Journal Entry 1 by JDT from Pleasanton, California USA on Thursday, November 05, 2009

Looking forward to an interesting, maybe quirky, read! 

Journal Entry 2 by JDT from Pleasanton, California USA on Tuesday, January 05, 2010

To be honest, it took some effort to get into this story told by 2 narrators: Renee the ordinary-appearing, yet brilliant, self-taught concierge of a posh Paris apartment building; and Paloma - an extremely bright, quirky, journalling 12 year old.
Both dabble in philosophy (the author's field of study/teaching), reflect on the meaning of life, spend a lot of effort on the image they project.
But what won me over was the restrained, slow-developing heart-warming, friendship, love - that transformed. I really cared about these women as well as the wonderful character of Kakuro.

One of my favorite lines: "I have finally concluded, maybe that's what life is about: there's a lot of despair, but also the odd moment of beauty, where time is no longer the same...an always within never." 

Journal Entry 3 by JDT from Pleasanton, California USA on Tuesday, January 05, 2010

And now an invitation/wishlist bookring:

- spuddossis - NJ
- istop4books - MN (sometime Feb to read for March 1 book group)
- leodog58 - VA
- valpete - CA (by May to read for June bookgroup)
- msjoanna - NY
- krl112 - NJ
- JDT - CA

The usual respectful guidelines, please:

- journal book's safe arrival, then your thoughts after reading it
- PM next person for address, so you can mail on ASAP
- 3-4 weeks, I hope, will be enough reading time [just the right amount of pressure to keep bookring moving - and to help 2 BCers in our bookring hoping to read this before book group discussions.]
Let us know if you need more time.
- Enjoy the bookring and this great group of BCers! 

Journal Entry 4 by spuddossis from Garfield, New Jersey USA on Saturday, January 16, 2010

This arrived safely today, thanks for inviting me JDT, and also for the lovely postcard to add to my collection. :-) I'm about halfway through a book now & will start this upon finishing that. 

Journal Entry 5 by spuddossis from Garfield, New Jersey USA on Monday, February 08, 2010

Sorry this took so long....life came up and unfortunately slowed the reading process down. To be truthful I can't add anything to JDT's opinion here, it is spot on with mine,including that favorite line. I couldn't have put it more eloquently. Will contact istop4books right nowfor her address so I can get it out ASAP.
 

Journal Entry 6 by spuddossis from Garfield, New Jersey USA on Saturday, February 20, 2010

Mailed this out to istop4books on Feb.9th, and forgot to enter it here. 

Journal Entry 7 by istop4books from Mankato, Minnesota USA on Monday, February 22, 2010

It's Here!! We started to get just a tad bit worried when the book hadn't arrived, but it was in my mailbox today with 3 other books!! (Why do they all come together anyway?). I'm in the middle of one and this one is next, have to have it read by the 2nd Tuesday in March for book club! Thanks JDT for organizing and spuddossis for the lovely postcard which will be my bookmark for this book! 

Journal Entry 8 by istop4books from Mankato, Minnesota USA on Wednesday, March 10, 2010

On a scale from one to ten, I would need two different numbers to give to this book. The first 150 pages or so would get a resounding 2. The next 150 pages or so would get a 7 or 8.

A very brief synopsis: Renee is the concierge in a building of very well to do Parisians. Although from a very humble background, she is extremely intelligent and well versed in literature, art and music. She is a widow, somewhat plump, and quite invisible as a human being to the people who populate her world. Paloma is the 12 year old precocious daughter of one of the tenants of this building. She is intelligent but hides it, and spends much of her time writing Profound Thoughts in her journal, hating her sister, and plotting to burn down her apartment and commit suicide on her 13th birthday.

The issue with the first part of the book is that it is a bit overwritten with long expanses on philosophy which seem to be there for the sole purpose of showcasing the broad knowledge base of Renee.
From there the book and the characters begin to come to life as somewhere towards the middle of the book, a new tenant arrives to live in the building, a Japanese man named Kakuro Ozo. At this point, the storyline picks up and tends to move along, the characters begin to acquire a bit more depth and I began to feel as though I understood these characters and their torments and musings a little more. I feel like I know where the author was trying to go with this book, perhaps trying to showcase the fact that people are more than what they seem, that there is beauty in many objects, if we take the time to look, however in a stereotypical way, she characterized most of the upper class as people not worthy of being given a second look. Aside from Kakuro, ALL the tenants in the building were heartless, unfeeling, self-absorbed snobs.

After discussing this with the ladies of the book club (and out of 14, only 4 of us finished the book), one person made the comment that she felt the author wanted to bring across the message of being who you are in the moment because of the fragility and shortness of life, to not hide behind our flaws, weaknesses or attributes because all we have for sure is today and no one is guaranteed a tomorrow.

I've contacted leodog58 and the book will be mailed out tomorrow! Thanks so much JDT - I'm very glad I read the book. 

Journal Entry 9 by leodog58 from Haymarket, Virginia USA on Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Received this bookring selection today in the mail. Very excited to read this. Must finish Whitman bio first. Thanks to all participating! 

Journal Entry 10 by leodog58 from Haymarket, Virginia USA on Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Beauty and depth. This is one of the best books I have read in quite a while. The philosophical/life musings so in line with much of my thinking of late, it really resonated. My first thought upon completing the read was; "I must buy a copy of this book, because I will want to read this again." So now, off to the Post Office to send it on... 

Journal Entry 11 by valpete from Walnut Creek, California USA on Monday, April 05, 2010

This arrived today! I'm currently overwhelmed with Rings/Rays and book discussion books. I've discovered that I'll be out of town (in Hawaii for #2 son's wedding and #3 son's promotion to Colonel). So, please let me know if you'd like me to forward this to the next person on the list, and then I'll go to the bottom of the list. 

Journal Entry 12 by valpete at Walnut Creek, California USA on Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Released 1 yr ago (11/1/2010 UTC) at Walnut Creek, California USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Thanks for being patient. I enjoyed this book. 

Journal Entry 13 by msjoanna at Columbia, Missouri USA on Monday, November 08, 2010

This has arrived. I'm looking forward to reading it. Thanks for sharing! 

Journal Entry 14 by msjoanna at Columbia, Missouri USA on Friday, February 04, 2011

I really enjoyed this book that mixed some satire of French society with some philosophy and literary references that were fun and not so over my head as to be boring. This is the sort of book that's a bit hard to describe since it's mostly internal monologues of the two main characters rather than a plotted story. The two characters are a concierge of a ritzy Paris apartment building and one of the teenage girls who lives in the building. The concierge tells her story of secretly reading literature while trying to maintain an appearace of dull stupidity; the teenager plots her own suicide in a nicely done satire of teen angst.

I'll look for other books by this author.

Since I haven't been able to reach krl112, I'll be sending this home to JDT shortly. 

Journal Entry 15 by msjoanna at Columbia, Missouri USA on Sunday, February 13, 2011

Released 1 yr ago (2/11/2011 UTC) at Columbia, Missouri USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed home to JDT. Thanks for sharing this one with me. 

Journal Entry 16 by JDT at Pleasanton, California USA on Friday, February 18, 2011

Book safely home after a lovely year-long trip around the country!
Thanks to everyone in this bookring!

Continuing the journey, mailing to a reader in CO.
Enjoy!