Humans discover and exploit a species of giant, intelligent newt, until the newts gain enough weapons and skills to challenge them.

Brought as a replacement for lost bookray.
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6599356

Remaining participants..

4. lucy-lemon (uk)
5. tagesmann (uk)
6. perryfran (usa)

Posted to Lucy-Lemon of wales

Arrived yesterday, and I started it this morning. Already enjoying it!

I don't really know what I thought about this book! I finished it yesterday, and enjoyed it on the whole. A few sections in the middle I found quite dry and hard to read - I much preferred the actual "story" at the beginning and end. Definitely an interesting and thought provoking read - thanks for sharing Dave.

Sending to tagesmann today.

Arrived today, thank you. Looking forward to reading this.

Well I guess this book lived up to its reputation as a darkly comic commentary on early 20th century values.

It was funny and cutting and well observed. However it wasn't a particularly enjoyable read. That could have been due to when it was written or the way it was written.

I don't doubt that the book must have had an impact when it was written and, if we are honest, nothing has really changed that much is 80 years. But I don't think I would have missed much by not having read this. Oh well.

Wow - I thought this one was lost in the mail but it showed up in my mailbox today after traveling over 2 months from the UK! This looks interesting - will try to get to it soon. Thanks Dave for including me in another of your bookrays!

This is No. 370 on the 1001 books you must read before you die list - 2008 edition.

This was really quite a strange and bizarre novel. I really did enjoy it. Capek took a stab at most everything in society with his satire of the Newts. This included slavery and segregation in America, the arms race, fascism and Nazi Germany - at one point the Germans even point out that their Newts are a superior Nordic Newt race! There was a lot of humor in the book but also a lot of disturbing images including the mistreatment and experimentation on the Newts. Overall, I would rank this book up there with Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World.

Thanks Dave for sharing this book. Since I am last on this bookray, I may donate it to the 1001 library.

Thanks so much for your donation perryfran!

This book is now part of the 1001-library. If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the 1001-library bookshelf.

Sending to bookowl1000 in China. Hope this makes it to you OK!

Has arrived safely here in China.

Looks like an intriguing read, looking forward to reading it.

Thanks for sending it my way.

I loved this book. it has taken me so long to get around to reading this as I do most of my reading when travelling...this book never ade the list as I lighten my load by leaving the books behind as I go. As this is a 1001 library book, I could not. So, having to do a day trip to Hong Kong to buy a new macbook, I picked it up to start reading on the 3 hour bus journey. Due to a 4 hour delay at the border, I had finished it by the time I reached the apple store.

I found the book so compelling that I did not mind that I had to spend 4 hours stood in a queue. I agree with perryfan in ranking the book up with 1984 and Brave New World; it covers many issues, i found the descriptions of experiments on the newts quite disturbing in the sense that it is so unemotional. I enjoyed the detour to historical essays and newspaper clippings in the middle section in the book, as it shows how individual stories can take on a different meaning when you look back on them with hindsight. The final section gets darker, when starting the book, because of the title I was expecting the story to focus more on the war, which is in fact only in the last 4 chapters. I was not disappointed by this as it was much more interesting to witness the exploitation of the newts over time...the road to war.

Being written in Czechoslovakia in 1936, it was a bit prophetic interms when you think how the world was happy to sacrifice China to the newts if that would cause them to leave them alone, when later border areas of Capek's own country was annexed to Germany to try and apease them.

Highly recommended read.

book details: paperback 160g, 13cm x 19.8cm x 1.5cm

I advertised the book in the forum, now the book is on its way to Danielle23.

This book is now back on the 1001 library bookshelf and can be borrowed by PMing bookowl1000:)

If you want to take this book from the library but don't know how to proceed, please refer to the library bookshelf.

The book is here with me and after reading your review, I am looking forward to reading it. Thanks for sending xx

I really enjoyed this book, especially the beginning and the end. The parts in the middle were a little slow for my liking but the story at the beginning really caught me enough to hold me through it to the end. I loved the discovery of the newts and their appearances in travelling circuses, then onto zoos and finally into employment. The logic of the oncoming war was well thought out and described and I loved the open ending. Definitely a recommended read xx

Thanks for sending this Danielle.

Finished this last year.

Edit: I like the plot of this book but sometimes it got a bit slow.

Arrived today from book-a-neer as a companion traveller with another book.
It's been on my wishlist for a while now, so looking forward to it.
Thank you very much, book-a-neer.

On the 1001 Books list

Satire is usually not my thing, but I enjoyed reading this one. It is so well done and apart from some sections in the centre that bordered on boring, the rest was interesting and mostly entertaining. Even amusing.

Čapek‘s biting satire really puts the boot into so many things: capitalism, colonialism, racism, slavery, the arms race, politics and nationalism, fascism, the vacuous uber-rich, the film industry, science and pseudo-science, the media . . . and in the end basic human nature. Insightful, and all wrapped up in a tight 215 pages.

Off on a trip eastward to Rach260 as a choice from the OZ VBB.
Sorry about the delay.

What a fascinating sounding book that I had never heard of until I saw in it in the Oz Virtual Book Box. Thanks crimson-tide for bringing it to my attention and sharing it with me. How well-travelled this copy is and through its journal entries I also now know about the 1001 list. What a wonderful first book to receive in my new home.