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The Whispers - And The Beat Goes On Official Video
Still moving strong on and on
http://www.youtube.com/...
Songwriters
Leon Sylvers Iii;William Shelby;Stephen Preston Shockley
Lyrics are here:
http://www.metrolyrics.com/...
As I have said so often, I never know what will pop into my head when it is time to write Bookflurries each week. Believe me, I am grateful that the beat goes on. As I peer out of my cave each day, it seems as if the world is in a hurry and I only watch it go by from my rocking chair.
That is why books are such a blessing.
Do I want to visit China? I can reach for my book Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee translated by Robert Van Gulik.
Wiki says:
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
The Judge Dee character is based on the historical figure Di Renjie (c. 630–c. 700), magistrate and statesman of the Tang court. During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) in China, a "folk novel" was written set in former times, but filled with anachronisms. Van Gulik found in the 18th century Di Gong An "Cases of Judge Dee") an original tale dealing with three cases simultaneously, and, which was unusual among Chinese mystery tales, a plot that for the most part lacked an overbearing supernatural element which could alienate Western readers. He translated it into English and had it published under the title Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee.
The book's preface warned me that these stories are
not like Western mysteries and one difference is that the murderer is known from the first and then the proof is found. That didn't sound like so much until I read the stories. The other thing that really is shocking is the torture that is done right in the court.
Van Gulik's stories
This gave van Gulik the idea of writing his own novels, set with the similar Ming anachronisms, but using the historical character. Van Gulik was careful in writing the main novels to deal with cases where Dee was newly appointed to a city, thereby isolating him from the existing lifestyle and enabling him to maintain an objective role in the books. Van Gulik's novels and stories made no direct reference to the original Chinese work and so Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee is not considered to be part of the Judge Dee series…
Van Gulik also wrote series of newspaper comics about Judge Dee in 1964-1967, adding up to a total of 19 adventures. The first 4 were regular balloon strips, but the later 15 had the more typically Dutch textblock under the pictures.
Other authors
Several other authors have created stories based on Van Gulik's Judge Dee character.
French author Frédéric Lenormand wrote nineteen new Judge Dee mysteries from year 2004 at Editions Fayard, Paris (not yet translated into English). Some of them have been translated into Spanish (Ediciones Paidos Iberica), Portuguese (Europress), Bulgarian (Paradox), Czech (Garamond) and Polish.
Sven Roussel, another French author, has written La dernière enquête du Juge Ti.
The Chinese/American author Zhu Xiao Di wrote a book about Judge Dee called Tales of Judge Dee (2006). Zhu Xiao Di has no relation to Robert van Gulik but tried to stay faithful to the fictionalized history of van Gulik's Judge Dee. Tales of Judge Dee is set when the Judge was the magistrate of Poo-yang (the same time period as The Chinese Bell Murders and several other novels).
Judge Dee appears, along with a fictionalized Wu Zetian, in Eleanor Cooney & Daniel Alteri's mystery novel Deception: A Novel of Mystery and Madness in Ancient China.
I have had several people tell me that they liked the modern Judge Dee stories so I am thinking of trying one of those after I get over the old ones.
Also on my TBR pile is River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay which is set in China.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/...
In his critically acclaimed novel Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay told a vivid and powerful story inspired by China’s Tang Dynasty. Now, the international bestselling and multiple award-winning author revisits that invented setting four centuries later with an epic of prideful emperors, battling courtiers, bandits and soldiers, nomadic invasions, and a woman battling in her own way, to find a new place for women in the world – a world inspired this time by the glittering, decadent Song Dynasty.
I spent some time this week with an ex-Buddhist monk, Tenzing Norbu, set in
CA with a quick trip to
Delhi and Tibet.
The Second Rule of Ten by Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/...
Ex–Buddhist monk and ex–LAPD officer turned private eye Tenzing Norbu is back with a new case, a new love, and a whole new set of problems in this fresh installment in The Tenzing Norbu Mystery series.
In The Second Rule of Ten, Norbu investigates the unexplained death of his former client Hollywood mogul Marv Rudolph and searches for the sister, lost during World War II, of wizened Los Angeles philanthropist Julius Rosen. With two cases and an unforeseen family crisis that sends him back to Tibet, Ten finds himself on the outs with his best buddy and former partner, Bill, who is heading the official police investigation into Marv’s death…
Last week I was in the
Laos of 1975 as I read
The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill. It was very poignant and interesting. I am going to read more of these stories soon.
I traveled to Egypt with Napoleon and General Dumas in The Black Count. There was very bad news that I had not heard about. Author Tom Reiss says:
Pg. 257
A few blocks away, I found the Institute of Egypt itself, in its original revolutionary era building, stuffed with nearly 200,000 works of history, geography, science, and art, all of which had survived world wars and revolutions, putting the study of the ancient world above the modern world’s strife, and giving Napoleon’s ill-fated attempt at founding a colony in Egypt a positive legacy-at least until December 17, 2011. On that day, as Arab Spring fighting between protesters and police spilled over from nearby Tahrir Square, the Institute caught fire, the flames fed by thousands of priceless books, manuscripts, and maps. By the end of the day, the most significant legacy of the French expedition in Egypt had been destroyed.
November 14, 2012
The Institute of Egypt in Cairo gets some of its books back
by Sal Robinson
http://www.mhpbooks.com/...
The Emir of Sharjah Emirate, part of the United Arab Emirates, Dr. Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi — who is also a historian and, rather amazingly, a devoted Boy Scout — will be donating 4,000 rare books from his personal collection to the Cairo library. He made the announcement at the Sharjah International Book Fair last week.
Among the donated books will be one that’s of particular relevance to the Institute: the Description de l’Egypte, a multi-volume, all-encompassing work on ancient and modern Egypt that was written collaboratively by 160 plus scientists who accompanied Napoleon on his Egyptian expedition. The Institute itself was founded by Napoleon in 1798, and it’s where the scientists who put together the Description de l’Egypte worked…
And for those who would like to read it:
DESCRIPTION OF EGYPT ONLINE – DESCRIPTION DE L’EGYPTE EN LIGNE
January 22, 2013
http://copticliterature.wordpress.com/...
For a long time readers who are interested in Egyptology and Coptology have been waiting for a good online edition of Description of Egypt (Description de l’Egypte). Now, thanks to World Digital Library, a good digital edition has been made available (Description of Egypt has been digitalised before but this one surpasses all, in my opinion)! I simply put up links to the 21 volumes that form part of the Royal Edition that came out between 1821 and 1829. Once you clink on the link, it takes you to an introductory about the volume : to read the volume click on the icon « Open » under the picture on your left hand side. Enjoy!
I have finished
In the First Circle by Solzhenitsyn where I was learning about the
USSR in 1949. What I said in bookgirl's diary:
(Foreword…In 1968 an expurgated version titled The First Circle came out in many languages. The loss in English of the preposition “In”…subtly shifts the novel’s focus from people in a place to the place itself; the present version eliminates this distortion…
Compared with the version previously available in English, the plot has been altered, depictions of some major characters have been substantially modified, new characters have been introduced, and many entirely excised chapters have been reinstated. For readers familiar with the previously available English version, In the First Circle will be a revelation).
I had started the first version many years ago and laid it aside. I am glad I waited to read this version.
I really do recommend this book highly. It is very accessible and to me each character comes alive though some reviewer didn't think so. There are 60 characters that we learn about. They intermingle with each other.
It is poignant and eye-opening and really well written.
The men who are working at a prison in Moscow win the chance of having a Christmas tree at the New Year...not at Christmas. One man gets a visit with his wife whom he has not seen for a year. They are told they may not kiss. One prisoner has not been given his wife's letters because she was a complainer.
The families of the prisoners are always in danger, too.
I think this is an important book. I saw many things in it that spoke directly to us, today.
Where have you traveled by book this week or recently?
Diaries of the Week:
Write On! Plots.
by SensibleShoes
http://www.dailykos.com/...
A MUST READ:
Bateman's - a national treasure
by shortfinals
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Congrats to Daily Kos author David Harris-Gershon for getting his book written and published. Susan has reviewed it below: (It would be good to mention this book to your library as many of them will purchase it when asked. h/t to BentLiberal)
Political Books: What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist Who Tried to Kill Your Wife?
by Susan from 29
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Contemporary Fiction Views: Is it Murakami's turn and other translated fiction thoughts
by bookgirl
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Robert Fuller says:
Chapter 23 of The Rowan Tree is now up - enjoy!
http://www.rowantreenovel.com/...
Also, there is only 4 days left to register for the current Goodreads Giveaway for signed paperbacks:
http://www.goodreads.com/...
...................
Also, Big Congratulations to DKos author
Kelly McCullough whose stories are one of the Featured Selections for September in the Science Fiction Book Club catalog. His Omnibus with the first three of the Blade stories is an SFBC Exclusive. Way to go, Kelly!!! (also book four is out to add to these).
Broken Blade
Bared Blade
Crossed Blades
Blade Reforged
NOTE: plf515 has book talk on Wednesday mornings early