Why haven’t I read Maxine Hong Kingston yet? Wikipedia says: The Woman Warrior has been reported by the Modern Language Association as the most commonly taught text in modern university education. It has been used in disciplines as far reaching as American literature,…
Dream of the Red Chamber: the Story of the Stone
One thing I love about camping, is that it will get me started on a piece of great literature that might not compete well against all the distractions of modern edutainment. I finally read The Dream of the Red Chamber.…
“Sabotuer” by Ha Jin
For text free online see here. Class brought up some some good questions that indicate a need for a Chinese culural informant. authentic Chinese tea cups have no handles, so the distinction between a cup and a bowl is a…
Book review: The Hunger Games
A colleague offered me a copy of the Hunger Games a few months ago, and I put it on a shelf to get to after I finished up my dissertation. I have to admit that the title and much of…
American Born Chinese: graphic novel review
American Born Chinese provides an easily accessible introduction to the immigrant experience in a graphic novel format. It is an award winning book that even my 4 year old was drawn into, but the subtle allegory can be brilliant at…
Red Mandarin Dress: an Inspector Chen Mystery.
I really enjoyed The Red Mandarin Dress (again, available cheap on Amazon and in kindle), though irreconcilable confusion and contradictions seem to be a deliberate theme. The title, and most of the book, insists on using term “mandarin dress” though …
When Red is Black: Inspector Chen Mystery
This book has interesting information on architecture, as well as traditional Chinese literature and language. Evidently shikumen – or traditional Chinese dwellings developed initially for one family – when adapted for mulit-family use converted a tiny room on a landing…
A Loyal Character Dancer: Inspector Chen Mystery
This book is also available at Amazon cheap, and in Kindle ebook. I particularly like how this book teaches lessons in essential Chinese vocabulary. (For more details and resources see China Composition Wiki here). Loyal is on the cover, and…
Death of a Red Heroine: Inspector Chen Mystery
As I described how this Award Winning book won me over earlier, let me offer some practical information on the text and some details. There is some sex – but it’s SFW. It’s done well. There is also some implied…
Inspector Chen Cao: Qiu Xiaolong’s Mystery Series
The Inspector Chen mysteries by Qiu Xiaolong came highly recommended by retired JCCC librarian Andrea Kempf. I approached the first novel, Death of a Read Heroine, skeptically and read resistently for for the first 30 or 40 pages, but have…