Customer Reviews

A Thousand Moons on a Thousand Rivers

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is in no doubt remarkably enjoying and fascinating to read. When I first encountered the title, I was a little set-back due to the idea that it has been translated from Chinese Literature, but oh how I wish I had started tasting the pleasures of the book earlier.
A Thousand Moons on a Thousand Rivers kick starts with a slow paced scene in the first few chapters but it doesn't take very long at all to realize how the pages get sticky and how mind-grasping the book really is. As soon as the author, Hsiao Li-Hung is done introducing the main characters, the pace of the storyline starts rolling in ways none can imagine. The language implemented to express emotions in every sentence is unique and every word is spiced.
Li-Hung does a great job coloring the book with the life of Zhenguan from when she is in the swollen belly of her mother till she is fully grown and experienced in cultivating the meaning of love with her partner, Daxin. The platonic love they share is so unbelievable in today's societies but yet, their relationship is tremendously moving and heart-taking as they exchange feelings for one another simply through rhythmic language. Daxin comes to thought as a man who is ideal to many women. He is very cultured, talented and ambitious, skilled to the fact he could be labeled as "perfect". Zhenguan on the other hand is presented as an average person who is motivated by her love for Daxin. Throughout the book, Li- Hung constantly keeps the reader at the edge of their seat, eager to know what will happen next to their long lasting, long-distance relationship.
If you enjoy reading romance stories that sway your heart with poetry and metaphoric language, I am positive that you will take pleasure in reading A Thousand Moons on a Thousand Rivers. I have fallen in love with this book over and over again. Most people think all romance novels have the same storyline but anyone who has read this book would tell you how different this experience will be. I highly recommend this book to anyone who finds pleasure in reading novels that squeezes their heart eager to keep reading.

This book succeeds on many levels. It is at its most basic level a love story. The book also offers many fascinating insights into the life a traditional Taiwanese family in the 1970s. Finally it is about the spirit of Zen.

The translation is exceptionally good as many of the idioms and stories would not translate directly into English.

"A Thousand Moons on a Thousand Rivers" is worth reading both as a great piece of literature and for its many insights into Taiwanese culture.

The platonic relationship between Zhenguan (female) and Daxin (male) occupies the center spot of the story. But it is really the thoughtfulness of Zhenguan's extended family members that touches one the most. Hidden behind seasonal festivities, articulation of rich food culture, and classic Chinese poetry etc, lay anecdotes of the traditional way of caring for others so warm that almost feels as if it glows. It is little wonder then, that this novel had struck a chord of nostalgia amongst the Taiwanese for the old ways of life.

Grandpa (of Zhenguan) sees a neighbor -- a poor salt merchant -- stealing snake melons from his garden but let's him go. Grandpa considers the action of this neighbor justified as the neighbor has a hard time feeding his ten-member household. Grandma (of Zhenguan) cuts out a lung of a toad to cure her grandson's disease but remembers to stitch back and release the toad. Toads can regenerate their lungs. The wife of Zhenguan's first uncle never changes her hairstyle, knowing that one day her mother-in-law (Zhenguan's grandmother) might need some straight hair to use as extension when arranging her hair in the traditional way. She only has her hair cut after her mother-in-law passes away.

With its frequent references to Buddhist sutras and classical Chinese poetry, one can only imagine how lyrical the novel could have been in its original language. The warmth of the characters nevertheless transpires.

In "A Thousand Moons on a Thousand Rivers" translator Michelle Wu delivers competently and faithfully the daunting task of translating Chinese (a visually stunning but grammatically simplistic language) into English (a language that is descriptive but mostly through explanation).

The story reads like a soft breeze in midsummer; Hsiao is a master at communicating complex traditional Chinese ideas through descriptive and humorous prose. The understated (and sometimes overstated!) emotions of the story reflect an essential aspect of the Taiwanese culture.