The tragic death of a civil servant; Yang Shuang-zi's TAIWAN TRAVELOGUE (translated by Lin King); marvelous art installations in Chiayi; a joyous baseball win. Plus, watch a capybara munch on grass.
She gave it to my uncle to bring to the States and mail to me, who gave it to my aunt and now they are passing it around their friends… at this rate I’ll just buy the English translation 😭
By way of update, I was visiting a different uncle in Houston this past weekend and he gave me his English copy. He said he liked the experience of reading the English version because it helped him envision Taiwan during the colonial period with the Japanese place names and imagine the characters speaking Japanese instead of Chinese. … So to go full circle on the conceit of the novel being a translation of a Japanese manuscript, may I should just read the Japanese translation. 🤣
Finished reading the Chinese version, which was interesting since I am actually more fluent in Japanese and can see the conceit of the novel being a translation of a Japanese text and read many of the words in Japanese. As implied by the fictional forward, Mishima is probably actually the most interesting and tragic character. His name “Beautiful Island” clearly references Taiwan’s western colonial name “Formosa”. Here we have a TCK whose experience is completely disregarded by the narrator and erased by history.
“Taiwan Travelogue” seems right up my alley. Do you think I should read it in Chinese or English? Or which one first?
Ahh ... i loved this book. i read the English translation, but i'm so curious which reading experience you prefer!!!
I asked my mom to buy it for me in Taiwan and mail it to me… but she started reading it and is really enjoying it… so now I have to wait. 😭
She gave it to my uncle to bring to the States and mail to me, who gave it to my aunt and now they are passing it around their friends… at this rate I’ll just buy the English translation 😭
Lol! I love this ongoing saga of the book making it to your hands. Do you want me to mail you a copy?
By way of update, I was visiting a different uncle in Houston this past weekend and he gave me his English copy. He said he liked the experience of reading the English version because it helped him envision Taiwan during the colonial period with the Japanese place names and imagine the characters speaking Japanese instead of Chinese. … So to go full circle on the conceit of the novel being a translation of a Japanese manuscript, may I should just read the Japanese translation. 🤣
Finished reading the Chinese version, which was interesting since I am actually more fluent in Japanese and can see the conceit of the novel being a translation of a Japanese text and read many of the words in Japanese. As implied by the fictional forward, Mishima is probably actually the most interesting and tragic character. His name “Beautiful Island” clearly references Taiwan’s western colonial name “Formosa”. Here we have a TCK whose experience is completely disregarded by the narrator and erased by history.