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Romancing the East: A Literary Odyssey from the Heart of Darkness to the River Kwai by Jerry Hopkins
dinamakan's review against another edition
4.0
It took me months to finish this book. The short biography of authors who wrote one or more literary works that have East Asia or Southeast Asia setting during war or post-war period gave me some understanding. I can relate to information related to occupation or war occurred on Southeast Asian countries since I was born and grow up in Indonesia.
It's quite interesting to read a short history of literary works that took place in Asian countries from Westerners' point of view (which countries occupied or had wars with Asian countries). Asian people were conveyed as sex-worker or given a set of heavily stereotypical characteristics, while the protagonists (Westerner) often had exploration on the country they visited/resided. It was quite contradictory to local literary works in my country, Indonesia. Mostly, fictional stories conveying conditions during Dutch and Japan's occupation were bad. Young women were forced to be sex slave, poverty here and there, overworking yet underpaid men, and tense atmosphere.
This book also is like giving me a recommendation of works with Asian setting during or after WW2 period.
Despite enjoy reading this book, I can only give this book 4 stars, since I become less and less interested to finish the remaining biographies because of my activity.
It's quite interesting to read a short history of literary works that took place in Asian countries from Westerners' point of view (which countries occupied or had wars with Asian countries). Asian people were conveyed as sex-worker or given a set of heavily stereotypical characteristics, while the protagonists (Westerner) often had exploration on the country they visited/resided. It was quite contradictory to local literary works in my country, Indonesia. Mostly, fictional stories conveying conditions during Dutch and Japan's occupation were bad. Young women were forced to be sex slave, poverty here and there, overworking yet underpaid men, and tense atmosphere.
This book also is like giving me a recommendation of works with Asian setting during or after WW2 period.
Despite enjoy reading this book, I can only give this book 4 stars, since I become less and less interested to finish the remaining biographies because of my activity.
3ciacath's review against another edition
3.0
Reading Romancing The East was an act of boarding a ship to the Orient by revisiting authors who were inspired by the exoticism, the sensuality, the mysteriousness of the East.
Ever since the colonialism era, Far East was like Sirens to sailors. It allures foreigners all around the world, be for the spices, the untamed and unknown land, the natural resources, the Western dreams of pleasure and profit, its easy access to the “coolie” labors, or the image of its ethereality. The similar reasons also attracted authors throughout the ages to depict it in their stories. Just like Jerry Hopkins wrote in the introduction, “Nowhere else do the words “exotic” and “erotic” and “illicit” and “mysterious” and “dangerous” all so comfortably and uncomfortably fit, simultaneously.”
This book presented authors from as old as Joseph Conrad who wrote “The Myth of the Great White Rajah” to the modern writer V.S. Naipaul. I also found names whose books I read, like George Orwell, Rudyard Kipling, Pearl S. Buck, and Amy Tan. Also, by the end of this book, I ended up with a long list of some titles I am planning to purchase and read.
Ever since the colonialism era, Far East was like Sirens to sailors. It allures foreigners all around the world, be for the spices, the untamed and unknown land, the natural resources, the Western dreams of pleasure and profit, its easy access to the “coolie” labors, or the image of its ethereality. The similar reasons also attracted authors throughout the ages to depict it in their stories. Just like Jerry Hopkins wrote in the introduction, “Nowhere else do the words “exotic” and “erotic” and “illicit” and “mysterious” and “dangerous” all so comfortably and uncomfortably fit, simultaneously.”
This book presented authors from as old as Joseph Conrad who wrote “The Myth of the Great White Rajah” to the modern writer V.S. Naipaul. I also found names whose books I read, like George Orwell, Rudyard Kipling, Pearl S. Buck, and Amy Tan. Also, by the end of this book, I ended up with a long list of some titles I am planning to purchase and read.
elmolibrary's review against another edition
3.0
not that good but not that bad either. A so-so book.
Still many questions pop up on my mind while reading this book.
1. Why they only saying about ‘Southest Asian’ is the ony who have many sex-something oriented?
2. Why the other Eastern place doesn’t?
3. Why they only like criticize Southest Asian more? Meanwhile the other Eastern place seem good in ther eyes?
4. Why the author really pro-on few of the aspect rather than do the cons?
Well, at first. I had no idea that this book will come to ‘Asian-American’ problem these days. But if you read this. You would know that racism that still happens till today? It started here.
Still many questions pop up on my mind while reading this book.
1. Why they only saying about ‘Southest Asian’ is the ony who have many sex-something oriented?
2. Why the other Eastern place doesn’t?
3. Why they only like criticize Southest Asian more? Meanwhile the other Eastern place seem good in ther eyes?
4. Why the author really pro-on few of the aspect rather than do the cons?
Well, at first. I had no idea that this book will come to ‘Asian-American’ problem these days. But if you read this. You would know that racism that still happens till today? It started here.
alivegurl's review
5.0
Whoa, it took me exactly one month to finish this beast!
When I first saw this book, I was quickly intrigued by the back cover, which mentions the only controversial title of Asian books by Western authors that I know of: Memoirs of a Geisha. I thought I was in for a couple hundred pages of calling out Western authors who tried to depict and explain the East, although they have yet any experience there themselves. However, it turns out, I was wrong. The book talks about more than that. It talks about the fascination and romanticism the West has for the Orient. It talks about Western authors who, having lived in various parts of Asia, sympathises with the locals and wants to deliver their story to the white people or has such strong negative feelings for them a book needs to be written about them. I absolutely love the way the book is sectioned by authors, how it takes various different topics and time periods and really mix them all together well. Jerry Hopkins also seems to be on the side of the citizens of the East, trying to relate to them and understand them and empathise with them throughout the whole ordeal—whatever happens with one author or another. It's really insightful and eye-opening. Now I'm noting down titles from the book to add to my to-read list!
When I first saw this book, I was quickly intrigued by the back cover, which mentions the only controversial title of Asian books by Western authors that I know of: Memoirs of a Geisha. I thought I was in for a couple hundred pages of calling out Western authors who tried to depict and explain the East, although they have yet any experience there themselves. However, it turns out, I was wrong. The book talks about more than that. It talks about the fascination and romanticism the West has for the Orient. It talks about Western authors who, having lived in various parts of Asia, sympathises with the locals and wants to deliver their story to the white people or has such strong negative feelings for them a book needs to be written about them. I absolutely love the way the book is sectioned by authors, how it takes various different topics and time periods and really mix them all together well. Jerry Hopkins also seems to be on the side of the citizens of the East, trying to relate to them and understand them and empathise with them throughout the whole ordeal—whatever happens with one author or another. It's really insightful and eye-opening. Now I'm noting down titles from the book to add to my to-read list!
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