The Post-birthday World

by Lionel Shriver | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0061187844 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingcestmoiwing of Hamilton, Ontario Canada on 2/17/2007
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4 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingcestmoiwing from Hamilton, Ontario Canada on Saturday, February 17, 2007
Won in the Harper Collins Canada First Look program. Will read soon.

Journal Entry 2 by wingcestmoiwing from Hamilton, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, March 14, 2007
I'm passing this along to chronicbooker3.

This is an interesting novel that shows that the choices we make in life are not always right or wrong, they juet ARE.

This explores a woman's life after one lifechanging decision, whether or not to kiss a man who is not her husband.

Alternate chapters tell how her life changed if she did, or didn't. Neither life is worse than the other, neither is better - both just are.

Journal Entry 3 by chronicbooker3 from Hamilton, Ontario Canada on Monday, March 19, 2007
Thanks bookfairy I can take this off my wishlist now.

Journal Entry 4 by geishabird from Toronto, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Thanks! Funnily enough, I entered to win this at First Look too, but didn't get it...but it sounded so interesting that I added to my wishlist.

Journal Entry 5 by geishabird at Toronto, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Quite an unusual and interesting novel. I've read some mixed reviews on it; some people don't think that the chapter-swapping works, while others think there is too much minutiae of Irina's everyday life. I am a fan of minutiae, so that doesn't bother me, and I thought that the alternating chapters worked rather well. I wasn't sure whether I really liked any of the central characters that much, to be honest - but at times they didn't seem to like themselves either, so perhaps that was the point. I really did find the structure intriguing - watching the way elements of the narrative were repeated in each of the respective "universes" and the variations that resulted depending on the events surrounding them. And I thought the final chapter was quite clever.

I feel like a bit of a prude saying this, but I was rather bothered by Shriver's continual and strangely casual use of the "f-word" to describe the sex act. It really did not seem to fit the characters that used it and as a result stood out rather garishly and crudely, and I can't think that this was the intent. So that kind of annoyed me after a while; I kept thinking, "Oh, use a euphemism like everybody else, can't you?" :)

I also found the mini-snooker lesson quite interesting. Knew nothing about the game before. Now I am informed.

Thanks very much for sharing this unusual and thought-provoking book.

Released 13 yrs ago (11/5/2010 UTC) at phone booth (see release notes for details) in Toronto, Ontario Canada

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Released as part of the "The" challenge - book titles containing "the".

Happy reading!

Journal Entry 7 by wingAnonymousFinderwing at Toronto, Ontario Canada on Saturday, November 6, 2010
will read soon

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