How to be Good
19 journalers for this copy...
It's the first book I read from this author.It didn't impress me really. I had very high expectations, probably because there is so much enthusiasm around everything he writes. I found it sometimes funny and sometimes quite boring but never so packing like I expected.
I'm going to start a European bookring, let's see what the rest of the bookcrossing community thinks about it...
The Bookring will follow a North-South ruote (I know my Italian fellow bookcrossers are going to hate me for that...)
Be kind and add a postcard of you place so that we can see where the book has been! :)
Penelope Pitstop
- Tintti (Jyväskylä, Finland)
- Leanne345(Liverpool, United Kingdom)
- Nefertari (Stevenage, United Kingdom)
- MaaikeB (Zeist, Netherlands)
- Yvonnep (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- Nicma (Berlin, Germany) - since Nicma is not answering PMs she/he will be skipped and the ring goes to Portugal, please PM me and I will insert you in an other Position if you are still interested..
- Tho (Lisbon, Portugal)
- Virgulina (Lisbon, Portugal)
- Ftarazu (Ovar, Portugal)
- Reliquia (Porto, Portugal)
- Fio-dagua (maia, Porto, Portugal)
- Kiddie (lisboa, portugal)
- Santex (Pisa, Italy)
- Venere (Treviso, Italy)
- Agnul (Milano, Italy)
- Lavale (Milan Italy)
- Blacklilith (Città di Castello, Italy)
- Beckys (Lecco, Italy)
Here just the usual indications:
1. Please make a journal entry showing that you have
received the book as soon as you get it.
2. When you receive the book, please also PM the
next person in line to get his or her mailing address.
3. Make a journal entry letting us know what you
think of the book when you are sending the book
to the next BookCrosser.
4. Mail the book to the next person on the list.
5. NEVER make a release note....!
I don't have to add that bookring books have absolute priority on your TBR list, have I? :)
I'm sending it today to Finland.
The book arrived today - thanks PenelopePitstop!
I already read the first chapter, and so far I think I like the book. Let's see what I think when I've finished it.
I already read the first chapter, and so far I think I like the book. Let's see what I think when I've finished it.
I really liked this book. I totally agree with Mail on Sunday critic, who wrote: "Pins you in your armchair and won't let go". That happened to me - I couldn't put the book down. It is funny and witty but also touching and very clever. A story of a marriage and trying to be a good person in one way or another.My favourite quote from the book:
"It seems to me now that the plain state of being a human is dramatic enough for anyone; you don't need to be a heroin addict or a performance poet to experience extremity. You just have to love someone."
The journal entry picture is from a webcam. It's a rainy day in Jyväskylä...
Sending off to Leanne345.
Got this today - thanks! Shall read it ASAP!
Just finished, shall get it posted to Nefertari first thing tomorrow.
I loved the book, once i got into it i just couldnt seem to put it down!
I loved the book, once i got into it i just couldnt seem to put it down!
Arrived this morning. Will read it next :-)
I read this book extremely quickly today, as it's too hot to do anything much other than sit around in the shade and read. I liked it, it was enjoyable enough, but I have to confess that the quick read was more because I knew if I put it down I wouldn't get into it again and I didn't want to hold up the bookring. Overall, I preferred Hornby's other novels to this one.
I posted the book on 15/8 :-)
I posted the book on 15/8 :-)
The book arrived in Zeist today. I'm looking forward to reading it.
I loved this book. I think I wouldn't have ten years ago, but the generation described was very recognizable! Nodded a lot in recognition.
MaaikeB gave me the book yesterday at a meeting of the Dutch Bookgrrls. I started reading in the train back to Amsterdam as bookrings have an absolute priority :-). Thank you Penelope for starting the bookring.
Journal Entry 12 by yvonnep from Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Thursday, September 11, 2003
I agree with Penelope... I wasn't impressed either with the book. It was funny, sometimes. It could have achieved depths, but it didn't. I even considered not to finish it. The problems in a relationship may have been realistic, the catalysts weren't. Finished it, though. The only thing that struck me as quite eye-opening was his descriptions of Katie's feelings towards her children. It was a great relief to me to read that this mother had such a sense of realism that she could dislike the way her own children behaved. The book will be send to Tho. Up to Portugal, you lucky book!
I just noticed that I completely forgot to make a journal entry when I received the book (almost 2 weeks ago ..) - sorry everyone !
Anyway, I've just finished reading it during lunch time, and I must say I enjoyed it much more that I was expecting ! I've read a couple of other Nick Hornby's books and this one was by far the best. The questions that the author brings up in this book are so real and actual - divorce, depression, problems at work and with your children, etc. but even with all these issues you cannot help but smile while the family tries to solve them. Trying "to be good" doesn't really help (quite unrealistic, IMO), so the family struggles to cope and the ending is neither good or bad ... life goes on and people just have to make the best of it :-)
I'll be passing it on to Virgulina sometime next week.
Anyway, I've just finished reading it during lunch time, and I must say I enjoyed it much more that I was expecting ! I've read a couple of other Nick Hornby's books and this one was by far the best. The questions that the author brings up in this book are so real and actual - divorce, depression, problems at work and with your children, etc. but even with all these issues you cannot help but smile while the family tries to solve them. Trying "to be good" doesn't really help (quite unrealistic, IMO), so the family struggles to cope and the ending is neither good or bad ... life goes on and people just have to make the best of it :-)
I'll be passing it on to Virgulina sometime next week.
This book was handed to me today by tho. I'll journal more when I'm finished with it. :)
This was the first book by Nick Hornby that I read and I have to say I was expecting a lot more from it. The first few chapters were really gripping and though a bit sad they managed to be funny at the same time. But as the book progressed it turned out to be extremely depressing, a bit too depressing for my liking! The ending was very realistic though and as tho said life just goes on...
The book arrived today! Looking forward to start reading it! Thank you Virgulina.
Finally I've finished the book, I'm sorry it took so long!
I must say that I wasn’t expecting a big thing from the book and probably because of that I found it to be really funny! I liked the way Nick Hornby described so well Katie’s feelings and thoughts and her feelings towards her children also surprised me a lot. But, in the end, it seems that “being good “ is not so easy and it really doesn’t help as much as one could think… we just have to do the best of our life…
I’ve send it today to Reliquia
I must say that I wasn’t expecting a big thing from the book and probably because of that I found it to be really funny! I liked the way Nick Hornby described so well Katie’s feelings and thoughts and her feelings towards her children also surprised me a lot. But, in the end, it seems that “being good “ is not so easy and it really doesn’t help as much as one could think… we just have to do the best of our life…
I’ve send it today to Reliquia
Just got it.
I'll be back (where did Ieard this before?) to update the entry.
I'll be back (where did Ieard this before?) to update the entry.
I've enjoyed it very much. At first I was a bit disappointed with the story itself that didn't interest me at all. I guess I just kept on reading because of Hornby's great writting. And that was the thing I liked best about the book, it's really very well written, a person can enjoy the book merely on the good writting. But, just when I was giving up on the story, it came around (somewhere in the middle)and I finished it with a feeling of wanting some more. A good ending saved the story for me, although I have to agree with some BCs I talked to about the book, the ending is a bit creepy.
It will be on fio-daguas's hands today. Good Travelling.
another one for me! i´ll read it as soon as possible and add my postcard to this fine collection.
thanks ;)
thanks ;)
Finally arrived in my mailbox. Thanks to all.
I really loved this book, with the sense of humour I like very much, a good rythm to tell the story, and crazy ideas. The funniest thing for me is that I cannot tell what is exagerated and what is not. I'm a bit like Kate. I feel something's wrong with GoodNews ad David, I don't agree with them, but then I cannot argue against them.That's the 2nd book i read from Hornby (after High Fidelity), and my favourite too so far.
5.08: sorry for the delay, problems to contact next readers, but finally the book will go today to Italy.
Just found it in the mailbox :-)
Nice book but it didn't help in my quest to be evil :-)
Passing it along to LaVale.
Passing it along to LaVale.
me l'ha portato agnul al MU
Nice book, but I'm afraid my English isn't good enough for me to appreciate its humour.
Blacklilith and Beckys who were in the list after me asked to be skipped. And I cannot reach PenelopePitstop.
What do I do now?
update: got in touch with PP, I will keep the ray going.
Blacklilith and Beckys who were in the list after me asked to be skipped. And I cannot reach PenelopePitstop.
What do I do now?
update: got in touch with PP, I will keep the ray going.
The RAY will go on...
I'm sending it ASAP to Sicche
sicche (Roma, Italy)
etnagigante (Catania, ITaly)
kizmiaz (portugal)
hetku77 (Finland)
ekaterin4luv (Germany)
lilifin (Germany)
jaed (France)
Trelk (Switzerland)
voveryte (UK)
karinalyssa (QC, Canada)
Breeze144 (ON, canada)
loislane05 (ND, USA)
luvtink81 (KS, USA)
TheBowieFollies (NY, USA)
blurbren (malaysia)
...
in the wild
I'm sending it ASAP to Sicche
sicche (Roma, Italy)
etnagigante (Catania, ITaly)
kizmiaz (portugal)
hetku77 (Finland)
ekaterin4luv (Germany)
lilifin (Germany)
jaed (France)
Trelk (Switzerland)
voveryte (UK)
karinalyssa (QC, Canada)
Breeze144 (ON, canada)
loislane05 (ND, USA)
luvtink81 (KS, USA)
TheBowieFollies (NY, USA)
blurbren (malaysia)
...
in the wild
The book is here with me since yesterday.
I'll read it during my holidays, laying in the sun trying to get tanned a bit! ;)
grazie :)
I'll read it during my holidays, laying in the sun trying to get tanned a bit! ;)
grazie :)
I really liked it, I think I'm going to read it again... I think I'm going to buy my own copy! Thank you to the ring-master, I enjoyed the book very much.
I'll send it to the next reader (etnagigante) ASAP.
:)
p.s.: a postcard from Rome (piazza Navona)
edit: sent 12.12.07
The book is here with me
When you read a book by Nick Hornby you know it will be a pleasure. Hornby has the gift to make British society easy to feel even if you are not British. In this work you are forced to think about your way of life, about what can be considered normal or not; and you can't bet for sure you'll understand on the first attempt.
Just got it, thanks.
I still have a couple to finish before I start this one but it shouldn't take long.
I still have a couple to finish before I start this one but it shouldn't take long.
Hornby is such a great writer that it keeps amazing me how he does it. He seems to have a special knack to write more “urban” stories and in those he always reminds me of other such great authors like Douglas Coupland and Irvine Welsh, it’s the way that these authors throw a lot of modern culture references into their writings and the ever present humour and wit and, of course, the way that truly dramatic situations are told in such a light way. Anyway it’s hard to explain why they’re so good, I guess they just are, and that’s fine with me.This book reminded me of A Long Way Down in the way it tells of a common enough situation, which could be totally depressing, but the wit with which is told turns it into a tragic/comedy.
I loved the characters and felt the plot was very believable, the craziness that goes on in Katie and David’s house is amazingly well crafted and GoodNews and Barmy Brian take the cake for the batty characters of the year. And I loved the cameo appearance that Dick, from High Fidelity, makes here.
I don’t want to give out any of the story and spoil it for anyone who comes next I just want to say that Katie’s state of mind isn’t all that uncommon and it takes the book to a whole new level of reality. Her thoughts and actions, as random as they seem all fit her idea of herself and her vision of her relationship with David.
Who would have thought that trying to be good would turn out to be such a pain in the ass?
That ending is something else too, but I won’t get into that here, I’d say that it’s the perfect one for this book.
On its way to Finland today (05.05.2008)
17.5. Post had delivered the book sometime last week. Thank you, kizmiaz!
19.7. I came back from a trip in Denmark yesterday and I read the book during the trip. It was a good book, very captivating and fast to read. But I wouldn't describe it as hilarious or funny as the critics have described it. The story was more like an age crisis story of a middle-aged woman. True though that not all age crisises involve spiritual healers or mental patients, but in my opinion it was an age crisis story nevertheless. Sad one, even. The main character, Katie, seems to feel trapped in her family life, marriage and work and tries to find out how to go on living her life. Despite the sadness I liked the book very much.
21.7. I mailed the book to ekaterin4luv this morning.
19.7. I came back from a trip in Denmark yesterday and I read the book during the trip. It was a good book, very captivating and fast to read. But I wouldn't describe it as hilarious or funny as the critics have described it. The story was more like an age crisis story of a middle-aged woman. True though that not all age crisises involve spiritual healers or mental patients, but in my opinion it was an age crisis story nevertheless. Sad one, even. The main character, Katie, seems to feel trapped in her family life, marriage and work and tries to find out how to go on living her life. Despite the sadness I liked the book very much.
21.7. I mailed the book to ekaterin4luv this morning.
I'm so sorry, this book got buried and I just found it. Thank you for sending this to me, sorry for the delay!
