This has been sat on my shelf for literally years, and then I realised it is on the 1001 books list. It didn't take long to read, but it was a moving story about a dog, Mr Bones. I really felt sorry for him. I did feel a bit like I was missing something though.

Will be sending this off on a bookray:

Caroley - UK - EU posting
mafarrimond - UK - EU posting
EmgeeNL - Netherlands - EU posting
Simson-Shilitoe - Germany - Intl posting if needed
ealasaidmae - US - Intl posting
Miss-Owl - Thailand - Intl posting

Received today thanks!

I've got three bookrings to read before this one, but two are quite thin ones so I shouldn't be too long before getting to Timbuktu.

Oh I loved this! What a wonderful idea to write it from the dog's point of view. It was funny and touching and sad. Really different from anything else I've read too.

Thanks for sharing it Lucy. I'll get it posted off to mafarrimond asap.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted 2nd class

Received the book today. I will read asap.

What a lovely little book. I really enjoyed the relationship between Mr Bones and Willy. A joy to read.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posting to Simson-Shilitoe. Enjoy!

The book has arrived safely today. At the moment I am reading "Die Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull" by Thomas Mann, a bookring from "tinajaxie". Because I am the last person in this ring I will interupt this read, so that "Timbuktu" will travel as soon as possible to the next participant of the ray.

Thank you, "lucy-lemon", for sharing.

I really liked this book and finished it in two evenings at the weekend. It was a really different and entertaining story.

Nice to read from the perspective of a dog, and although really a humans idea of a dogs perspective, it would be nice to really know if all dogs felt such loyalty to their owners. And I liked the way people talked to Mr. Bones as if he would understand.

I think that "Timbuktu" is similar to A. N. Wilsons "Stray", which I have read 3 weeks ago. The plot of this story is told from the perspective of a tom-cat called "Pufftail".

Thanks again "lucy-lemon" for letting me join the ray.

Posting to "ealasaidmae" as soon as I get an address.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted to "ealasaidmae" in the late afternoon after finishing todays business at the revenue office. Enjoy!

It's here! Thanks for the pretty postcard, Simson-Shilitoe.

Well, I'm not really a fan of animal books. I wanted to try this one because I love Paul Auster, and I did like it more than I thought I would. Maybe part of my disappointment stemmed from the very misleading description on the back. It promises a much more interesting story than we actually get. I wish Auster had stuck with Willy and Bea Swanson instead of veering off into a hard-luck-dog story. I kept thinking about those saccharine Disney movies where the puppy gets left behind on vacation and has to overcome tremendous odds to find his way home. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I have Miss-Owl's address and will get this in the mail to her tomorrow.

It's here! Thanks for sending, ealasaidmae, and for sharing, lucy-lemon.

Since I'm the last in the ray, I have some other books to get to first, but you'll be getting another journal entry before too long. At first sight I'm surprised this book is on the 1001 list, but I look forward to giving it a go.

Well, after having read the book, I'm still surprised it got onto the 1001 list. The doggy perspective was interesting, but it seemed to me there were some really convenient factors in the plot that made the narrative point of view cut some corners: Mr Bones' dreams, for example, or the fact that he understood every word of "Ingloosh". The book, however, didn't make it to the 2008 or 2010 versions (yep, a bit of a fanatic here).

That said, this is an enjoyable read that can be devoured in one sitting. I seem to be reading stories about survival lately - it'd be an interesting study to compare "Timbuktu" with "The Life and Times of Michael K" (Coetzee) and "The House of Mirth" (Wharton). Funny how such a powerful theme can cut across very different times and texts.

Onward to a BC newbie, then we'll probably wild release & set Mr Bones free!