Book set in Tainan, Taiwan. Reviewed on 2019/02: https://www.instagram.com/p/BtfGy-LHVwJ/
I’m going to go ahead and say that I’m simply not the reader expected for this book. #athousandmoonsonathousandrivers was written primarily to evoke a sense of #nostalgia and sentimentality towards memories of a time gone by in #taiwan . Once I understood that, I began to finally appreciate this book which it’s mostly set in the island’s oldest city, #tainan and also keeping in mind this year’s #chinesenewyear which is about to begin. There are some beautiful and intricate scenes describing in great detail the seasons #festivities and other traditions which most #taiwanese nowadays might have a vague recollection from the times of their ancestors. So if you take it from that angle, this book is definitely a great window into a kaleidoscope of celebrations, festivals and #traditions . The big missing part here is the role of #columbiauniversitypress . When it came to add some introductory or historical notes, they simply went missing in action. They ignored the opportunity to bridge the gap between a text impregnated with so many #taiwanese cultural references and the non-Taiwanese non-Chinese public which, I believe, might have been the main audience when translating this book into English. It’s a complete shame and it’s also an important point to make when translating books. Translations can only take us that far. Publishers (especially academic ones!) should always strive to help us with context and other accolades to get a glance of the importance of the original text in its culture. #taiwaneseliterature #tainan #hsiaolihung#蕭麗紅 #千江有水有千江月 #hsiao#lunarnewyear #dragonboatfestival#lostintranslation #府城
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