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Monthly Reading Challenges > August 2019: Great Wall of China Reporting Thread

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message 1: by Diane , Armchair Tour Guide (new)

Diane  | 13052 comments Post your progress here.


message 2: by Samy (last edited Aug 22, 2019 10:44AM) (new)

Samy | 98 comments I read Tongwan City Tongwan City by Gao Jianqun by Gao Jianqun translated from Mandarin Chinese into English by Eric Mu.

Theme/Content
5 points: Book is set in China
4 points: Book is set in Asia (since China is in Asia)
2 points: Book specifically mentions Great Wall: many, many times, for one example on page 3 "It was I who ruled a vast empire that extended beyond the Great Wall and Central Asia"
1 point: Book features main character who is emperor, also from page 3: "I am Helian Bobo, the famous emperor of the Huns". The other main character is a monk.

Author
5 points: Written by an author from China
1 point: Author writes in different alphabet than Roman

Title
1 point: Title contains a subtitle: "A Novel"

Cover:
5 points: Has picture of Great Wall
3 points: Has picture of a dragon

Book Length:
2 points: 272 pages

Corrected: 29 points
Originally I thought you choose 5 points if book takes place in China and 4 points if book takes place in another country in Asia, but actually it should be 5+4 for China since it is in Asia.


message 3: by Varecia (last edited Aug 17, 2019 03:26PM) (new)

Varecia | 227 comments Gattenmord by Li Ang Gattenmord by Li Ang

THEME/CONTENT
4 points: Book is set anywhere in Asia - Taiwan

AUTHOR
5 Points: Written by a an author from China or Taiwan
4 Points: Author has initials using letters found in Great Wall in their first and last name - L and A
1 Point: Author writes mainly in a language with a different alphabet from the English language

BOOK LENGTH
2 Points: 201-300 pages

Total: 16 points


message 4: by [deleted user] (new)

Green Mountain, White Cloud A Novel of Love in the Ming Dynasty by François Cheng Green Mountain, White Cloud: A Novel of Love in the Ming Dynasty by François Cheng.

Theme/Content
5 points Set in China
4 points: set anywhere in Asia
3 points: set during Ming Dynasty

Author
5 points: author from China
2 points: born in August

Title:
5 points: 4 words
3 points: title in calligraphy font

Cover
4 points: contains Chinese lettering

Length
2 points: 201-300 pages

Total
33 points


message 5: by Rosemarie (new)

Rosemarie | 3953 comments Binu and the Great Wall by Su Tong
Binu and the Great Wall by Su Tong

Theme/Content:
5 points- set in China
4 points- set in Asia
2 points- mentions the Great Wall pp.269-271

Author:
5 points- author is from China
1 point- writes in a different alphabet

Book Length:
2 points- 201-300 pages

Total: 19 points


message 6: by Hélène (last edited Aug 25, 2019 09:59PM) (new)

Hélène | 440 comments La joueuse de go by Shan Sa La joueuse de go (The Girl Who Played Go) by Shan Sa

THEME/CONTENT
5 points: Book is set in China
4 points: Book is set anywhere in Asia
2 Points: Book specifically mentions the Great Wall (p. 35, p. 212)

AUTHOR
5 Points: Written by a an author from China - Shan Sa was born in Beijing but left China at the age of 18 after the Tiananmen protests. All her published books have been written directly in French, which I find very impressive.

TITLE
5 Points: Book title contains four words : the original title of the book, which I read, contains four words.

COVER
4 Points: Contains Chinese lettering
1 Point: Is predominantly red

BOOK LENGTH
3 Points: 301- 400 pages

Total : 29 points

I read two book by Shan Sa this month, The Girl Who Played Go and Les quatre vies du saule. I count The Girl Who Played Go for the challenge because I get more points for it ;-), but I found Les quatre vies du saule much more poetical and better written. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have translated into English yet (at least I couldn't find an English translation on Goodreads).


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