Comments for Reviews from a Serial Reader

Comment on Dream of Ding Village, Yan Lianke by Justine

Justine — Mon, 06 May 2013 01:42:30 +0000

Sue, not sure I’ll be able to read another book by him. I found Dream of Ding Village quite traumatising on so many different levels. I think that for me the national implications of the novel over-took the personal details – I was drowning in the officialdom and the way that the government was approaching the disaster and so lost sight of the smaller details as they unfolded between characters – and I thought that the young couples’ demise was just so so tragic and terribly sad but poignant at the same time.

One thing which I always find fascinating in a novel about a more traditional culture is the emphasis on family and personal honour and I think that stood out beautifully in this novel.

Comment on Dream of Ding Village, Yan Lianke by whisperinggums

whisperinggums — Sun, 05 May 2013 13:45:40 +0000

Yes, I read it (and reviewed it on my blog – you can find it through my Index-Authors page if you are interested). It’s over a year since I read it, but I really liked it. I thought the narrator’s voice, the role of the older father, the greedy son, were all well handled. I liked the analysis of the different ways people behave under such stress. I hadn’t known about the plasma economy in China either. Horrifying. I think another book by him has been recently published in English but I haven’t read it.

Comment on J.M. COETZEE (2003 Nobel Prize Winner) by Justine

Justine — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 10:01:02 +0000

I expect that if you do a simple google search you will find this information. Perhaps try google scholar or google books too. Good luck.

Comment on J.M. COETZEE (2003 Nobel Prize Winner) by Reginald

Reginald — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 09:55:15 +0000

I need to know the xact same details for a project that needs to be done for school.

Comment on Birdsong by Justine

Justine — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:25:49 +0000

Thanks Victor. I will look into this.

Comment on Birdsong by floor refinishing in troy

floor refinishing in troy — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:11:39 +0000

Hi there, I think your website could be having browser compatibility
issues. Whenever I take a look at your blog in Safari,
it looks fine however, if opening in IE, it’s got some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up! Apart from that, great blog!

Comment on Written in Pencil in a Sealed Boxcar, Dan Pagis by bwhite21

bwhite21 — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 18:38:01 +0000

I came across this poem in Tsipi Keller’s “The Prophet of Tenth Street”. Haunting in its openedness. Ms. Keller ultimately has one answer in her novel.

Comment on Reading Apathy by whisperinggums

whisperinggums — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:03:57 +0000

Finally I get to your “review” of this. I didn’t find it this bad as you know, but I did feel it needed a good prune. I actually found the early part of the book fascinating because I was a Canberra public servant. Moorhouse shone a light onto some of the origins of the world I joined (although, being a librarian, I was never quite the typical public servant amongst whom Edith moved).

Comment on Sonya Hartnett, The Midnight Zoo by whisperinggums

whisperinggums — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:00:33 +0000

You’ve just reminded me that I must read Sonya Hartnett … I keep planning to, but never seem to make the time. Of a boy is probably the one I have on my TBR pile I think.

Comment on The Casual Vacancy, J.K. Rowling by Little Bat

Little Bat — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:55:34 +0000

I a very inviting review – it makes one want to pick up the novel. I think J.K. Rowling was very intrepid, to move on to a new field, after the overwhelming success of Harry Potter.