I started to read this book and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get into it.

The time has come to let it go to a good home....

From "Amazon" - Jerry Marlow agrees to join a group of expatriate lecturers from the University of Milan on a pilgrimage to the European Parliament in Strasbourg to protest an Italian government plan seemingly designed to eliminate their jobs. Unhappy in his job anyway, Marlow notices that his ex-lover is going and, well, just maybe.... "

This little book has been listed for a Bookray & I hope to send him far and wide in search of new friends. Please promise to journal it so I know what you thought of the book.

The listing so far is here :

1. Goatgrrl, British Columbia, will post anywhere
2. Julie Baretto, Hawaii, will post anywhere
3. Maupi, Netherlands, Euro post preferred
4. Quizzical, Australia, Aust preferred ---> Book is here
5. JeSuisBelle, Phillipines, will post anywhere
6. djphil, USA, US post preferred

Bookray is still open - PM me to join.

*** The last reader is to please wild release the book or start a new ring/ray.

Released on Wednesday, August 04, 2004 at Bookray in BOOKRAY, Bookray Controlled Releases.

Sent (via airmail) to goatgrrl in Canada - the first stop on an International ray.

Bye book - happy travels!

Europa arrived this evening -- thanks so much, miss-gonewest! I look forward to reading it within the next couple of weeks, and will have it sent to the next person on the list by mid-September at the latest. Best wishes from New Westminster, British Columbia! (At left: the Fraser River, as seen from the top of my street.)

Europa leads the reader deep inside a place many might prefer to avoid: the professional machinations, intellectual preening and emotional turmoil of a forty-five year old male academic. Once there, though, it was kind of interesting to snoop around ... :^).

As the book begins, Jerry Marlowe – a Classicist and English language lecturer at the University of Milan – agrees to accompany a busload of professors and students to the European Parliament in Strasbourg (see photo at left), where they plan to present a petition protesting treatment of foreign academics in Italian universities. The first half of the book is taken up with the twelve hour bus journey from Milan to Strasbourg, but it doesn’t really matter where the characters are, since most of the action takes place inside Jerry’s mind. This is both a good and a bad thing. The good news: Jerry’s interior monologue is pretty interesting. He's wickedly articulate (even inside his own head), he spins a good yarn, and he’s tormented by familiar demons like romantic obsession, parenting guilt, lust, broken-heartedness and regret. The bad news: Jerry's torment is ceaseless, and the same old stuff cycles ‘round and ‘round and ‘round ...

Even the brightest people, it seems, are not immune to pettiness, obsession and despair. Europa is in many ways a study in human misbehaviour, but the story is presented in such a wise, humourous and forgiving manner. I could identify with Jerry (even across the gulfs of culture and gender), and when he wasn't reminding me of myself, he was reminding of me of two or three middle-aged men I've known and loved. A great read. Thanks so much, miss-gonewest!

I'll be mailing Europa to juliebarreto in Hawaii either tomorrow (August 29, 04) or the day after. Thanks again for the great read! (Oops: I actually mailed it -- airmail -- on Wednesday, September 1st.)

I returned from a weekend in California to find this waiting for me! Thanks!

September 25, 2004 - Have finished it and sent it off to Maupi in the Netherlands. Although not a quick and easy read, I found it compelling and enjoyable. It's kind of a stream of consciousness-middle aged man-angst riff. It reminded me of "Therapy" by David Lodge, "The Mezzanine" by Nicholson Baker, and "The Debt to Pleasure." Very different from his "Italian Neighbors." None of the characters is very likeable, which seemed very European. (Somehow the sunny, optimistic type seems more quintessentially US.)

On the Dutch forum I reported that I had started reading Parks' Europa, completely oblivious that I had neglected to add it to my bookshelf! Two days later, miss-gonewest PMed me, curious to hear if Europa had ever found its way to Amsterdam. It had! High and dry on my TBR stack. How very careless of me, I could have sworn that I had entered the BCID on BX.
Apologies to all, the book is at my bedside. I'm halfway through. It is not an easy read, very stream-of-consciousness, but I like it. It does relate to Lodge's Therapy in a way, though Lodge is more light-footed (can you say this in English for elegant, witty prose? you can in Dutch). But they are both very male books. Europa even more than Therapy. Interesting comparison. Strange people, men, but extremely interesting to get into Jerry's brain. How obsessed this man is with his ex lover. Phew, stop thinking in circles, I'd like to shout at him.
Concluding remarks will be entered into the next journal entry, my final report when I've finished this book.

It did not get better in the third part. Jerry really got on my nerves as did the style of writing. All this hip hopping in Jerry's mind, I had trouble keeping focussed.
Most of all the misogynic view which dominates all Jerry's thoughts really put me off.
I already have Quizzical's address. The book will soon continue its travels.

Thanks maupi.

This book arrived last week and I am looking forward to what previous journal entries suggest is the daunting task of reading it.

I have PM'd quizzical to get an update on how this book is going...

Will update with an answer soon, or wait for them to do so with the status of this little book.

17th Aug - Sent Quizical another PM. Hopefully they are OK and this book will move along shortly.

19th Aug - Quizzical & book have been found safe 'n sound. Book will be moving along shortly... thanks Q!

14th Oct - Sent quizzical another PM to check the status of this book....