I enjoyed The Monkey and the Tiger. It’s 2 novellas that are unrelated – except by a lesson/theme in the Chinese zodiac. I have stories I could tell about that. Perhaps I shouldn’t. People in Asia still take it seriously. …
Judge Dee: The Chinese Gold Murders
I imagine my mom would call the Judge Dee Mysteries “brain candy,” but they are not without merit. The information on Chinese culture is an imperceptible backwash, or covert additive. That said, The Chinese Gold Murders seems the most like…
The Emporer’s Pearl and GuanYin
This Judge Dee book provides an interesting historical background on the the cult of GuanYin (aka Kuan Yin). This resonates with me, because of the parallels to the cult of Mary for Catholics (to which I was indoctrinated as a…
Judge Dee: The Chinese Maze Murders
Like the traditional magistrate mysteries van Gulik modeled his Judge Dee series on, this novel has 3 plots or mysteries. The three stories seem to be linked through ideals of loyalty or filial piety. Find the English version of the…
what I’m reading – for fun
I’m reading Chinese Americans by Kwong and Miscevic. I’m barely into it and I’ve learned: America’s favorite cherry – the large, sweet and succulent Bing – was developed by Ah Bing, a Chinese immigrant horticulturalist, in 1875. Lue Gim Gong,…
Book Report: Brothers
Brothers, by Yu Hua is available in Chinese or English, and in Audiobook form at the Lawrence Public Library. It’s long – but I loved it. The New York Times says “Brothers” is, in fact, very much a social novel…
Book Report: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
This novel by Dai Sijie, is available in Chinese or English – and can be found in audio format in English. Set during the cultural revolution, it treats the it’s protagonists with warmth and humor – and the book has…