I bought this book at Mosaic Bookshop in Rokeby Road, Subiaco, Perth. It was recommended to me by a very good friend... I look forward to reading it.

This is reserved in trade for tangledthreads (To Kill a Mockingbird)

I hate to say it, but I was slightly disappointed by this novel, especially as it has had so many wonderful reviews.

The author employs a lot of magical realism and symbolism; and I think my brain is just not up to absorbing it all, I am having a busy time at work!

I loved the Australian setting of this book though; I could imagine the town so well and many of the characters reminded me of family and friends. I liked the way that Murray Bail wove different species of gum trees into his narrative; this is a picture of a ghost gum which features in the book.

It is a very sweet, old fashioned fairytale. A father, obsessed with eucalytpus trees, plants many hundreds of that species. His daughter is a beautiful young girl and in order to win her hand, and to prove they are worthy of her, prospective suitors must successfully identify each type of tree on the father's property. Needless to say, a handsome prince does come along to rescue the girl, but it does not necessarily happen in quite the way the reader imagines...

Anyway, I hope tangledthreads, and whoever else discovers this novel thereafter, enjoys it.

Released on Monday, February 16, 2004 at to tangledthreads in Derby, United Kingdom Controlled Releases.

enjoy, enjoy!!

Thanks so much for passing this on! I'm looking forward to reading it, although it may take a little while to reach the top of my TBR pile...!

I'm not sure exactly what I want to say about this book, because I did really enjoy it, but at the same time I got a bit bored with it. At the beginning, I loved the descriptions of the trees, and the stories that fitted around them; but by page 110, you know, I'd really got the point: beloved daughter set on a pedestal, impossible task set to find perfect suitor, lots of people failed, then along came the man who was obviously going to win, and at the same time, along comes the man who captures the daughter's heart.

I skipped the next 90 pages or so, because although I enjoyed Murray Bail's writing in the first half of the book, I just wasn't quite interested enough to read all the 'filler' stories that padded out the second half. I came back about 25 pages from the end where the daughter is ill with despair, then the inevitable happens and you know that the right people will live happily ever after.

As a fairy tale, the concept of the story works, but I really think it should have been a novella or short story. I'm sure the spirit of the Australian landscape could have been retained in a condensed version. There are probably some people who the history and folklore of the eucalyptus really appeals to - and I'm honestly not averse to it in small doses - but I think Murray Bail's obsession is equal to that of his main character, Holland; and personally, I think obsessions are best left with the obsessed and not to be inflicted on the innocent public at large!

Maybe I've been a bit mean, because it's well-written, a good story, with a good heart. I think some people, in the right frame of mind, would be able to embrace it exactly as it is - I have a friend who always told me how much he loved it. As a whole, though, not for me.

Ready for release. Will take to next Derby Meetup unless requested by someone else, first.

Have offered on Book relay site (http://casualreader.net/bookrelay) under 'Fairy Tale Related Fiction' heading...

(Update: Tuesday April 13th: Had to refresh offer with different book on relay site as 'Eucalyptus' wasn't claimed. Will take to Derby Meetup tonight, instead.)

Released on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 at flowerpot pub in Derby, England United Kingdom.

Released at tonight's Meetup at the Flowerpot...

caught at The Flowerpot pub, at Derby bookcrossing meet-up.

Released on Saturday, April 17, 2004 at realeased to billhookbabe in Derby, England United Kingdom.

enjoy,released as part of bookcrossing birthday today

thanks cartref

I have now got a secondhand copy of this book, so I will be releasing this one soon.

RELEASE NOTES:

Released at Derby's October meetup at The Flowerpot in Derby.

Picked up from the Flower Pot and will drop it back there tonight. I struggle to decide what I think about this book. I found it to be a bizarre read at first but felt that it dragged quite a bit. I did not feel partically emotional towards much that was going on towards the end. It did start with promise but did not live up to expectation.