Chinese Hackers Attack the New York Times
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Current scene in Chinese pro basketball: follow-up to my August '12 post on Jim Yardley's Brave Dragons
Chinese Basketball (CBA) | Chinese Language Blog
I will have to support the Brave Dragons of Shanxi. They became my heroes after reading Yardley's book.
I've read that Wayne Wang will be directing a film based on the book with a script by Jonathan Prince. The choice of Wang makes me think that the story won't just be played for laughs, which would be a relief.
I will have to support the Brave Dragons of Shanxi. They became my heroes after reading Yardley's book.
I've read that Wayne Wang will be directing a film based on the book with a script by Jonathan Prince. The choice of Wang makes me think that the story won't just be played for laughs, which would be a relief.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Peter May's Chinese Whispers
Chinese Whispers by Peter MayMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Inadvertently, I'm doing this series in random chronological order. I read one other novel and I thought I'd give the series another chance, hoping it would get better, but it really doesn't. I criticized the portrayal of Margaret in the first novel I read (The Killing Room) in the series because she was a b***h on wheels and I couldn't figure out how she and Li had ever gotten together. Well, in this one, she whines constantly. Sorry, but it does not entertain me listening to women indulging in self-pity because they have children and have to slight their careers. C'mon. We've got an app for that and have had it since the 1960s. Anyway, this "Beijing Ripper" case was pretty interesting but when the solution finally comes it's quite mundane. Do I want to continue back in time to read the earlier book(s) in the series? Oh, I suppose I will, but I will probably be finished with this series at that point, unless I find out that Li has ditched Margaret and turned his attention elsewhere. Overall, I find this series run-of-the-mill except for its Chinese locale.
Qiu Xiaolong's series is far better with more complex characterizations, more complex political situations and insights, and much more layered cases. And poetry. If you like that in detective fiction!
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Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Peter May's The Killing Room
The Killing Room by Peter MayMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
I plan to read more in the series, because I've started with one of the later books, but I am not impressed. The environment (geographical, cultural, political, social) in which the investigation takes place is a draw, but I find Margaret Campbell to be a totally unpleasant character, one about whom I don't care at all. I should go back and read an earlier book in the series so I can figure out what ever made her attractive to Li. I sure don't get it at this point. I think Mei-Ling is a much more attractive character and hope she appears elsewhere in later books.
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