 by mafarrimond at Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Sunday, May 15, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (5/16/2011 UTC) at Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posting on to salvami. Hope you enjoy it. 

Journal Entry 31 by salvami at Wexford, Co. Wexford Ireland on Tuesday, May 24, 2011

This book has not been rated.

The Summer Book is here, thank you!

I like her other books very much, so I'm sure I will enjoy this one, too.  

Journal Entry 32 by salvami at Wexford, Co. Wexford Ireland on Thursday, July 21, 2011

7 out of 10

I am sorry I hold this book for long! :(

Maybe I expected a lot from this book..I didn't enjoy it much compared to other 2 books I had chance to read through BC (The True Deceiver and Fair Play).
As the weather has been pretty bad here in Ireland, these lovely stories help me realize it's already summer!

Will send this to chiboiler asap. Again sorry for the delay. 

Journal Entry 33 by salvami at Wexford, Co. Wexford Ireland on Monday, July 25, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 yr ago (7/25/2011 UTC) at Wexford, Co. Wexford Ireland

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sorry again for the delay! Now it's travelling :) 

Journal Entry 34 by ChiBoiler at Chicago, Illinois USA on Wednesday, August 10, 2011

This book has not been rated.

I received two bookrings in 1 day! I will start with the other one first - because it is half the size. Should get to this one soon. Thanks for passing it on.  

Journal Entry 35 by ChiBoiler at Chicago, Illinois USA on Wednesday, August 31, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 yr ago (8/24/2011 UTC) at Chicago, Illinois USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I actually mailed this out a week ago. Hopefully its journey from the US midwest to Australia will be complete soon! 

Journal Entry 36 by davemurray101 at Valentine, New South Wales Australia on Monday, September 05, 2011

This book has not been rated.

picked up in the post today. Should be an interesting read. 

Journal Entry 37 by davemurray101 at Valentine, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, September 06, 2011

This book has not been rated.

An excellent book to read while ill. A very visual novel evoking childhood and closeness to ones relations over summer. Passing on to akosikulot as soon as I get an address.
** Still no response from akosikulot after 11 days, I'm going to skip him/her. 

Journal Entry 38 by davemurray101 at Postal Mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Friday, October 07, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 yr ago (10/7/2011 UTC) at Postal Mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

posted to madpocky in the Philippines. 

Journal Entry 39 by madpocky at Manila, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Philippines on Saturday, October 22, 2011

This book has not been rated.

Picked this up from the post office yesterday. Thanks for sharing! :) 



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