We Need to Talk About Kevin (Five Star Fiction S.)
12 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by bigcurlyloz from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire United Kingdom on Thursday, July 20, 2006
"Two years ago, Eva Khatchadourian's son, Kevin, murdered seven of his fellow high-school students, a cafeteria worker, and a popular algebra teacher. Because he was only fifteen at the time of the killings, he received a lenient sentence and is now in a prison for young offenders in upstate New York. Telling the story of Kevin's upbringing, Eva addresses herself to her estranged husband through a series of letters. Fearing that her own shortcomings may have shaped what her son has become, she confesses to a deep, long-standing ambivalence about both motherhood in general and Kevin in particular. How much is her fault? Lionel Shriver tells a compelling, absorbing, and resonant story while framing these horrifying tableaux of teenage carnage as metaphors for the larger tragedy - the tragedy of a country where everything works, nobody starves, and anything can be bought but a sense of purpose." - amazon.co.uk synopsis
Now I've finished my degree I can read again! Bought new with some book tokens I found hanging around.
To be read.
Now I've finished my degree I can read again! Bought new with some book tokens I found hanging around.
To be read.
Journal Entry 2 by bigcurlyloz from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire United Kingdom on Monday, August 14, 2006
I'm so obsessed with collecting books to release in the wild, which I know are either disposable fiction or quick reads, I don't think I'm going to get round to this for a while. So here it is, my first bookring!
How it works
- PM me to join and state your shipping preferences.
- When I have at least 5 people, I'll post the book to the first person.
- Please journal the book when it arrives and when you've sent it on.
- When you've read it, please PM the next person on the list for their address.
- Bear in mind other people want to read it, so don't put it at the bottom of your TBR pile (2 months is a reasonable timeframe imo)!
- The last person on the list is to send it back to me :-)
When I have enough participants I'll sort the order to suit as many people's postage preferences as possible.
bigcurlyloz (UK-anywhere)
baileybird (UK-UK/Europe)
LindyLouMac (Italy-Europe)
wubbaducky (UK-UK/Europe)
lwpallett (UK-UK)
kazeh (UK-UK)
Inver (UK-anywhere)
aleonblue (Australia-Australia)
sarahbear (Australia-anywhere)
Aramena (USA-USA)
Luintaurien (USA-anywhere)
Fifna (Netherlands-Europe)
Tuftynut (UK-UK)
kazbag (UK-?)
Tazzell (UK-UK/Europe)
wyjane (UK-UK)
Lizziepie (UK-anywhere)
Cayenne-UK (UK-UK)<--- book is here
jillbe (UK-UK)
Iagegu (UK - UK)
lmjsmum (UK - Intl)
How it works
- PM me to join and state your shipping preferences.
- When I have at least 5 people, I'll post the book to the first person.
- Please journal the book when it arrives and when you've sent it on.
- When you've read it, please PM the next person on the list for their address.
- Bear in mind other people want to read it, so don't put it at the bottom of your TBR pile (2 months is a reasonable timeframe imo)!
- The last person on the list is to send it back to me :-)
When I have enough participants I'll sort the order to suit as many people's postage preferences as possible.
bigcurlyloz (UK-anywhere)
baileybird (UK-UK/Europe)
LindyLouMac (Italy-Europe)
wubbaducky (UK-UK/Europe)
lwpallett (UK-UK)
kazeh (UK-UK)
Inver (UK-anywhere)
aleonblue (Australia-Australia)
sarahbear (Australia-anywhere)
Aramena (USA-USA)
Luintaurien (USA-anywhere)
Fifna (Netherlands-Europe)
Tuftynut (UK-UK)
kazbag (UK-?)
Tazzell (UK-UK/Europe)
wyjane (UK-UK)
Lizziepie (UK-anywhere)
Cayenne-UK (UK-UK)<--- book is here
jillbe (UK-UK)
Iagegu (UK - UK)
lmjsmum (UK - Intl)
Journal Entry 3 by bigcurlyloz from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Posted to BaileyBird this afternoon. Enjoy!
Journal Entry 4 by baileybird from Brighton & Hove, East Sussex United Kingdom on Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Realised that I hadn't journalled to say this arrived safely sorry! Am looking forward to reading it- am just finishing another book first :0)
Journal Entry 5 by baileybird from Brighton & Hove, East Sussex United Kingdom on Thursday, September 14, 2006
Nope can't do this one at the moment I'm afraid. It wasn't how I expected and I don't think I have the patience to read it :0(
Will PM Lindyloumac and pass on- maybe I'll come back to this another time....
Will PM Lindyloumac and pass on- maybe I'll come back to this another time....
Journal Entry 6 by baileybird from Brighton & Hove, East Sussex United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Payday has come and gone and this one was off in the post on Monday (2/10/06) to Lindyloumac. ENJOY!
Arrived safely today with thanks to bigcurlyloz and baileybird(thanks for the postcard- which will join my collection, gradually covering the study walls!)
I have a couple of books ahead of this one, but it will not be long before I get to it. I have been looking forward to reading this for a long time, just hope I can get into it. I think it is going to take my utmost concentration to read this psychological and philosophical novel.
I have a couple of books ahead of this one, but it will not be long before I get to it. I have been looking forward to reading this for a long time, just hope I can get into it. I think it is going to take my utmost concentration to read this psychological and philosophical novel.
Finished this afternoon, wow what an emotionally draining read this has been. A very intense novel(that could so easily and sadly be a factual account)thought provoking literature indeed. Although it took me a little while to get into the story because of the difficult subject matter, not exactly enjoyable to read about a young boy killing nine people deliberately! It soon became a page turner although a slow read as so much detail in the letters. The main character Eva narrates the story in a series of letters to her husband and I think this is what makes the story seem so realistic as her feelings and fears about Kevin pour out.
Certainly one of my best reads of 2006. Highly recommended and well worth perservering with. Baileybird hope you give it a second chance!
Once I have an address for wubbaducky, it will be on its way back to the UK.
Certainly one of my best reads of 2006. Highly recommended and well worth perservering with. Baileybird hope you give it a second chance!
Once I have an address for wubbaducky, it will be on its way back to the UK.
Journal Entry 9 by LindyLouMac at by mail in To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Friday, October 27, 2006
Released 17 yrs ago (10/30/2006 UTC) at by mail in To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
En route to Wubbaducky
En route to Wubbaducky
Journal Entry 10 by wubbaducky from not specified, not specified not specified on Thursday, November 2, 2006
Arrived safe and sound today - just in time for me to take on holiday with me :) Thanks!
Journal Entry 11 by wubbaducky from not specified, not specified not specified on Saturday, November 11, 2006
I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book. I wasn't too sure of it to start but am very glad I persevered as it turned out to be a brilliant book - well worth reading and one i'd recommend to anyone! Thanks for sharing it in a bookring. I'm on holiday at the moment but will pm the next person anyway for their addy so I can post it on when I return home :)
Journal Entry 12 by wubbaducky from not specified, not specified not specified on Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Posted off to lwpallett today now I'm back from my holiday :)
Popped through my door today...first post (other than bills) to my new flat! Thanks!
Now to get on with reading it for the bookring...
Now to get on with reading it for the bookring...
Really quite informative, and a good look into the psyche of a "mother of disaster". It is true that many times parenting is blamed for the ills of modern society, in particular the actions of our children that would have (supposedly) been unthinkable not so long ago, and it really is quite refreshing to see what it is like from the opposite side of the argument. She can do everything right and still be blamed for getting it wrong.
The questions at the end are thought-provoking, but a bit too much like going back to school and structured literary analysis for my liking.
Now that I've finally finished it (mostly read during my lunch breaks at work, so apologies for being slow!), it will be travelling on to kazeh...
The questions at the end are thought-provoking, but a bit too much like going back to school and structured literary analysis for my liking.
Now that I've finally finished it (mostly read during my lunch breaks at work, so apologies for being slow!), it will be travelling on to kazeh...
Thank lwpallet. It arrived yesterday. I will read it soon.
It's a powerful book which I didn't expect it. First start was bit slowly then get pick up really good. Sometimes Eva gets difficult relationship with Kevin when he was young. Their relationship get stronger because of their between silence understanding nobody don't understand them.
Worth to reading. Will send it to Inver this week.
Worth to reading. Will send it to Inver this week.
Arrived this morning thank you. I have about 3 bookrings to read before this but will get to it ASAP. Unfortunately they are all arriving together !!!!!
15/4/07 Started reading this today, but am not sure if I will be able to keep going with it. Not enjoying how it is written in the narrative speech all the time. Might find it a bit tiresome. Will keep going with it a bit more and see how I get on.
25/4/07 About half way through at the moment. Determined to finish it but finding it a struggle.
1/5/07 Nearly 3/4 way through, bit of a mega read!
6/5/07 Hoping to finish it this week.
15/4/07 Started reading this today, but am not sure if I will be able to keep going with it. Not enjoying how it is written in the narrative speech all the time. Might find it a bit tiresome. Will keep going with it a bit more and see how I get on.
25/4/07 About half way through at the moment. Determined to finish it but finding it a struggle.
1/5/07 Nearly 3/4 way through, bit of a mega read!
6/5/07 Hoping to finish it this week.
Phew...at last I am finished it. Can't say it was one of my favourite reads and found the way of writing a bit of a bind at times. I couldn't help but be on Eva's side being a mother of a 16 year old at the moment. How other mothers have come to terms with the tragedy of something their offspring has done like this is beyond me!!! Thanks for allowing me to take part in the bookring. Have the address of 'aleonblue' and POSTED TODAY.PS...some of the pages towards the end of the book are coming adrift...have tried my best to stick them back in.
The book landed in my mailbox last week - thanks Inver. Will get to it soon...
Haven't been able to get into the book - probably need to be in the right frame of mind, so I'm sending it on to the next reader.
Thanks for sharing it anyway!
Haven't been able to get into the book - probably need to be in the right frame of mind, so I'm sending it on to the next reader.
Thanks for sharing it anyway!
Journal Entry 20 by aleonblue at Fellow BookCrosser in -- Controlled Release, New South Wales Australia on Monday, March 10, 2008
Released 16 yrs ago (3/10/2008 UTC) at Fellow BookCrosser in -- Controlled Release, New South Wales Australia
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Passing this bookring onto the next reader...
Passing this bookring onto the next reader...
Arrived safely and soundly in Tasmania, Australia.
Unfortunately I just couldn't get into this one which is disappointing since I have been looking forward to reading it for so long.
Thank you for sharing bigcurlyoz.
I have contacted Aramena for her address and will be posting as soon as I get it.
Thank you for sharing bigcurlyoz.
I have contacted Aramena for her address and will be posting as soon as I get it.
Apologies for the delay. Going in the mail today via airmail.
Wow. One of the reviews on the front of the book says "Harrowing, tense and thought-provoking". Harrowing indeed. Halfway through the book I still wasn't sure what I thought of it or how I felt about it. Eva's relationship with her son, I kinda felt the book was copping out by making her relationship with him so strained from the beginning, as if the author were saying that kids who become killers have an unloving relationship with their parents. But then, maybe that's the case, I don't really know. I hope this isn't a spoiler but just in case someone might think so.....
but another reader before me commented about her doing everything right...but from birth she never bonded with her son. Should she not have had a child at that time since she really was not emotionally ready? Or even if she'd been emotionally ready, would she still not have been able to bond with him?
Anyway, it was a fascinating and gripping read to me.
but another reader before me commented about her doing everything right...but from birth she never bonded with her son. Should she not have had a child at that time since she really was not emotionally ready? Or even if she'd been emotionally ready, would she still not have been able to bond with him?
Anyway, it was a fascinating and gripping read to me.
Just a quick update -- Luintaurien already has a copy and Fifna asked to be skipped. I got a paycheck Friday so was planning a trip to the post office this morning, but had a PM from Tuftynut this morning saying she was just given a copy of the book! So now I've PMd kazbag!
Finally received an email from kazbag this morning, saying to skip her. So I'm PM'ing Tazzel now.
Finally received an email from kazbag this morning, saying to skip her. So I'm PM'ing Tazzel now.
Oh my gosh, I am so ashamed that I still have this book in my possession! I got Tazzell's address, and then I guess I forgot the book was in my desk drawer! It's packed up and in my bag so it can go to the post office today on my lunch break, and my apologies for taking so long to get it sent on!
Arrived and put straight on my next to be read pile :)
Journal Entry 29 by Tazzell from Laurencekirk, Scotland United Kingdom on Sunday, September 21, 2008
Bigcurlyoz I've pm'd you about having difficulties getting responses to forward the book on but had no reply so I'm trying this way in the hope this works. Thanks
Journal Entry 30 by Cayenne-UK from Southampton, Hampshire United Kingdom on Friday, February 6, 2009
This has just arrived. I've been looking forward to it. Thanks Tazzell.
June 2009. I finished this a while ago and I'm trying to pass it on to the next reader (lmjsmum).
June 2009. I finished this a while ago and I'm trying to pass it on to the next reader (lmjsmum).
