MORVERN CALLAR
15 journalers for this copy...
Another one on the 1001 books list accquired from the Amorous Cat bookshop on Lark Lane after a big vegetarian breakfast at the Green Days Cafe (i recommend the Kenyan ground coffee they serve there). Will read and release as soon as i get the chance.
Fantastically weird story of Morvern Callar who comes home one day to find the mutilated dead body of her boyfriend on the floor of their flat. She gathers together loose change to go to the local phonebooth and call the police and the ambulance... and then she stops... this is the story of what happens afterwards.
I couldn't decide at first if Morvern was a bit simple, incredibly selfish or just a plain and outright sociopath. As the evidence presents itself you realise she definately isn't stupid which pretty much leaves us with the sociopath angle. Appallingly good. Another one ticked off the 1001 books list.
Now being offered as a bookray (04/03/10)
This book is ready to travel as a bookray but once the journey begins others are still welcome to join in, just PM me with your location and shipping preference. Thanks.
Reading order is as follows:
Shovelmonkey1 - HOST
Jozebedee UK/UK
Danielle23 UK/UK
Katrinat UK/EU
bookowl1000 UK/EU
Sintra EU/EU
Icila - EU/UK
madmegzy - UK/UK
BethanyGordon UK/EU
Ruzena EU/INTL <---- asked to be skipped.
Totje2 EU/INTL
bekoh - Australia
brunton11 - UK/??
THIS BOOKRAY IS NOW COMPLETED! THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED AND KEPT THIS 1001 BOOK MOVING.
Journal Entry
4 by
shovelmonkey1 at
-- Controlled Release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Sunday, March 14, 2010
Released 14 yrs ago (3/15/2010 UTC) at -- Controlled Release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
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This book is now on its way to the first person listed in the bookray. Thanks for joining and happy reading!
Received safely today - thanks! This looks to be quite good! Just going to finish my current read, and then this is up next. Thanks Caroline :)
Weird! That's how I would sum up this book. What a strange character Movern is, in fact most of them are! I'm still not sure if I actually enjoyed this or not - maybe because it was actually very readable. I think it may be because I was so gobsmacked at her behaviour.
Anyway, another crossed off the 1001 list - thanks shovelmonkey1!
I will be posting out to Danielle tomorrow.
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7 by
Jozebedee at
-- Controlled Release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Saturday, March 27, 2010
Released 14 yrs ago (3/26/2010 UTC) at -- Controlled Release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
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On its way now to Danielle - enjoy! :)
Arrived safely yesterday, thanks Jo. I have one book to finish before this one so will get to it as soon as possible xx
I really enjoyed the first half of this book as it was so very different to what I expected. But I felt that around the half way mark the story lost pace and left a few very frustrating unanswered questions, the least not being why did she do what she did in the first place instead of ringing the police? It made me think that Morvern had killed him herself for a time.
All in all a good book that I enjoyed. Thanks for sharing Caz xx
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10 by
Danielle23 at
Sunderland, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Released 14 yrs ago (4/6/2010 UTC) at Sunderland, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom
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Off to katrinat xx
This arrived today along with 3 other bookrings - typical! It may take a few weeks to get to as the bookrings are piling up but I'll be ensuring that I'm reading as much as possible to keep them all moving quickly.
What a fantastic read I loved it, as weird as it was. Although it should come with a warning not to read it before bed, I had some very random dreams that night.
I'll get the next address send it on its way, thanks for sharing.
Has arrived safely here in the Wye Valley.
I have another bookring ahead of it, and will get to it as soon as I can.
I have not forgotten this book. I have been trying to get through a book that arrived first, while working a lot. I will be starting it today.
We went to see a show in Cardiff and given that my husband always insists on arriving very early "just in case", I was able to get through a big chunk of it while sat in Cardiff Bay, and finished it at the weekend. I was intrigued straight away and it became oddly compelling, strange considering large sections were descriptions of her going about her day and doing things like painting her toe nails. I spent the whole time wondering why she did what she did and where the story was going. Even though it is Morverns story we never know what she is thinking or feeling, and she does not seem to express emotion either. Maybe the whole point was that she does not feel things they way others do: a sociopath.
I have discovered that this book was made into a film; I think that it would be one of those 'arty' type films that I would find boring to watch.
I have the next address ready and will put it in the post tomorrow.
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16 by
sintra at
Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Monday, May 31, 2010
Arrived safely in Bonn. Will start reading soon. Thanks a lot! :-)
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17 by
sintra at
Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Monday, June 7, 2010
I'm still not sure what to make of this book. My first impression was that it was "totally 90s" - it reminded me a little of Irvine Welsh's books though I think they're better.
I agree with Danielle23 that the novel lost its pace (and plot) in the 2nd half. The beginning was fantastic and absolutely gripping because of the unusual situation and Morvern's even more unusual reaction but somewhere around the point where they go to Spain I started to lose interest in the "then I did this, then I lit a cigarette, and then I did something else" kind of narrative. I wasn't expecting an explanation or any sort of grand finale but I felt a little cheated in the end because it felt a bit like a waste of a great first half.
Thanks for sharing this book! It'll be on its way again soon.
(7/10)
Edit, 24.6.2010: Just to let you know that the book was sent back because the envelope was badly damaged - luckily the book is safe and sound and will be on it's way to Icila again next week!
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18 by
Icila at
Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Friday, July 9, 2010
Yesterday in my box. Thanks a lot !
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19 by
Icila at
Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Hard to read. English being not my mother tongue.
As it was summer-time with the grandchildren and many relatives in the house I had no enough time and too many rings ahead to finish this kinky novel.
Thanks anyway for sharing.
PMing madmegzy.
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20 by
madmegzy at
Accrington, Lancashire United Kingdom on Tuesday, August 24, 2010
I have given up trying to read this book - the english is terrible and I found it really hard going. I'm passing it onto the next person in the ray
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21 by
BethanyGordon at
Doncaster, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Arrived today. I totally forgot I'd even signed up for this, haha! Will start it soon.
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22 by
BethanyGordon at
Doncaster, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, February 28, 2011
I enjoyed this book at first, but I began to lose interest quite quickly. I guess the character just didn't keep my interest. But still, I'm glad I read it as the plot and the idea was quite interesting.
I just e-mailed next in line, Totje2, and as soon as I get their address I'll send it off :)
Journal Entry
23 by
Boekentrol at
Leeuwarden, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Arrived safely today. Thank you for sending it over, BethanyGordon and for offering it as a ray, shovelmonkey.
When I'm done reading the book I read now, I'll start this one. The mixed reactions surely got me curious!
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24 by
Boekentrol at
Leeuwarden, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Friday, March 25, 2011
In my first JE I said that the mixed reactions got me curious. Well, I'm no longer curious, but I know now that I did not like the book, found it very hard to read, did not really understand the English and therfore I've given up on this one.
I'm glad I tried though, since I was so curious. Sometimes it turns out that I like an unknow author / strange book, but this was not one of those times.
I'll pass it on to the next reader. I've got bekoh's address already.
Journal Entry
25 by
Boekentrol at
Leeuwarden, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands on Friday, March 25, 2011
Released 13 yrs ago (3/25/2011 UTC) at Leeuwarden, Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands
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All the different reactions considering this book... I'd like to know what YOU think of this, bekoh!
I hope this book travels quickly and safely all the way to you. Happy reading!
Journal Entry
26 by
bekoh at
Fern Bay, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, July 9, 2011
I hated it. I was disappointed as I liked Warner's other works.
I'm having trouble contacting the last member of the ray so if nothing happens soon I will offer this up on the forums.
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27 by
brunton11 at
Salford, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Monday, July 25, 2011
Arrived today - Many thanks bekoh for sending this book on.
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28 by
brunton11 at
Salford, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Monday, November 7, 2011
A very readable book with a bizarre plot. This is the second book I've read of late that has been dated by the smoking ban! Silk Cut and a goldish lighter anyone?!
Offering this up as a RABCK in the forum...
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29 by
brunton11 at
Salford, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Posting to Plum-Crazy as a RABCK...
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30 by
Plum-crazy at
Brighouse, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Friday, November 18, 2011
Arrived safely today thanks very much....& thanks too for the really cute Shaun the Sheep bookmark :o)
Not sure when I'll get to it having a typical BCers Mt Tbr but I don't think it will be too long as it sounds so intriguing.
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31 by
Plum-crazy at
Brighouse, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Friday, December 2, 2011
Why, why, WHY?!!...
...why did Movern do what she did?...
...why did her fella kill himself in the first place? (or did he?)
So many questions left unanswered by this strange but compelling read.
I found it quite compulsive once I'd got into the swing of the lingo (greeting had me foxed at first) but what a bizarre community to live in - some very disfunctional characters, not in the least Movern herself.
All-in-all a different but addictive read, though I found the ending a bit of a disappointment, just seemed rather a trite end to such a controversial character like Morvern.
It will keep moving & I'll pass it onto KawaswakiBabe shortly to see what she makes of it - thanks for sharing :o)
Read as part of the 2011 ULTIMATE CHALLENGE (#160)
(By the way I kept reading goldish lighter as goldfish lighter!!)
Journal Entry
32 by
Plum-crazy at
By hand, by hand -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, December 18, 2011
Released 12 yrs ago (12/19/2011 UTC) at By hand, by hand -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Time to find out what someone else makes of Morvern - over to you KawasakiBabe :o)
Released as part of the 2011 ULTIMATE CHALLENGE,
& the WHAT'S IN A NAME CHALLENGE (#20)
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33 by
KawasakiBabe at
Brighouse, West Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, December 19, 2011
"Bleak, haunting, and brilliantly original"
Can't wait - roll on New Year and a trip to the caravan for a reading overdose! x Thanks, Plum-crazy. x
Journal Entry
34 by
KawasakiBabe at
Bookcrossing Convention 2015 in Oxford, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on Monday, March 9, 2015
Released 9 yrs ago (4/10/2015 UTC) at Bookcrossing Convention 2015 in Oxford, Oxfordshire United Kingdom
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Whatever your decision, please let us know here where you picked up the book, what you think of it, and what you decide to do with it, so previous and future readers can follow its progress around the world.
Happy reading.
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35 by
ApoloniaX at
Oxford, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on Saturday, April 11, 2015
One of the left-overs from the book buffet...
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36 by
ApoloniaX at
-- Somewhere in Oxford in Oxford, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on Saturday, April 11, 2015
Released 9 yrs ago (4/12/2015 UTC) at -- Somewhere in Oxford in Oxford, Oxfordshire United Kingdom
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Released somewhere in Oxford.
For you to find.