Journal Entry 1 by Miss-Owl from Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai Thailand on Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Bookmooched into my home today.

Have heard good things about this one, and it's on the 1001 list, so it'll definitely get a go before long. 

Journal Entry 2 by Miss-Owl from Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai Thailand on Saturday, May 23, 2009

Just realised that I hadn't journalled this after reading it back in March.

I remember that it didn't grab me at first - it could have been due to an exceptionally busy period at work but I just remember a constant cycle of reading before bed, being mildly interested, going to sleep, and then waking up the next morning with absolutely no recollection of what I'd read except that it involved a guy called Bill.

Gradually, though, layer by later, stroke by stroke, as an artist builds paint on canvas (aptly for this book), I found myself becoming entranced. I shed tears when [just kidding - I won't spoil it]. The psychology of lying captivated me - and of the eponymous love (though slightly less so). The minutiae of life began to build into a rhythm - and I found myself entering a world, feeling sad when it was over.

I'm still struggling to pinpoint exactly what I enjoyed about this book - but then again, the fact that I am still thinking about it months later is arguably a measure of its success.

I've noticed this book is on crimson-tide's wishlist, and I plan to send it to her along with a few other bookring/mooch books. 

Journal Entry 3 by Miss-Owl at A RABCK!, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (7/22/2009 UTC) at A RABCK!, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Taking part in a 3kg book bag. Happy reading! 

Journal Entry 4 by crimson-tide from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Thanks so much for this rabck, Miss-Owl. A huge bag of goodies lobbed in today.
This one is on my wish list and is a 1001 list book to boot. Happy dance! 

Journal Entry 5 by crimson-tide from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Thursday, December 03, 2009

Found myself with a second copy, so this one is being offered in the OZ VBB.

Amazon Editorial Review:
This is the story of two men who first become friends in 1970s New York, of the women in their lives, and of their sons, born the same year. Both Leo Hertzberg, an art historian, and Bill Weschler, a painter, are cultured, decent men, but neither is equipped to deal with what happens to their children -- Leo's son drowns when he's 12, while Bill's son Mark grows up to be a delinquent, and the acolyte of a sinister, guru-like artist who spawns murder in his wake. Spanning the hedonism of the eighties and the chill-out nineties, this multi-layered novel combines a plot of mounting menace with a deeply moving account of familial relationships and a superbly observed portrait of an artist, set against the backdrop of a society reaching new depths of depravity in its frenetic quest for the next fashion, drug and thrill.

Update 7th December:
Chosen from the OZ VBB by dolphin-au.
 

Journal Entry 6 by crimson-tide at Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Thursday, December 10, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (12/10/2009 UTC) at Balingup, Western Australia Australia

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted off to dolphin-au as a recent choice from the OZ VBB. 

Journal Entry 7 by dolphin-au from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Thanks crimson-tide. This book arrived safely. Another 1001 book! 

Journal Entry 8 by dolphin-au at Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Friday, May 13, 2011

This is one of the better books I've read this year, and also one of the better ones on the 1001 list. Normally I get a bit apprehensive when a female author has a male protagonist or vice versa, but in this book it seemed no problem at all.
SPOILER ALERT Please don't read the next bit if you want don't want know about certain crucial plot developments before you read the book
I felt a bit cheated with the suddenness of the main development. I guess this was the author's intention, as these events do happen suddenly, and change lives dramatically. In a way I was glad I didn't know much about this book before I read it, as the impact would not have been as strong.

I am looking forward to finding more of this author's books.