A compelling, detail-rich resource about Tang verse.
This primer on Tang dynasty–era poetry addresses Chinese history and linguistics and the tricky task of translation.
Retired surgeon Hung’s (The Chinese Language Demystified, 2018, etc.) overview of verse written during the Tang period, which lasted from 618 to 907, will be accessible to novices and a rich resource for experts. He takes a multipronged approach, beginning with a brief description of life in Tang China before delving into its literary traditions. It was a time of economic expansion that also saw an increase in artistic output. The book centers on three poets who were particularly prolific during the period: Li Bai, Du Fu, and Wang Wei, who were each influential in their home country as well as abroad. Hung explains the nuances of classical Chinese characters, which were misinterpreted by prominent Western writers, such as Ezra Pound, to be mainly pictograms. His book aims to give non-Chinese readers the tools to appreciate the beauty of Tang poetry in their original characters as well as in their translations. Hung shows creativity in how he displays the authors’ poems; first, he presents them in calligraphy, then in Pinyin (romanized words, meant to represent the sound of each character) with literal translations of each line. Afterward, he provides examples of several different English translations of each poem. (At times, the book feels like an expanded meditation on Eliot Weinberger’s 1987 book 19 Ways of Looking at Wang Wei.) Readers will receive a new appreciation not just for Tang poetry, but also for the challenges of translating such verse. Not only is classical Chinese very different from modern Chinese, but translators also have to keep in mind rhythm, details, and images, not all of which will have direct English translations. With a keen eye for detail and extraordinary patience, Hung relates the nuances of producing and translating poetry. His explanations are aided by his thoughtful historical accounts of life in Tang China and his descriptions of the political and economic circumstances that marked each poet’s life.
A compelling, detail-rich resource about Tang verse.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-0-692-04408-7
Page Count: 199
Publisher: Time Tunnel Media
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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