October, 2009

Recent Book

Check out the article below. I did copy it from http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/10/135_54572.html, but feel free to go there and see the book they’re discussing. How cool is it that there’s a PROVERB based on my source material? LOL Seriously, I WANT this book. I wonder if it’s published in English? hmmm. Amazon.com, here I come!

Exploration of the `Romance of Three Kingdoms’
[by] Heo Woo-beom; Sungandang Company; 520 pp., 19,800 won
“Don’t talk to a person who hasn’t read Romance of the Three Kingdoms three times,” a Korean proverb says, showing the timeless popularity of the Chinese historical novel. Many readers might be overwhelmed by the heroic activities of the protagonists in the Chinese classic piece.In “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” fictional imagination was added to historical events in the period around the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of China, reflecting Sino-centrism in which numerous characters appear in historical spots.To better understand the classic stories and explore the locations that appeared in the novel, the author embarked on a trip to China in 2002. The book is based on the author’s experiences over seven years and is the first of its kind to introduce the historical places connected to the novel’s stories.It also contains colorful photos of the locations taken by the author and explains the scenes of the novel in detail.The book is not only a good guide to the historical locations but also shows thorough academic research on Chinese history.-Chung Ah-young

Agent Alert

To anyone interested in juvenile lit with an Asian bent, you should definitely check out Literary Rambles today. It’s an article about Barry Goldblatt, agent extraordinaire who claims an interest in unusual settings including Asian. I wish he was interested in adult lit, but you can’t have everything!

Mostly concerned about hook

I’m once again seeking help on my hook, but I’ve also got my query letter up for review at http://openquery.blogspot.com/. There’s got to be a way to have a hook, get the reader involved and not lose them due to unfamiliar territory. I’m not confident in what I’ve got right now. Sigh.

What Motivates You?

I just read an excellent post at the Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood blog. Check out “There Is No Try,” then be prepared to get your game on.

The post made me wonder, what words of wisdom motivate you? I have several:

A dear friend in college gave me some of the best advice ever: “Sit down, shut up and do it.”
Also, I’ve told my nieces many times (especially the one who pouts if she doesn’t win) that you can’t win if you don’t play.

Let’s motivate each other. Do you have game? Are you a Jedi Master?

Book Review: "A Robe of Feathers"

“A Robe of Feathers” is a collection of short stories by Thersa Matsuura, an American living in Japan. By their nature, short story collections are difficult to review as a totality. That said, I’ll try to give an overall impression and some insight into individual tales.

Matsuura uses urban fantasy in Japanese settings to great effect in “Robe,” which is her first book. There are a few instances when it would have been helpful for me, a westerner, to be more familiar with the folkloric creatures she uses: Ojizo, Kappa, Tenjo Sagari, etc., but that knowledge was not always necessary. For instance, the first story, “A Robe of Feathers,” is a modern day version of the folktale which is also told within the context of the story. The “nymph” is never even given a Japanese name and the tale flows toward its beautiful, tragic conclusion. I thought the strongest of her offerings was the story with the greatest proliferation of creatures, “Sand Walls, Paper Doors.”

It’s told from the viewpoint of an American student in Japan. She’s lonely, but too shy to reach out to the strange population and culture around her. Then she’s transplanted into a haunted mansion where she finds spirits who are equally alien and lonely in modern Japan. The ensuing story moved me so much I wept for joy at the end. I can think of only one other short story that’s ever elicited that response. For me, the entire book’s brilliance culminated in that tale, though there are other excellent stories.

Many of Matsuura’s stories, among them, “Hate and Where It Breeds,” and “Ganguro and the Mountain Witch,” felt unfinished. They conveyed a sense that this was not the end, but the beginning of impending horror. For me, this was as if an oni had turned on the theme to “Jaws” while I read and my mind continued to follow that musical cue. I’m still a little tense, which is why I can’t say I loved all of Matsuura’s stories. However, I can appreciate the skill it took to achieve the dark, otherworldly effect she weaves through “A Robe of Feathers.”

If you are Japanese or if you are familiar with Japanese folklore and culture, this book will engross you. Matsuura’s style is spare, but fluid. She effortlessly grounds the reader in Japan’s modern cities and countryside. Even with unfamiliar terms and place names thrown in, I had no problem understanding her plots, though appreciating character motivations and goals derived from a foreign mindset was sometimes difficult.

Giving a score on a collection of short stories seems unfair as one has to “grade” on a curve. However, if you enjoy fantasy in alternative settings or you just love Japanese literature, I recommend this collection.