Journal Entry 1 by suzen from Montreuil, Ile-de-France France on Friday, July 25, 2003

I've never gotten around to reading this and am not in the mood for it now. I'll release it soon if no one asks for it. 

Journal Entry 2 by suzen at Bureau de Poste Montreuil Principal in Montreuil, Ile-de-France France on Sunday, July 27, 2003

Release planned for Monday, July 28, 2003 at La Poste in Montreuil, Seine Saint Denis France.

I'm mailing this to psychjo. 

Journal Entry 3 by psychjo from Bristol, not specified not specified on Tuesday, August 05, 2003

Just received this from Suzen - thanks! Will read after I've finished my current book....

Jo 

Journal Entry 4 by psychjo from Bristol, not specified not specified on Thursday, September 04, 2003

Have just finished reading this - a very engrossing read. The book tells the story from the perspective of the three main characters. It's the story of two couples, and their relationships with each other. You gradually hear how the characters lives are intertwined, how they see relationships and how their family and other history has shaped their approach to life. Not the most cheerful read I guess - how some people become manipulative and manipulated in relationships, so seems a bit distant from my own experience. Glad I read it, and whizzed though it wanting to know how it would all turn out. 

Journal Entry 5 by psychjo from Bristol, not specified not specified on Wednesday, January 14, 2004

I sent this to Hawkette in Australia a while ago (December?) and forgot to add this entry until now.... 

Journal Entry 6 by Hawkette from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Monday, March 01, 2004

Has arrived in Australia - thanks psychjo!
The blurb sounds very intriging! 

Journal Entry 7 by Hawkette from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Thursday, March 15, 2007

What an unhappy book, about a collection of unhappy people! Two couples, in tormoil in their relationships, find their lives helplessly intertwinned.

Elizabeth is a manipulative, self centered woman, who as the reader, I never warmed to. Felt sorry for Nate and Lesja - but really, as two ineffectual people, they really went along for Elizabeth's ride!

Pulled in by the story revealed about Chris, and more and more details of these couples emerged through the book, cleverly pulling you in to se what happens to them all. 

Journal Entry 8 by Hawkette from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Thursday, March 15, 2007

This is a book that has been sitting on my shelf for a long time. I decided to read it, and then send it out on a bookray! I have collected names from Cliff1976's wishlists, and posted on the forum.

The list so far....

theadi (Aus - aus only)
hunnyb (Aus - Inter)
Drusillamac (Scotland - anywhere)
voveryte (Lithuania - EU only)
boirina (Portugal - EU preferred)
Elsita (Portugal - anywhere)
stellamaris23 (Spain)
Flicki (Germany - anywhere)
Maurean (USA - prefer US or Canada)
Aisling78 (USA)
Rains-Arms (USA - prefer US) 

Journal Entry 9 by theadi from Caulfield North, Victoria Australia on Thursday, March 22, 2007

Hooray!
Another Atwood!
Looking forward to this one.

A warning though - this may take me a little while to get through as it's one of three bookrings to arrive in two days (please don't let there be any more in todays mail!) and I have a bunch of assignments due in the next couple of weeks. I'll get it moving again as soon as I can.

Thanks Hawkette! 

Journal Entry 10 by theadi from Caulfield North, Victoria Australia on Friday, October 05, 2007

Oh my goodness, have I really had this one since March?!?
I'll finish reading it as quickly as possible and send it on to hunnyb.
How embarrassing! 

Journal Entry 11 by theadi from Caulfield North, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Well, I've finally read the book! I apologise for holding up the ring - I actually thought I'd lost the book at one point and was getting ready to buy a replacement. I've PMed hunnyb and have already heard back, so I'll wander around to the post office shortly to get the book moving again.

What did I think of the book? I enjoyed it - I'm yet to encounter a work by Atwood that I don't enjoy - and I thought it was very well written, but this one didn't pull me in. Whenever I was reading it I mentally kicked myself for not picking it up again sooner, yet it just wasn't sparking with me. I'm not sure what the problem was.
I found Lesje really appealing to begin with, but by the end she was starting to annoy me. Nate frustrated me, and I think it's because of him that I stopped liking Lesje so much. Elizabeth... I just hope that if I ever meet someone like her, she's not my lover's wife!
A tale of wretched, unhappy people making each other more wretched and unhappy. Not an uplifting book, but a good one! 

Journal Entry 12 by hunnyb from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, November 15, 2007

Received today, thanks all! :) I've really enjoyed the Atwood novels I've read so far so I'm looking forward to reading this one. 

Journal Entry 13 by hunnyb from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, November 21, 2007

A very well crafted book with intriguing characters. Their behaviour reminded me of the movie "Closer" (which is based on a play, I think?) - how manipulative they all were, how they used the children as pawns, their relationships with more minor characters like Nate's mother and Martha. Enjoyed it a lot (although the ending is somewhat frustrating in its suspense!!)

Drusillamac's bookshelf says to skip her for any bookrings, so I'll PM voveryte. Thanks for sharing! :) 

Journal Entry 14 by voveryte from Rotherhithe, Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, December 13, 2007

The book was waiting for me after I came back from holidays! TBR, thanks hunnyb!

ETA 05 May, 2008; didn't have a chance to write a proper journal entry back then, so here it is now.

Atwood's books and characters are always so intriguing. This one was simple in the beginning, but then you realise how complex life is and I am so happy that I didn't get a chance to have such people in my life. They all seem so annoying to me that I think there's no wonder they all are so unhappy. I think both Elizabeth and Lesje are manipulative and Nate is a man without a spine and this is what made their fates twist so unatractively. 

Journal Entry 15 by boirina from Calvià, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares Spain on Wednesday, January 30, 2008

The book got here safely today. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 16 by boirina from Calvià, Illes Balears/Islas Baleares Spain on Friday, May 02, 2008

The book is leaving for stellamaris23 today. Elsita asked to be skipped, and I thought I would travel to Spain and would be able to give the book to stellamaris in person, but this won't happen in at least two weeks, so I'd rather send the book.
Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 17 by stellamaris23 from Oviedo/Uviéu, Asturies/Asturias Spain on Saturday, September 13, 2008

I got the book. I read it and enjoyed a lot. 

Journal Entry 18 by Flicki from Emden, Niedersachsen Germany on Monday, October 06, 2008

Hey, this one arrived! Sorry in advance: This is going to take a little time because I'm going to move this weekend. Hope that's not a problem for anyone - if it is, please drop a PM! Thanks for sending, Stella!


 

Journal Entry 19 by Flicki at Emden, Niedersachsen Germany on Saturday, February 18, 2012

Noticed I have two copies of this book! So I'm sending one off to Dublin. Bye-bye!  

Journal Entry 20 by rotewoelfin at Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Sunday, March 04, 2012

Got it with a bunch of others - going to take it with me to Dublin :) 

Journal Entry 21 by rotewoelfin at Camden Court Hotel in Dublin, Co. Dublin Ireland on Sunday, April 08, 2012

Released 1 mo ago (4/13/2012 UTC) at Camden Court Hotel in Dublin, Co. Dublin Ireland

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

On a Convention table :)