A Million Open Doors
9 journalers for this copy...
"Nothing links person to person like the frequent passage from hand to hand of a good book."
I just finished reading this story of the clash of cultures on different planets. With the advent of the technology for people to travel instantaneously from one planet to another, an effort begins to reintegrate all of the far-flung human colonies into a connected human culture.
Giraut and two friends go from their home on Nou Occitan to Caledony, where they encounter a vastly different and repressive culture. Giraut's character develops and grows over time as he meets new people in incorporates new points of view, just as he is bringing some of his own view to his new friends on Caledony.
This was an engaging story. I had previous really enjoyed another book from John Barnes -- "Mother of Storms".
I just finished reading this story of the clash of cultures on different planets. With the advent of the technology for people to travel instantaneously from one planet to another, an effort begins to reintegrate all of the far-flung human colonies into a connected human culture.
Giraut and two friends go from their home on Nou Occitan to Caledony, where they encounter a vastly different and repressive culture. Giraut's character develops and grows over time as he meets new people in incorporates new points of view, just as he is bringing some of his own view to his new friends on Caledony.
This was an engaging story. I had previous really enjoyed another book from John Barnes -- "Mother of Storms".
Journal Entry 2 by 
judygreeneyes
at -- By Post Or By Hand - i.e. Ring, Trade, RABCK, Meet in San Diego, California USA on Sunday, February 7, 2010
judygreeneyes at -- By Post Or By Hand - i.e. Ring, Trade, RABCK, Meet in San Diego, California USA on Sunday, February 7, 2010
Released 14 yrs ago (2/7/2010 UTC) at -- By Post Or By Hand - i.e. Ring, Trade, RABCK, Meet in San Diego, California USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
This is a great book for the "if you love them set them free" book box. It's a very interesting story. I hope someone catches it and enjoys it!
If you aren't familiar with Bookcrossing, take a few minutes to check out this very cool site. Bookcrossers LOVE books, and more than anything, they love to read books and then set them free for other people to find and enjoy. I would love it if you would leave a journal entry -- you can say where you found the book or how you liked it when you read it. Then, when you are ready, pass it along for someone else to enjoy! Thanks and happy reading!
This is a great book for the "if you love them set them free" book box. It's a very interesting story. I hope someone catches it and enjoys it!
If you aren't familiar with Bookcrossing, take a few minutes to check out this very cool site. Bookcrossers LOVE books, and more than anything, they love to read books and then set them free for other people to find and enjoy. I would love it if you would leave a journal entry -- you can say where you found the book or how you liked it when you read it. Then, when you are ready, pass it along for someone else to enjoy! Thanks and happy reading!
Arrived a few days ago in the "If You Love Them Set Them Free" bookbox.
This was all right - sort of like what The Three Musketeers or a similar epic would look like if it were transplanted to another world in another galaxy. Giraut starts out as puffed up, but he becomes a much more engaging character as the book goes on.
Journal Entry 5 by 4thEstate at -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, New Jersey USA on Monday, November 29, 2010
Released 13 yrs ago (11/29/2010 UTC) at -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, New Jersey USA
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Sent out this morning in the Already Been Crossed (ABC) Bookbox.
Arrived home in my ABC bookbox. Going to decide what to do with the book - add it to round 2 or ???
Journal Entry 7 by 
booklady331
at Exchange/Trade, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Friday, February 4, 2011
booklady331 at Exchange/Trade, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Friday, February 4, 2011
Released 13 yrs ago (2/4/2011 UTC) at Exchange/Trade, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Enjoy! off to judygreeneyes who would like to share it with someone.
Journal Entry 8 by -solaria- at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi / Egentliga Finland Finland on Monday, April 11, 2011
Got the book by mail today and it brighened this rainy and foggy Monday. Barnes has become one of my favourite sf authors, so I'm really looking forward reading this. Million thanks, judygreeneyes and booklady331!!
Journal Entry 9 by -solaria- at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi / Egentliga Finland Finland on Friday, May 13, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I really love stories that have culture clashes or first contacts. It's nice how Giraut learns new things of his culture and himself after moving to a very different culture. Within a few months he grows and matures a lot. Living in a planet that has only one culture does not encourage mental growth or tolerance, it seems.
I sort of knew what the story would be about, because I have read the sequel (Earth Made of Glass) in which Giraut and his wife are middle-aged employees of the Office of Special Projects in the Council of Humanity. But it was nice to read about their youth, though.
As a language lover, I was intrigued by the languages of Caledony and Occitan. I kept waiting for a lesson of Reason because Giraut was planning to learn it. But this never happened because of the upheavals. I wish Barnes had put an appendix in the book and explained the languages (and the cultures) he had invented!
I sort of knew what the story would be about, because I have read the sequel (Earth Made of Glass) in which Giraut and his wife are middle-aged employees of the Office of Special Projects in the Council of Humanity. But it was nice to read about their youth, though.
As a language lover, I was intrigued by the languages of Caledony and Occitan. I kept waiting for a lesson of Reason because Giraut was planning to learn it. But this never happened because of the upheavals. I wish Barnes had put an appendix in the book and explained the languages (and the cultures) he had invented!
Journal Entry 10 by -solaria- at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi / Egentliga Finland Finland on Monday, June 6, 2011
I'm sending this book forward as a book-ring inside Finland.
You can join by sending me PM (mention your location so I can arrange the participants logically).
1. Please journal the book to say you have received it.
3. Read the book within one month and tell how you liked it.
2. PM the next person on the list for their address.
4. Post to next person on list.
The book-ring participants are:
hippolein (Helsinki)
Kemppu (Tampere)
rifter (Isokyrö)
Amynita (Helsinki)
You can join by sending me PM (mention your location so I can arrange the participants logically).
1. Please journal the book to say you have received it.
3. Read the book within one month and tell how you liked it.
2. PM the next person on the list for their address.
4. Post to next person on list.
The book-ring participants are:
hippolein (Helsinki)
Kemppu (Tampere)
rifter (Isokyrö)
Amynita (Helsinki)
Journal Entry 11 by -solaria- at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi / Egentliga Finland Finland on Thursday, August 11, 2011
Released 12 yrs ago (8/11/2011 UTC) at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi / Egentliga Finland Finland
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
The book was mailed to the first person in the bookring. Enjoy!
The book arrived today, that was fast ;)
Will try to start reading it in the near future.
Will try to start reading it in the near future.
Managed to finish reading the book this weekend. Have to tell I was a bit disappointed with the start of it, but luckily it got better in the second and third part of the book. The clashes between cultures and learning about the own part when being away from home is of course very familiar if you have been an exchange student in a different country, wondering it Barnes has ever done that ;)
Didn't like at all the small last part of the book, seemed too much like a solving all the problems and getting everything ready for writing a next book about the same persons.
The book will be off to the next person soon, as I have that address already.
Didn't like at all the small last part of the book, seemed too much like a solving all the problems and getting everything ready for writing a next book about the same persons.
The book will be off to the next person soon, as I have that address already.
Ring-book
--------------------------
The book is travelling with another BookCrosser all the way to Tampere.
Enjoy reading!
--------------------------
The book is travelling with another BookCrosser all the way to Tampere.
Enjoy reading!
The book is now with me. Thank you!
I liked this book quite a lot. For a while, there were too many things going on in my life and I noticed I couldn't concentrate enough to enjoy the book. I took a pause on trying to read it and got back to it later. I began reading the book all over again and found out it really was a good one.
The description of cultures and the clash of them were very interesting to me as a cultural anthropologist. At the same time, the book was a story of Giraut, the changes in him and his growing. I really liked how Giraut became to notice some good things in the culture he first found all cold, dull and shocking, and how that changed the way he saw his own culture and some people he knew. Travelling and interacting with foreign people can truly expand one's mind! Too many changes and new things were stuffed in the end of the book, but otherwise it was an enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing, Thalasse! I think I'd like to read the sequel and possibly something else John Barnes has written.
I have rifter's address and I'll send the book on soon.
The description of cultures and the clash of them were very interesting to me as a cultural anthropologist. At the same time, the book was a story of Giraut, the changes in him and his growing. I really liked how Giraut became to notice some good things in the culture he first found all cold, dull and shocking, and how that changed the way he saw his own culture and some people he knew. Travelling and interacting with foreign people can truly expand one's mind! Too many changes and new things were stuffed in the end of the book, but otherwise it was an enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing, Thalasse! I think I'd like to read the sequel and possibly something else John Barnes has written.
I have rifter's address and I'll send the book on soon.
On its way to rifter!
I received the book yesterday, thank you! I've already started reading it. I'll try not to read the other comments too closely before I finish the book :)
I didn't really like the beginning of the book, the setting was strange and there were a lot of strange new words, and I was a little worried I wouldn't like the rest. But as soon as the story really started, with Giraut moving to Caledon, it got a lot more interesting. I liked the way we get to learn about the Caledon culture through the characters, the author doesn't just tell us about it. And I liked the way the main character changes throughout the story. I guess you can learn a lot about your own culture just by visiting other places.
I would like to know what happens to Giraut, and I'm definitely interested in reading more from this same author. Thanks Thalasse for giving us a chance to read this. :)
I would like to know what happens to Giraut, and I'm definitely interested in reading more from this same author. Thanks Thalasse for giving us a chance to read this. :)
Journal Entry 20 by rifter at a fellow bookcrosser, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, October 23, 2011
Released 12 yrs ago (10/23/2011 UTC) at a fellow bookcrosser, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
I have Amynita's address, and the book will be in the mail tomorrow!
The book arrived today, thank you rifter!
An interesting book! The beginning was a bit confusing, but when the story got going I enjoyed it. Towards the end I started to lose interest, maybe it just wasn't the right time to read it, my mind was somewhere else. I did enjoy how the main character learned more about his culture and himself when living in another culture, I can identify with that. I also saw a bit of criticism of how our world works still today: taking our western life, including our view of the financial economy, to countries we think need to be educated and shown what art and culture really is about.
Journal Entry 23 by -solaria- at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi / Egentliga Finland Finland on Monday, November 28, 2011
The book is home again, thank you everybody!! The story of Giraut and Margaret continues in the sequel Earth Made of Glass.
Edit. I loaned the book to yet another Bookcrosser. :-)
Edit. I loaned the book to yet another Bookcrosser. :-)
Journal Entry 24 by MeiMeiK at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi / Egentliga Finland Finland on Saturday, December 3, 2011
Thanks Thalasse for a book recommendation. It may took a while before I read this book but now it's in my tbr-shelf. :)
Journal Entry 25 by -solaria- at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi / Egentliga Finland Finland on Friday, September 28, 2012
Aand the book is back to my shelf.
Journal Entry 26 by -solaria- at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi / Egentliga Finland Finland on Sunday, December 13, 2020
I just reread this book because I finally got books 3 and 4 of this series and I wanted to refresh my memory.
I still liked the book very much. Both Nou Occitan and Caledony were fascinating places, and I liked how Giraut grew as a person.
I still liked the book very much. Both Nou Occitan and Caledony were fascinating places, and I liked how Giraut grew as a person.
