The Witch of Cologne
8 journalers for this copy...
A story of "colour, sex, danger and intrigue" (Caroline Baum, Sunday Life). How promising. Picked it up at the closing down sale of the bookshop near QVB - "Tea in the Library". Is anyone else devastated??
Reserved for lauraloo29
Arrived today. It looks like a good read. Thank you!
An interesting read. I'm not sure if I liked the ending. But probably more realistic.
I'm going to send this out as a ray.
Rules: Not many. Please journal the book's arrival and departure. And please keep it moving by keeping it no longer than 4 weeks. The last person is free to release the book as they wish.
1. GateGypsy - Canada (Intl)
2. esq228 - US (US)
3. JeepACV - US (US/Intl)
4. QueenSissi - Portugal (Europe)
Beginning its journey on May 8th!
Rules: Not many. Please journal the book's arrival and departure. And please keep it moving by keeping it no longer than 4 weeks. The last person is free to release the book as they wish.
1. GateGypsy - Canada (Intl)
2. esq228 - US (US)
3. JeepACV - US (US/Intl)
4. QueenSissi - Portugal (Europe)
Beginning its journey on May 8th!
Arrived in the mail today. I stopped at the library while walking home today, but made a point of not starting to read anything I picked up, because I fully expected a ring book to arrive. I shall start on this tonight!
DON'T READ THIS IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT SPOILERS!
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Made an attempt at starting to read this. Found the author's voice somewhat pretentious. The main character is highly improbable, which is OK because this is clearly a work of fiction, but in chapter 2 we hear that a representative of the Spanish Inquisition is coming to town to arrest a midwife (and obviously it has to be Ruth!) and I look at the rest of the book (it's really thick!) and *know* that somehow Ruth dodges the Inquisition, and I just cannot suspend my disbelief enough to accept that's what's going to happen. I mean, she's not only a midwife (enough to condemn thousands already), but she's a Jewess (and it's not like people tried very hard to find reasons to kill Jews back then,) and not only is she *rumoured* to practice Kabbalah (which was still enough to condemn her) she ACTUALLY DOES, in plain sight of witnesses! She should have burned, there's no way she'd be able to reason her way out of the Inquisition. I haven't even gotten to that part of the book and I'm already mad about the unreality of it.
I read chapter one in the morning and chapter two in the afternoon. After completing each chapter, I was forced to take a nap. Perhaps my mind is just not ready to take this book on. I'm allowed to have it for 4 weeks, so I will set it aside and read something else this week, something from the library. If, when I come back to it next week I'm still struggling with it, then I will admit defeat and pass it on to the next BXer.
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All right, I came back to it, but the book didn't get any better. I gave into temptation and flipped through it, looking for answers. I have already spent too much of my life discussing the flaws of this book with my kid sister, I don't think I'll go into that much depth here, but suffice it to say that I didn't like it, in any estimation. The writing style was pretentious and irritated me. The Jewess was the worst Jew I've ever heard of, the sex was minimal and terribly dull, the trial was a farce, the ending somewhere in left field. I'll mail this book on to esq228 and hope it's enjoyed there more than it was here, but I won't hold out too much hope.
DON'T READ THIS IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT SPOILERS!
****************************************************
Made an attempt at starting to read this. Found the author's voice somewhat pretentious. The main character is highly improbable, which is OK because this is clearly a work of fiction, but in chapter 2 we hear that a representative of the Spanish Inquisition is coming to town to arrest a midwife (and obviously it has to be Ruth!) and I look at the rest of the book (it's really thick!) and *know* that somehow Ruth dodges the Inquisition, and I just cannot suspend my disbelief enough to accept that's what's going to happen. I mean, she's not only a midwife (enough to condemn thousands already), but she's a Jewess (and it's not like people tried very hard to find reasons to kill Jews back then,) and not only is she *rumoured* to practice Kabbalah (which was still enough to condemn her) she ACTUALLY DOES, in plain sight of witnesses! She should have burned, there's no way she'd be able to reason her way out of the Inquisition. I haven't even gotten to that part of the book and I'm already mad about the unreality of it.
I read chapter one in the morning and chapter two in the afternoon. After completing each chapter, I was forced to take a nap. Perhaps my mind is just not ready to take this book on. I'm allowed to have it for 4 weeks, so I will set it aside and read something else this week, something from the library. If, when I come back to it next week I'm still struggling with it, then I will admit defeat and pass it on to the next BXer.
*********************
All right, I came back to it, but the book didn't get any better. I gave into temptation and flipped through it, looking for answers. I have already spent too much of my life discussing the flaws of this book with my kid sister, I don't think I'll go into that much depth here, but suffice it to say that I didn't like it, in any estimation. The writing style was pretentious and irritated me. The Jewess was the worst Jew I've ever heard of, the sex was minimal and terribly dull, the trial was a farce, the ending somewhere in left field. I'll mail this book on to esq228 and hope it's enjoyed there more than it was here, but I won't hold out too much hope.
Journal Entry 7 by GateGypsy at controlled release: bookring in Whitehorse, Yukon Canada on Monday, June 25, 2007
Released 16 yrs ago (6/25/2007 UTC) at controlled release: bookring in Whitehorse, Yukon Canada
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Finally got this in the mail to esq228 today. Sorry it took so long. I hope you like it better than I did!
Finally got this in the mail to esq228 today. Sorry it took so long. I hope you like it better than I did!
Just got this today. Have another bookray in front of it but will start it ASAP. Thanks for sharing!
I purposely avoided GateGypsy's review before reading (thank you for the spoiler alert) but just read it before adding my own two cents, and was actually quite surprised. I thought the book was fantastic. Unrealistic, of course, but if I wanted reality I would read non-fiction. And I really don't get the "worst Jew ever" comment.
Time is a major commodity in my life these days and I don't have enough of it to gush about this book as much as I would like. Let's just say this is one of the better books I've read this year and can only hope the next reader enjoys it as much as I did.
Am PMing JeepACV and will send this off ASAP.
Time is a major commodity in my life these days and I don't have enough of it to gush about this book as much as I would like. Let's just say this is one of the better books I've read this year and can only hope the next reader enjoys it as much as I did.
Am PMing JeepACV and will send this off ASAP.
Arrived in yesterday's mail. I will read and pass on soon.
Thanks for sharing this book!
Thanks for sharing this book!
I'm approximately half way through this book (and enjoying it a good deal). Unfortunately, the semester started up and I have a lot of reading this time around ~ so reading for pleasure is not going as swiftly as usual.
I hope to wrap it up in a couple weeks and then be ready to pass it along. Sorry for the delay, but it is safe and sound (and being read).
I see some of GateGypsy's points but I'm also prepared to suspend belief in the pursuit of being entertained. :)
I hope to wrap it up in a couple weeks and then be ready to pass it along. Sorry for the delay, but it is safe and sound (and being read).
I see some of GateGypsy's points but I'm also prepared to suspend belief in the pursuit of being entertained. :)
Yes, it's been a difficult semester and I've been lagging behind on pleasure reading.
I have QueenSissi's address and I'm hoping to get to the post office something this upcoming week.
Thanks again for all your patience!
Happy reading,
I have QueenSissi's address and I'm hoping to get to the post office something this upcoming week.
Thanks again for all your patience!
Happy reading,
Journal Entry 13 by JeepACV at BookRing in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, October 29, 2007
Released 16 yrs ago (10/27/2007 UTC) at BookRing in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
FINALLY got to the post office and mailed this off to Portugal on Saturday.
Happy travels!
FINALLY got to the post office and mailed this off to Portugal on Saturday.
Happy travels!
Arrived today. Thanks!
It wasn't that bad :)! I must say that I cried in the end and think it was a bit lame. However on the whole I think it's a good read, especially if you want to think about other things, unrelated to real life!
I'll try to move this bookray forward.
I'll try to move this bookray forward.
Journal Entry 16 by linafeo from Quezon City, not specified not specified on Friday, February 1, 2008
Received it a few days ago. Thanks.