This man didn't speak English and I didn't (and still don't) speak Chinese.
Can anyone translate?
With hopes, I wrote a request for his favorite books on the back of my card, in English (I don't write Chinese, either....or read it). Maybe he'll show it to English speaking friends and family and they'll post a comment or send me an email. I wonder what he likes to read.
February 27, Wednesday afternoon -- Reading 南South 北North 門Gate (the title, as provided by sofialomb in the comments. Does anyone know the author?)
Posted by Sonya Worthy at Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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Did you check his book ? I went to Nanjing and found out that their book were beautiful, with beautifu Chinese painting :-)
And same as you, I want to buy it but I didn't understand Chinese language.
Interesting blog
What was the name of the book again?
南South
北North
門Gate
Thanks!!!!
The book, 3rd in a book series of 4 under the same title (I googled it), is what we would put as belonging to the Martial Arts genre. Despite its popularity, the genre has not being elevated to the rank of chinese classics such as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but personally I like the story development with countless plots featuring basically the battle between the good and the bad with one predictable ending: the good always triumphs over the evil.
The older books that date back to the 1960s and 1970s (maybe even early 1980s) are filled with historical account and poetic writing that have enthralled me for a greater part of my younger days, chasing the exploits of the hero right up to the every end past meal times and sometimes sleep times. Those were the days when I was full of idealism, wanting to rid the world of all villains as the hero does.
However, I'm not familiar with this particular author and have not read any of his books, but it's a good way to be entertained and to pass time. But I have since moved on to the more spiritual genre.
To me, this genre of martial arts writing is a passing fad in one's reading sojourn, but I did learn most of my chinese phraseology from immersing in it while it lasted.
Dear Say Lee,
Thanks for sharing this!
Sonya
i love the blog i kind of consider myself to be a writer (or i want to be a writer) and i love reading and books (and people watching) so to me this is pretty darn cool
if romanized, it is called Nan Bei Men.
very nostalgic stuff. you know kung fu movies? most of the early ones were adapted from novels like this.
and you know what, they still do.
So fascinating!
I am so loving your blog!
Again with the interconnectedness...I'm taking my first martial arts class and the instructor often talks about the battle of good vs. evil, etc.
I have read Romance of the Three Kingdoms. it comes as two vols and quite violent, with supernatural elements. Currently reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel, it's difficult to get into as kind of frustrating, written in the style of 19th century English. 門 can mean door as well, like a lot of word open to interpretations.
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