Journal Entry 1 by estherase on Thursday, May 15, 2003

On the ever growing to-be-read pile. 

Journal Entry 2 by estherase at on Wednesday, July 23, 2003

Released on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 at Postal Release in Postal Release, Postal Release United Kingdom.

Never reached the top of the pile I'm afraid, but going to someone who will appreciate it... 

Journal Entry 3 by Fofum from Beverley, East Yorkshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 29, 2003

Thanks Estherase, this arrived this morning. I hope the Joanne Harris has got to you in return. I'll journal again when I've read it. 

Journal Entry 4 by Fofum from Beverley, East Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, August 31, 2003

This was a good read - Ian McEwan is a marvellous observer and manages to write some passages that really sum up events and emotions. The plot seems simple, but actually is complicated. The characters full of human frailty and not people I'd like to have in my address book!The end leaves you questioning whether what you think has happened really happened - or whether something different was happening all along!
Well written and very clever.
Thanks Estherase, for sending this on. I am passing it on to my Mum and a friend who both love a good read and then I will release it on its way. 

Journal Entry 5 by Fofum from Beverley, East Yorkshire United Kingdom on Saturday, February 21, 2004

I have passed this book around our little 'reading circle'. Mum thought it was OK (but she's a real action thriller fan and I think it didn't have enough action for her), Maureen hated it as she thought the two main characters were unattractive therefore she didn't really care what happened to them. Me ...well I think McEwan writes about prerceptions rather than plot or character and I love it...layers and layers of what you think might be happening but someone else thinks is something else. Isn't it great we are all different!
The list for this one currently looks like this:

Erbie: Netherlands (Amsterdam actually, it seemed like a good place to start!)
Mymlan: Finland
Annelis: Finland
Witchie: Portugal
Leigh BCD: UK
Tantan: Australia

Once it gets to the end of the list, please feel free to release it in whatever way you choose.

Enjoy...and thanks to estherase for setting it off in the first place!
 

Journal Entry 6 by Fofum at on Saturday, February 28, 2004

Released on Saturday, February 28, 2004 at Royal Mail in Beverley, England United Kingdom.

Continuing it's journey by crossing the North Sea to Amsterdam. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 7 by Erbie from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Monday, March 08, 2004

Journal Entry 8 by Erbie from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, March 14, 2004

Started and finished the book, within a week! That's pretty fast for me, so it's a quick read.

There's things I liked in the book, and some things I thought weren't that good.

I didn't like the way the Netherlands (Amsterdam specifically) got portrayed in stereotypes. It's the drugs city (let's drive that point down without any further need/functionality in the book, and without distinctions between hard and soft drugs) and the Dutch law let's you kill off your granny, if she's a burden to you (does anybody honestly believe this????).

Also I thought the ending was a bit easy.

I enjoyed getting to know 2 main characters a bit, and seeing things from both perspectives. Ian McEwan shows very nicely how a certain thing can be intended in one way by one person, and be perceived quite differently by another person, depending on his own situation.

All in all, an OK read, prejudices on the Netherlands aside. 

Journal Entry 9 by Erbie from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Journal Entry 10 by Mymlan from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Monday, April 05, 2004

The book arrived safely, thank you. It might take a few weeks, as I'm reading another bookring book at the moment. 

Journal Entry 11 by Mymlan from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Thursday, April 22, 2004

I liked the book, even though I have to agree with Erbie about the ending being a bit easy (otherwise I would have rated the book at nine stars). I didn't really find it prejudiced about the Netherlands though: only one mention of a coffee shop (and that subjectively from a conservative characters point of view) and the euthanasia issue was about people abusing of the legislation. But well, I'm not Dutch. I suppose you could read the book as a strong opinion against euthanasia, I'm not sure if that was the intention of the author.

I think it was more generally a book about moral dilemmas, the main characters each face theirs and have to make a choise - each disapproved by the other. I could even picture using the situations as examples in a philosophy class -especially about the responsibility of a journalist. I also liked the description of the music, I'm not a musical person myself, so I often understand music better when it is described in words like this (made me think about "An Equal Music" by Vikram Seth).

I'll pass the book on to Annelis. 

Journal Entry 12 by Annelis from Kerava, Uusimaa Finland on Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Journal Entry 13 by Annelis from Kerava, Uusimaa Finland on Friday, June 18, 2004

Journal Entry 14 by Witchie from Espinho, Aveiro Portugal on Tuesday, June 29, 2004

Just got this on the mail (thanks, Annelis!). Its on my TBR pile, waiting its turn. I'll read it as soon as possible (can't wait to start!!) and then post some more! 

Journal Entry 15 by Witchie from Espinho, Aveiro Portugal on Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Journal Entry 16 by Witchie from Espinho, Aveiro Portugal on Tuesday, August 03, 2004

This book is back on the road! It is now on its way to Australia, to meet Tantan! Hope it gets there safe and fast! 

Journal Entry 17 by tantan from Gympie, Queensland Australia on Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Received in the mail today. I'm on a BC book at the moment, and have another after that, so this one will follow after that. :-) 

Journal Entry 18 by tantan from Gympie, Queensland Australia on Saturday, September 11, 2004

I did enjoy this, but nowhere near as much as I liked Atonement. I personally thought that the portrayal of Amsterdam was ok, but I understand what Erbie says about it - sometimes when we're actually living in the location in question it comes across differently. I recently read The Shipping News, and felt that some of the passing comments about Australia and Australians were rather unfair.

I enjoyed the different perspectives in the story, and it was quite fast-moving. Although like a couple of others I'm not sure that what I think happened is exactly what really happened! :-)

I've PM'ed LeighBCD to see if he/she wants this book sent back to them to read at their leisure now that it's at the end of the ray. 

Journal Entry 19 by dolphin-au from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, January 02, 2005

Received as part of a bookrelay (www.bookrealy.com) from tantan. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 20 by dolphin-au from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, May 15, 2005

Finally came around to reading this, after about a year, and it then only took me a day to read it!
I really liked this book. It shows people in all their frailty, while they are still managing to maintain a positive self image. All the main characters are obviously not very pleasant persons, but while they are keen observers of other peoples failures they can't see how misguided they are in their opinions on themselves.
Having lived in Holland myself I understand there has never been a situation where the ending as described in the book could have taken place, I think it still is a legitimate use of existing misconceptions by the author. It is a good end for this story.
Another element I liked is how the author criticises the generation of the babyboomers, of which the main characters are components. 

Journal Entry 21 by dolphin-au from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Friday, June 03, 2005

Sent to Veritas9 for her Booker project, as part of bookrelay. 

Journal Entry 22 by veritas9 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Friday, June 17, 2005

Thanks dolphin-au!

Another Booker Book to be read....