Another book I acquired in one of those 3 for the price of 2 offers and one I'm looking forward to reading.

What do you do when you briefly hold in your hand and then lose a legendary book reputed to contain the secret name of God which will protect you against the pending Apocalypse? If you're anything like Balthasar, the hero of this one, you kick yourself and then go chasing it around Europe.

It took a few dozen pages to get into but after that I was hooked and thoroughly enjoyed it. An easy to read but erudite novel which left me wondering what became of a number of the other characters he met on his travels. This is the first book I've read by Maalouf but it certainly won't be the last.

Sent by post today to Skyrider. The bookring is afoot!

It's arrived — that was fast!

I know they say that you can't judge a book by its cover, but I love the jacket artwork. Let's hope I like the book as much. I'll journal my thoughts when I'm done.

Well, I thought this was a splendid book, but it's maddeningly difficult to jot down any thoughts on it without spoiling it for people who haven't read it yet. This is mainly because incidents which happen keep throwing the main protagonist (a collector of curios called Balthasar Embriaco) in an entirely different direction — to describe what happens halfway through the book gives away what has happened a quarter way through. Unfortunately the rubric on the back of the book hasn't been well thought out in this regard and gives away one of Balthasar's destinations which it would be better not to know in advance.

So if I can't preçis the story, what can I say about it? Well, Maalouf manages to skillfully interweave elements of a historical romance, a swashbuckling adventure and an insightful philosophical treatise into a single tome, and manages to do it in such a way that you can pick and choose which of these elements you want to dwell on. The language is lyrical and the historical and mythical references demonstrate how well-read the author is — but he manages to do this without either being heavy or showing off. There is the odd anachonism which grates a bit (would a seventeenth century salesman really talk about the smell of ozone?) but these may well be artefacts of translation (the book was originally written in French).

Maalouf is a meticulous observer of human nature — so many of the details he provides make his account feel true to life, yet these are the same small details that most of us miss in everyday existence.

It also seems very appropriate that a BookCrossing book begins with the main character chasing a book across half the known world!

So Balthasar's Odyssey gets two thumbs up. If I had three hands, it would get a third but for now two and a toe will have to do.

I'll be sending it on to gerenggat later today.

Just come back from a long weekend in Norway, and there is a bookcrossing book waiting for me. Thanks Skyrider and Fellraven :-)

What an interesting book! I thoroughly enjoyd reading this book, even though I found the diary format sometimes didn't give me enough information about the different characters Balthasar meets on his journey. I liked very much how the book is able to show that even a learned man with common sense scepticism can fall victim to doubts and rumours if there are only enough people around him who are frightend and easily influenced. I suppose that this has always been the case with mankind?
Thank you Fellraven for sharing this book. I think this story will make me think for some time to come :-)

Released on Wednesday, July 07, 2004 at Surface mail in Controlled Release, Controlled Release Controlled Releases.

Posted to Sweden.

The book came in my mail today. Thanks for sending the book and thanks for the nice postcard gerenggat! Carpe Diem!

A fascinating tale and what a journey! Read the book and enjoy! Sending it to nightstar in Belgium this week.

thanks ecmwfinswe!
for the book and for the postcard ;)

the book arrived safely and I already started reading a little

Received safely back from Nightstar in Belgium (many thanks!) and now destined for an international bookray starting Down Under.

Usual rules apply:

1. PM me with your location and postal preferences if you wish to take part. Please be prepared to ship internationally (surface mail is perfectly OK). I will try to accommodate anyone who has problems with sending international post, but if the problem cannot be resolved you may not be able to join the bookray.

2. Read and forward the book within 4 weeks of receipt if possible, otherwise 6 weeks.

3. Journal the book on receipt, again with your review when you've finished reading it and finally when you post it to the next reader. If anything crops up to delay your reading it within the expected timeframe (eg, illness, family crisis etc) please make another entry so everyone knows what's going on.

Participants

1. Ada2 (North Avoca, NSW)
2. miss-gonewest (Perth, WA)
3. sabavana (Sydney, NSW)
4. SweetPetunia (Sydney, NSW)
5. Catsalive (Sydney, NSW)
6. Auglaise (Cardiff, UK)
7. Beloved49 (Lynbrook, NY, USA)
8. pjmom8025 (Brooklyn Park, MN, USA)
9. elf-all-alones (Henderson, NC, USA)
10. sqdancer (Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada)
11. Rico-Verde (Leesburg, FL, USA) <--- This ray completed (22nd August 2006)

Posted to Ada2 by Printed Papers Airmail today. Should arrive within a week or so. Enjoy!

How exciting to be first on this bookray!

I've been wanting to read this book for a very long time, so I can't wait! I have a couple in line before it, but shouldn't be too long......

Despite my very best intentions I have not been able to finish this book. It's terrific, and what I've read I've really enjoyed, but I have so much other stuff on that I have little reading time and I'm feeling pressured and anxious about holding up bookrays! So I'm sending it on to miss-gonewest as soon as I have her details.
Thanks Fellraven for sharing. Sorry I haven't been able to participate as well as I would have liked!

Little Balthasar has landed safely in my mailbox - many thanks to Ada2 for posting him on. And many thanks for the post-it note on the back cover hiding the spoilers - I will really appreciate that once I start reading this.

I have one book to finish and another in front of this, but thanks to the weather gods, it could be a great weekend for reading as we are expecting "thundery showers" all weekend!

Thanks for letting me be part of this ring - I'll be back with my thoughts.

Update 26th May:
Just to let you all know that I still have this book & still have yet to complete it... I am so sorry for holding it up, but I have just had a few busy weeks at work that have prevented me from enjoying snuggly nights in with this book (so rude, I know!).

I am a third of the way through & enjoying it very much - I will try to get through the rest of it this weekend and have it back on its travels soon.


Update 10th June:
Look, I am just not meant to read this book!!! After delaying with it, I have just found myself in the midst of a relationship breakup and no matter how much I want to read this, I just can't settle down and enjoy it. So rather than hold it up any longer, I am passing it along to the next reader. I am hoping to have another chance to read this if it ever travels back Down Under.

I will post this along asap. So sorry for holding it up!

Received safe and sound in my mailbox today - thanks for posting miss-gonewest :-)
This is for OH to read, will ask him to write a review when he's done.

I usually avoid 'journal' or 'diary' fiction, and now I remember why.
An interesting premise, but I didn't really enjoy the book. Our Hero and most of his supporting cast are somewhat hard to get to like, and whilst I'm sure Maalouf has painted an accurate picture of life in the 17th century, I found the narrative boring as well.
Sabavana's OH.

Apologies for holding onto this book longer than usual, it'll be on it's way to SweetPetunia tomorrow.

It seems that my journal entry about receiving this book didn't 'register' on the site as was pointed out by Sabavana today, so here it is.

Received last week, Wednesday 31st August, I think.

I have to agree with Sabavana's OH, I am not enjoying this story much at all, in fact, after reading the first few chapters I skipped right to the end. I won't hold up this book's travels. As soon as I received an address from Catsalive Balthasar will continue his Odyssey.

One of four bookrings to arrive today. It must be Monday. Just when I thought I was catching up too. Sigh!

I have tried but I just can't get into this. I've managed 100 pages & I'm not going to force myself any further. Balthasar will be better of with someone who appreciates him more so I have PMd Auglaise & will send him on as soon as I receive an address.

Thanks for the opportunity Fellraven.

Posted to Auglaise this morning.

Received last week, but didn't get a chance to journal. Am almost finished, and really enjoying it so far!

I really enjoyed this, although I didn't find it very easy to get into. I think part of that was that I'd just finished reading the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books by Laurell K. Hamilton and they're very very different books from this one.

Thank you for letting me read it!

12/12/05 This is a ring book received from UK, fellow member FellRaven. Looks good.

Sorry it took me so long to finish this wonderful book but with baking and shopping for Christmas....
I was hooked from the beginning. I feel as if I've been around the world looking for , what else, Books. Balthasar could have been a member of BC. I'll let you figure that one out for yourself. A very easy and interesting book. Thanks for sharing Fellraven
I am waiting for pjmom8025 address. Then it's off to MD.

Balthasar journey ended in my mail box. I will read it soon as I have one book ahead of it. I hope to have a better relationship than others.

I haven't quite finished this yet. I am finding Balthasar's odyssey to be too long. I have about 50 pages left. I have for the most part enjoyed the trip, but Maalouf slowed down the progress towards the end.

I am planning on shipping it to the next participant by Friday.

This just arrived in the mail. I am looking froward to reading it. It must be the medieval Islam week because my mother is reading Vathek, but that is further south and
earlier and written by an English man. Funny how things collide.

The pages around 233 are getting loose. Shall we tape or let them be.

We enjoyed this book very much. I will say more later, as will elf; however now we are battling a willful computer that has been loaned to us since ours died.

Mostly, right now my goal is to get the book back on its way.

More! We loved this book. What an adventure.
For some reason I was reminded of An Instance of the Fingerpost. The book is such a rich tapestry of adventure, quest, love and lore that it is hard to know what to say. A real treat.

RELEASE NOTES:

This was actually released a while ago, but computer was and and down so I didn't do this. I am surprised it hasn't reached its new lodgings and am becoming worried.

Has arrived safe and sound. I'll start on it tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing, Fellraven.

---------------

Very enjoyable. Another book that I probably would have missed out on without bookcrossing!

Got it today. 80 pages in and enjoying it very much. Thanks Fellraven et al.
...
Finished today. Enjoyed it very much. Found it easy to read, compelling and fun. A good, light adventure story with fascinating historical context. I would certainly read another by Maalouf. Recommended.
Note: There seems to be a mistake (of sorts) on the map. The Scutari that Balthazar visits is not the Albanian one. See wikipedia enty: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutari

The odyssey continues:

1. cestmoi
2. lauraloo29
3. dagett
4. Alvhyttan
5. clw204
6. Mochagirl