Journal Entry 1 by Lijay from Belfast, Co. Antrim United Kingdom on Friday, August 22, 2003

This is a story of one woman's quest after the first world war to find out what happened to her fiance during the war. I am afraid I was unable to join her on that quest as I found the story to be slow and rather difficult to read....a quote by anita brookner says the reader is alternately impressed, beguiled, frightened, bewildered....frankly I was only bewildered. 

Journal Entry 2 by Lijay from Belfast, Co. Antrim United Kingdom on Thursday, March 31, 2005

requested by GateGypsy 

Journal Entry 3 by GateGypsy from Whitehorse, Yukon Canada on Wednesday, April 20, 2005

arrived in the mail yesterday, hurrah!
 

Journal Entry 4 by GateGypsy from Whitehorse, Yukon Canada on Thursday, October 13, 2005

So, I stayed up very very late last night because I was determined to finish reading this novel. I'd just recently watched the movie, and though I had other books I'd committed to reading that needed to be read and passed on with relative expediency, I decided to read it while the movie was still fresh in my mind. I'm glad I did, too. Though there are quite a few big differences, the majority of the story, and it's purpose, is the same. In the movie, Matilde is orphaned, in the book, she is not. In the movie she is lame due to a bout of polio when she was young, in the book it was not polio that put her in a wheelchair. The story of the book is mainly told via the medium of letters, which is a device I personally adore *laughs* -- but in the movie they changed some of it to items. Also, in the book, this is indeed a VERY LONG engagement -- the story spans nearly a decade -- whereas in the movie it takes less than half that time. I was especially pleased that the director's commentary on the DVD I rented was subtitled in English, so I am privy to the reasoning he used to make changes like that. I am willing to accept his reasons *laughs* I thoroughly enjoyed both the book and the movie, and have decided to offer up my copy of this particular book in a bookring so others may get a chance to enjoy it, too *grins* 

Journal Entry 5 by GateGypsy from Whitehorse, Yukon Canada on Tuesday, October 25, 2005

I'm sending this book off on a bookring journey! Due to special requests by various ring participants, this book is going to make several crosses of the globe before it finishes its trip. Here is the order:

Vunna (Bulgaria, will ship internationally)
Ebumu (USA, will ship int'l)
hetku (Finland, int'l OK)
piemunga (Australia, int'l OK)
woosang (Australia)

Then home to me (in Canada by then!)

This copy has left Japan as of October 25th on its way to Vunna. I hope you all enjoy it! 

Journal Entry 6 by Vunna from Sofia, Sofiya-Grad Bulgaria on Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Here is a book that sure had a very long journey!
I wasn't almost given up hope, I was given up hope completely!
I even wrote PM to GateGypsy to ask what to do when all these people are waiting for a book that doesn't arrive.
But - finally - I got it and I'll read it as fast as I could in order to mail it on sooner. 

Journal Entry 7 by Vunna at to a bookcrosser in sent by mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, March 27, 2006

Released 6 yrs ago (3/27/2006 UTC) at to a bookcrosser in sent by mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

I liked it very much and now it goes on its way to Emubu in the USA
Bon Voyage!