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misterjay's review against another edition
3.0
Kai Lung Raises His Voice is something of an oddity for me. It was recommended to me by an algorithm after I gave a high rating to Bridge of Birds as another fairy tale of Chinese influence. And while it is, indisputably, of Chinese influence, it’s not really a fairy tale. Instead it’s a set of stories within a story, like the Arabian Nights, told by the titular Kai Lung told to people asking his advice.
The stories themselves are almost morality tales, although without the preachiness inherent in actual fables; the reader is left to infer what could have gone better or worse without direct statements in many cases. This can be somewhat maddening when trying to parse out what has happened to whom and why, but can also be endearing as it adds to the general flavour and sense of place of a given story.
The writing is flowery and poetic, almost to the point of incomprehensibility at times. Once you get used to certain tics and phrasings, the story becomes easier to read, if not necessarily to follow. I’m still uncertain as to whether the structure and ornate turns of phrase are purely stylistic or a representation of an actual Chinese dialect rendered into English. I suspect the former, but, as I said, I’m really not sure.
According to the forward, this book consists of a few stories that had been previously published, some in altered forms, and several that were left unpublished at the time of the author’s death. According to Wikipedia...
The stories included in this book are as follows (I have included a rating for each one, but that should reflect only how well a particular story sat with me on the day I read it; each story is well crafted and holds the reader’s attention easily):
The Subtlety of Kang Chieng - 3/5
Ming Tseuen and the Emergency (1923) - 3/5
Lam-hoo and the Reward of Merit (1940) - 4/5
Chung Pun and the Miraculous Peacocks (1940) - 3/5
Yuen Yang and the Empty Lo-Chee Crate (1940) - 5/5
Sing Tsung and the Exponent of Dark Magic (1941) - 3/5
Kwey Chao and the Grateful Song Bird (1941) - 3/5
Li Pao, Lucky Star and the Intruding Stranger (1941) - 4/5
Previously Unpublished (Written between 1900 & 1905):
The Cupidity of Ah Pak
The Romance of Kwang the Fruit Gatherer
The Destiny of Cheng, the Son of Sha-kien
The Emperor Who Meant Well
All in all, this is a curious volume, one I’m glad I read, but I don’t think I’ll be seeking out the other volumes by the author. As much as I enjoyed the style of writing contained herein, it’s a delicate flavour and one that should be taken sparingly. Or, at least, it presents itself that way to me. In fact, as much as I enjoyed the previously published stories, I think the unpublished ones may have been better off left unpublished. Too long, too convoluted, for too little story. This book is recommended only for the intrepid reader, one who is willing to take on a challenge reminiscent of required reading in certain Asian studies courses.
The stories themselves are almost morality tales, although without the preachiness inherent in actual fables; the reader is left to infer what could have gone better or worse without direct statements in many cases. This can be somewhat maddening when trying to parse out what has happened to whom and why, but can also be endearing as it adds to the general flavour and sense of place of a given story.
The writing is flowery and poetic, almost to the point of incomprehensibility at times. Once you get used to certain tics and phrasings, the story becomes easier to read, if not necessarily to follow. I’m still uncertain as to whether the structure and ornate turns of phrase are purely stylistic or a representation of an actual Chinese dialect rendered into English. I suspect the former, but, as I said, I’m really not sure.
According to the forward, this book consists of a few stories that had been previously published, some in altered forms, and several that were left unpublished at the time of the author’s death. According to Wikipedia...
The stories included in this book are as follows (I have included a rating for each one, but that should reflect only how well a particular story sat with me on the day I read it; each story is well crafted and holds the reader’s attention easily):
The Subtlety of Kang Chieng - 3/5
Ming Tseuen and the Emergency (1923) - 3/5
Lam-hoo and the Reward of Merit (1940) - 4/5
Chung Pun and the Miraculous Peacocks (1940) - 3/5
Yuen Yang and the Empty Lo-Chee Crate (1940) - 5/5
Sing Tsung and the Exponent of Dark Magic (1941) - 3/5
Kwey Chao and the Grateful Song Bird (1941) - 3/5
Li Pao, Lucky Star and the Intruding Stranger (1941) - 4/5
Previously Unpublished (Written between 1900 & 1905):
The Cupidity of Ah Pak
The Romance of Kwang the Fruit Gatherer
The Destiny of Cheng, the Son of Sha-kien
The Emperor Who Meant Well
All in all, this is a curious volume, one I’m glad I read, but I don’t think I’ll be seeking out the other volumes by the author. As much as I enjoyed the style of writing contained herein, it’s a delicate flavour and one that should be taken sparingly. Or, at least, it presents itself that way to me. In fact, as much as I enjoyed the previously published stories, I think the unpublished ones may have been better off left unpublished. Too long, too convoluted, for too little story. This book is recommended only for the intrepid reader, one who is willing to take on a challenge reminiscent of required reading in certain Asian studies courses.
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