This novel was released in the UK recently. I haven’t read it and I’ve never heard of the author, but this review makes it sound interesting. I quote:
The heart of the book is a love story between Z and her English boyfriend, a 44-year-old, ex-anarchist, bisexual vegetarian who lives in Hackney and doesn’t like to talk about his feelings. Yes, they have issues…
While she lusts after hot dumplings with pork and fennel, her English lover serves her quiche: ‘Such an ambiguous piece of food. Totally formless. I wonder what my parents would say if one day they come to this country and eat this. My mother probably will say, “It’s like eating something from other people’s mouth” and my father will say, “It must be left from earlier meal so they re-cook it but inside are already messed up.”
Anyone read it? How about other novels in the genre?
Ken Carroll
I don’t want to put british tastes at issue but what Z’s parents would say about the infamous british jelly if they have to eat one ? I still wonder …
I just finished reading it. It is a very good book. A bit strange though because Guo Xiaolu was born in 1973, so she is a bit older than the hero Z. She is already a (well known?) Chinese writer and this is her first novel in English. I was apparently baded on her own diary when she first came to Britain in 2002. She also uses a gimick in the book. It is written in not so good English. Z is coming to London for a year to learn English in a language school. In the beginning het English is not so good and the English in the book reflects exactly the level of mastery she has in the language. Later, as the book progresses through the rest of the year her level of English improves and so does the book.
I am actually going to send this book to someone in China I speak/write to from time to time. There is a lot to discuss. Firstly there seems to be a greater cultural gap between the Chinese girl and the English man than I thought would be possible. Also a lot of misunderstandings. Some of these are funny, like the start of their relationship.
“I would like to see where you live.”
“Ok, be my guest…”
and that is what Z understood, she thought she was invited to stay as a guest and so she packed her suitcase and left her boarding house
What is really puzzling is the amount of sex in the book. Sometimes quite explicit, but always very much part of the subject. There seems to be a lot to be said bout the subject and the difference in emotions and the diiference in the way Europeans and Chinese think about this subject. And it is not all about being prude or not, it is about a lot of other things too. Now, as Guo is already a writer and also filmmaker in China, and from the 1973’s generation, I wonder if this style of writing, including all the deep thoughts, comments, etc about relationships, sex, etc. is something that is happening in China now, or if it has been ‘edited in’ in order to please and appeal to a western audience.
Marc in Belgium
hi ken
although not in this genre i recently read ‘A Dictionary of Maqiao’ by Han Shaogong. i think that you would like it if you havent already read it. it is very much about the relationship between language and culture.
hi,
here you can read some part
me think this interesting.
http://www.opendemocracy.net/d.....cleId=4357
I have just read the website which was introduced above by Kanji. It is interesting to see the heroine’s English improves with the passage of time.
That reminds me of the brilliant fiction novel “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel keyes. Charly’s clumsy English gradually gets better as his IQ improves.
The difference is that his English ability begins to retrogress after his IQ has passed its peak. It is sad to see his writing deteriorating day by day.
this is a test
Changye
When I saw this thread, I too though of ‘Flowers for Algenon’. It is good to know that others still remember it as a wonderful book.
Which genre Ken? The food/sex/drama interface genre is pretty well populated, e.g. The Debt to Pleasure (Lanchester) is pretty good, but has no Chinese content.
Is there any track record of Chinese books written by Western authors?