Paper Nautilus
Registered by 
lmn60
of Spotswood, Victoria Australia on 7/8/2006
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
lmn60 of Spotswood, Victoria Australia on 7/8/2006 This Book is Currently in the Wild!
8 journalers for this copy...
From Publishers Weekly
'Australia: the "lukewarm, lilac unknown" waters off the boot camp of Darwin and the saltbushes, paddocks and "mottled wave" of the remote home village of the Tregenza family on the southern peninsula is perhaps this fine novel's chief character as the country becomes less isolated and more modern in the wake of WW II. Jack Tregenza, chance survivor of the war, has raised his niece Penny after the wartime death of his brother Peter. This is a slim, unsentimental book about vivid people whose apparent ordinariness is deceptive. The deliberate discontinuity of the book which opens with Penny's wedding and closes with Penny's conception and the parting of her unmarried parents after a single night together as Peter leaves for war robs the story of narrative tension, but readers will be rewarded by a truthful family portrait and a multi-angled picture of a changing world, especially for women.'
'Australia: the "lukewarm, lilac unknown" waters off the boot camp of Darwin and the saltbushes, paddocks and "mottled wave" of the remote home village of the Tregenza family on the southern peninsula is perhaps this fine novel's chief character as the country becomes less isolated and more modern in the wake of WW II. Jack Tregenza, chance survivor of the war, has raised his niece Penny after the wartime death of his brother Peter. This is a slim, unsentimental book about vivid people whose apparent ordinariness is deceptive. The deliberate discontinuity of the book which opens with Penny's wedding and closes with Penny's conception and the parting of her unmarried parents after a single night together as Peter leaves for war robs the story of narrative tension, but readers will be rewarded by a truthful family portrait and a multi-angled picture of a changing world, especially for women.'
This gentle, slow-paced book, was a lovely read. I found its structure interesting - the book works backwards in time- and the character portraits realistic and unsentimental.
I read this book years ago and barely remembered it - I think I did it a disservice because it is a deceptively simple work with a lot to say about relationships and the nature of love.
Nicholas Jose is the guest speaker at the BC convention in Adelaide this year. I've decided to see if there's any interest from other attendees for a ring for this one....
I read this book years ago and barely remembered it - I think I did it a disservice because it is a deceptively simple work with a lot to say about relationships and the nature of love.
Nicholas Jose is the guest speaker at the BC convention in Adelaide this year. I've decided to see if there's any interest from other attendees for a ring for this one....
There's some interest in this one out there... Hooray! Will send it off next week to the first ring participant....BookRing Instructions:
1. When you receive the book, please make a journal entry so everyone knows it has safely arrived.
2. When you finish the book, please make another journal entry to share some of your thoughts - enjoyed the book, or hated it?
3. Continue the BookRing by checking this journal entry for the latest list, and sending a PM to the person after you on the list requesting their postal address.
4. Please try to send on the book as soon as you can, preferably within 4-6 weeks. I know that real life can have a way of intruding into our reading time, so if you need more time, that's not a problem at all. Either send me a PM to let me know or write a journal entry that the book is safe with you. Thanks! :)
Participants in order....
kalasue (Western Australia)
wombles (Queensland)
awaywithfairies (N.S.W.)
cat207 (N.S.W.)
newk (S.A.)
*newk I'm happy for you to hang onto this one and pass it around to any other South Aussies who might want to read it before the conference. I'll get it from you when I see you at the conference!
Received today...
I really enjoyed this novel - I found the narrative structure interesting and wonder why it is not used more often. It reminded me of what actually happens when you meet someone - at first all you see is the surface and what's happening right now, and as time goes on you gradually learn more about the person's history, family and inner life. This is the third Nicholas Jose book I've read, and I wonder that he is not better known. Thanks lmn60 for the opportunity to read this, and thanks to the Adelaide Bookcrossers for introducing me to this very interesting author!
Received this today, will read in the next few days as fast as possible and get it off to awaywithfairies. Looks like a fairly quick read.
Finished this just now, I found the first 2 chapters boring and I had to reread some paragraphs but once I got past that I got really involved in the storyline and quite enjoyed it.
I always enjoy books with notes and thoughts jotted in the margin too, though I'm still trying to work out what the writing on page 100 "she'll kill you, its F***en noticeable nailpolish Bradley" is what I think it says!Bizarre!
I always enjoy books with notes and thoughts jotted in the margin too, though I'm still trying to work out what the writing on page 100 "she'll kill you, its F***en noticeable nailpolish Bradley" is what I think it says!Bizarre!
Strewth wombles! I didn't even notice the pencilled message... must be more careful with those books I source on ebay!
Journal Entry 9 by 
awaywithfairies
from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, August 22, 2006
awaywithfairies from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Received in the mail today. Many thanks.
Journal Entry 10 by awaywithfairies from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, August 27, 2006
awaywithfairies from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, August 27, 2006
Finished reading this afternoon. A gentle story about how lives and events interconnect and unfold. I found the "going backwards" structure a little off-putting at first but think it worked better than had the story moved forwards in time.
Will be posted shortly.
Will be posted shortly.
Journal Entry 11 by awaywithfairies at Postal Release in Sydney, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases on Monday, August 28, 2006
awaywithfairies at Postal Release in Sydney, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases on Monday, August 28, 2006
Released 17 yrs ago (8/28/2006 UTC) at Postal Release in Sydney, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES: Posted to cat207 today. Enjoy!
Arrived in today's mail along with a surprise. Thank you awaywithfairies.
'A novel about simple lives and the deep emotions behind them.' Quite true.
My third Nicholas Jose and all so completely different.
Thank you lmn60 for sharing.
My third Nicholas Jose and all so completely different.
Thank you lmn60 for sharing.
Heading back home to lmn60 in tomorrow's mail.
Home safe. I'll see if there's any other locals who'd like to read it before the convention....
Journal Entry 16 by lytteltonwitch from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Saturday, October 21, 2006
Listen to the author speak last night and wanted to read this book as it covers an area of Australia that I know fairly well.
Journal Entry 17 by futurecat from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Tuesday, November 7, 2006
I've volunteered to courier this up to Wellington in a few weeks. If I get time I might read it first.
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Journal Entry 18 by futurecat from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Wednesday, November 15, 2006
I had my doubts when I started reading this book and realised that the narrative ran backwards, which each chapter going further back into the past, but it actually works really well. And I have to disagree with the Publisher's Weekly reviewer quoted above, who says that the structure "robs the story of narrative tension" - I thought there was plenty of narrative tension, it's just that instead of reading on to find out what happens next, I was reading on to find out why things had happened, because each new chapter would reveal the motivations for the actions of the characters in the previous one.
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Journal Entry 19 by Sherlockfan from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Saturday, November 25, 2006
Arrived in Wellington today by special "FutureCat" delivery. I'm pleased to have the opportunity to read a novel by the author who spoke so well a the Adelaide Convention.
Will someone please let me know who it is to be returned to.
Will someone please let me know who it is to be returned to.
Journal Entry 20 by lytteltonwitch from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Saturday, November 25, 2006
At this stage the first on the list for this book after Sherlockfan is Bellamack from Tasmania
Journal Entry 21 by Sherlockfan from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Sunday, November 26, 2006
After a day or two of sightseeing with FutureCat after she delivered the book to me I spent most of the afternoon resting and reading this delightful book. Knowing that the narrative ran more or less backwards meant that I was not surprised. As a new-to-me construction I was at first intrigued and then quite fascinated with this method. There were places, such as the finding of the three nautilis, where I was conscious that if the structure was different there would be a feeling of disaster building; in this case though, because one knows that Jack doesn't actually drown during the incident, one is free to enjoy the words and the wonderful description of the turbulent sea-weed ridden waves.
Must say that I found the pencilled notes rather disconcerting. Coulnd't see what useful purpose they would have served to whoever wrote them there.
It is a thought provoking book - as I write this I keep recalling bits and wanting to re-read them Definitley had to return to the first chapter after I'd finished reading the last one.
Tonight the book is visiting Daughterfan while I send for Bellamack's address.
Must say that I found the pencilled notes rather disconcerting. Coulnd't see what useful purpose they would have served to whoever wrote them there.
It is a thought provoking book - as I write this I keep recalling bits and wanting to re-read them Definitley had to return to the first chapter after I'd finished reading the last one.
Tonight the book is visiting Daughterfan while I send for Bellamack's address.
Journal Entry 22 by Sherlockfan from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Saturday, January 6, 2007
I've communicated with Bellamack who is snowed under at present and couldn't recall that she'd expressed an interest in this book.
The book has finally been returned from my daughter who 'quite enjoyed it' but cannot be persuaded to make anonymous journal entries
Given my busy schedule at present I think the best thing to do with it is take it to the convention where it is bound to find a good home.
LyttletonWitch - if you read this before your meet-up on Tuesday perhaps you'd mention it there, otherwise I'll put it with the growing convention pile.
The book has finally been returned from my daughter who 'quite enjoyed it' but cannot be persuaded to make anonymous journal entries
Given my busy schedule at present I think the best thing to do with it is take it to the convention where it is bound to find a good home.
LyttletonWitch - if you read this before your meet-up on Tuesday perhaps you'd mention it there, otherwise I'll put it with the growing convention pile.
