Amazingly enough, this was written by the author of 1001 Dalmations -- the real novel, not the Disney movie which took only parts of a very complex fantasy story. This time, Smith is more realistic but just as compelling -- interesting characters and believable situations in the English countryside during the 1930's. If you like the English classics, whether the ones written for adults or for children, you'll love this book.

Here is the order for the BookRay:

1) Mellion108
2)AmberLee17
3)Starry-Starry
4) kayters
5) Beatrice-S
6) WickedWordz
7) Aisling78
8) Mlbish

I picked this up at the post office today. I can't wait to start it!

I have one bookray that I just started yesterday. As soon as I finish that one, I'll start Castle (shouldn't be too long).

Thanks for making this one available, DrBrown!

What a lovely read! I must admit that I had my doubts when I first started the book. I kept thinking, "Oh this is going to be one of those stuffy English stories with stiff characters and stilted language." Nope. This was downright charming. I love Cassandra and her observations:

"I hope there is no cheaper form of bread than bread."

"I think Americans kiss rather easily and frequently...I expect Americans are affectionate, as a nation."

"...but it does seem to me that the climate of richness must always be a little dulling to the senses. Perhaps it takes the edge off joy as well as off sorrow."

I love the fact that the book is written as if it were Cassandra's journal because it is much more personal. I now want a crumbling, drafty castle of my own in which to drink cherry brandy and eat ham given to me by the rich neighbors. I dare you to read this (if you're American) and not find yourself talking with a slight English accent...I've been driving my husband nuts! ;-)

Anyway, I plan to post this off to Starry-Starry before the end of this week. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks again DrBrown for making this available.

Received this morning - thanks very much Mellion108 and Dr Brown. I have just last night finished a bookray, so am ready to start this one today. Looking forward to it.

As I began to read this book I was absolutely enraptured. The characters are delightful and I, like mellion108, loved Cassandra's little observations. My favourite was:
"A May Day that feels as it sounds is rare"
Every couple of sentences I kept smiling and thinking "Yes, that's exactly it." I am very fond of eccentricity and this family was wonderfully observed.

The romance aspect did spoil it a little for me though, Cassandra became silly and I haven't quite forgiven her. Having said that, I did like the ending, which I read stranded in my car, because the battery was flat, waiting to be rescued and I'm looking forward to seeing the film.

I'll be posting it on to Kayters in the next couple of days.

Just to let you know, I have about five book rings ahead of this one. It will be a while, but I will be sending it on asap once it has been read.

Still here in my TBR pile. I am working my way through a herd of book rings and rays that all arrived at the same time. Rest assured, it will be read and passed on as soon as I can get to it. :)

Yipes! Just a note to say that this book had become entangled in a pile of books and I just uncovered it the other day. I am currently reading it (it's really good so far!) and should be done in a couple of days. :)

Yaay! I finished the book today! I *really* enjoyed it, though it didn't turn out anything like I was expecting. I hope to see the movie soon to see how it compares with the book. I can't believe I'd never read this book before now - such a great read.

Released on Wednesday, January 14, 2004 at AmberLee17 in Sunnyvale, California Controlled Releases.

Arrived today and, wonder of wonders, there is only one ring/ray book on hand and I'm almost half way through it. Should be able to start on this one soon.

Arrived today! Thanks! I just have to finish the book I'm currently reading before I get to this one, so it should be ready to move onwards pretty soon.

I liked the writing and I thought some parts of the story were really charming and funny, but sometimes it was a bit of a slog and I found myself skimming bits that seemed to go on for too long. I appreciated the fact that it largely stayed away from romantic cliche, and that it had an ending that seemed uncharacteristic of the genre (although I wouldn't really know; I don't read much romance).

Will be mailed to WickedWordz as soon as I recover from the flu :P

Will be sent to Aisling78, since WW asked to be skipped. The mailing envelope that it came in (and that I'll be sending it on in) looks like it's been bookcrossed a few times itself - maybe we should give it its own BCID ;)

This arrived yesterday. I'm having some trouble getting into the book I'm currently reading -- "Fried Green Tomatoes..." -- so I'm going to set that aside for a while to read this one, since it's a bookray, then return to the other book. I've already read the first several chapters last night and it's hooked me!
~ Aisling78

Loved it! I finished it tonight at the Laundromat...I think my clothes had been sitting crumpled & forgotten in the dryer before I thought to check on them, I was so caught up in the last chapter.

I didn't want this book to end, I wish that Cassandra hadn't "grown out of wanting to write about myself." This story and these characters captured my heart, and it was fascinating to see them through the eyes of Cassandra. Her perceptions colored how each character was fleshed out as the story progressed.

It's much too late for me to really add any meaningful comments, other than I fell in love with this novel, and this story and these characters are going to stay with me even after I send this book on to the next reader. I'd love to revisit this book again in the future. Thank you, DrBrown, for the opportunity to read this book.

~ Aisling78

Thank you, DrBrown, for starting this ray, and thanks, Aisling78, for sending it on to me. This book was one of the originals on my wishlist, so I'm really looking forward to reading it. Once I'm done, I'll try and extend the ray. I know there is a lot of desire for this book, so I'm sure I'll have no trouble keeping it moving!

I am behind on my reviewing. I actually read this quite a while ago.

This is a lovely story about seventeen year old Cassandra Mortmain, who wants to be a writer. She is living with her family in an old, crumbling castle in what everyone calls 'genteel poverty'. Cassandra is really impossible not to like, even though she is definitely a flawed character and occasionally behaves in a silly and irritating way. I Capture the Castle is really about Cassandra as she grows up and learns about life.

I believe this book was written in the 1940s, and it definitely felt old-fashioned. I had trouble relating to the characters and their actions sometimes because of this. I kept wondering why Cassandra and her sister didn't seem to be doing *anything*. It felt to me that they should have been in school or something, but I think that's just because I have the mindset of a different time.

The girls certainly did seem as though they were just sitting around waiting for husbands to come around. Rose, definitely. Again, the old-fashioned feel of the book really stood out in terms of the attitudes about falling in love and marriage. I find it hard to believe that a seventeen year old can really fall in love with someone and be ready to marry them in such a short amount of time. And it seemed that the girls were very keen on trying to get the men to fall in love with them. Some of that just didn't ring true with me. But the story is so charming that I enjoyed it very much all the same.

Cassandra is an endearing narrator. She is funny and poignant and honest. A very charming book.

I have arranged for this ray to be extended! I'm happy that it can keep traveling, and I hope everyone before me will also enjoy its further adventures. Here are the new participants:

-- wolfprincess - OH, USA (ships US)
-- thegoaliegirl - OH, USA (US pref)
-- literarylover - FL, USA (ships US)
-- RaineeRose - NY, USA (ships US)
-- Luintaurien - NE, USA (ships US)
-- booklady2005 - WA, USA (ships US)
-- Angelfirestar - NE, USA
-- emmagoldmanzine - PA, USA
-- Gwendy - NY, USA (ships US) - would like to be near end
-- buffra - WV, USA (ships INT)
-- tuff517 - TX, USA (ships INT)
-- Cass01 - UK (ships int if necessary, pref UK)
-- eefa - UK (pref UK, will do Eur)
-- MieLH - Eur (pref Eur, will do INT)
-- beekeeper40 - UK (ships INT)
-- totoroandmei - Japan (pref Asia/Pac, will do INT)

RELEASE NOTES:

Sending this bookray book to Wolfprincess. I hope you enjoy it!

I am sorry I thought I posted I got the book but things have been very crazy here. I lost my internet for a month and with other things going on I could not get to posting anything on the book til now. I did enjoy the book for what I was able to read duing all this crazy time I have had. I will get it into the mail as soon as I get the next persons address and I always go to the post office on Saturdays.

Just got back from a short vacation (aka long weekend) to find this book sitting here waiting for me. Once I finish my current book I'll be sure to start this one. Can't wait to read it!

Very cute story. I loved it! It was very entertaining and lovely. It was cute and fun to watch the character development as the story progressed. It was unlike anything that I've read recently. I really liked this book and can't wait to see the movie.

Mailed to RaineeRose yesterday (10/25), as literarylover asked to be skipped.

This arrived last week while I was on vacation. I'm really looking forward to reading it and will start it right away! Thanks!

This was such a wonderful book! Like Aisling78, I, too, didn't want it to end! The characters seemed so alive, so real, and I thought the plot itself was very plausible. Thanks so much, mlbish, for continuing this ray; I'm so glad that I got to read this book!

I'll send this on to the next reader as soon as I receive an address.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sending on to Luintaurien.

Got it today. Will read and pass on ASAP. Thank you.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to Aramena for help shipping.