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Books (66)

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- One Day (1646)
- By David Nicholls
- Reading since Jan 4, 2012
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- Mother Without A Mask (3)
- A Westerner's Story Of Her Arab Family
- By Patricia Holton
- Reading since Nov 27, 2011
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- Mary Poppins Opens the Door (15)
- (Harcourt Brace Young Classics)
- By Mary Shepard, Pamela L. Travers
- Reading
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- A Thousand Splendid Suns (1248)
- By Khaled Hosseini
- Finished on Nov 27, 2011
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- The Kite Runner (2399)
- By Khaled Hosseini
- Finished on Sep 17, 2011
  
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The Kite Runner

Painful Reading

This is a painful reading because it scrubs off the skin of Afghanistan layer by layer and reveals the pain people suffered from Taliban and endless civil wars.
We may all hear stories about Afghanistan, but we only hear them not knowing them. Do we know a professor can actually turn into a toothle ... (continue)

This is a painful reading because it scrubs off the skin of Afghanistan layer by layer and reveals the pain people suffered from Taliban and endless civil wars.
We may all hear stories about Afghanistan, but we only hear them not knowing them. Do we know a professor can actually turn into a toothless beggar on street? Do we know people chop off their legs for money only sufficient to feed their kids a few weeks? Do we know how many children are abandoned because their fathers are murdered and mothers forbidden to work? And how on earth we have the faintest idea that these kids are sent to orphanage and traded as sex slaves?
Sohrab is only one of those millions kids. I'm glad the author is writing books about the situation in Afghanistan and bringing awareness to the issues. If we ever sympathize Sohrab in the story, we should think more how we can assist those suffering at this moment.

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— Sep 18, 2011 | Add your feedback

- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (289)
- By Jeff Kinney
- Finished on Aug 17, 2011
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- The Queen's Fool (126)
- A Novel
- By Philippa Gregory
- Finished on Aug 13, 2011
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- Mary Poppins (55)
- (Odyssey Classics)
- By Pamela L. Travers
- Finished in Dec 2010
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- 值得 (155)
- By 鄭秀文
- Finished in Dec 2010
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- 煙花三月 (651)
- By 李碧華
- Finished
  
  Finished (re-read) on Aug 5, 2010
  
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煙花三月

1 person find this helpful

一本中學時讀過的書, 一輩子印象難忘.
前陣子逛書店, 指尖在書架上亂掃, 突然掃到了"煙花三月". 會心微笑一下, 心想是時候接您回家好好重讀一遍. 挑了架上唯一的一本, 看見封面灰濛濛有黑點, 用手擦一擦方知是封面的設計. 要是一本好書, 光是封面已全神地表達了主旨. 混濁的灰綠色中柔弱地發出一處光茫, 週邊還隱約地佈滿黑印, 是要代表書中女主角作為慰安婦污濁潦倒的一生. 但暗淡中的微光卻象徵著她對生命的堅持, 憑著意志熬過了日軍侵華, 中國民運, 民革, 多次的批抖, 多番被同胞在傷口上撒鹽........
封面上還有一條鬆了的赤繩, 漫無目的地飄遊著. 我想大概是回應書中節錄的"月 ... (continue)

一本中學時讀過的書, 一輩子印象難忘.
前陣子逛書店, 指尖在書架上亂掃, 突然掃到了"煙花三月". 會心微笑一下, 心想是時候接您回家好好重讀一遍. 挑了架上唯一的一本, 看見封面灰濛濛有黑點, 用手擦一擦方知是封面的設計. 要是一本好書, 光是封面已全神地表達了主旨. 混濁的灰綠色中柔弱地發出一處光茫, 週邊還隱約地佈滿黑印, 是要代表書中女主角作為慰安婦污濁潦倒的一生. 但暗淡中的微光卻象徵著她對生命的堅持, 憑著意志熬過了日軍侵華, 中國民運, 民革, 多次的批抖, 多番被同胞在傷口上撒鹽........
封面上還有一條鬆了的赤繩, 漫無目的地飄遊著. 我想大概是回應書中節錄的"月下老人"的故事 - "元和二年, 韋固離家旅行, 住宋城一家旅店. 晚上, 見一位老人在月下翻撿書信, 布袋中還裝著很多紅繩子. 韋固問: "這些紅繩子有什麼用處呀?" "是用來綁著夫妻的腳的" 老人答. "一定會繫得上嗎?" "即使是仇人之家, 貴賤懸隔, 遠在天邊, 身處異地......., 任何不可想像的情況, 只要繫上了, 就無論如何逃不掉." 袁婆婆即便與失散了三十八年, 生死未卜的愛人還是重逢了. 縱然年華老去, 昔日的情懷還是依舊. 繫上了, 就無論如何逃不掉......
長大後重讀此書, 別有一番感受. 無錯! 日軍的獸行, 對弱小的蹂躪令我恨之入骨. 但令我更心痛的是戰後同胞對受害者的排斥, 鄙視和侮辱! 難怪人們都說只有患難時才見人間真情, 劫後餘生的日子依舊爾虞我詐, 互相勾鬥. 戰後把遍體鱗傷的受害者推到台上批抖, 說是日軍婊子間諜. 這可能被日軍施暴來得更痛苦.......
雖然抗日戰爭已經結束多年, 受害或見證者亦所餘無幾. 但作為中國的新一代和日本的新一代應該好好地向這段慘痛的歷史學習. 我總是認為歷史雖是前人走的路, 卻教導現今的人怎樣走面前的路.

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— Aug 5, 2010 | Add your feedback

- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (194)
- A Novel
- By Lisa See
- Finished on Jul 26, 2010
  
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Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

The journey of obtaining this novel is long and uneasy. I'm not sure if there are limited copies in HK or the novel is basically too popular. Anyway, I found out about the fiction on Anobii a year ago and put it on my wish list. Recently, I came across it in a bookstore and ordered a copy afterwards ... (continue)

The journey of obtaining this novel is long and uneasy. I'm not sure if there are limited copies in HK or the novel is basically too popular. Anyway, I found out about the fiction on Anobii a year ago and put it on my wish list. Recently, I came across it in a bookstore and ordered a copy afterwards.
My desire and anticipation accelerated while I was waiting for the delivery. When I began the first chapter, I was a bit disappointed. I believe the mother language of the author has brought some influence. as there's a lot of direct translation from Chinese to English. The language turned out to be a bit clumsy and ambiguous. Sometime, I even had to understand the sentences in Chinese in order to convey the meaning.
Besides the language, the plot is amazing. It reveals the convention and narrow mindness in the 19th century. The suffer and torture the girls undergo by foot-binding and arranged marriages are way beyond imagination. Though I've watched a TV program about foot-binding before, I never knew the process was that painful and wrenching. And many innocent girls lost their invaluable lives because of a pair of golden lillies, so as a "blissful" marriage. The book strikes me by unfolding the low social hierarchy of females at that time. They were not forbidden to receive education only; they were also forbidden to leave the woman chamber in the house, share comments or opinions about the outside world, protect themselves when their husbands beat them for no reason...... Females were simply regarded as useless, especially when one didn't carry a son or please her mother-in-law well enough.
However, this book also depicts how women supported each other. They conveyed secret messages in Nu Shu, sang songs and visited each other often to unload the heavy burden on shoulders. They even formed sisterhood when they were small, so they could have a life-long soul-mate to rely on mentally. Afterall, the book is awesome if you don't know much about the life Chinese female in the 19th century. Yet, do bear in mind that the language may be a bit disturbing.

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— Jul 30, 2010 | Add your feedback
- The book thief (1045)
- By Markus Zusak
- Finished on Jun 27, 2010
  
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The book thief

I finished the book with a sinking heart. Though I've read several fictions about the Nazi party and the concentration camp before, "The Book Thief" still touches me deeply. Different from the ordinary depiction of war stories, the author brings up the influence of a war from a German girl's childho ... (continue)

I finished the book with a sinking heart. Though I've read several fictions about the Nazi party and the concentration camp before, "The Book Thief" still touches me deeply. Different from the ordinary depiction of war stories, the author brings up the influence of a war from a German girl's childhood. When we read along the story, we feel like we grow up with Liesel and experience both the major and minor incidents in her life.
Markus actually plants a lot of seeds in the first half of the story and it enhances the effect when Liesel departs from the ones she loves. And using the Death as a narrator is a pretty innovative idea. Does he only play the role of an omniscience, he also offers another perspective - a Death's perspective to the readers. Sometime, I found it annoying to be reminded about a character's death after a depiction of a pleasant event. However, I guess this is the feature of this book and the way Markus wants to present the story - things are light-hearted in childhood, but dark and heavy during war time.
Besides, I love the angle Markus has chosen to depict. Usually, the attention's on the refugees when it comes to war. However, he presents us another picture - the invaders as victims during war time too. It reminds us that it is always a lose-lose situation when the war takes place.

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— Jun 28, 2010 | Add your feedback
- Andersen's Fairy Tales (112)
- (Wordsworth Collection)
- By Hans Christian Andersen
- Finished on Apr 28, 2010
  
  Finished (re-read) on Apr 28, 2010
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- The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (2)
- By Christoper Marlowe
- Finished on Mar 18, 2010
  
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The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus

This piece of literature is one of the classic works in Renaissance which personifies the ideas of damnation and salvation. I first read about it in colleage and came across it in "The Angel's Game" and decided to re-read it.
Though the language is old and the whole story is filled with religiou ... (continue)

This piece of literature is one of the classic works in Renaissance which personifies the ideas of damnation and salvation. I first read about it in colleage and came across it in "The Angel's Game" and decided to re-read it.
Though the language is old and the whole story is filled with religious elements, it reveals the weaknesses of a human being, even a genius like Dr.Faustus. The story begins with Dr.Faustus thinking he can override the devil Mephistophilis and continues with the devil's growing dark force; and it ends with Faustus tearful everlasting damnation in hell. The impact is strong in spite of the simplicity of the plot.

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— Mar 23, 2010 | Add your feedback
- The Angel's Game (198)
- By Carlos Ruiz Zafon
- Finished on Mar 15, 2010
  
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The Angel's Game

Though Carlos has adopted a similar background in "The Angel's Game", it's still a masterpiece among the contemporary fictions.
"The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" as a backbone of the story, the boss is Lucifer who empowered David to accomplish an evil religious work. And David who is portr ... (continue)

Though Carlos has adopted a similar background in "The Angel's Game", it's still a masterpiece among the contemporary fictions.
"The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" as a backbone of the story, the boss is Lucifer who empowered David to accomplish an evil religious work. And David who is portrayed as Dr. Faustus didn’t fall into the trap of damnation in the end.
When you compare the two works of Carlos, there’s more excitement in "The Angel's Game", as well as blood and horror. It requires more investigation to dig out the secret of the mystery. But the author gives less explanation to the series of mysterious events which leaves things rather unfinished. However, I like the ending which surprised me and indicates that Carlos is trying something new in his fictions.
One thing he didn’t change in this new piece of work is that there are still numerous characters in the plot and it confuses you as same as it does in “The Shadow of the Wind”.

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— Mar 16, 2010 | Add your feedback