Comments on: A Bit of Earth http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/29/a-bit-of-earth/ ... the online home of a librarian in Perth, Western Australia Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:03:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: CW http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/29/a-bit-of-earth/#comment-338 CW Fri, 02 Sep 2005 00:35:46 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/29/a-bit-of-earth/#comment-338 Oh hello Anna! Thanks for the comment! Have bookmarked your blog, and I look forward to reading more of your adventures in Melbourne :)<br/><br/>Ahh, <i>A dictionary of Maqiao</i> - I have a copy of this in Chinese, but I haven't read it. Your mentioning it makes me think I should read it, but it will take me a while in Chinese as my reading skills in Chinese are still at the "laborious" stage... Oh hello Anna! Thanks for the comment! Have bookmarked your blog, and I look forward to reading more of your adventures in Melbourne :)

Ahh, A dictionary of Maqiao - I have a copy of this in Chinese, but I haven’t read it. Your mentioning it makes me think I should read it, but it will take me a while in Chinese as my reading skills in Chinese are still at the “laborious” stage…

]]> By: anna http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/29/a-bit-of-earth/#comment-337 anna Thu, 01 Sep 2005 12:45:25 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/29/a-bit-of-earth/#comment-337 hello...! your review has piqued my interest in this book, I think I will have to go out and get it. I studied a bit of Malayan history when I was in school in Singapore (but as you said, only enough to pass the 'O' levels!) <br/>I just finished reading Han Shaogong's "A Dictionary of Maqiao", and although it's an English translation, and a good one at that, I think that maybe I particularly enjoyed it because I speak Mandarin, and could appreciate the idiosyncracies and turns of phrases of that language, even after they'd been through the mill of translation. Having a knowledge of the language or culture that's central to a novel certainly helps you enjoy and hopefully appreciate it more, but as you say it can also leave you wanting for more.<br/>I came across your blog by accident, but it's been a happy accident - I really like reading it. hello…! your review has piqued my interest in this book, I think I will have to go out and get it. I studied a bit of Malayan history when I was in school in Singapore (but as you said, only enough to pass the ‘O’ levels!)
I just finished reading Han Shaogong’s “A Dictionary of Maqiao”, and although it’s an English translation, and a good one at that, I think that maybe I particularly enjoyed it because I speak Mandarin, and could appreciate the idiosyncracies and turns of phrases of that language, even after they’d been through the mill of translation. Having a knowledge of the language or culture that’s central to a novel certainly helps you enjoy and hopefully appreciate it more, but as you say it can also leave you wanting for more.
I came across your blog by accident, but it’s been a happy accident - I really like reading it.

]]> By: CW http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/29/a-bit-of-earth/#comment-336 CW Tue, 30 Aug 2005 22:47:54 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/29/a-bit-of-earth/#comment-336 What have you got in your stack of books to read? I am trying to leave everything on the bookshelf, and not think about what I am going to read next until I have finished something. It gives me the illusion of being in a library and finding either brand new things to read (I have a lot of books I haven't read), or old treasures I haven't read in ages! What have you got in your stack of books to read? I am trying to leave everything on the bookshelf, and not think about what I am going to read next until I have finished something. It gives me the illusion of being in a library and finding either brand new things to read (I have a lot of books I haven’t read), or old treasures I haven’t read in ages!

]]> By: cherryripe http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/29/a-bit-of-earth/#comment-335 cherryripe Tue, 30 Aug 2005 01:53:27 +0000 http://blog.flexnib.com/2005/08/29/a-bit-of-earth/#comment-335 Hmmm... interesting, your review, i mean. I'm not certain i'll get around to reading this one, such is the state of the stack at present.<br/><br/>Your comment regarding the use of foreign lingo words, i have sometimes felt that way when reading Salman Rushdie's books. I think it can be off-putting for people without the background. In the early days of my Rushdie readings, i even ended up getting myself some notes to supplement the reading. Hmmm… interesting, your review, i mean. I’m not certain i’ll get around to reading this one, such is the state of the stack at present.

Your comment regarding the use of foreign lingo words, i have sometimes felt that way when reading Salman Rushdie’s books. I think it can be off-putting for people without the background. In the early days of my Rushdie readings, i even ended up getting myself some notes to supplement the reading.

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