Foto dell'autore

Qinghan CeCe

Autore di The Golden Hairpin

9 opere 29 membri 2 recensioni

Sull'Autore

Serie

Opere di Qinghan CeCe

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Informazioni generali

Sesso
female
Nazionalità
China

Utenti

Recensioni

A tough book to review since I listened to the audio. At first I grew impatient with the modern speech of the characters who employed 21st C. slang terms which didn't compute in a book set in the Tang Dynasty when Middle Chinese was spoken. Regrettably, and utterly my own fault since I also had the e-book version downloaded, I could have used a program with the dramatis personae listed with identifying information, down to the multitude of palace attendants and servants. To my Western ear, the pronunciation of many similar sounding names was nearly indistinguishable. Hence I recommend non-speakers of Chinese to read rather than listen to this book.

The plot was convoluted and complex, yet the story was intriguing because the author played fair and dropped her clues in reasonable fashion. I'm not sure that Cece Qinghan's strong suit is characterization since I often felt the characters were stock rather than individuals. However, I suppose that's unavoidable when literally thousands of palace occupants peopled the novel.

The heroine, a 17-year-old orphaned detective prodigy, is sympathetic and engrossing as a personality because of her tragic history, the necessity for her to take on a false identity in the guise of a young eunuch, and for her prodigious ability for logical deduction. Even Sherlock Holmes would be impressed. Her male protector/love interest is a prince who enjoys cryptic communication and is as stoic as a Spartan or a Puritan, but steadfast and honorable. Red herrings abound as do murders, betrayals, emotionally tense scenes, and the right amount and kind of redemption for those who deserve it.

Of the many and varied murder mysteries by authors from all over the world that I have read, The Golden Hairpin has the most dramatic ending, the deepest psychological profiles and motivations I've ever encountered. It is also distinguished by the most karmic climactic twist I've ever read.

Overall, The Golden Hairpin is an involving -- almost scholarly -- read that renders a realistic portrait of Chinese court life, astute detectives, and interesting forensics. It's worth your time, as long as you have time to devote to a concentrated read and enjoy exotic and lush settings that defy any reader's experience.
… (altro)
½
 
Segnalato
Limelite | 1 altra recensione | Jun 1, 2021 |
To read Chinese novels you must put your assumptions aside. Just as Russian novels do not have the same structure and goals as European or North American novels (which themselves have many variations), Chinese novels are based on a different aesthetic. If you are to appreciate them, you must embrace these differences.

From the back of the novel we read that Qingham Ce Ce is a celebrated Chinese novelist who publishes in print and online. She writes novels overlooking "1000 years of history" with the goal of engaging every reader's emotions. This is the first of her novels to be translated from Mandarin into English. Mr. Woodward's heroic effort to translate between these languages and novelistic traditions makes the book emotionally accessible to western readers, although there is no avoiding the wooden plotting and somewhat stilted dialogue that are artifacts of Chinese style.

In "The Golden Hairpin" Ms Qingham evokes pity for the characters who in their rise from poverty and misery to wealth and fame lose their humanity, eventually sinking to murder, which, in the tradition of tragedy, destroys them. We are introduced to Huang Zixia, a young woman who has been falsely accused of murdering her entire family in Western China. To save herself, she flees to the capital where she disguises herself as a young eunuch and begins a career as a bureaucrat. She comes to the attention of the Prince of Kui who guesses her identity. As a young teen, Huang Zixia gained some national fame by helping her magistrate father solve a local mystery so in exchange for his silence, the Prince of Kui requires that Huang Zixia help him solve some murders in the capital. If she succeeds, he might help her uncover the truth about her murdered family.

The murder story gets more and more complex as Huang Zixia explores, and the finale is very dramatic and full of human pain. I can see why it is popular in China. You will like it if you can enjoy the style.

I received a review copy of "The Golden Hairpin" by Qinghan CeCe translated by Alex Woodend (AmazonCrossing) through NetGalley.com.
… (altro)
 
Segnalato
Dokfintong | 1 altra recensione | Jul 15, 2018 |

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Alex Woodend Translator

Statistiche

Opere
9
Utenti
29
Popolarità
#460,290
Voto
½ 3.4
Recensioni
2
ISBN
11
Lingue
1