Journal Entry 1 by miss-jo from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Monday, December 14, 2009

From the back of the book: "In Dublin, a newspaper editor called Cartwright is found dead. One of his colleagues, Owen Simmons, discovers a dossier on Cartwright's desk. And in the dossier Owen finds a photograph that brings him back, once again, to a dusty road in Africa and to the woman he once loved ...
Not Untrue and Not Unkind is Owen's story - a gripping story of friendship, rivalry and guilt amongst a group of journalists and photographers covering Africa's wars. A remarkably assured and mature debut...".

Bought as part of the 2009 Booker challenge. I think we all know the 'rules' by now; feel free to change the order as necessary.
miss-jo
goodthinkingmax
jubby
tqd
Fleebo
FreePages
livrecache
star-light
Sujie 

Journal Entry 2 by miss-jo from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, December 17, 2009

Booker's off to a flying start this year for me as I really enjoyed this. It took me a while to get started, but then the writing drew me in and got me hooked. Books about Africa seem to come in two forms: the lyrical tale of nature's beauty or the harsh tale of man's humanity to man. This one inclined to the latter, but didn't neglect the beauty. It also made me feel like I could understand the addictiveness of Africa and the lifestyle of those who drift through and observe.

My favourite sentence: "...only in chess do people resign when they know things are hopeless. In life we use up all our pieces first." 

Journal Entry 3 by goodthinkingmax from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Thanks miss-jo for the quick delivery. I will begin reading it soon. Happy Christmas! 

Journal Entry 4 by goodthinkingmax from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Monday, March 15, 2010

Just wanted to check in and say I do still have this book. I have picked it up numerous times and started reading it but then put it aside. I will give it another shot before passing it on! 

Journal Entry 5 by jubby from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Friday, April 09, 2010

Greetings and salutations.

This book passed into my care two days ago over lunch with Goodthinkingmax and a few others, who are all enjoying the Easter break.

Hoping to dive into this one soon, and to pass it along to TQD before heading back for term 2.
Thank you. 

Journal Entry 6 by jubby from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, April 29, 2010

Well, I didn't get this one read in the time I was hoping, and like those before me, I did find it a bit hard to get into.

The main character Owen wasn't the easiest to warm to, and I did find myself a bit distracted at first, but like Miss-Jo points out the writing is well crafted, and before long I was into it (but then pressed for time!).

Middle aged journalist, contemplating his time as a foreign correspondent during civil strive in a far flung place. Hmm. Remind you of another story? I've not even read 'The quiet American' but found myself making the mental note to read it soon, to make comparisons.

The synchronicity of reading this shortly after a couple of Muriel Spark books (she lived in Africa when first married, and converted to Catholicism later in life, which meant much of her writing had a moral slant), made me wonder about the purpose of Owen's journalism and being in Africa. Was he there to spice up his life, or, to bear witness as it were, and to report the news to a greater world audience?

As a journalist he didn't seem to know himself, and at times idly watched as brutal acts happened around him, and at other times risked his own life for others. An intriguing dilemma, and wonderfully crafted story that I am still thinking about.

I can definitely see why this was nominated for the Booker Prize, but after reading 'Brooklyn', can see why it didn't win. I've yet to read 'Wolf Hall', so can only surmise that it's brilliant!

Thank you for sharing this book Miss-Jo. 

Journal Entry 7 by jubby at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, April 29, 2010

Released 1 yr ago (4/30/2010 UTC) at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Dropping off for TQD after work. 

Journal Entry 8 by tqd from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Friday, April 30, 2010

Turned up mysteriously in the mailbox last night. Thanks Jubby! 

Journal Entry 9 by tqd at Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, November 20, 2010

Cynical and world-weary journalists covering conflicts in Africa, and juggling love and sex and addiction to the adrenalin? thrill? pressure? Ed O'Loughlin is writing about what he knows, and the verisimilitude shines through. Although not all of us know that much about Africa, so I was quite lost at times.

I usually don't mind being thrown in the deep end with my fiction, but this one did need a few signposts (it's not until 2/3s of the way through that I found out which decade it was set in). And the jumping about in time just confused me (hang on, isn't he dead? Oh, not yet?). Nothing wrong with some chapter titles with some *information* in them.

I liked the cynicism of the characters, at the same time as not liking the cynicism of the characters. They were amusing with their bitchy comments about foreign aid and the U.N., but at the same time I was appalled - tell me it isn't so!

It was actually a rather good book, but the frustrations just wore me down by the end.

I'll see if I can pass this on to Fleebo, next time I see her. 

Journal Entry 10 by Fleebo at Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, November 25, 2010

I enjoyed this, and found it pretty easy reading despite the subject matter. However, I had to agree with the snippet on the back of the cover - that Cartwright could just as easily be left out of it. Owen's "secret" wasn't much of one, and I was not convinced that it could have ruined his career, as implied. Maybe I misunderstood just how backstabbing and fickle journalism is.
The detachment of the journalists and photographers in the face of massacre is probably realistic and necessary but it makes them kind of inhuman... when a corpse in the road is maybe worth a couple of photos, but otherwise you just gun the motor and swerve, because there's no story to sell.
On to FreePages next. 

Journal Entry 11 by FreePages at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Sunday, January 02, 2011

Whoops- the end of 2010 was just a bit crazy and so I forgot to journal one or two books. My New Years Resolution - to catch up with my reading. I might be up to some dark books and peaking at the JEs this looks like a quick read might put it towards the top of Mount Toobie in 2011.
Thanks for sending it on Fleebo and thanks to miss-jo for the ring :)  

Journal Entry 12 by FreePages at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Monday, January 09, 2012

Released 1 mo ago (1/9/2012 UTC) at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia

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Posted this one to star-light tonight with one other.
Enjoy :) 

Journal Entry 13 by star-light at Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Caught! Thanks FreePages. It's been a long time since I have had a Booker book and I look forward to reading this one.