Summary
Cathay is a collection of poems and stories. They are a work of fiction, translation, scholarship, and transformative writing, weaved together by renowned author, editor, translator, and folklorist, Heinz Insu Fenkl. The book contains five poems and four short stories by Chinese poets of the Tang Dynasty and Song Era, and a Korean novelist of the Joseon period.
Review
As a woman who is neither white nor black, I have always been more fascinated with other Asian culture because of the distinct texture they carry in the world of literature. There’s always that feeling of excitement from gaining wisdom and understanding the culture differences. Ironically, for me, Korean and Chinese historical works provide a fresh viewpoint because though they’re somewhat familiar, they’re completely different from my world. Hence, the feelings invoked in reading this book were raw, and that gave me a more thrilling experience.
The work that stuck to me the most is How Master Madman Came to Chi’ng Feng Temple. Despite the very gory details, I couldn’t put it down because it was intriguing. It was about a man trapped inside the body of another man’s corpse and came back to life.
Overall, I’m giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. All historical pieces in this book were exquisite; they were a pleasure to read! I highly recommend this book to readers who love historical literature. Warning: This book contains violence and explicit language.
https://www.amazon.com/Cathay-Translations-Transformations-Codhill-Press/dp/1930337256/ref
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