"There was once a man on a property outside a one-horse town, in New South Wales, who couldn't come to a decision about his daughter. He then made an unexpected decision."

I won't spoil it by telling you what that decision was, but it grabbed my interest at once. Being a big tree lover, I also found the descriptions of all the different varieties of Eucalyptus very interesting. Unfortunately the rest of the story didn't engage me, I found it quite difficult to read. However, this book was a major prize winner in 1999 so I guess I just wasn't ready for it. I could try reading it again but I'd rather it was enjoyed by more deserving readers.

Having put you off (I hope not), I'm turning it into a book ray! Please pm me to join.

Currently there is only 1 member on the ray.

lmn60, Spotswood, Victoria

Instructions: (these instructions copied from fushmush thankyou).
1. Sign up for this BookRay by sending me a Private Message. New members will be added to the end of the list.
2. When the person above you on the list finishes the book, they will send you a Private Message to ask for your mailing address. If you are too busy to read the book in the next few weeks, let me know and I will move you down the list.
3. Make a journal entry when you receive the book to let us know you got it.
4. When you finish the book, make another journal entry telling us what you thought.
5. Send a Private Message to the person after you on the bookray list and request their mailing address. If the person doesn't answer within 7 days, please PM the one after, and then me.
6. Send the book on its way.

Sent to Imn60 yesterday.

Waiting in my letter box yesterday afternoon and straight onto Mount TBR. Thanks sheoak - anyone else interested????

I don't know why some bookseller complain about bookcrossing reducing their sales - I'm going to buy my own copy of this novel now! This book has a beautiful dreamlike quality - Murray Bail is an Australian magic realist in my opinion - and although the narrative at times seems to ramble, and the characters are not explored thoroughly, this book is engaging and has made a real impression on me. I think that 'Eucalyptus' is one of those books that will deepen on further readings - I had a sense that there were levels waiting to be explored once I had completed reading simply to follow the narrative. Thankyou for sharing this one with me, sheoak. I really enjoyed it, and hope the next reader finds it as interesting an experience as I did.

Passing on to Readinator in response to her wish list.

Hand-delivered by the lovely lmn60, who lives nearby, and who had noticed I had put Eucalyptus on my wishlist. I have some bookrings and TBRs to read first, but I hope to read this in the next few months. I will then start another bookray. Thanks to sheoak (what a beautiful tree) for sending this out.

I read Eucalyptus slowly and leisurely over the past month or so. I finished it today. It was simply beautiful. I agree with lmn60 that multiple readings will bring further levels to explore. Ever-deepening detail and levels of meaning were available the more you look!

That feeling of being in a eucalypt forest in the height of summer, the haze of the gum oil in the air and the heat in your nostrils, firm bark underfoot is viscerally important to me and really evokes my country and my childhood. That's what this book evoked, and how deeply it cut for me.

I loved how the author seems to represent the familiar theme of the importance of the eucalypt to the Australian landscape and national identity. What is striking is how in the book, the eucalypts seemed as much silent, steady players in this as the humans who played out their small drama.

I feel I will own my own copy of this book at some point soon, as I will definitely want to break my own trend and reread it multiple times! Thanks so much sheoak for the chance to read this and to lmn60 for the RABCK! I have plans to release the book appropriately at the end of January in honour of Australia Day.

I'm preparing to send this book out as an international bookray, after it does the rounds within Australia.

Participant list subject to change.

Readinator <<=== currently here
jackiea (Sydney, ship anywhere surface)
catsalive (Sydney, no shipping preference)
claudinec (Melbourne, ship anywhere)

...who else wants to read this wonderful Australian book? PM Readinator to join.

I was hoping to release this book as a ray, but there has been a delay. I don't know when it will be resolved. As soon as I'm able, I'll set up the bookray again. Am cancelling for now.