Journal Entry 1 by Kernow8 from Southampton, Hampshire United Kingdom on Thursday, August 28, 2003

Journal Entry 2 by Kernow8 from Southampton, Hampshire United Kingdom on Thursday, September 11, 2003

Mailed today to blacksheeps99. Enjoy it! 

Journal Entry 3 by blacksheeps99 from not specified, not specified not specified on Monday, September 22, 2003

Received the book today and I´m reall looking forward to read it!!

Thanks a lot! 

Journal Entry 4 by blacksheeps99 from not specified, not specified not specified on Wednesday, September 24, 2003

I think it´s a great and "thrilling" book - I had to read it in one go. And now I really must read the other Jane Austen novels (Read only "Emma" so far) and I definately have to read Carol Shields books!

These brief excerpts guide and inform us of Austen's artistic achievement. They also suggest all manner of correlations between her art and personal life. This biography is an enjoyable read for the lover of Jane Austen novels. Written by an accomplished novelist, it sidesteps the droning tone and monotonous succession of facts that characterize most biographies. Instead, its short chapters tell a story that is both interesting in its own right and a worthwhile companion to a study of Jane Austen's literature.

Sent to Shylock today! I hope you´ll enjoy it!! 

Journal Entry 5 by Shylock from Skipton, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Thursday, October 02, 2003

Just received from Vienna this morning, thank you blacksheeps99. It's a lovely cover, can't wait to read it this weekend. 

Journal Entry 6 by Shylock from Skipton, North Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, October 06, 2003

Oh no, I'll have to put all Austen's works on the TBRagain pile-it's so long since I read them and Carol Shields has awakened the urge...I don't read many biographies, but found this very easy and interesting reading. It doesn't get bogged down in unnecessary facts & pseudo-analysis, but is deceiving in its simplicity. Would be a nice book to own. Thanks for sharing Kernow8.

Posting to Xana in Portugal today. 

Journal Entry 7 by Xana from Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Thursday, October 09, 2003

It arrived safetly. I'll post more when I finish reading it. 

Journal Entry 8 by Xana from Bruxelles / Brussel, Bruxelles / Brussel Belgium on Friday, October 31, 2003

Journal Entry 9 by PrairieFirefly from Ottawa, Ontario Canada on Sunday, November 02, 2003

I just recieved this in the mail, thanks Xana! I hope to get to it very soon (there is one other bookring book waiting ahead of it, but I am reading as fast as possible). I was speaking to a friend about how much I adored pride and prejudice the other day (I swoon at the mention of Mr. Darcy) and have a feeling that after I read this book I will need to pick it up again....sigh, so many good books, so little time :)  

Journal Entry 10 by PrairieFirefly from Ottawa, Ontario Canada on Saturday, November 29, 2003

This is a lovely book. It was wonderful to learn more about Jane Austen. I was surprised by how young she was when she wrote Pride and Prejudice, and I thoroughly enjoyed the author's insights into her motivations for writing - I certainly feel that I have developed a new appreciation for her work and look forward to re-reading her books again in the future. Thanks for sharing this read! On to the next reader this week.... 

Journal Entry 11 by Wandeca from Kitchener, Ontario Canada on Friday, December 05, 2003

Just received this book in today's mail. Thanks for sending it PrairieFirefly! And thanks Kernow8 for sharing...
I have two other books to read before I devote my time to Jane Austen, but in a week or so I'll be reading it... 

Journal Entry 12 by Wandeca from Kitchener, Ontario Canada on Friday, December 19, 2003

What a woderful little book! Every Austen lover should have this book, it's a wonderful companion to Jane Austen novels. It's made want to re-read P&P, S&S, Mansfield Park and Emma, my favorites....I didn't give the book a perfect 10 because it didn't have too much information of the author life -- no fault of Carol Shields.

Thank you so much for sharing, Kernow8!

I'll be mailing this book to caligula03 tomorrow. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 13 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Saturday, January 17, 2004

The book has arrived safe and sound. I will read it as soon as I can. 

Journal Entry 14 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Saturday, March 27, 2004

Carol Shields has deftly woven together literary analysis with biography in her reconstruction of the life and times of Jane Austen. Unfortunately I am not familiar enough with her books to fully appreciate this book. A true fan of Austen's works will enjoy this book a great deal I'm sure. 

Journal Entry 15 by caligula03 at on Saturday, March 27, 2004

Release planned for Saturday, April 03, 2004 at Karendawn in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

Mailing to Karendawn on Saturday. 

Journal Entry 16 by karendawn from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Tuesday, April 06, 2004

book arrived today. Thank you! I'm looking forward to reading this. I should be able to read it and get it back out in the next two weeks (though I do have a ton of grading to do within that time). 

Journal Entry 17 by karendawn from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Saturday, April 10, 2004

A nice blend of biography and literary criticism. I probably learned more about Austen's books that her life (having read other biographies), but I enjoyed Carol Shields's comments and easy-to-read narrative.

I've read all six of the major Austen books, so it was easy to follow what Sheilds was saying about them. I keep meaning to read some of the other writings, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Reading this book made me want to do so even more.

I should be able to send this book on Monday. 

Journal Entry 18 by karendawn at on Monday, April 12, 2004

Released on Monday, April 12, 2004 at Mailed to a fellow Bookcrosser in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

On its way to fsr44. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 19 by fsr44 from Pawtucket, Rhode Island USA on Sunday, April 18, 2004

Received yesterday. Will start it tomorrow and speed it on its way. Thank you! 

Journal Entry 20 by fsr44 from Pawtucket, Rhode Island USA on Thursday, April 22, 2004

A well written bio (as if I would expect anything less of Carol Shields) of one of my favorite authors. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Journal Entry 21 by fsr44 at n/a in n/a, By Post -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, April 22, 2004

Released on Thursday, April 22, 2004 at n/a in n/a, By Post Controlled Releases.

Sending to Hikingreader on a bookring. 

Journal Entry 22 by HikingReader from Las Vegas, Nevada USA on Tuesday, May 04, 2004

Package arrived safely and I will begin reading the book-THANKS! 

Journal Entry 23 by HikingReader from Las Vegas, Nevada USA on Tuesday, June 29, 2004

Though it took me a while to finally sit down and get into this book (blame it on summer and Milwaukee's busy weekends) I am so glad I got the chance. I loved Carol Shields take on the great author and learned quite a bit about Austen. Though this was not as "chunky" of a biography as I normally like to read (it's proportions are less epic) it certainly lit a spark in me to get out the old paperback copies of my favorite Austen novels. Thanks for offering this in a bookring! 

Journal Entry 24 by Antof9 from Lakewood, Colorado USA on Thursday, July 15, 2004

YAY! I'm in the Jane ring :) Thanks, kernow8, for being willing to share this. It arrived today with a little hitchhiker. Can't wait to read this. I'm thinking I'll move my "P&P annual re-read" to the top of TBR after this :)

HikingReader included the cutest postcard *ever* - a pic of a baby Black Bear. Thanks lots!

P.S. this well-travelled little book is in remarkable shape -- BXers sure do take care of their books! 

Journal Entry 25 by Antof9 from Lakewood, Colorado USA on Sunday, July 18, 2004

It doesn't happen to me very often, but I have to look up a word in this book! In the beginning of Chapter 8, the author uses "palimpsest". Please tell me I'm not the only one going for the Webster's right now :)

Still reading. . .

Update:

Palimpsest: (lit., rubbed again) a parchment that has been written upon previously and that bears traces of the imperfectly erased texts.

Here's how it was used: "Pride and Prejudice can be seen as a palimpsest, with Jane Austen's real life engraved, roughly, enigmatically, beneath its surface. 

Journal Entry 26 by Antof9 from Lakewood, Colorado USA on Monday, July 19, 2004

First, thank you, thank you for sharing this book with me! I have been a fan of Jane since I first got P&P sometime between the 3rd and 6th grades. Of course, at the time I had no idea it was "classic literature" -- I just loved it! And have loved it over and over again for many years. I really will be re-reading that again soon. Haven't come across my copy of Emma yet, and am thinking about going in search of a new one!

Thank you, too, for introducing me to Carol Shields -- I even found the Prologue entertaining ". . .the Jane Austen Society of North America, an organization that comprises some of the world's most respected Austen scholars, as well as rank amateurs, like ourselves. . . . There is only minimal incense burning at these meetings, and no attempt to trivialize Jane Austen's pronouncements and mockingly bring her into our contemporary midst. . . (Wherever three or four come together in Jane Austen's name, there is bound to be a trivia quiz.. .)"

I love it that scholars and fans ". . .can't even agree on what to call her. . . . 'Jane' itself feels too familiar an address to apply to the adult writer . . .Ms Austen is unthinkable. Miss Austen? No! (Cassandra, as the older sister, claims that title.) Austen on its own possesses an indelicacy; we know, somehow, that she would have been offended."

One of the reasons I know why we like Jane so much -- "And, at the same time, she was reading. Everything we know about the family tells us that her reading was likely to have been unsupervised and random. Her father's bookshelves would have been open to her, and probably this good-hearted, busy man did not trouble to direct her choices. There existed very little that might be called children's writing, and so she plunged directly into the adult world of letters." This, about someone whose formal education stopped at the age of 11!

For some reason, this description of her family delights me -- perhaps because my family is so sarcastic and witty? "We can only guess that parody was the family flavour, and that the Austens were proud citizens of a satirical age."

Knowing some of the authors we have in residence on BookCrossing, I couldn't help but chuckle at this part: "There is a joke among novelists that in order to initiate strong action or to revive a wilting narrative it is only necessary to say: 'And so a stranger came to town.'" How 'bout it fsr44? Have you ever used that particular device?

I found this book so interesting, and of course it made me want to read Sense & Sensibility (why have I never?) and find other Jane writing. Although the inscription on her tomb doesn't mention her books, we know and love them, and that's what has lasted. The tribute on her tomb is indeed beautiful: "The benevolence of her heart, the sweetness of her temper, and the extraordinary endowments of her mind obtained the regard of all who knew her, and the warmest love of her intimate connections."

I'm now also interested in finding more out about Carol Shields. Sigh. . . .just something else to add to TBR!

On to laurarn as soon as I get an addy!

Thanks again, kernow8 -- this really was a treat. 

Journal Entry 27 by Antof9 from Lakewood, Colorado USA on Friday, July 23, 2004

Sent to laurarn today while mailing this and releasing this.

Note: some very thrifty BXers have used and re-used the almost indestructible envelope this arrived in. In fact, someone wrote a note on it to open it carefully so it could be re-used! I'm impressed. My dilemma was that I didn't know if the envelope went with this book, or the "hitchhiker". Deciding that this had a little bit more value, I'm assuming the good envelope goes with this book :)

Anyway, it's on its merry way! Laurarn -- thanks for PMing me until I got it!

P.S. to Xana -- going to look at Pemberley.com now 

Journal Entry 28 by Antof9 from Lakewood, Colorado USA on Monday, June 06, 2005

I just sent a PM to shpriz1, to see if she's still interested in this ring. Look what I found!

If we do revive the ring, I'll put the new BCID in a journal entry (here) temporarily, so you can all go comment there enough to get the new journal alerts for subsequent ring members.

LLJ!

(Long Live Jane!) 

Journal Entry 29 by Antof9 from Lakewood, Colorado USA on Monday, June 06, 2005

YAY! Ring Revival :) I've already heard from shpriz1, so I'll be packing the book up for New York in a day or two.

Thanks again to kernow8 for introducing me to this book!
 

Journal Entry 30 by amoenus from Tulsa, Oklahoma USA on Friday, September 23, 2005

I know this is going to sound completly unbelievable, but I just got this book from my neighbor. (It is a rent house) and the new person who moved in said they found this on the top shelf of a closet, after previous people moved out. It was still in the envelope (addressed to me) so he brought it over. I will start reading RIGHT THIS MINUTE and PM person who started ring. 

Journal Entry 31 by amoenus from Tulsa, Oklahoma USA on Wednesday, September 28, 2005

I enjoyed reading this book. I have read some of Jane Austen's works, but never any biography on her. This is a good introductory one. It does have several typo's in it. Which is strange that I noticed because I am not a good proof reader! Also there was one description of Nokobov (Lotlita) where Shields says that He said that "reality was the one word in the english language that always needs quotes around it." What he wrote in Lolita is that "reality is a word that means nothing without the quotes." To me, she took a powerful phrase and made it seem acedemic. (But I guess it is hard to parapharase Nokobov, he is such a powerful writer.) I am finished with the book and am waiting to see who to send it to next. I will PM "ring leader". 

Journal Entry 32 by BlueAmazon from Gaithersburg, Maryland USA on Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Arrived today - i'm so excited! Thanks for the ring - will get to it straight away. 

Journal Entry 33 by BlueAmazon from Gaithersburg, Maryland USA on Thursday, October 13, 2005

having a hard time getting into this - though that may have been related to my work's golf tournament on the 10th. I will try again and, if not, send it on. I have the next person's address already. 

Journal Entry 34 by BlueAmazon from Gaithersburg, Maryland USA on Thursday, October 13, 2005

Tried again. It is a lovely book, with a charming feel, though I did feel about halfway through that I was reading the same thing again and again - it may just be the 'evenness' of the tone.

Sending on on 10/14//05. Thanks!
USPS delivery conf. # is 0304 3490 0000 7239 3812

thanks for making this a ring! 

Journal Entry 35 by tobysrus from Cambridge, Massachusetts USA on Sunday, November 06, 2005

So sorry for the lateness in journaling this book. I saw BlueAmazon's journal entry that this was sent to me awhile back. I checked the delivery notice and saw it was signed for on October 22. I collect my mail at The UPS Store. I went there today and asked if I had a package that arrived, since they signed for it on October 22. Low and behold, they found the package. They apologized profusely and so do I. I will read and release this quickly! Many thanks! 

Journal Entry 36 by tobysrus from Cambridge, Massachusetts USA on Monday, November 28, 2005

Great book! I really enjoyed it. Fast and easy read. I found it fascinating that some of the plot lines mimic experiences in her life and in her sister's. I have read most of Jane Austen's books, but knew nothing about her before this book. Reminds me I still need to read Northanger Abbey. I have e-mailed lycidas116 and will get this in the mail as soon as I hear from her. Cheers! 

Journal Entry 37 by tobysrus at USPS in Postal Mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (11/30/2005 UTC) at USPS in Postal Mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to lycidas116. Thanks Kernow8 for hosting this bookring!! 

Journal Entry 38 by lycidas116 on Sunday, December 11, 2005

This was a great little read. The author made a few too many suppositions about JA, but over all it was pretty good.