#Chinese lit

[godzilla-reads]

“When you’re happy you can indulge yourself a bit.”

— The Last Quarter of the Moon by Chi Zijian (trans. Bruce Humes)

#godzilla reads #the last quarter of the moon #chi zijian #chinese lit #chinese literature #reading #translated literature #translated books #vintage earth books #penguin vintage earth #booklr #bookworm #bookish #book blog #booklover #book quotes #bibliophile

[whilereadingandwalking]

Between the popularity of Chinese literature around the world and the political importance of China in the midst of global events today, it’s more crucial than ever to engage with Chinese literature in translation. In my newest in-translation list for Book Riot, I recommend 14 works of Chinese literature for you to put on hold at your local library. Check it out!

#chinese literature #chinese lit #bookish love #bookish blog #books in translation #translated literature

[davidlavieri]

They are like heaps of stars. My flat roof is a private galaxy That stretches on stubbornly forever. The universe created us by chance, Our birth, simple happenstance. Should life be guarded or gambled? Lodged in a vault or flung to the wind? God announces: Happy Birthday. Everyone raises a glass and giggles audibly. Death gets clearer in the distance. Closer by a year. Because all are afraid, none is afraid. A pity how fast youth sputters and burns, Its flame like the season’s last peony. A bright misery. You didn’t come to live with me.

Yi Lei, “A Single Woman’s Bedroom”

#yi lei #single womans bedroom #poems #poetry #life #the universe #lit #chinese lit

[littlemisslikestoread]

The invisible string that ties us all...

"The reason why we have no choice but meet again"

-Kim Kyung Hee 'Red String Of Fate'

#girlblogging #red string of fate #Invisible string #folklore #taylor swift #your name #Jane Eyre #classic academia #classic literature #classic lit quotes #Dark academia #chaotic academia #writer academia #our beloved summer #chinese proverb #this is a girl blog #light academia #photography

[notesoncrocs]

all of it

thought about the movies everything everywhere all at once and the half of it today until i was sick. eeaao because i was analyzing joy wang's character as a nihilist and the half of it because i'm writing a final paper comparing it to sartre's no exit.

i'm so behind on this class, it's not even funny. it's called literature & existentialism and i picked it because i thought i would like it. i was supposed to like it. then again i was also supposed to take another lit class and consider the major this semester and none of that happened either. when i did wake up in time, i'd go to this class and sit in the back and try to just listen in, and the professor would call on me for nodding off.

but it'll be okay. my discussion post is a month late but i talked about how jobu tupaki searched through all possible universes for a version of a mother who loved and understood her. how she was driven to give up her sense of freedom and agency in the face of these pressures from her mother -- to be straight, college-educated, skinny, more fluent in chinese, less americanized -- and succumb to the conclusion that nothing matters. i have an idea for the thesis for my final paper -- in class we learned about sartre's framework for the concept of "the other" and how profoundly disturbing it is to be in the presence of another person, because as the center of your own universe you are in control of the meaning you choose to give to the world, and when another person is within your universe, your agency is being chipped away. you -- and your meaning -- become chained to the other's judgment of you. and for the half of it i was thinking about different ways people try to take back control of their narrative from the other, whether that's through overexplaining or overexposure of yourself or through physical distance from the other.

there's other things, more important things, about both movies that an existentialist framework could never fully explain away. i thought about evelyn, when facing the possibility of losing her own daughter to the black hole, asking helplessly to her father how he found it in himself to let her go. i thought about the lights from the failing laundromat, the smashed windows, the glass on that dark street, and mother and daughter trying so hard one more time to listen to each other, even though it hurts so much. then i thought about the ending of the half of it, paul munsky running after ellie chu's train, knowing that it's futile and that she's going where he can't follow, but doing it anyway because it was her favorite scene from the movie ek villain and he remembered. he remembered because he loves her. no drawn-out 60-page essay, translated to english from french, laying out a blueprint for how a man should face the burden of his freedom or his death or whatever, could dream of capturing this.

#eeaao #the half of it #emotional support chinese-american queer films #why i don't like lit that much anymore

[mysteriousboo]

Why I prefer cdramas over kdramas(as an international fan)

kdramas ive watched - business proposal, sweet home, rookie historian goo hae-ryung, mr queen, link: eat, love, kill , the glory , crash landing on you, what's wrong with secretary kim, true beauty, romance is a bonus book, goblin, meow-the secret boy, hometown cha cha cha, see you in my 19th life

cdramas ive watched - the untamed, word of honor, blood of youth, ten miles of peach blossom(i regret watching this one), love between fairy and devil, the starry love, till the end of the moon, put your head on my shoulder, mr honesty, the romance of tiger and rose, love o2o, go go squid!, love and destiny, currently watching back from the brink

1) Cdramas tend to have more developed side characters

ive seen a good variety of kdramas, and i always find the side characters to be lacking! they are often treated as props or only used for comical purposes. meanwhile, in cdramas, they tend to have more personality and are important to the plot as well rather than just being a plot device! (i agree that not all cdramas do it well, but the ones that do leave behind a good impression)

2) Cdramas make the characters interact well

one thing that i have noticed in cdramas is that they make character interactions to be deep and meaningful! personally, i prefer consuming media where both the main characters and side characters stand out, and while it's hard to create something like that, cdramas do it better than kdramas! side characters often don't get enough screen time or are too one-dimensional to make an impact on the viewers! im not saying that kdramas don't do it at all, im saying that a lot of times, it just doesn't hit as hard as in cdramas.

3)The angst hits harder in cdramas!!

now, don't get me wrong, im not saying that kdramas can't be angsty! it's just that a lot of angst in kdramas tends to be more romance related, and as an aroace person, i don't care much for romance and that's why the angst in cdramas(not just romance related) feels and hits way harder! yes, i absolutely adored the angst in the glory freaking loved it! i live for it, but angst in cdramas tends to focus a lot more on familial and platonic relationships, and my lil heart just loves it too much!!

4) kdramas have a lot more filler than cdramas

yes, ik that cdramas are longer, but just hear me out! i have noticed that a lot of times, if you remove a couple of episodes from a kdrama, it makes no impact on the plot whatsoever! or a lot of arcs just feel like they don't deserve as much screen time, and some arcs don't make much sense either after being dragged on for so long!! meanwhile, cdramas are definitely longer, but most of them, if not all of them, are adapted from a webnovel, and that, in general, leads to them being super long! yes, it feels like they are dragging some parts out, but it all seems significant to the plot and is not just filler!

5) relationships between females are better portrayed in cdramas!!

i absolutely adore female friendships or just respectful relationships between females. and cdramas definitely do it better than kdramas! look at li susu and pian ran from TTEOTM or jiele and xiao lan hua from LBFAD or WOH or back from the brink! female connections are better portrayed in cdramas!

6) cdramas tend to be more fantasy focused than kdramas

i enjoy fantasy as a genre a lot, and cdramas tend to be more fantasy based! chinese fantasy is so interesting, and i absolutely adore wuxia/xianxia as a genre! kdramas don't have something similar, and while i adore a lot of historical kdramas, fantasy just hits differently! especially cause there is just so much to explore in chinese fantasy! look at the blood of youth, i had so much fun watching that show. and the fight scenes were so well done!

7) cdramas have beautiful platonic relationships, and i adore the found family arc a lot more in cdaramas

there is definitely a found family arc going on in most of the cdramas ive watched, and i live for it! a lot of time, the characters might not have as much screen time, but they all seem to have depth, and that makes the drama so much fun! yes, kdramas also have found family arcs, but a lot of times, the characters are purely used for comical purposes and have no back stories! they are mostly just used to fill screetime! whether it's the untamed or the starry love, the found family arc would make my heart go so soft cause all those characters have back stories and depth and i am so in love with all of them and even losing one of them can make me go feral and that's exactly why i adore cdramas!!!!!!

shortcomings of cdramas:-

a) the re-dubbing in cdarams- as you all know that China re-dubs their drama, and that can be annoying cause it's always the same va!!

b) the chinese censorship is so strict, and a lot of times, some scenes don't make it into the final cut which can be frustrating or a lot of time even getting past the censorship can be impossible!!

c) i feel that fans seem to be more critical towards cdramas! people behind the scenes put way too much effort so that we can watch their work, but how the drama changes after the censorship is not in their control! they try their best, and adapting novels is not easy!! yet the fans are less understanding towards them! i just wish the audience was a little more understanding!!

d) another problem that's persistent with most cdramas are the poorly translated subtitles! sometimes, the subtitles can be very unclear, or the translation is not accurate at and that can create a disconnect with the international fans in general!!

this is just my opinion! im not saying that cdramas are better than kdramas. i adore them both a lot! im just saying that i PREFER cdramas more! please be understanding and try to be polite when interacting with this post!! that being said, feel free to leave recommendations cause i WILL check em out ;))

#cdramas are lit #i adore them both #kdrama #cdramas #the untamed #word of honor #wei wuxian #mr queen #rookie historian goo hae ryung #sweet home #chinese drama #korean drama #the blood of youth #back from the brink #till the end of the moon #crash landing on you #put you head on my shoulder #love o2o #love between fairy and devil #the starry love #the romance between tiger and rose #the glory #business proposal #true beauty

[philosophors]

“Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous.”

— Confucius, “Analects”

#confucius #literature #lit #literature lover #literature quote #literature quotes #philosophy #philosophical #philosopher #philosophers #philosophy quotes #philosophy of life #chinese philosophy #quote #quotes #excerpts #excerpt #booklover #bookworm #book #books #book quotes #book quotations

[lazyydaisyyy]

I like what Flaubert said about Greeks. If you are a real artist, everything in your life is part of your art. The art is a memorial of the life.

Xiaolu Guo, A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers

#Xiaolu Guo #A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers #words #lit #quote #quoteoftheday

[contremineur]

My sorrow is perfectly visible to spring that painted hussy but she visits my river pavilion as if it meant nothing at all encourages the flowers to open shamelessly then persuades the orioles to sing themselves into a frenzy.

Tu Fu (712–770), from Random feelings

from here (not my original source)

#tu fu #du fu #poetry #quote #lit #chinese poetry

[marinaslibrary]

On highlights from reading Snow Flower and the secret fan.

#snow flower and the secret fan #booklr #book blog #books #booktok #lit #literature #lesbians #chinese literature #asian literature #lisa see

[majachee]

It's SO funny when fics refer to Macaque "Mihou" or Liu'Er Mihou" like that's his real, secret name, and it's just Six Eared Macaque in Chinese.

#His name is very literal. Sun Wukong's name is also very literal. #lit. awakened by the emptiness/monkey awakened by the emptiness #ie: spiritually enlightened monkey #his name in japanese is son goku. fun fact! #so like. yall calling him goku as a joke cuz his va also voices goku... have fun with that! #maja needs to shut up tag #delete later #lmk #i get what theyre going for! but... #it doesnt work for me because I just assume they're speaking chinese. all the time. #yk like how in transformers when the robots speak english on cybertron or in comics we assume its jusy cybertronian? #LIKE THAT. i watch lmk with the assumption theyre not speaking english canonically.

[godzilla-reads]

🌙 The Last Quarter of the Moon by Chi Zijian (trans. Bruce Humes)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“A long-time confidante of the rain and snow, I am ninety years old. The rain and snow have weathered me, and I too have weathered them.”

At the end of the 20th-century an old woman sits among nature and reflects on the joys and tragedies that have fallen on her people: the Evenki tribe of north-eastern China. In the 1930’s, the intimate, and secluded world of the tribe is shattered when the Japanese army invaded China.

I’ve been reading this book since the summer. At a modest 360-pages, it is not a terribly long book but I felt that I had to take my time with it and embrace all that it had to share. I can see why the Penguin Vintage Earth collection included this book as it is surrounded by a deep respect and love for nature around us. It’s beautiful and tragic. It’s heartwarming and heart wrenching.

I highly recommend this book.

“My tale must come to an end, but not everyone gets an epilogue.”

#godzilla reads #book review #the last quarter of the moon #chi zijian #Bruce Humes #chinese lit #chinese literature #translated books #translated literature #reading #reads #booklr #bookworm #bookish #book blog #book blurb #bibliophile

[khizuo]

it's funny how even among chinese people my mom is a particular nerd about chinese history and literature. like i think when i was a kid i thought it was normal for chinese ppl of her generation to have read literally all the chinese classics and have an encyclopedic knowledge of chinese classical poetry and also know a shit ton about early 20th century chinese history and vernacular lit on top of that. but nah my mom is just autistic lol

#it was fun though. she was always giving me and my brother lessons #and she also has intense opinions about various tv show adaptations of her favs #she read all of 史记 like multiple times #my text #i really had no frame of reference for what was a 'normal' amt of chinese lit to have read as a diaspora kid i guess

[davidlavieri]

I know there are many similarities between me and this Mo Yan, but many contradictions as well. I’m a hermit crab, and Mo Yan is the shell I’m occupying. Mo Yan is the raingear that protects me from storms, a dog hide to ward off the chilled winds, a mask I wear to seduce girls from good families. There are times when I feel that this Mo Yan is a heavy burden, but I can’t seem to cast it off, just as a hermit crab cannot rid itself of its shell. I can be free of it in the darkness, at least for a while.

Mo Yan, The Republic of Wine

#lit #quotes #authorship #chinese lit #self #republic of wine #mo yan

[thepersonalwords]

Small men think they are small; great men never know they are great.

Chinese Proverb

#Chinese Proverb #thepersonalwords #motivation #quotes #poetry #literature #relationship quotes #writing #words #love #relationship #thoughts #lit #spilled ink #inspiring quotes #life quotes #quoteoftheday #love quotes #poem #aesthetic

[bumblingbabooshka]

'Parturition' is so brave for being the yaoi ship trope episode of Voyager. "Neelix and Tom Paris had a physical.....fight." Also continuing Tom's beautiful habit of loving both infidelity and child abandonment with all his heart. Also, wonderful out of context quote: "I had no right to push that pasta in your lap."

#Also I forgot about the Tom/Kes stuff in early seasons #You know what? I think Kes can flirt. Disaster as a real couple/ship but I do believe they'd do some going-nowhere flirting #post Neelix breakup. Also once again Kes SHOULD have been able to ADVENTURE more!!! #Tom's true wife is a beautiful woman named infidelity and he loves her more than anything except Harry Kim #Tom: (bothered & horny) Play the clarinet Harry. #Harry has a really cozy couch setup btw #OH ??? I sthis a thing??? #In two different episodes now Harry's said 'there's an old chinese expression...' <- was that something they were trying out?? #Thank God it didn't stick. #Harry: You keep setting yourself up for rejection. You must like playing the part. / Tom: Don't knock it 'till you've tried it. #<- Sound of a nail being hit squarely on the head...Harry's so handsome #YEEEAAAAH THE GIRLS ARE FIIIIIGHTIIIIIINGGGGG!!!! #Neelix being so possessive of Kes is obviously bad but him just out of nowhere insulting and tossing pasta on Tom IS very fun and good #removed from context. Tom: -eating. doing nothing- / Neelix: You fucking lowlife asshole. =_= #SNRKAHAHHAAH 'I'LL KILL YOU!!!!' CARTOON ROLLING AROUND ON THE TABLES~!!?!?? #I like how this is a fight but NOT serious at all....they are looney tunesing it #Even the background crew are like...smiling & laughing. This is so funny <3 #The doctor would love if two men fought over him. He'd be concerned and tell them to stop but he'd secretly love it I know him I know this. #'How delightful!' indeed. Kes' green & black outfit in this episode is really pretty! Also she & the doctor's banter is nice~! #'That's not funny!' / 'It's not meant to be. You LOVE autopsies?' and her laughing at him saying 'then your world must have very dry lit.' #Also love the doc's ultimate advice of 'It's not your problem' bc it's not~!! Yaoi sin planet with cure what ails em #NEELIX SAID TECHNOBABBLE!!!! HE SAID THE LINE!!!! #Tom: I'm picking up caves west of here. / Neelix: Yaaay. <3 <- negative. sarcastic. hateful. #YEEEEAAAAAAHHHH DINO PUPPET BABYYYY!!!!! #Janeway: Tuvok can you do X? / Tuvok: (preening) I have anticipated your request Captain. / Chakotay: =_= #Tom: The baby's shivering...that's normal right?? <- Yeah Tom <3 It's so normal <3 You're gonna be a great dad <3 #Also Neelix just smiling earnestly at being called Godmother...-raises brow- #Neelix & Tom: Kes - Captain - we've worked out our differences! We had a baby <3