The Pages

by Murray Bail | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 9781921520457 Global Overview for this book
Registered by FreePages of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on 6/19/2009
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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 FreePages from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Friday, June 19, 2009
Registered for the 2009 Miles Franklin Challenge Short-list Challenge.

My thoughts:
10 years on from Eucalyptus and this is Murray Bail's next Miles Franklin short-list and while not the winner it has a certain charm. The writing is very good and there is quite a bit in it for a short novel. Imagery is charming, Wesley rides on harbour ferries, ‘cream and green ones looking like nineteen fifties kitchen cabinets’ (p51).
I also enjoyed the line of distinction between city and country but it didn't hold with my experience. I'm too much of the Bush Capital Girl, a two minute stroll and I'm at an ol' sheep station. Granted it is the Sheep Station where the history of Australia's involvement in the great war was written, but a feel of the country none the less. There are some lovely thoughts, but I felt hard put to accept them as grand revelations such as "the further one goes, the less one knows" and "without moving a centimetre one can know the whole world" (p183-4). If anything, I guess, that makes me feel more justified about hibernating at home with a good book, or two, or......more. :-)
Read 22-23 Jun 2009. This is one of the few book I would like to re-read one day.

A small short novel at 199 pages.

Bookring Participants

Freelunch
Goodthinkingmax
jubby
Livrecache
DrCrisasked to be skipped
BookseekerATasked to be skipped
tqd
lakelady2282=>Book is here
nikkilovesbooks

Your name can be added here

I think we all know each other well enough, please feel free to juggle the order. I'll be happy as long as everyone who wants a read gets a read.

:-)

Journal Entry 2 by FreePages at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Thursday, June 25, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (6/25/2009 UTC) at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia

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Starting the bookring. Placed in the post to Freelunch today with one other.

Happy Journey little book.

Journal Entry 3 by freelunch from Cairns, Queensland Australia on Monday, June 29, 2009
received today, thanks FreePages. like everyone I have a stack of bookrings, but as this is a short one I imagine I'll get to it fairly quickly...

Journal Entry 4 by freelunch from Cairns, Queensland Australia on Saturday, July 18, 2009
well I read 50 pages and found it slow (and intelligent) without characters I could relate to or a story I could get involved in so didn't read any further. I have too many books I want to read to work this hard on one I'm not enjoying.

This is probably a failure of the reader and not the book :)

I'll send it on to goodthinkingmax next week

Journal Entry 5 by freelunch from Cairns, Queensland Australia on Monday, July 20, 2009
posted tomorrow (July 21st)

Journal Entry 6 by goodthinkingmax from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, July 28, 2009
This arrived last week from freelunch, with the large Steve Toltz book. I wasn't a huge fan of Eucalyptus but we'll see! I currently have six bookrings in my possession...eek..but will try to be as quick as possible.

Journal Entry 7 by goodthinkingmax from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, August 8, 2009
I'm afraid that like Freelunch, I also "failed" at this book and felt a bit disappointed at myself. It might be an intelligent and well written meditation but I was decidedly uninterested and had to force myself to keep reading. I was talking to some Bookcrossers yesterday and we were joking that an alternate rating system could be slaps. I wanted to slap all these unlikeable characters! Even the descriptions of the locales didn't engage me, despite going to Sydney Uni, taking philosophy at some stage and living in Kings Cross. I usually enjoy identifying with familiar settings in books as well as philosophical musings.

I will pass this to Jubby next time I see her.

Journal Entry 8 by jubby from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Received from Goodthinkingmax during BookDrinks this week.

Thanks. Plan to read soon, and hope that I find it more interesting then 'Eucalyptus'.

Journal Entry 9 by jubby from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Monday, September 28, 2009
Comments to come... but I really did enjoy this book. After attempting 'Eucalyptus' several years ago and giving up, I am glad that I had the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you for sharing it with me.

Now, I have PMed BookseekerAT, but she has asked to be moved down the list. So, PMing Livrecache now.

Journal Entry 10 by jubby at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (9/30/2009 UTC) at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Posted to Livrecache.

Journal Entry 11 by livrecache from Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Arrived safely today, thanks, jubby. Eucalyptus didn't grab me, and people's reviews generally don't look too encouraging, but at least it's a slender book. I'm currently reading another bookring, but this will be next. Thanks for sharing, FreePages.

Journal Entry 12 by livrecache at Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Monday, July 5, 2010
Again, my abject apologies in holding this book up. I've moved interstate and I am having tremendous difficulties with my elderly mother. I'll get it moving this week.

Journal Entry 13 by livrecache at Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, August 25, 2010
DrCris is overloaded and can't take this book. Have PM'd the next person.

Journal Entry 14 by livrecache at Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Friday, August 27, 2010
BookseekerAT has passed. I'll try TQD.

Journal Entry 15 by livrecache at Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Monday, August 30, 2010
TQD has asked to be skipped. I'll try the next person.

Journal Entry 16 by livrecache at Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Sending off to Debbie at lunchtime.

Journal Entry 17 by livrecache at Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (9/1/2010 UTC) at Hobart, Tasmania Australia

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On its way to another bookcrosser. I hope you enjoy it.

Journal Entry 18 by lakelady2282 at Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Thanks FreePages and livrecache. The book is now with me. I shouldn't be too long now that I have offloaded the last changes to the publisher for my Bookcrossing novel Crossing Paths, lol.
Here is the cover for those who might be interested:
http://www.marycelestepress.com/images_books/Robson_Crossing_Paths/Crossing_Paths.jpg
Really looking forward to reading this one.
Debbie

Journal Entry 19 by lakelady2282 at Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Saturday, October 2, 2010
What a mixed bag of a book this was and it could have been so much more! I’ve given the book three stars instead of two mainly because of the way the relationship is portrayed between Erica and the sister and brother on the sheep station. Bail has really captured the awkward, initial sizing up and working out of another’s personality - what makes them who they are.

What I really had trouble with was the chapters on psychology and philosophy and the social commentary on Sydney as a city (which I often didn’t agree with and I’m originally from Sydney). I mean who’s viewpoint were they supposed to be from? Were they from Wesley (sort of thinking aloud) or were they from the author as narrator as philosopher. I found the ambivalence annoying. Despite all this (and possibly because of it) I enjoyed the challenging nature of his work and I’m definitely looking forward to reading Eucalyptus.
Will pm next on list.
Thanks for sharing.

Journal Entry 20 by lakelady2282 at Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Friday, October 8, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (10/8/2010 UTC) at Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia

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Posted to the next bcer on the ring.

Journal Entry 21 by nikkilovesbooks at Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory Australia on Friday, October 22, 2010
Well, I forgot about registering for this ring, so was very surprised & happy to received 'The Pages'. A big 'hello from up north' to all those who have read this copy so far. I'll read it next & then move it along:)

Journal Entry 22 by nikkilovesbooks at Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory Australia on Saturday, February 26, 2011
I finished The Pages a while ago & it has been sitting on my bookshelf until I decided what to do with it. I really enjoyed the story. The descriptions of country NSW were spot on & made me very homesick at times.
I am now sending it off to Tassie as part of a bookpack RABCK.

Journal Entry 23 by glenystasmania at Maydena, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, March 9, 2011
looking forward to reading this one soon.....

Journal Entry 24 by glenystasmania at Bushy Park Market in Bushy Park, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Released 12 yrs ago (4/6/2011 UTC) at Bushy Park Market in Bushy Park, Tasmania Australia

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Hope this book finds someone who will enjoy reading it and will pass it on

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