Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Murasaki Shikibu Nikki (紫式部日記)




Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Title: The Diary of Lady Murasaki

Author: Murasaki Shikibu

Genre: NF / Memoir / Jpn

Read: 29th July 2005





Comments: As the title would suggest this is the diary of Lady Murasaki Shikibu, the author of The Tale of Genji, which has often been called the world's first novel. It offers a insider's view on life at the imperial court of Heian (794-1185) Japan and is filled with detailed descriptions of court ceremonies, fashions and poetry. If you're into Heian literature, or want more background on the Tale of Genji, this is the book for you. If you're not, you'd probably find it mind-bendingly dull and should skip it at all costs. (Personally, I loved it, but that's the kind of geek I am)

Quote: 'Looking around within the blinds, I could see that those permitted the forbidden colors were wearing the usual yellow-green and red jackets...'

  • The Diary of Lady Murasaki
  • see also
  • The Tale of Murasaki by Liza Dalby
  • and
  • The Tale of Genji translated by Royall Tyler
  • Thursday, August 24, 2006

    Now I'm hungry...




    Rating: ☆☆☆

    Title: The Food of Love

    Author: Anthony Capella

    Genre: Fic / Romance / Food

    Read: 27 th July 2005




    Comments: Yummy! In this modern Cyrano story Bruno, a young and wildly talented cook tries to help his friend Tommaso (a lowly waiter) gain the heart of the woman he lusts after (a gorgeous blond American exchange student named Laura) by cooking her luscious Italian dishes. Predictably he falls in love with her himself and various hijinx, soul-searching etc. ensue. The one-dimensionality of the characters (you already know just about everything you need to know about them from that last sentence) ensures this book's failure as a novel, but as food porn it's pretty good. Lots of passionately-written mouth-watering descriptions of extravagant meals lift it from two stars to three, but if you want a really good foodie romance I suggest 'Like Water for Chocolate'.

    Quote: 'Levati questo camello dai coglioni. *Literally Lift this camel off your balls.'

  • The Food of Love
  • Thursday, August 17, 2006

    New Woody Box

    Ever since I got back from my crazy bibliomanical shopping spree in the States (I brought back a total of 40 books), the floor of my room has been carpeted with stuff that I didn't have room on the shelves for. But, a few days ago I bought a new bookcase (otherwise known as a 'New Woody-Box'; gotta love that Engrish) and with the help of Luke and Nathan (Thanks guys!), I got it set up and my room back to its normal (semi-) clutter-free state! Now I can start collecting like a fiend again.

    Mwa ha ha ha ha!

    Mwa ha ha ha ha!

    Mwah ha- ha- ha- haaaaaaah!

    Goog Afternooner!

    Wednesday, August 09, 2006

    Lolita, Gatsby, and the Ayatollah




    Rating: ☆☆☆

    Title: Reading Lolita in Tehran

    Author: Azar Nafisi

    Genre: Non-Fiction / Middle East

    Read: 27 th July 2005




    Comments: As a first hand account of life under a fundamentalist Muslim regime, it's chilling, and as book of literary criticism and insight it's interesting, especially for its look at classics of Western literature from an Islamic viewpoint, but as a memoir it fails. Obviously the author has been through horrors that we can hardly even begin to imagine, but her core personality remains cold and detached from the narrative even when speaking of people and events which supposedly moved her deeply. Perhaps this is due to of shell-shock or the traumas she's endured, but the end result is that she becomes impossible to empathasize with. That said I still recommend this book highly as a view of a society and a way of thinking that most of us know too little about.

    Quote: 'Living in the Islamic Republic is liking having sex with a man you loathe.'

  • Reading Lolita in Tehran