Smilla's Sense of Snow
4 journalers for this copy...
I found the story riveting when it was read on "Between The Covers" on CBC Radio One a couple of years back. Looking forward to reading it myself.
Great story told in a unique voice.
Received as a birthday gift from my birthday buddy, readerguy. THANK YOU!!!
Be sure to let HughYeman know what I think if/when I ever get to read this :-) Why?
http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/6/3798812
and there you have it.
**link doesn't work for the forums after new site came up, hope to be able to search for this old link and update it eventually -- June 16, 2010**
***SUCCESS!!! http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/6/261412/ -- and yes, I just checked the pictures are still up as well, just cut and paste Hugh's link if you want to watch the book burn -- yes, he really burns it -- June 8, 2011****
http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/6/3798812
and there you have it.
**link doesn't work for the forums after new site came up, hope to be able to search for this old link and update it eventually -- June 16, 2010**
***SUCCESS!!! http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/6/261412/ -- and yes, I just checked the pictures are still up as well, just cut and paste Hugh's link if you want to watch the book burn -- yes, he really burns it -- June 8, 2011****
Keeping track of quotes I like as I read.
pg. 96 "There are rosebushes in large porcelain pots, and they have red blossoms, and it looks as if someone waters them and talks to them and promises them that they will never be sent on vacation to my place, where, for some strange reason, the climate is bad for green plants."
pg. 124 "Some thoughts have glue on them."
pg. 223 "The hour I'm going to spend alone getting dressed already seems long."
pg. 96 "There are rosebushes in large porcelain pots, and they have red blossoms, and it looks as if someone waters them and talks to them and promises them that they will never be sent on vacation to my place, where, for some strange reason, the climate is bad for green plants."
pg. 124 "Some thoughts have glue on them."
pg. 223 "The hour I'm going to spend alone getting dressed already seems long."
It feels like it took me forever to finish reading this book, but I think that is more a statement on my frame of mind than the book. I enjoyed the book immensely. I got lost a little with the Danish/Greenland terminology, but it didn't take away from the story. I just re-read Hugh's views (in the thread he has a link to his Amazon review (scroll down to find it)), and I just couldn't find enough in it to hate it as much as he did. I DON'T think it is the BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR, but it hardly deserves a fire - but each to his own.
Anyway, I will agree with Hugh that Smilla is not the most likeable character out there - but I did feel for her "fish out of water" feel. I think we have all been there, just usually we end up finding our way -- she never does. And even when she thinks she finds someone, she is wrong. I feel that all the answers I needed were wrapped up in the last chapters of the book, although, there is no true "ending" to the book - I think that is the point. There isn't an ending - you are left to decide for yourself where Smilla's next move takes her.
Again, I enjoyed the book, and I will be passing it on to antof9, who mentioned she might like to read it, after I told her of Hugh's hatred of the book ;-) (no, I don't know Hugh - but he is fascinating eh?)
Anyway, I will agree with Hugh that Smilla is not the most likeable character out there - but I did feel for her "fish out of water" feel. I think we have all been there, just usually we end up finding our way -- she never does. And even when she thinks she finds someone, she is wrong. I feel that all the answers I needed were wrapped up in the last chapters of the book, although, there is no true "ending" to the book - I think that is the point. There isn't an ending - you are left to decide for yourself where Smilla's next move takes her.
Again, I enjoyed the book, and I will be passing it on to antof9, who mentioned she might like to read it, after I told her of Hugh's hatred of the book ;-) (no, I don't know Hugh - but he is fascinating eh?)
Caught after a fun gathering downtown. I really am fascinated by a book that could inspire someone to burn it! Whoa. I can't imagine feeling that strongly about a book. Who knows? Maybe I'll agree .... but I doubt it :)
Good to see you again, innae!
Good to see you again, innae!
I've seen this title in multiple languages on the sidebar so many times, and it's always intrigued me. In speaking with innae recently, she mentioned the guy who hated it so much that he burned a copy of it, and neither of us could imagine feeling that strongly about a book! Thus, when she got her hands on a copy, she said she'd share it with me too :)
And although I'd have liked a more "concrete" ending, I have to say this book held my attention from the beginning. I love the idea of having a 'sense of snow', and someone from Greenland just being able to stand the cold longer than ... well, I could.
I like to read books "cold". That is, without a lot of knowledge about them going into it. I don't really like to be swayed by what I know about an author or a book before I read it. It's easier to form my own opinion about a book if I just sit down and read it. However, because of that, I'm sometimes confused by odd things :) For instance, I'm pretty sure that this wasn't originally written in English, nor by an American. But oddly enough, the characters in this book talk about the IRS. My guess? That it's the Danish (or Greenlandic) version of our Internal Revenue Service they're talking about, and the translator chose to translate it to "IRS". But I don't have to like it :)
On the other hand, there are some things in this book that either translate really well, or the translator changed altogether. I can't imagine that Prohibition as we know/picture it in the U.S. was the same there (or existed at all), but this description was great: He's short, no taller than I am, but he's wearing a very large gray coat with so much padding in the shoulders that he looks like a ten-year-old boy acting in a musical about Prohibition.
In a world where half the people I know are vegetarians and another half are vegans, I loved this part: I eat mostly meat. Fatty meat. I can't keep warm on vegetables and bread.
There are a lot of insights (Smilla's) into the human condition in this book. I found this one profound: There's not a single human being who doesn't find it a relief to be forced to tell the truth. [An unnamed, un"spoiled" character] is not a natural liar.
This book required more brainpower than I expected, and I found the intrigue ... well, intriguing :) I liked it, although I'd have liked a little bit more "meat" for the ending.
And although I'd have liked a more "concrete" ending, I have to say this book held my attention from the beginning. I love the idea of having a 'sense of snow', and someone from Greenland just being able to stand the cold longer than ... well, I could.
I like to read books "cold". That is, without a lot of knowledge about them going into it. I don't really like to be swayed by what I know about an author or a book before I read it. It's easier to form my own opinion about a book if I just sit down and read it. However, because of that, I'm sometimes confused by odd things :) For instance, I'm pretty sure that this wasn't originally written in English, nor by an American. But oddly enough, the characters in this book talk about the IRS. My guess? That it's the Danish (or Greenlandic) version of our Internal Revenue Service they're talking about, and the translator chose to translate it to "IRS". But I don't have to like it :)
On the other hand, there are some things in this book that either translate really well, or the translator changed altogether. I can't imagine that Prohibition as we know/picture it in the U.S. was the same there (or existed at all), but this description was great: He's short, no taller than I am, but he's wearing a very large gray coat with so much padding in the shoulders that he looks like a ten-year-old boy acting in a musical about Prohibition.
In a world where half the people I know are vegetarians and another half are vegans, I loved this part: I eat mostly meat. Fatty meat. I can't keep warm on vegetables and bread.
There are a lot of insights (Smilla's) into the human condition in this book. I found this one profound: There's not a single human being who doesn't find it a relief to be forced to tell the truth. [An unnamed, un"spoiled" character] is not a natural liar.
This book required more brainpower than I expected, and I found the intrigue ... well, intriguing :) I liked it, although I'd have liked a little bit more "meat" for the ending.
Given to me by Antof9 yesterday...
