Suggestions for BOTM April

[Sam Addington]

I'm going to start Qi Wang too!

[ABCinChina]

Ok, I tried to be cool and chill with the BOTM club while trying to read 中國是青春 and have no idea what the author is talking about over 40% of the time even with ChinesePera-kun turned on. I asked my native Chinese-speaking girlfriend about what she thought and she said even she doesn't understand some of the stuff being said. Seems like the author is making up his own idioms or something. It's back to rote memorizing the HSK list for me... (Currently on HSK2 Words with 900 more to go before starting HSK3 Characters)

[Sam Addington]

Dear ABC,

I have cast my eye over 《棋王》and it looks quite reasonable. Why don't you give it a try?

Sam

[gato]

I just finished 《棋王》 last night. Was planning to read a few minutes before going to sleep, but ended up reading until 2:30. The whole story is only thirty, forty pages, so relatively short. It's very good, in both language and characterization. The dialogue is particularly great, amusing and authentic. A touching story, for a change, instead of the satire of 《围城》. I've seen movie adaption of 《孩子王》, also by 阿城, directed by Chen Kaige 陈凯歌, about "sent-down youth" during the Cultural Revolution teaching in a remote mountain school in Yunnan, so some elements of the story seem familiar -- the naiveness and idealism of the sent-down youth, the deprivation, etc.

[skylee]

The film 棋王 -> http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_cc00XODAwNTI4OA==.html

[gato]

The film 棋王 -> http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_cc00XODAwNTI4OA==.html

That movie is a very loose combined adaption of two stories both titled 《棋王》:

http://bbs.mov6.com/thread-66294-1-4.html

该片将阿城的小说《棋王》和台湾张系国的小说《棋王》糅合在一起，分两条线叙述。

http://www.mtime.com/my/825220/blog/972891/

《棋王》评论

[Lu]

I have finished 活著 (started after Chinese New Year, finished today, actual reading time was more like 2-3 weeks), and am up for Wolf Totem now, so that would be my vote.

Sam Addington: Shaolin Soccer is a good one. I'd suggest you watch that one first before you order more Stephen Chow, on the off chance you don't like his humor it would be a bit of a waste to order a lot at the same time. I haven't seen Cinderella Story.

Seems like the author is making up his own idioms or something.

I hate it when they do that. Good luck on the book, or just throw it aside if it doesn't make sense to you.

[zhwj]

The King of Chess film gato mentions is actually pretty good - it's a slick HK movie by Tsui Hark, and the incorporation of the S.K. Chang novel (which is itself a good read, though nothing at all like Ah Cheng's) gives the film a veneer of modern social commentary (it was Taipei and insurance at the time, but it would apply to mainland cities in this decade) atop a basic cultural revolution narrative. Tony Leung Ka-fai makes a good Wang Yisheng, and John Koon-chung Chan is well-cast as the sleezy professor.

My copy of Ah Cheng's story collection includes an interesting transcript of a conversation between Tsui Hark, Ah Cheng, and someone else (his agent, perhaps? Don't have the book in front of me right now).

[Sam Addington]

I was very pleased with my viewing of "Shaolin Soccer." I found it refreshing and humorous, if a bit long towards the end. I especially liked its lack of Hollywood polish and its use of very unique individuals instead of bland movie star clones.

It was interesting that my DVD came with two versions ... the original one for the Chinese market and the Hollywood version. Some attempt was made at sanitizing things for the Americans ... especially in substituting Chinese signage with English signage. I detected a greater level of comfort when viewing the sanitized version, which was interesting to me. The changes were minimal, but I found the Chinese version more "fun." I really had the feeling that everyone was just having a good time and not so intent on producing something that would sell.

The ending was typically Hollywood (Rocky, etc.) but inevitable. I was also reminded of the Austin Powers series at several points, especially the lair of Dr. Evil. I thought it was hysterical and EXTREMELY original to situate the evil lair at the bottom of a swimming pool. I was really in stitches at that point. I also loved the message at the end where the girl saves the day. And the hero grows enough that he can accept her as both a buddy and a romantic interest.

Very well done indeed.

I also have the Taiwan version of "The King of Chess" on order. It should come in soon.

So is Wolf Totem the next book we are going to tackle? I should have the King of Chess completed before the beginning of May .... I hope.

[roddy]

I reckon we've got time for a quick one before May - anyone fancy 阿Ｑ正传? Easy to find in Chinese and English, and there's also an audio version. 20,000 characters. Any takers?

[Lu]

看過.

[rob07]

I've got a somewhat Ah Q related question, which has been on my mind for some time. As I noted on another thread:

These days poor old Ah Q wouldn't even be Ah Q any more. He'd be "Ah G" instead.

我曾仔细想：阿Quei，阿桂还是阿贵呢？... 生怕注音字母还未通行，只好用了“洋字”，照英国流行的拼法写他为阿Quei，略作阿Q。

Ah G doesn't work as well, because I understand that Q is supposed to be a double pun: it is a homonym for "queue" and looks like a head with a queue coming off it (ie: the tail of the Q). At a simpler level, I personally find the sight of the letter Q strewn liberally through a page of Chinese characters very funny.

OK, so this was in pre-pinyin days and "quei" sounds more or less the same as "gui4". But is it just my imagination, or does "quei" with the "qu" pronounced in the English way sound more like "gui4" than any of gui1,2 or 3?

More generally, is meaningful "tonal spelling" possible? I suppose the classic example of tonal spelling would be "Shaanxi". Further, I understand that there is a whole romanisation system called Gwoyeu Romatzyh based on the principle that tones can be spelt (eg: guo1 = guo, guo2 = gwo, guo3 = guoo, guo 4 = guoh).

If meaningful tonal spelling is possible, can it help in learning the tones?

[Lu]

More generally, is meaningful "tonal spelling" possible? I suppose the classic example of tonal spelling would be "Shaanxi". Further, I understand that there is a whole romanisation system called Gwoyeu Romatzyh based on the principle that tones can be spelt (eg: guo1 = guo, guo2 = gwo, guo3 = guoo, guo4 = guoh).

If meaningful tonal spelling is possible, can it help in learning the tones?

As you mention, it is possible, and according to some learners it helps in memorizing which tones go with which word. Personally I never learned Gwoyeu Romatzyh, but I can imagine they might be right.

Do we have a book for May yet?

[gato]

There is a Chinese novel special in the New York Times Sunday Book Review this week. "Wolf Totem" got panned as "didactic," but Mo Yan and Wang Anyi's books got raves.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/books/review/Mishra-t.html

WOLF TOTEM By Jiang Rong. (《狼图腾》姜戎)

Translated by Howard Goldblatt.

527 pp. The Penguin Press. $26.95.

Review by PANKAJ MISHRA

Published: May 4, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/books/review/Spence-t.html

LIFE AND DEATH ARE WEARING ME OUT By Mo Yan (《生死疲劳》莫言)

Translated by Howard Goldblatt.

540 pp. Arcade Publishing. $29.95.

Reviewed by JONATHAN SPENCE

Published: May 4, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/books/review/Prose-t.html

THE SONG OF EVERLASTING SORROW

A Novel of Shanghai. By Wang Anyi. (《长恨歌》王安忆)

Translated by Michael Berry and Susan Chang Egan.

440 pp. Columbia University Press. $29.95.

Reviewed by FRANCINE PROSE

Published: May 4, 2008

[xiaocai]

I've started it and find the concept interesting and am really curious as to how it will develop. Unfortunately I'm finding the first bit a bit 枯燥

Really? The beginning is what drew my attention to it initially, creative and funny as well. Otherwise I would have missed it because of the boring title.

[skylee]

Is the BOTM project dead already? Why aren't there any posts about what to read in May?

I might start reading 北京法源寺 by 李敖 (that is, when I get the book). Anyone wants to join me?

[Lu]

李敖 is fun to read! What I read of him, at least.

I'm reading 疫 by one 章緣, and doing rather well in it. So I won't join you this time, sorry.

[imron]

Is the BOTM project dead already? Why aren't there any posts about what to read in May?

Not dead, but I've noticed that the first episode project has recently been taking up time that previously I might have spent reading. You're more than welcome to start a topic for May though if you'd like