Journal Entry 1 by raeliz64 from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 29, 2009

From the back cover:
"Sixteen-year-old Eliza Tally arrives in London with a swollen belly and a mother's scolding ringing in her ears. There is a man, she's been assured who will cleanse her body of her disgrace. Yet when twisted apothecary Grayson Black takes Eliza into his house, he has plans for his charge that have little to do with charity or purity. Instead he involves her in a macabre experiment.
Alone and friendless in the shadow of the newly rising dome of St Paul's Cathedral, Eliza must somehow escape Black's monstrous clutches. But Black is not a man to be thwarted easily..."

This was a fascinating story, although it did take me a while to get into and Clare Clark over does the description at times. It is a gruesome read in parts and it's hard to believe that people were ever treated in this way, but they undoubtedly were and there are plenty of monsters in various guises throughout the book.
 

Journal Entry 2 by raeliz64 from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Wednesday, September 30, 2009

This is going out as a bookring.

WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE BOOK please make a journal entry so everyone knows it has safely arrived. Try to read the book within a month if possible, remember there are people waiting to read the book.
WHEN YOU FINISH THE BOOK, make another journal entry telling us what you thought - did you like it? Did you think it was well-written?
CONTINUE THE BOOKRING by sending a PM to the person after you on the bookring list and request their postal address. Please make a journal entry when you have posted the book on.

PARTICIPANTS:
YowlYY (UK)
Columbina (Germany)
rockyhorror1978 (Canada)
amcamp1644 (USA)
BarkLessWagMore (USA)
BobnJen (USA)
guinaveve (USA)
perryfran (USA)
Uruviel (Mexico)
Tinina67 (Australia)
Back to me. 

Journal Entry 3 by raeliz64 from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Monday, October 19, 2009

Posted to YowlYY today. 

Journal Entry 4 by YowlYY from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Just arrived! I shall start reading it as soon as I am done with the bookray I received yesterday. Thanks for sharing :)

PS: I have already contacted the next person on the ring - when I typed Columbina I came up with a person in Portugal, but the list said it would have to be Germany, so I changed the spelling of the name to what I thought would make more sense - and struck lucky with Colombina :) 

Journal Entry 5 by YowlYY from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Monday, November 09, 2009

I finished this book well over two weeks ago, but it took me ages to get it ready to leave to the next reader due to my work commitments, which kept me away from home for several days in a row, making it difficult to get to a post office.
Anyway... I loved this book, just as her first work (The Great Stink), well researched and sadly a true mirror of society back in 1700.
The book left finally this morning to Germany, where hopefully it will arrive within the week.
Happy reading everyone and thanks for sharing to our ringmaster, raeliz64 :) 

Journal Entry 6 by YowlYY at -- Controlled Release, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Monday, November 09, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (11/9/2009 UTC) at -- Controlled Release, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom

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Handed over to the local post office for airmail shipping to Germany - happy reading! 

Journal Entry 7 by Colombina from Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Monday, November 16, 2009

On this wet and gloomy November day, I was thrilled to find "The nature of monsters" in my mailbox - thank you very much for sending, you saved my day :-)!

And thank you very much, raeliz64, for sharing! I am very much looking forward to reading it... 

Journal Entry 8 by Colombina from Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Saturday, November 21, 2009

Though having been utterly impressed right from the start by the author's talent to revive the atmosphere of past times and to provide marvellous and vivid portraits of the characters involved, at first, I did not like the story at all - this, however, quickly changed and from page to page I became more and more fascinated and absorbed...
What a great story skillfully told by a great author! 

Journal Entry 9 by Colombina at to another bookcrosser, by mail -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, November 21, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (11/21/2009 UTC) at to another bookcrosser, by mail -- Controlled Releases

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The book is now on its way to Canada, happy reading to all following readers!

Thanks again, raeliz64, for organising this bookring and thank you, YowlYY, for the beautiful postcard!! 

Journal Entry 10 by rockyhorror1978 from St. Catharines, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Received today! Thank you for sharing this book with me. I am looking forward to reading and passing it on. Thanks to Colombina for the awesome Christmas card! :)

27 December 2009: Started book today. Unfortunately I had two bookrings to read previous to this one. 

Journal Entry 11 by rockyhorror1978 from St. Catharines, Ontario Canada on Monday, January 04, 2010

I finished this book last night and had to think about what I thought of it. None of the characters struck me as particularly favourable and were all monsters in their own way. The only character I remotely endeared to was Mary, though I suspect she was included to demonstrate the presiding belief in the 1700s that "idiots" were monsters of nature. I agree with raeliz64 that Clark was gruesomely descriptive at times, however it helped to develop the environment in which the characters lives played out.

What fascinated me most about this book was the description of medical practices at this time. The belief that humours and the environment had such an effect on developing foetuses is interesting, yet by today's standard's laughable.

I have the next readers address and will post it to them by the end of the week. Thank you once again to raeliz64 for sharing this book with me. 

Journal Entry 12 by rockyhorror1978 at Wheaton, Maryland USA on Friday, January 08, 2010

Released 2 yrs ago (1/9/2010 UTC) at Wheaton, Maryland USA

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Being released to the next reader! Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 13 by amcamp1644 from Bethesda, Maryland USA on Thursday, January 28, 2010

Got today. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 14 by amcamp1644 from Bethesda, Maryland USA on Saturday, February 20, 2010

Just finished. I think I signed up for this book when I was still in my historical fiction kick, but I've become a bit bored with that genre, so I wasn't enthralled with this book. PMing the next person on the list. 

Journal Entry 15 by amcamp1644 at Wheaton, Maryland USA on Saturday, February 27, 2010

Released 2 yrs ago (2/27/2010 UTC) at Wheaton, Maryland USA

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Off to the next person on the list. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 16 by BarkLessWagMore from Merrimack, New Hampshire USA on Thursday, March 04, 2010

This book arrived today. I'm almost done with my current read and have one more ahead of this but I should be able to finish it before the month is over. 

Journal Entry 17 by BarkLessWagMore from Merrimack, New Hampshire USA on Monday, April 05, 2010

No major spoilers but if you don't like knowing a plot beforehand you may not want to read this yet:

Set in the 1700’s. The book starts out with a woman fleeing from a devastating fire. Then it jumps ahead 50 or so years and we meet Eliza who is a young woman all worked up over a sexy young man. The opening scene was something akin to an erotica novel but you won’t hear me complain. Eliza’s mother is the local midwife but fears being accused of witchcraft and wants to have her daughter safely wed to someone with lots of cash and property before it happens. Thus she encourages her daughter towards the wealthy and randy young fellow and performs a hand fasting ceremony. Pregnancy immediately follows and once the dupe realizes he isn’t legally wed he hightails it out of there and she’s left penniless, ruined and nauseous because of the “worm” in her belly. Ah, the best laid plans.

Eliza, worm still in the belly, then finds herself shipped off to London by her greedy mother to work with a mysterious apothecary. Doc Black believes strongly in the power of imprinting. But it’s not the Stephanie Meyer type of “you were meant for me” creepy imprinting. This imprinting is even more twisted. Doc Black believes that fears and events experienced by the mother can alter the unborn child in bizarre ways. For instance, if she fears a kitty and one crosses her path the kid may be born with whiskers and a purr. Or somesuch. It sounds nutty but supposedly there is documented proof that a certain sector of physicians actually believed this to be true way back when. In the author’s notes she even includes some freaky sketches of naked humans with animal heads, the result supposedly of material impressions and monstrous birth. Strangely enough they fascinate me and my eyes keep drifting to those last few pages when I should be reading the book . . .

Later: The premise of this book appealed to me and some of the plot twists were horrible but the book was too meandering and to be blunt, boring, for me to continue and I gave up about halfway through. The ideas were good but the writing style didn't work for me and unfortunately I was unable to find any sympathy for the main character who I found off putting and unlikable.

I will pass this along to the next person this week. Thanks so much for sharing! 

Journal Entry 18 by BarkLessWagMore from Merrimack, New Hampshire USA on Friday, April 09, 2010

Update: This book is still with me.

BobnJen has gone inactive and is not responding to PM's

guinavere is not found in the database

Yikes, was it something I said in my review?!

I have PM'd perryfran and hope to hear back soon. 

Journal Entry 19 by BarkLessWagMore at Bookring, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Monday, April 12, 2010

Released 2 yrs ago (4/12/2010 UTC) at Bookring, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA

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Sent off to guinaveve . 

Journal Entry 20 by guinaveve from Mason, Ohio USA on Friday, April 16, 2010

I received this today and am going to begin reading it now. I am going to PM the next participant after me right away, so that I will have the address when I a finished with the book. Thanks for sharing it with me. 

Journal Entry 21 by guinaveve from Mason, Ohio USA on Saturday, April 24, 2010

This was a very dark tale, but well written and captivating. It inspired me to look up info online regarding pregnancy superstitions. Very intriguing.
I have the address of the next participant and will mail it along on Monday. 

Journal Entry 22 by guinaveve at by postal services in Sent by mail, a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, April 24, 2010

Released 2 yrs ago (4/26/2010 UTC) at by postal services in Sent by mail, a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases

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Thanks for sharing. 

Journal Entry 23 by perryfran from North Ogden, Utah USA on Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Received today. Thanks for including me in this ring. I'll try to get to it soon. 

Journal Entry 24 by perryfran from North Ogden, Utah USA on Thursday, May 20, 2010

Journal Entry 25 by perryfran at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, May 20, 2010

Released 2 yrs ago (5/20/2010 UTC) at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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On its way to Uruviel in Mexico. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 26 by Uruviel at Xochimilco, Distrito Federal Mexico on Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Received today by post :D

Thanks to perryfran for the posting and to raeliz64 for making it happen.


I have one ring in the last part, so I think I'll do in time :) 

Journal Entry 27 by Uruviel at Xochimilco, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Mexico on Saturday, June 12, 2010

Whoa!

My first impression told me I was about to have a month with it, for the language was a bit complicated after reading a more lighter one.

Then, it has a theme wich I wasn't able to understand at full. What does the author wanted to express, love, anguish, characters? None... after a careful reading of the cmments at the back, I finally found a light: it was meant to describe the eighteen century London.

Well, if that was, it's amazing. All my readings of that century were too lightfull, stories of the middle and high-class... but this was all about the marginated servants. :D

All of the characters were HUMAN, none of the heroes with no fouls, all have good and bad sides, even Eliza who catch a nice feeling for Mary.

Now, I'll contact to the next reader ;)

Thanks to raeliz64 for making this possible, and to perryfran for the shipping and the awesome card ;D
After the understanding of the nature of this book, it was fun, amazing and fast, too fast, fo 

Journal Entry 28 by Uruviel at by mail, to the next reader -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, June 13, 2010

Released 1 yr ago (6/13/2010 UTC) at by mail, to the next reader -- Controlled Releases

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Sent yesterday by mail to Tinina in Australia. Let's hope it arrive fast enough ;)

Happy reading!

P.S. Code RP442004976MX



 

Journal Entry 29 by Tinina67 at Gold Coast, Queensland Australia on Sunday, June 27, 2010

Received safe and sound - read it in two days.
Interesting, a bit dark, shows another side of English history.
I enjoyed reading it.

Will send on asap. 

Journal Entry 30 by Tinina67 at Gold Coast, Queensland Australia on Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Released 1 yr ago (6/30/2010 UTC) at Gold Coast, Queensland Australia

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This book is on its way home.
Travel safe and thanks for arranging this bookring. 

Journal Entry 31 by raeliz64 at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Saturday, July 03, 2010

The book arrived back with me today. Thank you to everyone for keeping it moving and to Tinina67 for sending it home. 

Journal Entry 32 by raeliz64 at Leicester Royal Infirmary in Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Released 6 mos ago (11/23/2011 UTC) at Leicester Royal Infirmary in Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom

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Left in a lift in the Windsor building.