DAMN is this a good book! Taking place in post WWII England, it's the story of a young bohemian woman, Susan, and her search for love. Her house-mate, Neil, whom she loves, remains coy and ellusive and frustrating. Together they search for her old school friend, Cynthia, whom Susan also loves. Neil and Susan travel to catch up with Cynthia at a film festival in Venice, and there Susan's life changes. Read it for the marvellous account of Neil and Susan as tour guides to a bus-ful of cheerful and cheerily ignorant American tourists and for Susan's interesting coming-of-age. It's not what you'd think.

Released on Friday, July 18, 2003 at Mailing to fellow bookcrosser in Columbus, Ohio USA.

On the way to Deerskin!

Been away for a few days and found this waiting when Igot home! I've just finished the book I was reading so will be starting on this one immediately - will update when I finish.

This book didn't really draw me in and I found the characters somewhat bland and difficult to sympathise with. However, it was very funny in parts - the bus journey was hilarious. The ending was surprising, and perhaps the best part of the book. Worth a read but I won't be looking for anything else by this author.

Thanks Leslie for organising this :-) I'll be sending the book on in the next couple of days.

After barely 2 weeks away on vacation I came home to find no less than 6 books waiting for me! This was one of them .... I'll read it asap and journal again when I'm done! Thank you Deerskin!

I must agree with deerskin on this one. The characters came across as rather insipid and shallow and the storyline somewhat incongruous. I don't like to have stories spoon-fed to me and appreciate when one has to see behind the sparse dialogs and discover, rather than be told, the essence of the characters and often marvel at their shrewd nature. But in "Kind of a Rainy Country" I dragged through the pages sluggishly and found the story somewhat stagnant. I felt numb about Susan, irritated by Neale (not even that...more like irritated by his elusive nature), indifferent towards Cynthia and unconvinced by the whole surreal Italian tourist tour. I don't need to love or hate the characters for them to have an impact on me, but I need to care about them and what happens to them ...they need to be able to stir in me some kind of emotion to compel me to keep on reading ... Brigid Brophy fail to do that.
All characters came across as immature, naive and unintelligent (which didn't go hand in hand with their obviously grand knowledge of languages and culture and music).
I'm glad I've read it but I won't be looking for any more Brophy books to read.

As of today the book is on It's way to weeblet. Hope it arrives safely!

thanks, zyana! it got here really fast. i'll start it in a day or 2 <:

done and done!i disagree a little w/ some of the negative commentary- i rather liked it. i must admit, i get into that style.... i found the bus trip to be a riot, as well as an accurate depiction of the ugly american syndrome <:
waiting for an address so that i may send it on...

Release planned for Monday, September 22, 2003 at Bookcrosser's home in postal release, postal release USA.

well,this book took so long to get to me, about 4 months.anyway, i'm so happy that it's not lost. i'll come back.

CAUGHT IN TEHRAN TEHRAN IRAN

well,this book took so long to get to me, about 4 months.anyway, i'm so happy that it's not lost. i'll come back.

CAUGHT IN TEHRAN TEHRAN IRAN

I like the book.well i think that the atmosphere is a little gloomy but maybe it should be.
I'm going to search for other books written by this author(brigid brophy) she has a special kind of narrating.

From here to there and back again. I cherish this book's journeys and all the hands through which it has passed.