What are you reading?

[Lu]

桃之夭夭 Tao zhi yaoyao, by 王安忆 Wang Anyi. It's a bit too difficult for me, I would have given up on it already but it's for school. Am also still reading 饥饿的女儿, so that's two 伤痕文学-books at the same time, a bit too much CR for my taste. 桃之夭夭 is a good book though.

[Tsunku]

After I watched the TV series by the same name, I saw a copy of 中国式离婚 in the local bookstore and picked it up. It is a collection of 13 first person accounts of failed marriages -- why these people got together in the first place, and how their relationships ended. I'm almost finished with it (the first actual whole book I will have finished in Chinese, yay), and although it is fairly depressing, it is pretty interesting too. One couple divorced because the wife started prostituting herself while her husband was working in another city, and another couple divorced because the husband found out on their wedding night that his wife wasn't a virgin, and basically continually abused her for the next several years.

When I finish this one I have a book called 我打电话的地方 which I am going to tackle if it keeps my interest. Now that I've discovered I can get through books without relying heavily on a dictionary I'm going to try to keep reading in Chinese. English books are way too expensive here

[elizaberth]

Anyone reading chinese horror novels?

rather frustrating here cos it seems there are not many chinese horror writers around.

but there are rather alot of good Western horror writers, Stephen King, H.P.Lovecraft, James Herbert, Edgar Allan Poe.....and more.

[Lu]

Pu Songling wrote good ghost stories. They're in wenyan though.

[skylee]

嗯，不妨試讀蒲松齡的"聊齋誌異" -> http://www.chinakongzi.net/2550/big5/book/mulu.asp?id=46

這些故事很有名 ->

聶小倩

畫皮

[woodcutter]

I'm reading the Oxford dictionary of quotations. John Ruskin said "A book that is worth reading is worth buying".

I e-mailed him in heaven, and he updated it for me.

"A book that is worth reading is worth its own thread!"

[elizaberth]

Yup, I have the Pu Songling book anyway.

It is a classic just like the Shui Hu Zhuan, Hong Lou Meng,etc.

I did encounter some what you call 'school horror stories' by some rather young writers,

and I also have one real horror novel, written by a hongkong DJ or so, in my collection,

but it is in Cantonese language, quite a challenge for me.

well, I like horror on top of the other genres.

[Vivien]

I'm reading " Kitchen God's Wife" by Amy Tan. It’s a really good book. I also read her book “ Joy Luck Club”, its pretty good also. I really like her ways to explain Chinese culture and Western culture.

“围城” (WeiCheng) by Qian Zhongshu is one of my favorite book. When I first tried to read it when I was in middle school, I couldn’t even finish the first 20 pages. 2 years later, when I picked it up again, I couldn’t stop reading it. It’s a really interesting book although the story is moving a little slow.

I also like “红楼梦” (The read Chamber Dream) and “三国演义”（Three Kingdoms）among the 4 famous classic Chinese literature. I tried to read “水浒传”recently, but I felt it is so disturbing that I couldn’t keep on reading it after finished the first 70 episodes. The 108 so called “Hao Hans” (好汉-the great men) described in the book could kill people even innocent people and kids so easily and eat human flesh. I don’t know why could they be called “Hao Han” and how could this book is regarded to be one of the 4 best Chinese literature. Anyone has different opinions?

[Lu]

I finally, finally finished Ji'e de nv'er, and am now reading a story by Huang Chunming, 'Shayonala, zaijian'. Am really happy I can read Huang Chunming. Actually I'm really happy that I can read Chinese now. It took me four years but now I can read books, I can walk into a Chinese bookstore and actually enjoy it and buy books, instead of just being frustrated.

Am also reading a book on China, (badly) translated into Dutch, Dutch title is 'De toekomst van China' ('the future of China'). Interesting book.

[skylee]

I have just finished re-reading 《其後》("それから") written by 夏目漱石 (his portrait is on the 1000 Yen bank notes). IMHO it is a very beautiful and engaging love story. I also like the film a lot ->

http://us.yesasia.com/b5/PrdDept.aspx/pid-1003973639/section-videos/code-j/#prodcontent

[skylee]

Started reading the memoir of Ray Huang (黃仁宇) called 黃河青山 (Yellow River and Blue mountains) -> http://www.cp1897.com.hk/BookInfo?BookId=9570821930&SectionId=10

(Just realised that the Taiwan version that I've bought is 4 times the price of the Mainland version .)

[Lu]

Reading short stories by Mo Yan. Not really much easier for me than the Hongloumeng :-( I still have a looong way to go before I don't need to read translations of Chinese books anymore.

[wushijiao]

Reading short stories by Mo Yan.

How's that going from a difficulty point of view? How's it going from being interesting point of view?

I started 红高粱 a year ago, but put it off until my Chinese improved. I'm planning to re-start it though.

Right now I'm almost finished reading this book (见证中国） in Chinese by Israel Epstein. See:

http://www.bjreview.com.cn/200420/Nation-200420(F).htm

The guy is 90, and still going strong. See: http://www.china.org.cn/english/2005/Apr/126063.htm

On the one hand, my first reaction is to label a person like this as some sort of Party-hack or Chinese Uncle Tom. But, on the other hand, the story isn't quite that simple. The guy did work for the CCP in a propagandistic role, but he also grew up in Harbin and Tianjin, was imprisioned in Hong Kong by the Japanese, met Mao in Yan'an, was imprisioned in the CR, but has still lived in China ever since. He also was a stateless Jew who took up Chinese citizenship back in the 50's. He has also met every Chinese political Chairman since Mao. He knew Edgar Snow and John King Fairbank. He was a life-long friend of Song Qingling. In sum, he lived out the maxim "may you live in interesting times."

Although I wouldn't exactly put this book on a must read list, one of the great things about it is the index that provides the English tranlations to hunderds of organizations, famous people, places and news agencies.

[carlo]

I've read 《见证中国》. If you like it you may also want to have a look at 我的中国, the translation of "I choose China" by Sidney Shapiro, which tells a similar story (this time, that of an American Jew turned Chinese citizen).

[Lu]

How's that going from a difficulty point of view? How's it going from being interesting point of view? I started 红高粱 a year ago, but put it off until my Chinese improved. I'm planning to re-start it though.

It is so difficult for me that it's not really interesting anymore. I read some of Mo Yan's work in translation and absolutely love it, but the Chinese is just a bridge (or ten) too far. But I think that if I keep nuli xuexi I'll be able to read and enjoy it someday.

[elizaberth]

started reading WEI CHENG by Qian Zhong Shu.(did i put his name correctly?)

Anyone also come across a book called GONG FU? (in the book, GONG FU refers to chinese martial arts) by Jiu Ba Dao (nine knives) Funny pen-name but very catchy.

[skylee]

I am reading the Chinese translation of 《終究悲哀的外國語》("やがて哀しき外国語") written by 村上春樹 (I always give priority to reading his books, so 黃河青山 has to wait). I would say the translation is pretty good, except for some unforgivable mistakes like,

"住在普林斯頓的一位女士狀告作家斯蒂芬．金先生的《貪欲》(miserly) 為剽竊。"

I suspect it is a mistake of the translator rather than the author.

[elizaberth]

skylee, you give me an impression that you are a fast reader.

Do you read more than one book at the same time?

I am also reading 村上春樹 's 电视人 at the same time. I had a good laugh after reading one of the stories:僵尸.

Recently, I read an article about the translation of 村上春樹 's books and it sparked my curiosity whether it was how the translater translated the stories that could have aroused the different levels of admiration of 村上春樹 's books .

[skylee]

I can be fast if I like the book and do not have to stick to the TV to watch korean dramas. And I read a lot of crap which I wouldn't mention here.

I sometimes read more than one book at the same time, but it is not unusaual that I don't finish all of them.

Regarding 村上春樹, I don't particularly like his novels (mainly because I don't really understand them). But I like his travel writing a lot.

[elizaberth]

Reading also the biography of 霍英东.