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Embers
by Sandor Marai | Literature & Fiction
Registered by FreePages of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Monday, January 05, 2009
Average 7 star rating by BookCrossing Members 

status (set by Miss-Owl): reserved


16 journalers for this copy...

Journal Entry 1 by FreePages from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Monday, January 05, 2009

8 out of 10

577. On the 1001 must read list.

English translated from Hungarian.

Paperback. 249 pages.



Official blurb
A castle at the foot of the Carpathian mountains in the 1930s. Two men, inseparable in their youth, meet for the first time in forty-one years. They have spent their lives waiting for this moment. Four decades earlier a murky, traumatic event - something to do with a betrayal, and a woman - led to their sudden separation. Now, as their lives draw to a close, the devastating truth about that moment will be revealed. EMBERS is a masterpiece - an unforgettable story of passion, fidelity, truth and deception.


My thoughts
Strangely compeling, seemed to have a momentum of it's own and an old man's wisdom. This copy is the English translation from the Hungarian and I wonder if it is very different in the original language. It was another one of the quicker reads on the list. An easy one to tick off the list. I would also be interested to see what the criteria was for the inclusion of this book.

Read: Jan 5-6, 2008
Will offer it as a bookring fairly soon. 

Journal Entry 2 by FreePages from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Tuesday, January 06, 2009

This book has not been rated.

It's a Bookring. :-)

I list my bookrings at The Bookring Directory!


Order of Participants is not set and subject to change without notice. Only Australian participants at the moment unless someone is willing to ship internationally.


Bookring Guidelines

The Usual Rules Apply

1. When you receive the book make a journal entry so that we all know that it has arrived safely.
2. After you have read the book, journal what you thought of it.
3. Contact the next person after you in the list for their address. Remembering to check who is after you, this may change as new people are added to try to keep the postage costs down.
4. Send the book on.
5. If you are going to keep the book for more than a month contact FreePages or make a journal entry, so I know the ring is not stalled. If you are contacted for your address and you have thousands of bookrings in your TBR pile, instead of holding up the ring or skipping the book, the order may be able to be changed so that you don't miss out. PM Freepages. Keep postage in mind though.
6. Any questions or problems PM Freepages, anytime.
7. Enjoy the ring :-) and please consider leaving a tiny footprint to show it was in your hands mine is a :-) on page 176 or on the last page whichever comes first :-)


Participants

Cat207(Newcastle, NSW)(prefer AUS ship)
DrCris (Templestowe, Vic)(AUS ship)
crimson-tide (Balingup, WA, AUS)
jeniwren (Pambula, NSW, AUS)
bookseekerAT (Sydney, NSW, AUS)
Tinina67 (Gold Coast, Qld, AUS)
lakelady2282 (Lake Macquarie, NSW) (Will ship INT)
Jozebedee (Nantwich, Cheshire United Kingdom)(UK/EU ship)
Caroley (Birmingham, West Midlands, UK)(Will ship INT)
ruzena (Finland)(Will Ship INT) One year of travel!
EmgeeNL (Netherlands)
mafarrimond (Wales) (will ship INT)
kingfan30 (UK)
shovelmonkey1 (UK)
Miss-Owl (Thailand/Sydney, NSW,AUS) (prefer AUS ship)=>Book is here
elddau1 (Bungendore, NSW, AUS)(prefer AUS ship)



Your name can be added here

......

...and back to Freepages (Canberra, AUS) 

Journal Entry 3 by FreePages at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Thursday, January 08, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (1/7/2009 UTC) at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

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The Bookring has started !


Posted to Cat207 today.

Enjoy :-) 

Journal Entry 4 by cat207 from Gladstone, Queensland Australia on Monday, January 12, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Arrived in today's mail. Thank you FreePages. X 

Journal Entry 5 by cat207 from Gladstone, Queensland Australia on Sunday, January 18, 2009

10 out of 10

A beautiful, lyrical soliloquy. Definitely one of the better ones. Thank you FreePages. This goes to DrCris in tomorrow's mail.

BTW - there's a little cat on page 207! 

Journal Entry 6 by DrCris from Templestowe, Victoria Australia on Friday, January 23, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Arrived safely. I have a bookring glut at the moment, so I will be working hard to get his read in a month. I will make another entry when I have started reading. 

Journal Entry 7 by DrCris from Templestowe, Victoria Australia on Wednesday, March 25, 2009

This book has not been rated.

I was liking it a lot. And then the General just kept talking. My interest in the story waned, as I felt it was too one-sided.

I will PM crimson-tide to send this on. 

Journal Entry 8 by DrCris at Via Post, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, March 26, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (3/25/2009 UTC) at Via Post, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

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Sent on its way. Happy travelling! 

Journal Entry 9 by wingcrimson-tidewing from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Thursday, April 02, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Arrived today - thanks.
There are a number ahead of it in the queue, but hopefully it won't be too long before it is travelling again. 

Journal Entry 10 by wingcrimson-tidewing from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Monday, May 04, 2009

7 out of 10

Such a melancholy tale; full of loneliness, longing and regret, not to mention betrayal. I thought it was well constructed in the way the tale unfolds, well written in terms of the language, and the recreation of the atmosphere of the time and place in the Austro-Hungarian Empire was interesting. Overall a worthwhile read in terms of the questions raised, but the General's incredibly long monologue did go on just that bit too long for me and became repetitious.

Off to jeniwren tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 11 by wingcrimson-tidewing at Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Tuesday, May 05, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 3 yrs ago (5/5/2009 UTC) at Balingup, Western Australia Australia

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Sending by mail to jeniwren to continue the ring. 

Journal Entry 12 by jeniwren from Greigs Flat, New South Wales Australia on Monday, May 11, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Arrived in yesterdays post. Thankyou crimson-tide. Glad to find this is only a slim novel and should be able to read and have on its way again soon. More later........ 

Journal Entry 13 by jeniwren from Greigs Flat, New South Wales Australia on Monday, June 08, 2009

7 out of 10

Well I have read this over the long weekend and pleased to be able to cross off another book from the 1001BYMRBYD list. It was a short novel full of lovely prose but there was a tendency for the story to meander at times and the long winded meditations from the viewpoint of the General became tediously repetitious.

I have sent a PM to bookseekerAT and will send on this week. Thanks FreePages for the opportunity to be a part of this ring =) 

Journal Entry 14 by jeniwren at Stanmore, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, June 09, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (6/10/2009 UTC) at Stanmore, New South Wales Australia

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Braved the wind and rain to get to the post office this morning and I have sent this book in controlled release to the next destination and recipient of the ring. 

Journal Entry 15 by bookseekerAT from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, June 11, 2009

This book has not been rated.

This sounds intriguing....but it will have to join the (shortish) queue. Thanks to jeniwren for braving the wind and rain to get this to me, and for the lovely goodies... 

Journal Entry 16 by Tinina67 from Seissan, Midi-Pyrénées France on Wednesday, July 22, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Arrived safe and sound. On top of my TBR stack. 

Journal Entry 17 by Tinina67 from Seissan, Midi-Pyrénées France on Tuesday, July 28, 2009

4 out of 10

Not my type of book - long winding descriptions lulling me to sleep. Sorry, but didn't finish it.

Will send on asap. 

Journal Entry 18 by Tinina67 from Seissan, Midi-Pyrénées France on Friday, July 31, 2009

This book has not been rated.

It is on its way! 

Journal Entry 19 by winglakelady2282wing from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, August 05, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Received safely. Thank you FreePages and Tininia. I have The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets ahead of it but shouldn't be too long as I'm really enjoying that book. 

Journal Entry 20 by winglakelady2282wing from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Friday, August 21, 2009

This book has not been rated.

I am so glad I read this book. It flowed beautifully and the observations on life, betrayal and death were exquisite. Like other readers I did feel the General's monologue was too long but now writing this I've had a sudden thought about the guest but I won't add my speculations here for those who haven't yet read the book. However there is a clue in Cat's journal entry. It makes me look at the book in another light. Will pm the next participant. 

Journal Entry 21 by winglakelady2282wing at by mail, a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, September 13, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (9/13/2009 UTC) at by mail, a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases

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Thanks for sharing! 

Journal Entry 22 by Jozebedee from Nantwich, Cheshire United Kingdom on Thursday, September 24, 2009

This book has not been rated.

Thank you - the book has arrived safely! I will get to it as soon as I can :) 

Journal Entry 23 by Jozebedee from Nantwich, Cheshire United Kingdom on Saturday, January 02, 2010

This book has not been rated.

I enjoyed this sad, yet beautifully written story. However, I also found it very frustrating that such pain and torment can be carried by a person for such a long time. After 41 long years and his final chance of meeting with Konrad, I could not understand why the General spent more time on his monologue, than actually finding out the truth of what had happened from Konrad himself - I know that I would have liked to have known! It was frustrating but also worth understanding what had been in his head after all this time - perhaps he hadn't wanted Konrad to tell him the truth, but just to acknowledge the way that he had been made to feel for such a long time. All the same, I was quite touched by this book, even if at times it felt a little repetitive as has been mentioned in other journal entries.
Thanks Freepages for including me in this bookring, and for your understanding and patience in waiting for me to get through my mountain of TBR's before getting to read this!
I have Caroley's address, and will send in the post to her on Monday. 

Journal Entry 24 by Jozebedee at BOOK RING, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Monday, January 04, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (1/4/2010 UTC) at BOOK RING, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom

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Now in the post! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 

Journal Entry 25 by wingCaroleywing from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Thursday, January 07, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Received today, thanks Jozebedee.

This will be read next after my current book. 

Journal Entry 26 by wingCaroleywing from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Friday, January 08, 2010

This book has not been rated.

I've just read this in one sitting as I was enjoying it so much. It did ramble on a bit in places, I thought, but overall I liked it a lot. I did find the ending a trifle disappointing but I think I can see why it was written that way.

Thanks for sharing it with us Freepages.

I've PMd ruzena for an address and will get the book moving again asap. 

Journal Entry 27 by wingCaroleywing at Birmingham, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 13, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (1/13/2010 UTC) at Birmingham, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted airmail to ruzena 

Journal Entry 28 by ruzena from Vantaa, Uusimaa Finland on Monday, January 18, 2010

This book has not been rated.

The book arrived today. Thank you, Caroley, for the cute card too :) 

Journal Entry 29 by ruzena from Vantaa, Uusimaa Finland on Monday, February 15, 2010

10 out of 10

Transl. by Carol Brown Janeway, 2001. (I think that this is translated into English from the German translation Die Glut. The original is A gyertyák csonkig egnék, 1942.)


That was true belles-lettres, a wonderful piece of work in the good old-fashioned style. I loved it.
I enjoyed the writer’s skilled work as he reconstructed the picture through sparse details, piece by piece, like a puzzle. From the first beginning the atmosphere grows intensive like "high noon", with expectations and little action.
Later there is not much action either. Yet there is the distinct storyline, but it must be left for the new readers.
The great thing is the language, as it appears in honest talk and philosophical thoughts. In addition, there are metaphors in figures of speech (damp, warm "tropics") and scenes (thunder, darkness). The Hungarian title means something like "the burned-out candles". They are there – the two candles and the two men alike.
The narration and monologues present two different worlds to us. One is that of the Empire and loyalty and the military milieu: order, security, manners, wealth; another is that of music and freedom for inner profundity and less prosperity.

The book aroused many thoughts and questions; for instance: why did Konrad return? When finding out the answer I understood that the story had not just an excellent but also the one and only possible end.

Once again I feel grateful to Bookcrossing for reading a fine book. Thank you FreePages! - This author was new to me, and I sought some information on him. It made a good background to understand this novel too.

-ruzena 

Journal Entry 30 by ruzena at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, February 15, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (2/15/2010 UTC) at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Happy reading! 

Journal Entry 31 by EmgeeNL from Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Wednesday, February 17, 2010

10 out of 10

The book arrived safe and sound and is on MTBR for now.

Marvellous!

The best read so far this year. It's hard to tell what makes this book so good especially when you don't want to give too much away of the story. It's the way the story evolves and just sucks you in. It's that there are so many questions that are not asked but are nonetheless answered...
Absolutely one to recommend other readers and deserves to be on the 1001 list. 

Journal Entry 32 by EmgeeNL at Controlled release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Wednesday, April 07, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (4/7/2010 UTC) at Controlled release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book is on it's way to the next reader 

Journal Entry 33 by mafarrimond from Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 20, 2010

This book has not been rated.

The book has arrived safely. I will read as soon as I am able and pass on. Thanks for sharing it with me. 

Journal Entry 34 by mafarrimond from Hawarden, Wales United Kingdom on Thursday, May 06, 2010

9 out of 10

I was really drawn into this little soliloquy. Beautifully written - a really enjoyable read. 

Journal Entry 35 by mafarrimond at UK, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, May 06, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 2 yrs ago (5/6/2010 UTC) at UK, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posting on to kingfan30. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 36 by kingfan30 from Corby Glen, Lincolnshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 12, 2010

6 out of 10

Just as I think I am catching up with my rings/rays another two turn up on the door mat!! Will get to it as soon as I can, thanks for sharing.

3 June 10 - Not sure about this book. I was compelled to read just to find out what the other side of the story is, but was disappointed that you never get it, it was a very one sided story. It almost felt like it was the sort of thing that goes round and round in your head but never say out loud and this is what the General was doing, getting it off his chest. Why live your life like that for 41 years, bit of a waste.

I have the address of shovelmonkey1 so will pop it in the post tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 37 by kingfan30 at Lancaster, Lancashire United Kingdom on Friday, June 04, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 yr ago (6/4/2010 UTC) at Lancaster, Lancashire United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to shovelmonkey1 

Journal Entry 38 by shovelmonkey1 at Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom on Tuesday, June 08, 2010

This book has not been rated.

The third bookring received today - eeek! But don't worry none of them are overly hefty books so hopefully I'll keep them all moving. Thanks for sharing! 

Journal Entry 39 by shovelmonkey1 at Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom on Saturday, June 12, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Started reading this book today so it will be travelling again soon... 

Journal Entry 40 by shovelmonkey1 at Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom on Tuesday, June 15, 2010

7 out of 10

I enjoyed this book - the style reminded me of a combination of Ismail Kadare and the philosophy of Paulo Coehlo. I liked the fact that the whole story hinged around two key events, one of which took no more than a few seconds to unfold and then the resolution (such as it was) was 41 years in the making. Also the style of writing kept tricking me into thinking that the story was set much further back in time than it really was (i.e.the 18th century). I think the point is that one event can shatter lives, but was this the path that these lives were ultimately destined for anyway with or without the intervention of this event?
Now ready to travel again. 

Journal Entry 41 by shovelmonkey1 at Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom on Tuesday, June 15, 2010

This book has not been rated.

Released 1 yr ago (6/15/2010 UTC) at Liverpool, Merseyside United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Now heading off to Miss-owl in Thailand. Hope this book finds you! 

Journal Entry 42 by Miss-Owl at Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai Thailand on Monday, September 27, 2010

This book has not been rated.

It's arrived! Thank you for sending on.

I have one more read in front to finish first. Looking forward to it! 

Journal Entry 43 by Miss-Owl at Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai Thailand on Tuesday, October 05, 2010

8 out of 10

Harumph... everything I wanted to say is already summed up by the back of this book: "elegiac".

I love how some writers can isolate universal questions to such singular, quintessential situations. I don't agree with all his conclusions, but it is a fascinating read nonetheless, and the tense understanding of the two men in that room will stay with me for a long time.

Sending on when I receive the next address. 



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