A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

by Dave Eggers | Biographies & Memoirs |
ISBN: 0676973655 Global Overview for this book
Registered by Catwoman of Sherwood Park, Alberta Canada on 1/14/2004
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This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!
8 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by Catwoman from Sherwood Park, Alberta Canada on Wednesday, January 14, 2004
I've read this before. Found this duplicate copy at a used book sale. It's trade paperback, in great condition.

Journal Entry 2 by Catwoman at on Tuesday, February 3, 2004
Released on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 at Mailed to a fellow Bookcrosser in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

Sent to karendawn today.

Journal Entry 3 by karendawn from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Tuesday, February 17, 2004
The book arrived today. Thank you for sharing it!

Journal Entry 4 by karendawn from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Monday, May 24, 2004
The bookring is now (May 31, 2005) complete. Thank you everyone!!

Participants:
Rutchmather - Illinois
newk - Australia
Zarylia - Poland
lyssrose - Texas
katilo - Illinois
Back to me - karendawn - Texas

Journal Entry 5 by karendawn at on Tuesday, June 1, 2004
Released on Tuesday, June 01, 2004 at Mailed to a fellow Bookcrosser in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

traveling to Illinois

Journal Entry 6 by Rutchmather from Rock Island, Illinois USA on Saturday, June 5, 2004
This book came gasping to my P.O. Box today. As quickly as I could I cut the envelope away from the covers so the book could -breathe- : what tight packaging this had :) This is the back cover: printed upside down from the way we usually see them.

I'm going to like this one, I think. There is one before it, but I generally have 3 or 4 books going at a time so it shouldn't be too long.
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Update June 27
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After wading through 40 pages of Acknowledgments and the first chapter I figured I'd had enough of this. Must not be my genre. This week it goes across a pond or two to more fruitfull ground, perhaps.

Journal Entry 7 by newk from Adelaide, South Australia Australia on Monday, September 6, 2004
It made it across the large pond and it is now in Australia. Adelaide, the capital of South Australia to be exact. I too have had trouble with this style of book but will give it a rhg (red hot go).
It is second in line.

Journal Entry 8 by newk from Adelaide, South Australia Australia on Monday, September 6, 2004
Naughty newk forgot to thank catwoman, karendawn and rutchmather.

Journal Entry 9 by newk from Adelaide, South Australia Australia on Wednesday, September 15, 2004
The writing style is not grabbing me either. I will try a bit longer but have just PMed the BXer two up as next in line asks to be skipped.
Hope you are all well and that peace and sensible weather reigns in your part of the world

Journal Entry 10 by newk from Adelaide, South Australia Australia on Saturday, September 18, 2004
life has got very busy, both real life and Bxing life. I could not get into this book. I tried and maybe another time will try again with another copy. But best if it travels on to Poland I think.
Thanks again to catwoman and karendawn for sharing and organising and I am really sorry I could not write more.
Bye all.
Posted at Prospect Post Office just as they were closing. Economy air. Three or four weeks at the most.

Journal Entry 11 by Zarylia from Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Warsaw/Poland - The book has arrived! And with a lovely postcard from newk as well! To be honest, this may take me awhile to get through as I've got 4 other bookrings waiting, and they're not exactly the smallest books either. We've got a break next week though so anything is possible. I'll keep you posted. Thanks!

Journal Entry 12 by Zarylia from Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Tuesday, March 1, 2005
Warsaw/Poland - First of all, I am so sorry! I feel terrible about keeping it for so long. I've finished it now though and am glad to have had the chance to read it as I found it thoroughly enjoyable. Granted there was some serious wading at the beginning but I found it to be rather entertaining and found myself laughing out loud numerous times. I'm still not quite sure what to think about the message of the book or the structure or why David Eggers wrote it in the first place but I liked it, it was different and funny and heartbreaking all at the same time. Thanks so much for letting me into the ring. Once again, I'm sorry! I'll be sending this on to lyssrose tonight. Enjoy!

Update 02/03/2005 - sent on to lyssrose today!

Journal Entry 13 by lyssrose from Caledonia, Michigan USA on Thursday, March 10, 2005
Just received this in the mail today - I have two other rays ahead of it, but they're both short, so I should be able to get to this in a few days.

Journal Entry 14 by lyssrose from Caledonia, Michigan USA on Thursday, April 14, 2005
I finished this a few days ago, and have been trying to process my thoughts on it. I thought it was very good, and found myself fascinated by the characters from pretty much the beginning. Dave Eggers certainly does have a certain "self-indulgent" style to his writing, but fortunately (or would it be unfortunately? *grin*) for me, I seem to be able to relate to it fairly well.

I love the fact that he would make reference to the people he knew or events that happened, and they would sometimes be people or events that I had heard of. It seemed to make me a part of the book, too - but then again, that could just be me being "self-indulgent"! *laugh*

I've got this ready to send off in a package to Katilo - since it was her birthday last week (and she's my sister!), I have a few things that I need to send off to her. :)

Journal Entry 15 by katilo from Westmont, Illinois USA on Tuesday, May 3, 2005
Got it in the mail yesterday. I have two book rings that I'm currently reading so this is next on the list. I'm a fast reader so I'm sure I'll be reading this very soon! :) Thanks!

Journal Entry 16 by katilo from Westmont, Illinois USA on Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Based on the a true story, Dave Eggers becomes an orphan and a single parent at the age of 22 when both his parents die leaving him the unofficial guardian of Toph (Christopher), his younger brother, although older brother, Bill and older sister Beth may have seemed likelier candidates for this task. The family home and belongings are quickly sold and separated after the deaths as each of the children head on their own paths. Beth remains close at hand for a time, but Bill becomes more like a distant relative.

Dave and Toph spend much of their time living in squalor, amongst bugs and decaying food, seeming to barely exist at times. Chores are disregarded. Nutrition is forgotten. Rules are unheard of. Child rearing techniques swing from manically fun to experimentally bizarre. While Toph tries to fit in and find his place in the world, Dave worries obsessively about his welfare.

It's definitely a heartbreaking tale...very depressing to read; but I didn't find it to be a work of staggering genius, in fact, I found myself skimming over large sections of it because it seemed repetitive and boring. I've often thought I would like to write a book in a certain style, so it would give the reader the feeling that he/she was actually inside the writer's head hearing every thought. That's how this book was written. Every little thought was written down and the style was perfect, in that sense; but the problem was that he lingered too long on subjects and flittered about so much. I just got very annoyed with it and started skimming over parts until I got to things I was more interested in.

Or maybe I just didn't like being in Dave's mind...


Released 18 yrs ago (5/25/2005 UTC) at Controlled Release in -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings --, Illinois USA

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This book is now on its way back home!!! Thanks for sharing!

Journal Entry 18 by karendawn from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Tuesday, May 31, 2005
The book returned home to me today. Thank you everyone for the successful bookring! The book is now back on Mount TBR, but is much closer to the top than it previously was. :)

Journal Entry 19 by karendawn from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Wednesday, July 6, 2005
I've been trying to get into this book, but either it's not for me or the timing is off. So I'd rather it get out there for someone else to try it. I've offered it on BookRelay.

Journal Entry 20 by karendawn at on Thursday, July 14, 2005

Released 18 yrs ago (7/14/2005 UTC) at

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off to midwinter (BookRelay)

Journal Entry 21 by wingmidwinterwing from Tucson, Arizona USA on Sunday, January 6, 2008
Yikes! Just realized this had never been journaled. It's here and sitting about mid-way up Mount TBR :)

Journal Entry 22 by wingmidwinterwing from Tucson, Arizona USA on Friday, August 22, 2008
I was expecting this to be a major slog, but I ended up flying through all 430-something pages (plus appendices) in just 4 days. While I won't say I loved the book, I certainly found it hard to put down. I love the rambling, stream of consciousness narrative. Maybe it's because I'm close to the author's age, but I find my mind takes similar wild stream of discourse and divergence. My thoughts are a lot less fixated on death, though! *grin*

It's a peculiar book and very particular style, but I'm glad to have read it. I think this one will find its way to a wild release at a local coffee shop. More on that soon...

Journal Entry 23 by wingmidwinterwing at Black Rose Caffe - 1800 N. Stone Ave. in Tucson, Arizona USA on Monday, August 25, 2008

Released 15 yrs ago (8/25/2008 UTC) at Black Rose Caffe - 1800 N. Stone Ave. in Tucson, Arizona USA

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On the bookshelf with the other bookcrossing books

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