Book Review: "The Ming Storytellers" by Laura Rahme

 

This is a brilliant and humanizing portrayal of the great Ming eunuch navigator Zheng He, cast in an intricate and layered plot redolent of 15th century Chinese court machinations and commoners' fights for self-preservation and survival, with delicious side tracks to an array of ethnic and international scenes that are filled with indigenous colors, sights and sounds.

I can't imagine how copious the amount of research that was necessary to create this exquisite and complex story.

Having said that, I find some Chinese historical/cultural details to be a bit off, and that miraculous coincidences take place a touch too often throughout the story.

Overall, it was a most enjoyable read that's worth 4 full stars.

 

Zoom Book Talk re: Korean Edition of Land and the Ruling Class in Hong Kong

 On October 30 Seoul time (October 29 Vancouver time), I made a Zoom presentation and joined in a panel discussion re: the Korean Edition of Land and the Ruling Class in Hong Kong.

I would like to accord a vote of deep thanks to the book translator, Mr. Sungchan Cho from the Hananuri Institute for Northeast Asia, who tirelessly organzied the event and acted as MC. My gratitude is also owed to the three panelists for their insightful comments, especially Professor Jung-a Chang from the Incheon National University. Lastly but not least, I'd like to thank the charming interpreter Paul for his good work. He made a film recommendation to me that I take to heart - "Squid Game"; I'm so late to the party!

I'm also humbled to learn of the aspirations of young, passionate Koreans who care deeply about social justice, and I'm honored to have made acquaintance with some of the participants of the event. Thank you all for a lively exchange. I look forward to the day when I'll be able to pay a visit to Seoul and other Korean cities.

The book event has been reported in this Korean newspaper article.

For the Canadian Book Review Annual's review of my book, please click here.

Korean Edition of Land and the Ruling Class in Hong Kong

 

 

 

 Sixteen years after I first self-published Land and the Ruling Class in Hong Kong, the Korean Edition has now been released.

Here's a little publishing history of my book:-

2005 - I self-published the book in English in Canada.

2007 - Canadian Book Review Annual selected it as Editor's Choice: Scholarly in the Sept./Oct. issue.

2010 - The Chinese Edition "地產霸權" was jointly published by Enrich Publishing and Hong Kong Economic Journal.

2010 - It became a bestseller and was awarded the 4th Year Hong Kong Book Prize.

2010 - Yazhou Zhoukan (Asia Weekly) named it One of Ten Best Books (Non-fiction) in Greater China.

2011 - A Second English Edition was published by Enrich Professional Publishing.

2021 - Korean Edition published.

 

 

Book Review - "She Who Became the Sun" by Shelley Parker-Chan

 

This was absolutely one of my favorite reads in 2021! Finally I've found an author whose vibrant writing I want to study closely by re-reading. The publisher compares her writing with that of Madeleine Miller (I had read The Song of Achilles, and suffice it to say that Miller's style was a little too fluffy for my taste). But Parker-Chan's style resonates much more with me for its from-the-heart frankness and deep vibrancy in depictions of human nature and emotions.

The novel is marketed as fantasy, but in fact the fantasy element is minimal. A more accurate description would be alternative history fiction with a dash of sapphic romance.

The history of Zhu Yuanzhang's legendary rise from peasant status to become a rebel leader who eventually ends the Mongol-ruled Yuan dynasty and takes the throne as the first Ming Emperor would be well-known to most ethnic Chinese readers.

This novel upends the gender of this iconic historical character and creates an epic story out of the premise "what if he were a she?"

A discerning reviewer has commented that the novel is probably targeted at a bilingual audience, as Chinese slang/profanities and aphorisms are sprinkled throughout the novel. I have to say that this interesting observation was one of the things that nudged me to pick up the novel sooner.

Many secondary characters are real historical characters (like Ming Empress Ma, Zhu's closest allies Xu Da and Chang Yuchun, Yuan Mongol warlord Chaghan Temur, his nephew Wang Baobao etc.) A search of history texts has revealed that Esen Temur was actually the brother of the Yuan prime minister Tuo Tuo (or Toqto'a) who was not related to Chaghan Temur, but is fictionalized in the novel to play the latter's eldest son.

The novel basically centers on Zhu's internal struggles at first with an assumed identity (she took her brother's identity to survive) and then with her own justification in trying to acquire the throne at all costs. The main character General Ouyang is an entirely fictional character, and much care has been put into molding this deliciously dangerous and tragic antagonist who is a eunuch general fighting for the Yuan Mongols and who is tortured by hatred and unattainable love. The Ma character (whom Zhu would eventually marry) is given a portrayal of personality very close to real history.

The plot twists around thrilling political machinations and internecine feuds in both the rebels camp and the Yuan camp as well as field battles that keep readers on their toes, while also delving deep into sexual urges of lesbian and gay lovers, with overarching themes of loyalty, betrayal, racial oppression, vengeance and compulsive-obsessive ambitions.

This was one of the best reads for me in 2021. I'm giving it 4.7 stars rounded up. 

Book Review - "The Flower Boat Girl" by Larry Feign

 

This was a very entertaining read about a legendary woman pirate from 19th Century Southern China. The prose was lush, sensual and pellucid. It was almost like watching an action movie.

The account of how pirates struggle with manipulating authorities, volatile and deadly weather, interpersonal conflicts, skirmishes with other pirates and all sorts of sea-faring hardships came fully alive on the page.

The thing I liked best about the novel was the bitter-sweet relationship between the protagonist and her pirate husband Cheng Yat. It was a tumultuous one to say the least, at once mutually dependent and mutually resentful, full of drama, competition, jealousy, tension and forgiveness. It felt super real and touching.

As one reviewer has already pointed out, in Part IV, Cheng Yat Sou's approach towards snatching the leader role in the Confederation of Pirates was glossed over and not quite convincing enough. The character of Cheung Po Tsai also came across as a little blurry.

I have no hesitation in recommending this novel to anyone who loves a downright good story. I'm giving it 4.4 stars.

 

Best Realist Novels That Take Place in China - My List

 

Want to pick up something to read for the summer? I've always been a great believer in the adage "facts are stranger than fiction". Here's a list of my book recommendations that attest to that saying, along with my reasons for choosing them.

 

Best Realist Novels That Take Place in China

 

 

 

 

Book Review - "These Violent Delights" by Chloe Gong

 

I enjoyed the plot but thought the writing was over-the-top flowery and pretentious, which really created a snag in the flow of the narrative. This was especially problematic in the first half of the novel.

I liked the sense of time and place that the novel evoked. The history element was also handled with a lot of respect to accuracy.

The romance part was alright except that it also included a lot of teenage theatrics. I couldn't feel any connection with Juliette because her personality was just not likeable. The character of Roma was a lot better by comparison.

As for the fantasy part, the "madness" stretched the imagination a bit, but since it's the fantasy genre, I couldn't complain.

All in all, it was a curate's egg. I'm giving it 3.4 stars, rounded down.

 

#50 on Amazon's Paid Bestsellers List (Historical Chinese)

 

Very grateful for the support!

 

Follow-up Offer of $2.99 For One Week!

 

If you missed the 1-day $0.99 special offer, not to worry. The ebook is being offered at $2.99 for ONE WEEK from today!

 

 

 

 

1st Birthday Celebration Special Price Offer for Tales

 

This SPECIAL OFFER is only for ONE DAY!

 

 

Book Review - "The Last Quarter of the Moon" by Chi Zijian (Translated by Bruce Humes)

 

This was a very unique read about a little-known nomadic tribe called Evenki who are hunters and reindeer-herders living in the northern part of Inner Mongolia.

Through the eyes of an old woman, the bitter-sweet everyday life story of five generations of her clan unfolds in the time line spanning the 20th century. Descriptions of the wilderness scenery, of nature at its most charming and most cruel, of Evenki rituals and shamanic customs are interwoven with emotive relationships and interactions of the clan members as they gradually move away from their habitual and carefree nomadic lifestyle to one imposed on them by external forces like the Japanese occupation, the Chinese lumber trade and modernization.

The writing is plain (the novel is a translation) but the stringing of words moves you to the core. The tone is calm and quiet throughout, yet it tugs at your heartstrings.

 

 

Charlie Reads China - Review of Tales of Ming Courtesans

 

When a reviewer finds deep resonance with your novel, that must be one of the most satisfying moments for a writer.

 

Quote from the review:-

 

"Tales of Ming Courtesans is a very skilful work, interweaving three well-known stories in a rich and rewarding setting. It is poignant and melodramatic in the best sense of that word, full of emotion, compassion, flashes of shock and tear-stained confessions." 

 

Link to the Full Review 

 

I'm also happy to note that other reviews included those of two upcoming releases: She Who Became the Sun (historical fantasy) and China (epic historical fiction).

 

 

 

Book Review - "The Search for Modern China" by Jonathan D. Spence

 

This is a must-read for anyone who wishes to make sense of present-day international relations.

This well-written and excellent piece of academic work is a concise and comprehensive history of China spanning 3-1/2 centuries from the end of the Ming Dynasty (1644) right through to the June 4th 1989 Tiananmen Square tragedy.

Included in it is an honest and neutral account of how 19th century Western imperialism and the imposition on China of opium trade, extraterritoriality and exorbitant financial penalties irreversibly debilitated the country. Juxtaposed with such account is a sweeping depiction of China's own encompassing domestic woes, including but not limited to the Qing government's incompetent rule, abject rural poverty, backwardness of society, ceaseless rebellions and warlords' power struggles. Against such backdrop and in face of 20th century Japanese (and European & Russian) aggression on Chinese soil surged civil wars between the Nationalists and the Communists. After the 1945 Japanese surrender, the Communists drove the Nationalists off to Taiwan and established the People's Republic of China. But the country continued to suffer atrocious political upheavals, often incited in the name of dogmatic ideology.

I like the way the author humanizes chronicles by invoking the works of writers, artists, activists and politicians to illustrate a point.

This last sentence in the book perhaps delivers a sobering statement:

There would be no truly modern China, until the people were given back their voices.

Instagram Video Introducing My Novels

 I'm so grateful that this French blogger (Une Occidentale en Chine) took the time and trouble to create an Instagram video to introduce my novels: The Green Phoenix and Tales of Ming Courtesans.

Link to the Video

 

Thank you Krys!

Asian Review of Books - Review of Tales of Ming Courtesans

David Chaffetz has written an in-depth review of Tales of Ming Courtesans for the renowned review site Asian Review of Books

 

Alice Poon offers us a modern retelling of their intertwined lives. Tales of Ming Courtesans has two objectives: to bring these three women to life in a way that seems credible and relevant to this generation, and to describe enough of the culture of mid-17th-century China to help us appreciate what has been lost.

 

Link to the Full Review 

SCMP Review of Tales of Ming Courtesans

 

I had the privilege of being interviewed by the incredible Annemarie Evans in November, and am very thankful for her nice write-up on my novel Tales of Ming Courtesans for the SCMP. The article has been published today!

 

Excerpts:-

 

Although it is fictional, Poon meticulously researched the era, and her work is rich in its descriptions of the food, architecture, clothing, music, poetry, cultural references and calligraphy of the period. For those new to Ming dynasty courtesan culture, the poetry and constrained Confucian lives of both men and women of the era, hers is a gentle and descriptive introduction.

 

They (Liu Rushi, Chen Yuanyuan & Li Xiangjun) were central to China's cultural and literary life, and Poon was keen to give these women a voice so they would not be forever remembered as minor characters in historical narratives written by men. 

 

She writes about the perilous nature of the women’s existence: dependent on the whims of the households they were sold into, while trying to make sure their lovers did not come under too much pressure from their own families and wives.

 

Paintings exist of all three courtesans, and their stories have featured in televised and literary accounts. Now, Poon has offered an alternative, and perhaps more authentic, picture of their lives.

 

Link to the Full Article

The World of Chinese Review of Tales of Ming Courtesans

 

Having your historical novel reviewed in a popular cultural magazine is already quite a privilege. To see the review written thoughtfully by a well-known historian well versed in Chinese History is absolutely humbling. I owe a debt of thanks to Jeremiah Jenne the wonderful reviewer and The World of Chinese magazine.

 

Here's a quote from the review:-

 

"Though the super courtesan team-up probably never existed, it’s still fun to imagine the historical possibilities if it had—such is the liberating fun of reading a novelist who is also a historian. With characters as rich as these and a writer as expressive as Poon, who needs CGI, anyway?"

 

Link to the Full Review