Murakami Haruki is one of Japan's most famous and critically acclaimed novelists, with legions of fans globally. But do you know he is also a serious runner who makes it a point to run one marathon a year?

In a new collection of essays, titled 走ることについて語るときに僕の語ること (Hashiru koto ni tsuite kataru toki ni boku no kataru koto, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running), Murakami reveals his passion for running. This book, which was published in Japan late last year, features works written between summer 2005 and autumn 2006 while he was preparing to run in the New York Marathon.

"One thing I noticed was that writing honestly about running and writing and writing honestly about myself are nearly the same thing. So I suppose it's alright to read this as a kind of memoir centered on the act of running," he said in the foreword of the English translated version of the book (translated by Philip Gabriel).

He took up running in 1982, just few years after he began his writing career. While he loves long distance running, Murakami doesn't recommend it. "I think I've been able to run for more than 20 years for a simple reason: it suits me", he said.

He shares the life lessons he's learned from running, such as enduring pain and focus.

"Most of what I know about writing, I've learned through running every day. I know if I hadn't become a long distance runner when I became a novelist, my work would have been vastly different. How different? Hard to say. But something would have been different", he said.

I'm planning to get a copy of this book; undecided to get the original Japanese or the translated English. Murakami is simply brilliant, and although I'm not into running and stuff, this ought to be another marvellous literary piece.

Buy your copy from
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.jp

Imagine a world without humans? A world without us?



Abstract from a review in The Korea Times:

Plastic garbage is one of the biggest environmental problems today. The disturbing part is, even if humans stop existing and creating plastic, the plastic will still remain, but until when, no one knows.

Experts say every bit of plastic that has been manufactured in the world for the last 50 years, except those that have been incinerated, still remains. Over a half-century, total plastic production surpassed 1 billion tons.

``Today's amount of plastic will take hundreds of thousands of years to consume, but eventually it will all biodegrade,'' the book quoted Dr. Anthony Andrady, a senior research scientist at Research Triangle.

Sometimes, it is not even about the big things that people should be worried about, but the little things. It was surprising to find out many exfoliating scrubs that are so popular among women today, is a source of non-biodegradable polymer granules. These tiny plastic bits end up in the sea, eaten by birds, fish, other sea creatures, and eventually cause their death.

The real danger lies in the petrochemical and nuclear plants around the world. Weisman noted the petrochemical plants, described as ``ticking time bombs,'' will start breaking down once humans are no longer there to run the machines.

Even more disturbing is the fate of 441 nuclear plants operating on Earth. If every human were to disappear on Earth, Weisman noted that nuclear plants would briefly run on autopilot until each one overheated and spilled radioactive waste into the air and water. This would be like the Chernobyl nuclear disaster all over again, except multiplied 441 times.

Would anything man made last the next few thousands, or even millions, of years? Experts interviewed by Weisman said the Chunnel, the enormous undersea tunnel connecting France and England; bronze and plastic are likely to survive thousands, if not millions of years.

Get your copy from Amazon.com. I'm planning to, although finance (or the lack thereof) is a current impediment. ^^;;

Twisted Fairy Tales Titillate Teens

"While wandering through the woods, Snow White came upon a beautiful little house. She loved the little house and wanted to make it hers, so when she discovered that the house was home to seven dwarfs, Snow White chopped them to pieces with an axe."

" 'I pulled a hatchet from my jacket and whacked off my brother Hansel's legs, and then I went after my mother who tried to prevent me from running away,' said Gretel. 'My mother got killed because she treated me badly and my brother didn't respect me.' "

Do these sound like the sweet and innocent fairy tales that once entertained us in our youth? No way. But these are what today's teenagers are reading -- and writing -- online, circulating twisted tales in cyberspace in a genre known as horror fairy tales.

Combining violence and sexual perversion, formerly wholesome fairy tales are being distorted into cruel, graphic and provocative thrillers. In these stories, once lovable characters are now depraved maniacs and the happy ending is a blood-soaked, horrible demise.

And if you think you won't find these tales in your house, think again. A Korean mother named Han was shocked late last year when she discovered that her daughter, a middle school student, was reading the book "Cruelty Behind Grimm's Fairy Tales (That You Never Knew)". The book, written by a Japanese author, reinterprets the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and fills them with sex and violence.

"The book had a small R-rated warning, but my daughter didn't pay attention to that," Han said. She was shocked to learn that more books of this type were in wide circulation among her daughter's classmates.

Choi Young-ju, a visiting fellow from Hanuri Reading Campaign Center, said that today's youth are desensitized to violence. "Children are so accustomed to today's extreme pop culture that they're no longer moved by 'innocent' fairy tales," she said. These new horror tales, Choi pointed out, are not only violent, but contain extreme sexual content, which young people find intriguing.

Even more frightening is that Korean kids aren't content with simply reading these sick stories -- they're writing them, too. In fact, some teenagers push each other to concoct ever more twisted tales in competitions to see whose mind is sickest.

( Horror fanfics? )

Source: Chosun Ilbo (21/1/07)


The book, or books rather, in question are by Kiryu Misao. I have been looking for them for some time now (I couldn't find them on Kinokuniya shelves when I was over in Singapore last month). However, it just came to my notice that they're available at Kinokuniya KL so I might order them soon.



Actually, I don't see the fuss over it.

Kids nowadays are exposed to all forms of violence and sexuality and they don't have to be in the form of a Japanese book. Is it just me or are some Koreans just finding further fault with their neighbour across the sea? It's not the author's fault if the bookstores mistakenly placed his books in the children's section, like what happened in Taiwan.

Certainly there are many Japanese books or manga that are excessively violent and perverse in content, but let's not forget the likes of the manhwa "Priest" by Hyung Minwoo and the animated Dooly. Both products of Korea and certainly no less controversial and scary than that of their Japanese counterparts.

A social problem among the Korean youth that is should be looked into is the rising addiction of cybercafes (known as PC Bang). Gamers are exposed to more violence than bookworms.

Links to online books and ebooks for all ye bookworms.

http://www.manybooks.net

http://www.readprint.com

My fave Aussie fantasy author Juliet Marillier, who penned the magnificent Sevenwaters Trilogy, has got new book OUT! It’s more targeted at young adult readers compare to her previous works, but anything Juliet Marillier is good for readers of all ages. I’m not sure if it’s a stand-alone or the first of a series though.



Book description:
Jena, along with her five sisters and constant companion, the frog she calls Gogu, lives in a crumbling castle on the fringe of a wildwood in Transylvania. Theirs has always been a privileged if somewhat restricted life, however, the girls share a fantastic secret, which they have kept hidden even from their family for twelve long years.

When Jena's father falls ill and must leave their forest home over the winter, Jena and her older sister Tati are left in charge. Everything runs like clockwork until a tragic accident allows their greedy cousin Cezar to take control. When it becomes clear that their secret is in danger of discovery, Jena knows there is only one place, no matter how dangerous, she can go to for help..

Wildwood Dancing should be available in all major bookstores (Dymocks and Angus & Robertson) and departmental stores (Target and K-Mart, surely) beginning July (or sometime therein). It can also be ordered via Australian Online Bookshop, a feasible option for overseas buyers.

WoohoOo!

If you have not read her stuff, you must begin with Daughter of the Forest, the first in the Sevenwaters Trilogy! This personal beloved of a trilogy is laced with Celtic folklores, Otherworldly beings and sorcery; the first book is a loose adaptation of The Swan Children of Lir. Still not too convinced? Well, if you like Patricia McKillip and/or Sophie Masson, like I do, then you would love Juliet Marillier! I had the chance of meeting Ms Marillier when I was still in Perth few years ago. She comes across as a really nice and sweet lady. Please support her if you’re a fantasy fiction fan!

I'm looking for this Korean book. 번역은 내 운명 (Ponyokeun Nae Unmyeong, Translation is My Destiny) is a recent release by six professional translators about their works and the difficulties they face in their profession. It focuses on what life as a translator is like for each of them.

Anyone...?

Previously, an overview, Memoir of 1795, Memoir of 1801 and Memoir of 1802.


The final of the Hanjungnok is one shocking exposé. In this tell-all narration, Lady Hyegyŏng vividly revealed the crux of the entire matter. In the past memoirs she hesitated to go into the details that led to the filicide of Crown Prince Sado, but here she decided it was time that her grandson, King Sunjo learn of the truth concerning his grandfather’s unfortunate death. At seventy years of age, Lady Hyegyŏng felt she did not have much time left. The issue that she had been putting off for years finally came to light in this memoir. It was written with chockfull of emotions yet at the same time, were presented in a matter-of-fact manner.

In 1762, the then-reigning King Yŏngjo delivered the ultimate irreversible order: that his son Crown Prince Sado be put to death. Sado’s death was a horrifying and slow one. He was ordered into a wooden rice chest, which was sealed up, and left to die of starvation/suffocation. He died after eight days. He was twenty seven years of age and father of the future King Chŏngjo.

Lady Hyegyŏng began with a retelling of Sado’s childhood. He was the second son, born in 1735, many years after the death of Prince Hyojang, the firstborn of King Yŏngjo. Naturally, his birth was most welcomed in a time when there was no heir to the throne. From Lady Hyegyŏng’s recount, he was most wonderfully endowed, in appearance, personality and intelligence, which shone in his young age.

The excitement of having produced an heir died down, and King Yŏngjo was quick to establish Sado as the Crown Prince. In addition he moved his young son to his own palace as befit a Crown Prince. The irrevocable damage actually began with this decision. At a young age, Sado was left to the guards of ladies-in-waiting and eunuchs and an unscrupulous bunch at that. Far from guidance by his parents, King Yŏngjo and Lady Sŏnhŭi, he grew up a lonely child.

As narrated by Lady Hyegyŏng, the relationship between father and son grew noticeably estranged over the youthful days of the prince. Somehow everything that the prince did was displeasing to the King. King Yŏngjo placed excessive high demands on his only heir and although Sado was an intelligent child, he was always tongue-tied when facing his father. Hence, the King was always very critical of his son and even at times, treated him with obvious disdain.

To cut the details short, Sado was exposed to what we modern people would call psychological abuse. Perhaps that was what caused the deterioration of his mental state later, or perhaps the illness was hereditary. We would have no idea of knowing. What we know, from this memoir, Sado began showing the symptoms at the tender age of ten. However, the signs were on and off and this continued on for years.

The parental criticism from the King continued. Then there were the deaths of the two Royal Highnesses Queen Chŏngsŏng and Queen Dowager Inwŏn, which affected the young crown prince badly as it did Lady Hyegyŏng. Sado’s illness took a turn for the worse each time. As dementia led to violence, he began to kill. All who lived under his roof were in fear of their lives, even his own consort.

Yet, despite being in the grips of his illness, Sado could perform his daily duties like any other normal person. I would think his was a serious case of paranoia and split personality. So because of his seemingly normal public behaviour, any misconduct was deemed to be unfilial act towards his father the King. As such, it provoked further royal censure and caused more pain to Sado who had to bear it all and Lady Hyegyŏng who witnessed everything in helplessness. All his years of trying to be a filial son were not recognized. Sado’s mental condition probably could not accept that fact and bogged him down further to the point of no return.

The tension of the entirety reached its climax when King Yŏngjo came to hear of unfounded rumors that Sado, in his violence, attempted to do away his own father. It was then that his mother, Lady Sŏnhŭi, came to a painful decision. Although she loved her son very much, she could see that his sickness had eclipsed the son she knew to something akin to a monster. In a decision to protect the King and the Grand Heir (Chŏngjo), she suggested to the King that Sado be put to death to end his suffering before he could cause any harm to the dynasty. The King agreed and with that ordered for the rice chest. The punishment was carried out without much ado and the rest is history.

As such, with reference to the accusation of Lady Hyegyŏng’s father Hong Ponghan having anything to do with the rice chest was baseless. However, it also cannot be blamed that King Yŏngjo was unjust and unnecessarily cruel to his own flesh and blood. Lady Hyegyŏng defended her father-in-law, that the 1762 incident was a last resort to protect himself and his grandson thus ensuring the survival of the dynasty. King Yŏngjo was not a cruel ruler, so no matter how harsh he was, he could not have possibly wish for his own son to die if it was not for his incurable disease. On the other hand, Lady Hyegyŏng also defended her husband, that he had no criminal intention towards anyone in his true self and could not be blamed for being horribly afflicted the way he was.

In other words, it had been a terrible twist of Fate that turned father and son against each other, resulting in tragedy. Again, I have to commend on Lady Hyegyŏng’s strength to speak out the unspeakable truth after so many years of pent-up sorrow. Despite the lifelong pain and regret, she could still muster the courage of opening old wounds in hoping to clear that dark shadow in Choseon history. I would like to think that she succeeded in that.

Memoir of 1805 is truly compelling, if not somewhat disturbing. Now if you’d excuse me, I shall go and mull over the whole picture.

Previously, an overview, Memoir of 1795 and Memoir of 1801.


This memoir was pretty similar to Memoir of 1801 in theme, but was presented in a less emotional manner. It was also addressed to King Sunjo and was meant to clarify and explain long overdue issues pertaining to King Chŏngjo’s early death and Lady Hyegyŏng’s natal family. Also mentioned fleetingly was The Incident (of 1672). However, the latter was not completely and openly dealt with yet in this memoir. The way to the truth is tortuous, for the reader.

Here Lady Hyegyŏng reminisced about her deceased son King Chŏngjo’s utmost filial devotion during his lifetime. She spoke of the hopes that the both of them shared. One was to see the day that Chŏngjo could render the honor of Prince Sado through his son Sunjo. Another hope was that mother and son could finally retire and enjoy their old age together with no bindings to the complicated life at court. Everything was so perfectly planned; yet Heaven had other ideas.

Chŏngjo was described in a way a mother would describe her beloved child, opinions that were partial perhaps, but still true. As a child, he displayed extraordinary intelligence and virtue. He was benevolent, filial and wise, the picture of a perfect king. From young, he was utterly devoted to his mother; an only exception was the time when he was under the influence of the Kims in his youthful days, where he grew somewhat distant from his maternal family. However, being the wise person he was, Chŏngjo was quick to learn and steered himself back onto the rightful path.

However, he was tormented by his past. Lady Hyegyŏng bewailed the royal order of 1764, which made Chŏngjo a posthumous adopted son of Prince Hyojang. This was due to the unfortunate circumstance of Prince Sado’s death and the speculations that went with it. If such order were not given, Chŏngjo’s legitimacy to the throne would be seriously questioned, as sons of criminals were not entitled to rule. Speculation went that Prince Sado was put to death because of his criminal intention toward his own father, King Yŏngjo.

As the adoptive son of his deceased uncle, King Chŏngjo could not render the filial duties to Prince Sado as a son should. He had planned for years to confer the royal title of King to his father, having conferred several honorary titles already. The event was to take place in 1804, where he would abdicate the throne to Sunjo. It was also the year that he would restore the royal titles of King and Queen to his birth parents, Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyŏng. Memoir of 1802 expressed Lady Hyegyŏng’s sorrow that her son could not fulfill that lifelong dream of his, due to his sudden death at the age of forty-eight in 1800.

In the center of the issue lies the many charges made against her own father, Hong Ponghan. One was that he allegedly suggested to King Yŏngjo to put Sado to death by shutting him in a rice chest. In the memoir, the incident was referred to as “that terrible end” and the rice chest in question, “that thing”. Hong Ponghan was said to have supplied “that thing” to King Yŏngjo. It was a serious accusation that bred more undesirable speculations about the incident. Again, there was hesitation on Lady Hyegyŏng’s part to narrate fully about it, so her defense of her father in this memoir was also vague.

Another recurring issue was the troublemaking clan of the royal in-law Kims. I found this part too long-winded so I don’t think I’m going to talk about it. It’s all about greed and politics. I doubt there was any court or time in history that did not have internal strife for power. So yadda yadda.

I am much looking forward to the final memoir in the Hanjungnok, where the crux of the matter lies. So next.. Memoir of 1805.

Previously, an overview and Memoir of 1795

In this memoir, Lady Hyegyŏng addressed the strained relationship between mother and son, that is, between herself and her son King Chŏngjo, in the latter’s youthful days as the Grand Heir. In the beginning, she wrote about her late husband’s sister, Princess Hwawan, or Madame Chŏng, who was the favorite daughter of King Yŏngjo. Madame Chŏng had much influence over her father and had caused many problems to Lady Hyegyŏng’s side of the family. She schemed with rival families of Lady Hyegyŏng’s and manipulated Chŏngjo to suit her wiles.

Widowed early, Madame Chŏng was described as a disgruntled, jealous and overly competitive woman. Lady Hyegyŏng blamed her for instigating the royal decree that posthumously made Chŏngjo the adopted son of the late Prince Hyojang, eldest brother of Prince Sado who died years before he did. The basis for the decree was to restore Chŏngjo’s legitimacy after the unfortunate circumstance surrounding the death of his father. With the decree also, Lady Hyegyŏng lost her status as a queen mother and a future Queen Dowager.

I’m not too steeped in Korean history to understand that part about King Chŏngjo’s legitimacy being restored after the adoption. Why the need to alter the line of succession by bypassing Prince Sado? I think the answer probably lies in Memoir of 1805, where the actual incident of 1762 was narrated in full details. Well, shall find out once I get to that part!

Lady Hyegyŏng wrote this a year after the premature death of her son King Chŏngjo. Memoir of 1801 was both a lament on the fate of her loved ones and also a fierce memorial to clear her natal family of unjustified accusations. Lady Hyegyŏng berated the fact that her uncle Hong Inhan and her third brother Hong Nagim were wrongly accused and executed for crimes they did not commit. This memoir actually serves as a memorial (a kind of official narrative that the author refuted unfavorable accounts by presenting contrary evidence to claim otherwise) and was addressed to King Sunjo, Lady Hyegyŏng’s grandson.

Hong Inhan was charged of disloyalty when in 1775, he argued against King Yŏngjo’s proposal of setting up a prince-regency for Chŏngjo. The reason for this proposal was that the late King was old and ailing at that time, so he wished to delegate some administrative work to the Grand Heir. The narration in this memoir was kind of vague regarding this issue, as if Lady Hyegyŏng were reluctant to go into the details. In the introduction by translator JaHyun Kim Haboush, she pointed out some discrepancies between Lady Hyegyŏng’s account and the one found in Sillok, the official court annals.

Lady Hyegyŏng’s brother’s case was more straightforward, though not necessarily without controversy. He was charged to have instigated Lady Hyegyŏng’s attempt to take her own life (after the death of her son, King Chŏngjo). Later, he was accused of stirring up a controversial political issue of conferring upon Prince Sado the title and rituals befitting that of a king. He was finally executed for his so-called involvement with Catholicism, a then-new teaching that was considered to be heretical.

I find this memoir overly fraught with court intrigues and political entanglements. It departs from an autobiography to public testimony filled with outrage and grief. At certain parts, things got repetitive. I guess one would have to bear in mind when reading this; Lady Hyegyŏng was nearing seventy of age. From the poignancy of her writing, I could really feel her pain. For a woman in those times, she was really strong to be able to sustain tragedy after tragedy and to write this significant contribution to history. Memoir of 1801 did serve its purpose when King Sunjo restored Hong Nagim’s honor during his reign. Hong Inhan’s honor was posthumously restored in 1855 by King Ch’ ŏlchong, 40 years after Lady Hyegyŏng had passed away.

Next.. Memoir of 1802.

Previously, an overview.

First thing first, I have to say that I’m accustomed to Korean words and names being romanized in the Revised Romanization system, so the use of McCune-Reischauer system in this book is a wee bit distracting. Stuff that, it’s actually VERY distracting. However, it’s not a major deficiency that requires much attention, so please ignore me. I’m being anal, as usual.

The Memoir of 1795 begins with Lady Hyegyŏng’s recount of her childhood. Lady Hyegyŏng wrote this when she was 60 years of age and it’s really remarkable how she could recall the days when she was a young kid of less than a decade old. It tells of a wonderful childhood with a wonderful family. It’s obvious that she thought very highly of her parents, especially of her father. He was repeatedly described as an honorable man who was very filial to his elders and kind to everyone. Even the then-reigning King Yŏngjo thought highly of him. Sometimes I wonder if it was out of guilt in her old age that compelled her to paint such lofty image of her father.

From the early part of the memoir, it seemed that her life was perfect, from childhood to her entry into the palace. But then the string of tragedies in Lady Hyegyŏng’s life began with the death of her firstborn son. Two years later, when she gave birth to her second son, the would-be King Chŏngjo, there was an outbreak of measles, affecting many in the palace including Crown Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyŏng themselves though they were able to recover in due time. But could it possibly be that the high fever afflicted by Prince Sado at that time had inadvertently caused his mental deterioration in the years to come?

In the subsequent years, Lady Hyegyŏng witnessed many deaths in her family as well as in the royal house. Within a couple of years, her own mother and the two Royal Highnesses Queen Chŏngsŏng and Queen Dowager Inwŏn passed away. These three women had given Lady Hyegyŏng the most caring affection and guidance in her transition from childhood to womanhood. Naturally, their deaths hit her badly.

The political quagmire during that time was grave and worsened, thus plunging Lady Hyegyŏng’s family into deeper suffering. Crown Prince Sado’s health condition worsened considerably. This was mentioned only fleetingly and the circumstances of his death were also briefly narrated.

Lady Hyegyŏng kept reinstating her feelings of guilt over the misfortunes that her family suffered. She felt that it was unfilial of her to have caused such grievances, although obviously it wasn’t her fault that she was married into royalty where rivalries, jealousies and conspiracies among the noblemen were rampant. She described the many treacherous schemes plotted against her family members, especially by the Kim family, who were also royal in-laws. She lamented that she should not have been born and therefore chosen as a royal bride. Her idea was that if her family were not exposed to court life the way they were, her father would not have been so grieved by matters of the state, therefore would had enjoy better health and longer life. He passed away at 65, after years of anxiety and battling slanders, which Lady Hyegyŏng felt responsible for.

Each time someone close to her died, Lady Hyegyŏng wished to end her misery too, but she remembered her young son and his grief. Who would be there to bring him up to be the wise king he would be one day if she had died? So she lived on, with the guilt and shame heavy in her heart. Fortunately, if seen from a mother’s viewpoint, King Chŏngjo turned out well and was very filial to Lady Hyegyŏng and her natal family. He had also the unfulfilled duty of a filial son to his father, something that he carried in him into adulthood.

The year this memoir was written was the year of Lady Hyegyŏng’s 60th birthday. It would have been Prince Sado’s as well, if he had lived. Their son, King Chŏngjo, had built a new tomb for his father at Hwaseŏng. This was done after decades of thorough planning and Lady Hyegyŏng could discern that he was fulfilling his filial duty. In this year too, King Chŏngjo took his mother to visit her late husband’s tomb. It was a grand procession that was forever preserved in paintings and screens.

Lady Hyegyŏng actually wrote this memoir in address to her oldest nephew, Suyŏng, the heir of the Hong family, her birth family. He was also her favorite nephew, and towards the end of this memoir she left advice for him to be mindful with his duties to the public, his ancestors, relatives and family members. She had high hopes that he would eventually restore the good name of the Hong family and continue the good work that her father, her uncle and her brothers had set out on, although she discouraged him from entering officialdom, which was the cause of sufferings for her family. I find that part a bit contradicting. In those days, wasn’t it quite difficult to make a name for yourself and family if you’re not in service of the state and in officialdom?

This memoir was followed by a postscript that described each of her natal family members in more detail.

Next.. Memoir of 1801.

I have yet to start with the main content of this book, but I’ll just write what I know so far as an outline of more to come.

Collectively known as 한중록 (Hanjungnok, Records written in silence), these memoirs consist of four accounts written over a ten-year period in 1795, 1801, 1802 and 1805. 혜경궁홍씨 (Hyegyŏnggung HongSsi, usually known as Lady Hyegyŏng) was born in 1735. She was a lady of aristocracy destined to be the ill-fated Crown Princess of Choseon Dynasty. She married the Crown Prince Sado when they were merely nine years old, thus ending her childhood prematurely. The tragic chapter of their lives began slowly as Crown Prince Sado started to show signs of violence and insanity, even towards his own father King Yŏngjo. On one fateful summer day in 1762, when Sado was twenty-seven years of age, King Yŏngjo ordered him into a wooden rice chest. Crown Prince Sado died eight days later, of starvation and suffocation. Lady Hyegyŏng witnessed this horrifying episode of filicide. Despite her sorrow and the inevitable shame that came after the tragedy, she chose to live on to support her only son, the would-be King Chŏngjo.

The memoirs were written many decades after the tragedy that had casted a dark shadow over the reigning dynasty. The early three memoirs served the purpose of defending her biological family who had fallen from royal grace after the death of Prince Sado. Her uncle and brother were executed, on what Lady Hyegyŏng thought to be unjust and baseless accusations. The fourth memoir deals directly with the circumstances surrounding the death of her husband and presents the “unmentionable” details, the conflict between King Yŏngjo and his demented son that ultimately led to the forced death of the Heir Apparent.

The memoirs were translated by JaHyun Kim Haboush, who is an associate professor of East Asian Culture and History at the University of Illinois. Haboush’s translation provides lucid insight into an important part of Choseon history and her efforts won her the 3rd Korean Literature Translation Award, a biannual ceremony organized by the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation in order to promote Korean literature overseas. One of Haboush’s chief motivations to translate this was because she found that there was lack of Korean literature translated for foreigners. Also, Lady Hyegyŏng’s memoirs proved to be a significant and unique contribution to history, which deserved to be translated for the benefit of people who are interested in historical and literal masterpieces.

The cover of the book depicts the celebrated royal procession of King Chŏngjo and Lady Hyegyŏng to Prince Sado’s tomb located in Hwasŏng (modern-day Suwon city). The King, who is supposed to be on the horse, is not shown because it is forbidden to depict the royal family visually or literally, therefore “unmentionable”. Through Lady Hyegyŏng’s memoirs and their translation, the taboo is broken. The “silence” is also broken for good, enabling everyone the opportunity to step into the world of the once-forbidden.


To be continued..

Weeeell~! I have FINALLY gotten my hands on this: The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyŏng. Got it in the mail yesterday. I’ve been interested in this title ever since a friend mentioned it during our discussion on Korean literature sometime last year. This book appeals to me in literal, historical and cultural senses; only great classical works could evoke such feeling.

I think I’ll post my thoughts on the memoirs as I read them. Or not. I shall see about that later.

Anyway, will start on it once I’m finished with my current read. Actually, I’m reading the manga version of The Nightmare before Christmas. Haha.. Jack Skellington in Japanese is FUN-NESS! ジャック・スケリントン、大好き !! ^_^

Is the Korean Language Doomed?

Since the Meiji Restoration in the 1860s, Japan systematically focused on translations of a series of Western classics. The state project soon flooded the then burgeoning society with books of Western greats like Montesquieu, Shakespeare and Adam Smith.

What Japan gained from the massive cross-cultural project was not only thousands of books in their own language but an influx of Western civilization that served as a super fertilizer for its cultural ground. Accordingly, Japanese scholars Maruyama Masao and Kato Shuichi in their book assert that the translations played a pivotal role in Japan's modernization.

While importing these Western cultural treasures, the Japanese also vigorously coined new terms in their own language to match a number of new Western concepts and terms. The invented words, mostly formed by combinations of Chinese characters, were spread and used in the neighboring Korean Peninsula and China.

Philosopher Kang Yong-an once wrote that Koreans owe a huge debt to the Japanese intellectuals of late 19th and early 20th centuries for introducing a number of terms they use in daily and academic life. A few of Japan's wordy inventions include routine words like Chayu (liberty), Pyongdung (equality), Sigan (time) and academic terms like Chorhak (philosophy) and Mihak (aesthetics).

``If we took away Japanese-coined words from our academic vocabulary, we would not be able to write a single thesis or even communicate with each other,'' Kang stressed, paying tribute to Japan's contribution in bridging Western and Asian thought at the dawn of modernization.

In his new book titled ``Ponyogun Panyoginga?" (Are Translators Traitors?) Park Sang-ik provides meticulous insights into the translation's powerful and traditional influences that are often overlooked and forgotten. Park, who is a Western history professor at Woosuk University, critically notes the ``deplorable'' translation situation in Korea in contrast to Japan.

According to Park, Korea is far, even half a century, behind Japan when it comes to importing Western thought. For example, Park wrote how he translated John Milton's ``Areopagitica'' in 1999 only to find out that the classic was already published in Japanese in 1953. He noted that South Korea could lag Japan for as long as a century as a number of Western classics are still unavailable in Korean. For example, Edmund Burke's ``Reflection on the French Revolution'' and Montesquieu's ``Grandeur And Declension of Roman Empire" have not yet been translated into Korean. Even now, many of the Western classics in Korean are retranslations from Japanese texts.

``Japan launched the work with tremendous passion back in 19th century, but we have not even realized the necessity,'' Park deplored.

The problem is not only the ``shameful'' quantity but also quality of translations. Park confessed that he was "disillusioned and shocked'' to see how shoddy and cursory the translations were, even those done by ``renowned'' scholars, and how many translated works belong within the shameful category. Park took an example of Dante's ``The Divine Comedy'' translated by an Italian language professor, which is full of mistranslations and grammatically wrong expressions. And this is just the tip of a huge iceberg, according to Park. It is almost customary for professors to just let or make graduate students do translations with their own credits, which have spawned bad cross-cultural texts.

Then, what's wrong with the Korean intellectuals? One answer may lie more in the nation's cultural climate than in the individual translators themselves. While Eastern studies in Europe and the United States start based on translations of Eastern classics, Western studies scholars in Korea seem to disregard the translation works as ``something unoriginal.'' Even when universities evaluate the academic records of their professors, the translation works are often ignored or underestimated. This concept has left many critical Western classics untouched and, if anything, mostly substandard translations.

Another factor strangling the nation's translation is a declining book market, Park noted. According to a survey by research firm NOP World, Koreans in 2005 read, on average, 3.1 hours a week, the lowest among the 30 nations surveyed. The number of published books in 2003 dropped by 58.6 percent from 1997 figures. In the case of social science books, the number shrank 91.2 percent for the corresponding period, according to the National Statistical Office.

In this situation, it is virtually impossible for intellectuals to survive as professional translators, according to Park. For example, if a translator sells about 5,000 copies of a 10,000-won ($10) book _ a big hit if it's a social science or humanities studies book _ he could have only around 5 million won in hand at the end. With such minuscule reward for sweaty work, you will either churn out low quality translations or leave the job once and for all, the author writes.

Pointing to the fragile base for the nation's translation, Park went on further to stress that Korea does not even have a proper English-Korean dictionary. Quoting an English professor, Park said the majority of Korean-English dictionaries are translated versions of Japanese-English ones.

``These dictionaries have omitted many Korean words with purely Korean linguistic origins (as they had translated Japanese definitions word for word),'' Park quoted the English scholar.

``Around 12 million Koreans spend around 5 trillion won on English study every year, but the story behind our dictionaries is depressing,'' Park noted.

The author warned that such indifference to the importance of translation could impoverish the cultural ground of the nation and in the end threaten the viability of our mother tongue.

In the book, the author talked of a meeting with a globalist who claimed that Korea needed to adopt English as an official language, as ``Korean language will no longer be competitive in 100 years time.''

Park called the contention ``shocking,'' not because of its nationalism-defying boldness, but because of its penetrating insight on the destiny of an ignored mother tongue. ``Without any resolute action, Korean language will most probably lose its competitiveness in 100 years. The situation we now face in this early 21st century may be a prelude to the doom our mother tongue will face a century later,'' Park wrote.

-Source: Hankook Ilbo (English Edition)

Released: 2000
Directed by: Kinji Fukusaku
Screenplay: Kenta Fukusaku
Starring: Beat Takeshi, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Masanobu Ando, Kou Shibasaki, Taro Yamamoto, Chiaki Kuriyama, etc.

For fans of Japanese movies, most would have watched or at least heard of, the cult classic Battle Royale, directed by the late Kinji Fukusaku. After all, who could resist the controversial plot, the gore and the star-studded cast? The success of its equally controversial 2003 sequel Battle Royale II: Requiem proved much.

However, not many would have realized that this hit movie was actually based on a bestselling novel of the same name, written by Koushun Takami and first published in 1999. Koushun who? a lot of people had asked. They had no idea. For the slightly more informed fans, they knew him as one of the mangakas beside Masayuki Taguchi, who wrote the comic version of the movie. That’s correct, but they got the sequence wrong. The novel came first, followed by the manga and then, the movie. Minor discrepancies.. *shrugs*



Published: 2003
Written by: Koushun Takami
Translated by: Yuji Oniki
Publisher: Viz Media

I watched the movie and its sequel before I got my hands on the 2003 translated novel. I love the BR movie, but the book is a totally engrossing read, and despite the 600+ pages, I managed to finish it in a couple of days. With the lengthy premises, we are confronted with not just cold-blooded killers we saw in the movie. Instead we are given the understanding of the circumstances that made some of the characters the way they are, such as the emotionally void Kazuo Kiriyama (played by Ando in the movie) and the jaded Mitsuko Souma (played by Shibasaki). With their backgrounds revealed, the reader could relate to the characters as real human beings.

Of course, once you have seen both the movie and the book, you couldn’t help but notice a few glaring differences. In terms of character names and subplots, there had been some major amendments. Certain parts threw me off guard a little, but it still didn’t change the pace I read it. A compelling page-turner. We all know that a movie adaptation of a book is usually not 100% true to its original. So no point to fret about it.

What brought about this post on Battle Royale? A couple of friends and I were discussing about social crimes, economic imbalance and whatnot, when someone suggested jokingly that we need something like the BR Act to weed out society’s trash. Hmmm, food for thought? Maybe we can weed out terrorists that way. Or on the contrary, it could encourage more fear and terrorism in an already chaotic world.

"At the dawn of the Millennium, the nation collapsed. At 15% unemployment, 10 million were out of work, 800,000 students boycotted school. The adults lost confidence, and fearing the youth, eventually passed the 'Millennium Educational Reform Act' AKA: The BR Act." - Opening to the movie

And let the massacre begin...?


(....)

I am officially desperately looking for the below title, which I can't seem to find anywhere except on Amazon.com. I'm hoping I could find it in Borders KL, next weekend!

A Gateway To Sindarin : A Grammar of an Elvish Language from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

Yes, I'm a self-confessed freak of languages (both fictitious and real).

尾上 圭介 (著), 大阪ことば学, ISBN:4062747901, RM32.90

嶽本 野ばら (著), エミリー, ISBN:4087478181, RM22.30

村上　春樹 (著), アンダーグラウンド, ISBN:4062639971, RM50.90

インデックスｍｏｏｋ, ゴシック＆ロリ－タバイブル ｖｏｌ．１８, ISBN:4860481933, RM68.90

A wh00pin’ spending of RM175??? This is not including the English titles that I plan to hunt at Borders and/or MPH. So I’m most probably looking at spending more than RM200 on books alone?? Ooops.

Ermm… I guess I need to prune my list a little. I’m working along a stringent budget, since I’m going to purchase clothes or shoes too. It’s not even the Shopping Carnival period, I don’t think. But with Raya ‘round the corner, I just hope there is some sales. ^^;;;

How good is the above reference for 大阪弁, anyone knows? I read a really good book by DC Palter and K Slotsve on the subject, but I haven’t actually read on that is wholly in Japanese. I’m just thinking if it’s worth buying.

I’m definitely getting that novel by 嶽本 野ばら.

I’ve read “Underground” in English translation by Alfred Birnbaum and Philip Gabriel. But since it’s Murakami, I wouldn’t mind to attempt the Japanese original. It’s a bit pricey though.

Gothic & Lolita Bible! Very pricey stuff but how could I ever resist?? It would also be a temptation to get my hands on Fool’s Mate, Aug (キリト cover) and Nov (Dir en grey cover) issues!

Seems like my list is longer than stated above. And it can probably get longer if I continue browsing the online store.. -__-;;

Gahh.. Must.Not.Splurge.On.The.Unnecessary.
Must think of the other trip.. and shopping plans there.