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The Last Quarter of the Moon
At the end of the twentieth-century an old woman sits among the birch trees and thinks back over her life, her loves, and the joys and tragedies that have befallen her family and her people. She is a member of the Evenki tribe who wander the remote forests of north-eastern China with their herds of reindeer, living in close sympathy with nature at its most beautiful and cruel.
An idyllic childhood playing by the river ends with her father's death and the growing realisation that her mother's and uncle's relationship is not as simple as she thought. Then, in the 1930s, the intimate, secluded world of the tribe is shattered when the Japanese army invades China. The Evenki cannot avoid being pulled into the brutal conflict which marks the first step towards the end of their isolation.
In The Last Quarter of the Moon , prize-winning novelist Chi Zijian, creates a dazzling epic about an extraordinary woman bearing witness not just to the stories of her fellow tribespeople, full of wonder and pain, but also to the effects of the transformation of China on a hidden corner of that vast country.
An idyllic childhood playing by the river ends with her father's death and the growing realisation that her mother's and uncle's relationship is not as simple as she thought. Then, in the 1930s, the intimate, secluded world of the tribe is shattered when the Japanese army invades China. The Evenki cannot avoid being pulled into the brutal conflict which marks the first step towards the end of their isolation.
In The Last Quarter of the Moon , prize-winning novelist Chi Zijian, creates a dazzling epic about an extraordinary woman bearing witness not just to the stories of her fellow tribespeople, full of wonder and pain, but also to the effects of the transformation of China on a hidden corner of that vast country.
304 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2005
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March 24, 2022
Vaihdoin joskus muutaman sähköpostin suomentaja Rauno Sainion kanssa, kun olin valitellut kiinasta käännetyn kirjallisuuden olevan kovin paljolti miehiä muistelemassa Kulttuurivallankumousta. Sainio lupasi silloin, että muutakin on luvassa ja tässä sitä nyt sitten on. Puolikuun on kirjoittanut nainen ja se käy läpi aivan toisenlaista historiaa.
Chi Zijian (s. 1964) on kotoisin Heilongjiangin maakunnasta, joka on Kiinan pohjoisin maakunta, kaukana koillisessa Mantšuriassa Venäjän rajalla. Näille seuduille Puolikuukin sijoittuu. Kirjan kehyskertomuksessa vanha evenkinainen muistelee elämäänsä. Kertomuksesta piirtyy kuva koko 1900-luvusta näiden syrjäisten seutujen asukkaiden näkökulmasta.
Evenkit ovat paimentolaiskansa, jotka ovat asuttaneet Venäjän ja Kiinan rajalla kulkevan Amur-joen ja etenkin sen latvajoen Argunin rantoja. Kirjassa kuvatut evenkit ovat poronhoitajia kuten saamelaisetkin, mutta evenkien elämäntapa eroaa jonkun verran saamelaisista. Evenkit eivät esimerkiksi syö poronlihaa, mutta käyttävät poroja ratsuina.
1900-luvun alussa evenkit elivät omaa paimentolaiselämäänsä kaikessa rauhassaan, mutta eihän ympäröivä maailma ketään Siperian perimmäisissä kolkissakaan jätä rauhaan. Yhteyksiä muuhun maailmaan on venäläisten kulkukauppiaiden muodossa jo aikaisemmin, mutta isommin maailma tulee evenkien luokse viimeistään 1930-luvulla, kun Japani valloittaa Mantšurian ja perustaa alueelle oman Mantšukuon nukkevaltion. Japanilaiset tulevat vaatimaan kylän miehiä sotilaskoulutukseen ja siitä alkaa paimentolaisten vapaan elämäntavan loppu. Japanilaiset karkoitetaan, mutta Neuvostoliitolla ja Kiinalla on aluetta kohtaan oma mielenkiintonsa ja evenkit halutaan lopulta sulauttaa osaksi kiinalaista yhteiskuntaa.
Tätä kehitystä nimettömäksi jäävä kertoja, evenkien viimeisen heimopäällikön vaimo, kertomuksessaan kuvaa. Kehyskertomus tapahtuu jossain 1990-luvulla, kun evenkit halutaan siirtää asumaan kaupunkiin. Valtaosa heimosta lähtee, mutta kertoja jää: hän ei ole koskaan asunut muussa asumuksessa kuin kodassa, eikä aio asuakaan. Hänellä on äidiltä peritty tuli, joka ei ole koskaan sammunut, kodan savuaukosta näkyvät tähdet ja ympärillä luonto ja porot.
Puolikuussa ei ole varsinaisesti mitään juonta. Se on tavallaan sukukronikka, jossa kuvataan pienelle kyläyhteisölle tapahtuvia asioita, ja toisaalta antropologinen kertomus, joka dokumentoi tämän evenkiyhteisön tapoja ja elämää. Kyläläisten elämään mahtuu kaikenlaista; elämä paimentolaisena voi olla vapaata, mutta on se myös kovaa. Lapsikuolleisuus esimerkiksi on melko karmivaa. Traagisimpana piirtyy šamaaniksi nousevan Nihaun elämäntarina.
Chi Zijian kuvaa rajaseutujen jylhää luontoa kauniisti. Evenkien luontoyhteys näyttäytyy herkkänä ja kevyenä, etenkin verrattuna siihen, kun Kiina alkaa kohdistaa huomiotaan alueen resursseihin. Luonnon kovakouraisemmasta hyväksikäytöstä seuraava luontokato estäisi evenkien perinteisen elämäntavan, vaikka evenkejä ei muutenkin yritettäisi estää elämästä omanlaistaan elämää. On hyvä, että tätä perinteistä elämäntapaa on kirjattu muistiin tällaisessa muodossa ennen kuin se häviää kokonaan.
Rauno Sainio on tehnyt suomentajana hienoa työtä. Mukavasti kirjan loppuun on lisätty muutaman sivun suomentajan jälkipuhe, jossa Sainio avaa etenkin romaanin nimistöön liittyviä ongelmia. Monien henkilöiden nimet ovat venäläisiä ja kiinalaiset transkriptiokäytännöt ovat tehneet tulkitsemisesta työläitä. Poronhoitosanastoon Sainio on sentään saanut hyviä vastineita saamelaisesta kulttuurista.
Chi Zijian (s. 1964) on kotoisin Heilongjiangin maakunnasta, joka on Kiinan pohjoisin maakunta, kaukana koillisessa Mantšuriassa Venäjän rajalla. Näille seuduille Puolikuukin sijoittuu. Kirjan kehyskertomuksessa vanha evenkinainen muistelee elämäänsä. Kertomuksesta piirtyy kuva koko 1900-luvusta näiden syrjäisten seutujen asukkaiden näkökulmasta.
Evenkit ovat paimentolaiskansa, jotka ovat asuttaneet Venäjän ja Kiinan rajalla kulkevan Amur-joen ja etenkin sen latvajoen Argunin rantoja. Kirjassa kuvatut evenkit ovat poronhoitajia kuten saamelaisetkin, mutta evenkien elämäntapa eroaa jonkun verran saamelaisista. Evenkit eivät esimerkiksi syö poronlihaa, mutta käyttävät poroja ratsuina.
1900-luvun alussa evenkit elivät omaa paimentolaiselämäänsä kaikessa rauhassaan, mutta eihän ympäröivä maailma ketään Siperian perimmäisissä kolkissakaan jätä rauhaan. Yhteyksiä muuhun maailmaan on venäläisten kulkukauppiaiden muodossa jo aikaisemmin, mutta isommin maailma tulee evenkien luokse viimeistään 1930-luvulla, kun Japani valloittaa Mantšurian ja perustaa alueelle oman Mantšukuon nukkevaltion. Japanilaiset tulevat vaatimaan kylän miehiä sotilaskoulutukseen ja siitä alkaa paimentolaisten vapaan elämäntavan loppu. Japanilaiset karkoitetaan, mutta Neuvostoliitolla ja Kiinalla on aluetta kohtaan oma mielenkiintonsa ja evenkit halutaan lopulta sulauttaa osaksi kiinalaista yhteiskuntaa.
Tätä kehitystä nimettömäksi jäävä kertoja, evenkien viimeisen heimopäällikön vaimo, kertomuksessaan kuvaa. Kehyskertomus tapahtuu jossain 1990-luvulla, kun evenkit halutaan siirtää asumaan kaupunkiin. Valtaosa heimosta lähtee, mutta kertoja jää: hän ei ole koskaan asunut muussa asumuksessa kuin kodassa, eikä aio asuakaan. Hänellä on äidiltä peritty tuli, joka ei ole koskaan sammunut, kodan savuaukosta näkyvät tähdet ja ympärillä luonto ja porot.
Puolikuussa ei ole varsinaisesti mitään juonta. Se on tavallaan sukukronikka, jossa kuvataan pienelle kyläyhteisölle tapahtuvia asioita, ja toisaalta antropologinen kertomus, joka dokumentoi tämän evenkiyhteisön tapoja ja elämää. Kyläläisten elämään mahtuu kaikenlaista; elämä paimentolaisena voi olla vapaata, mutta on se myös kovaa. Lapsikuolleisuus esimerkiksi on melko karmivaa. Traagisimpana piirtyy šamaaniksi nousevan Nihaun elämäntarina.
Chi Zijian kuvaa rajaseutujen jylhää luontoa kauniisti. Evenkien luontoyhteys näyttäytyy herkkänä ja kevyenä, etenkin verrattuna siihen, kun Kiina alkaa kohdistaa huomiotaan alueen resursseihin. Luonnon kovakouraisemmasta hyväksikäytöstä seuraava luontokato estäisi evenkien perinteisen elämäntavan, vaikka evenkejä ei muutenkin yritettäisi estää elämästä omanlaistaan elämää. On hyvä, että tätä perinteistä elämäntapaa on kirjattu muistiin tällaisessa muodossa ennen kuin se häviää kokonaan.
Minut on haudattava puuhun, tuuleen. Ainoa ongelma on, että neljän keskenään sopivasti sijoittuneen puun löytäminen on tätä nykyä helpommin sanottu kuin tehty.
Rauno Sainio on tehnyt suomentajana hienoa työtä. Mukavasti kirjan loppuun on lisätty muutaman sivun suomentajan jälkipuhe, jossa Sainio avaa etenkin romaanin nimistöön liittyviä ongelmia. Monien henkilöiden nimet ovat venäläisiä ja kiinalaiset transkriptiokäytännöt ovat tehneet tulkitsemisesta työläitä. Poronhoitosanastoon Sainio on sentään saanut hyviä vastineita saamelaisesta kulttuurista.
May 21, 2021
This was a very unique read about a little-known nomadic tribe called Evenki who are hunters and reindeer-herders living in the northern part of Inner Mongolia.
Through the eyes of an old woman, the bitter-sweet everyday life story of five generations of her clan unfolds in the time line spanning the 20th century. Descriptions of the wilderness scenery, of nature at its most charming and most cruel, of Evenki rituals and shamanic customs are interwoven with emotive relationships and interactions of the clan members as they gradually move away from their habitual and carefree nomadic lifestyle to one imposed on them by external forces like the Japanese occupation, the Chinese lumber trade and modernization.
The writing is plain (the novel is a translation) but the stringing of words moves you to the core. The tone is calm and quiet throughout, yet it tugs at your heartstrings.
Through the eyes of an old woman, the bitter-sweet everyday life story of five generations of her clan unfolds in the time line spanning the 20th century. Descriptions of the wilderness scenery, of nature at its most charming and most cruel, of Evenki rituals and shamanic customs are interwoven with emotive relationships and interactions of the clan members as they gradually move away from their habitual and carefree nomadic lifestyle to one imposed on them by external forces like the Japanese occupation, the Chinese lumber trade and modernization.
The writing is plain (the novel is a translation) but the stringing of words moves you to the core. The tone is calm and quiet throughout, yet it tugs at your heartstrings.
October 12, 2018
It was only late in the day I began to reach for five stars. Somehow it is a slow work, in spite of a certain brevity in story-telling, which it imitates from folk tales.
The author is Han, from China's northernmost province that abuts on or subsumes the grounds of indigenous peoples. Over the course of this novel, Chinese, Russian and Japanese state interests and individuals impinge on the life of the Evenki. By no means always hostile, but steadily deleterious. Several reviews say the book is grim, but I think this encroachment might have been told more savagely than it is. As for the number of deaths -- truly Shakespearean -- our narrator is a woman in old age, and she has the exhaustless array of forest accidents to recall.
The beauty crept up on me. Late in the piece I noticed I was being mugged by Evenki metaphors, songs, observations and succinct word pictures of the taiga -- on the 'Right Bank of the Argun', in the original Chinese title, in the Greater Khingan Mountain Range. The stories, too, work by accumulation, peoples' lives in sequence, with a subtle interweave of forecast and backsight. They are told in a key of realism, but on the other hand the shamanist universe Evenki believe in is real, so that one of the most affecting stories is of a woman called on to save others by her shaman dances, at the inevitable cost of loved ones of her own.
This review on a Chinese site gives an idea of what conditions the author told her story of the Evenki under, and also mentions which tales followed those of real people:
http://english.cri.cn/6909/2012/08/08...
The author is Han, from China's northernmost province that abuts on or subsumes the grounds of indigenous peoples. Over the course of this novel, Chinese, Russian and Japanese state interests and individuals impinge on the life of the Evenki. By no means always hostile, but steadily deleterious. Several reviews say the book is grim, but I think this encroachment might have been told more savagely than it is. As for the number of deaths -- truly Shakespearean -- our narrator is a woman in old age, and she has the exhaustless array of forest accidents to recall.
The beauty crept up on me. Late in the piece I noticed I was being mugged by Evenki metaphors, songs, observations and succinct word pictures of the taiga -- on the 'Right Bank of the Argun', in the original Chinese title, in the Greater Khingan Mountain Range. The stories, too, work by accumulation, peoples' lives in sequence, with a subtle interweave of forecast and backsight. They are told in a key of realism, but on the other hand the shamanist universe Evenki believe in is real, so that one of the most affecting stories is of a woman called on to save others by her shaman dances, at the inevitable cost of loved ones of her own.
This review on a Chinese site gives an idea of what conditions the author told her story of the Evenki under, and also mentions which tales followed those of real people:
http://english.cri.cn/6909/2012/08/08...
Want to read
April 24, 2021I translated this novel, so I am not going to rate it!
I should note that the editor made few substantive alterations to my manuscript, so if you enjoy the book -- or don't -- that is down to the Chinese author tale and my interpretation of it . . .
I should note that the editor made few substantive alterations to my manuscript, so if you enjoy the book -- or don't -- that is down to the Chinese author tale and my interpretation of it . . .
July 20, 2022
As someone from a similar ethnic group which also originated around the Amur (Argun) river who has never lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle with reindeer, I found this book to be a small window into some of the more forgotten practices and traditions of a Tungusic people group. The writing is lyrical and the relationships are emotive, showing both human nature and the natural world at its most beautiful and most ruthless states.
With that being said, the author is Han. Though she grew up and still lives in the area in which this story is set, she remains an outsider to these traditions. I feel that in parts, she doesn't do our beautiful culture justice with the constant use of sinicisms and the occasionally ethnic stereotypes such as portraying many of the Evenks as alcoholics and even one as a criminal.
I firmly believe that this book is worth a read, taking its relatively minor issues into account. It's beautiful, poetic and harrowing and is unlike anything you've read before and will read in the the future.
With that being said, the author is Han. Though she grew up and still lives in the area in which this story is set, she remains an outsider to these traditions. I feel that in parts, she doesn't do our beautiful culture justice with the constant use of sinicisms and the occasionally ethnic stereotypes such as portraying many of the Evenks as alcoholics and even one as a criminal.
I firmly believe that this book is worth a read, taking its relatively minor issues into account. It's beautiful, poetic and harrowing and is unlike anything you've read before and will read in the the future.
February 25, 2018
A very slow, slice of days story, but I did enjoyed it, and the language is very poetic.
I should read the Chinese version someday, but I think the English translation is good too. However, there are some Chinese concept translated directly from pronunciation, which made the words lost its meaning.
I should read the Chinese version someday, but I think the English translation is good too. However, there are some Chinese concept translated directly from pronunciation, which made the words lost its meaning.
March 2, 2021
Kimden nerden heveslendim aldım hiç bilmiyorum ama kendime afferim.
Kitabın konusu, anlatımı, kurgusu, derdi herşeyiyle puanım yüksek. Kitapla ilgili tk derdim çevirisi, redaksiyonu, editöryal hataları ki bu yayınevinden çok severek nice okuma yaptım,böylesi hatalara rastlamadım. Daha ilk sayfada baskıda hata ile okumaya başladığımdan mıdır nedir memnun etmedi.
Kitaba gelirseeem. Şahsen dünya üzerinde hangi coğrafya olursa olsun insan evladının üç aşağı beş yukarı hep benzer bir yaşam sistemi içinde olduğuna inanıyorum. Zamanla tercih ve şartlara göre bazı eğilip bükülmeler elbet olmuşsa da Çin'in uzak bir köyü ile Güney doğuda bir köydeki ailenin derdi öyle çok farketmiyor.
Özellikle, kuşaklar arası akan, kurgunun merkezinde aynı aileyi kuşaklar boyunca okumayı seviyorsanız, söz gelimi Marquez'in Yüzyıllık Yalnızlık ya da Mo Yan 'ın Yaşam ve ölüm Yorgunu kitapları gibi hah iştr o vakit 2008 Çin Mo Dun Edebiyat Ödülü sahibi bu kitabı da severek okuyacağınızdan eminim.
Umarım ki yeni baskılarda redaksiyon hataları yok edilmiştir, keyifli okumalar 🌼
..
..
#readingismycardio #aslihanneokudu #okudumbitti #bookstagram #2021okumalarım #neokudum #okuryorumu #kitaptavsiyesi #çinedebiyatı #ayınsonçeyreği #chizijian #dedaluskitap #çevirikitaplar #ödüllükitaplar
Kitabın konusu, anlatımı, kurgusu, derdi herşeyiyle puanım yüksek. Kitapla ilgili tk derdim çevirisi, redaksiyonu, editöryal hataları ki bu yayınevinden çok severek nice okuma yaptım,böylesi hatalara rastlamadım. Daha ilk sayfada baskıda hata ile okumaya başladığımdan mıdır nedir memnun etmedi.
Kitaba gelirseeem. Şahsen dünya üzerinde hangi coğrafya olursa olsun insan evladının üç aşağı beş yukarı hep benzer bir yaşam sistemi içinde olduğuna inanıyorum. Zamanla tercih ve şartlara göre bazı eğilip bükülmeler elbet olmuşsa da Çin'in uzak bir köyü ile Güney doğuda bir köydeki ailenin derdi öyle çok farketmiyor.
Özellikle, kuşaklar arası akan, kurgunun merkezinde aynı aileyi kuşaklar boyunca okumayı seviyorsanız, söz gelimi Marquez'in Yüzyıllık Yalnızlık ya da Mo Yan 'ın Yaşam ve ölüm Yorgunu kitapları gibi hah iştr o vakit 2008 Çin Mo Dun Edebiyat Ödülü sahibi bu kitabı da severek okuyacağınızdan eminim.
Umarım ki yeni baskılarda redaksiyon hataları yok edilmiştir, keyifli okumalar 🌼
..
..
#readingismycardio #aslihanneokudu #okudumbitti #bookstagram #2021okumalarım #neokudum #okuryorumu #kitaptavsiyesi #çinedebiyatı #ayınsonçeyreği #chizijian #dedaluskitap #çevirikitaplar #ödüllükitaplar
March 30, 2018
ربما يمكن اختصار الرواية في تلك الجملة منها
"لقد حكيت الكثير والكثير من قصص الموت، وهذا ليس بيدي، فكل نفس ذائقة الموت، فالجميع يأتي من المكان نفسه وبالطريقة نفسها، ولكن عند الرحيل يتفرد كل شخص بطريقة رحيله."
لم اقرأ مائة عام من العزلة لكن أعرف الخطوط العريضة لها، ومع ذلك لا أستطيع مقارنتها بشكل كامل بها.
الرواية من النوع ذو الإيقاع البطيء ولكنه لا يخلو من الأحداث.. ومرة أخرى فهي ليس بها نهاية سعيدة، ليس لأغلب الشخصيات وعليه فهي رواية كئيبة وربما وجب التحذير لمن لا يحب ذلك النوع من الروايات.
الترجمة كانت جيدة، إلا من أخطاء إملائية قليلة، والخلط بين شخصيتين في مقطع واحد، ربما يغفر لذلك كون الاسمان لا يختلفان سوى في الحرف الأول فقط.
"لقد حكيت الكثير والكثير من قصص الموت، وهذا ليس بيدي، فكل نفس ذائقة الموت، فالجميع يأتي من المكان نفسه وبالطريقة نفسها، ولكن عند الرحيل يتفرد كل شخص بطريقة رحيله."
لم اقرأ مائة عام من العزلة لكن أعرف الخطوط العريضة لها، ومع ذلك لا أستطيع مقارنتها بشكل كامل بها.
الرواية من النوع ذو الإيقاع البطيء ولكنه لا يخلو من الأحداث.. ومرة أخرى فهي ليس بها نهاية سعيدة، ليس لأغلب الشخصيات وعليه فهي رواية كئيبة وربما وجب التحذير لمن لا يحب ذلك النوع من الروايات.
الترجمة كانت جيدة، إلا من أخطاء إملائية قليلة، والخلط بين شخصيتين في مقطع واحد، ربما يغفر لذلك كون الاسمان لا يختلفان سوى في الحرف الأول فقط.
April 22, 2020
قبل عامين من الآن، وقفت عند دار نشر لا أعرفها وطلبت من البائع أن يرشح لي كتابا.
أمسك بهذه الرواية وقال إنها تعتبر مائة عام من العزلة الصينية، وما إن سمعت كلامه حتى أضمرت سرا أن تكون ضمن مقتنياتي لأني أعرف أن مائة عام من العزلة رواية عظيمة -رغم أني لم أقرأها بعد😆،ولا أدري ما الذي يمنعني- ، ولأنها مترجمة عن الصينية ولم يسبق لي أن أقرأ أي شيء من الأدب الصيني.
ويا للمفاجأة ركنتها عامين في عزلة -جنت على نفسها- ولم أفتحها ولا أدري لم تذكرتها مؤخرا.
لا أخفي أنني واجهت صعوبة في التأقلم مع جو الرواية وإنها استغرقتني وقتا أطول مما اعتدته لقراءة رواية، الأسماء جديدة وعاداتهم مختلفة وكل شيء فيها مختلف.
ولعل اختلافها هو ما جعلني أستمتع فيها وأعتبر نفسي في رحلة مختلفة، رحلة لمجهول لم أجربه من قبل. الجبال الصينية وعائلة إينيكويه اللي تعد عائلة بدوية صينية تنتقل من مكان لآخر، وبدلا من نقل الأغنام معهم ينقلون الغزلان.
الغزلان، لا تدر��ن كم هو لطيف حبهم للغزلان، وصل حبهم لها لدرجة القداسة. الرواية تبعدك عن المدينة عن الأشياء التي اعتدت عليها تحملك لأحضان الطبيعة، ترى فيه بشرا مختلفين، لم يتعلموا في المدارس ولكن كانوا يستقون دروسهم من الطبيعة وجمالها الساحر.
الرواية تحمل الكثير والكثير من المشاعر وهي أشبه بسيرة ذاتية تحكيها بطلة القصة، لن تجد حبكةً مرسومة لكن الرواية ممتعة وغنية بما فيها.
كانت تجربةً مختلفة كما تخيلتها أن تكون تماما
أمسك بهذه الرواية وقال إنها تعتبر مائة عام من العزلة الصينية، وما إن سمعت كلامه حتى أضمرت سرا أن تكون ضمن مقتنياتي لأني أعرف أن مائة عام من العزلة رواية عظيمة -رغم أني لم أقرأها بعد😆،ولا أدري ما الذي يمنعني- ، ولأنها مترجمة عن الصينية ولم يسبق لي أن أقرأ أي شيء من الأدب الصيني.
ويا للمفاجأة ركنتها عامين في عزلة -جنت على نفسها- ولم أفتحها ولا أدري لم تذكرتها مؤخرا.
لا أخفي أنني واجهت صعوبة في التأقلم مع جو الرواية وإنها استغرقتني وقتا أطول مما اعتدته لقراءة رواية، الأسماء جديدة وعاداتهم مختلفة وكل شيء فيها مختلف.
ولعل اختلافها هو ما جعلني أستمتع فيها وأعتبر نفسي في رحلة مختلفة، رحلة لمجهول لم أجربه من قبل. الجبال الصينية وعائلة إينيكويه اللي تعد عائلة بدوية صينية تنتقل من مكان لآخر، وبدلا من نقل الأغنام معهم ينقلون الغزلان.
الغزلان، لا تدر��ن كم هو لطيف حبهم للغزلان، وصل حبهم لها لدرجة القداسة. الرواية تبعدك عن المدينة عن الأشياء التي اعتدت عليها تحملك لأحضان الطبيعة، ترى فيه بشرا مختلفين، لم يتعلموا في المدارس ولكن كانوا يستقون دروسهم من الطبيعة وجمالها الساحر.
الرواية تحمل الكثير والكثير من المشاعر وهي أشبه بسيرة ذاتية تحكيها بطلة القصة، لن تجد حبكةً مرسومة لكن الرواية ممتعة وغنية بما فيها.
كانت تجربةً مختلفة كما تخيلتها أن تكون تماما
November 7, 2019
A poetic, mystical story of a tribe of Evenki people living their lives in Northern China. Told by an unnamed 90-year old woman reciting her life story this is set in a time of change when Civilization encroaches into the mountain regions.
I enjoyed this story although the last 1/4 did start to drag. I found the story interesting but there seemed to be more detailed descriptions of the forest, the animals, people's movements that seemed to slow the story down. This may be due to translation, perhaps.
However, this is a story to be read. It's sad to see these wonderful ways of life disappearing into cities and paved roads.
I enjoyed this story although the last 1/4 did start to drag. I found the story interesting but there seemed to be more detailed descriptions of the forest, the animals, people's movements that seemed to slow the story down. This may be due to translation, perhaps.
However, this is a story to be read. It's sad to see these wonderful ways of life disappearing into cities and paved roads.
January 22, 2021
رواية ممتعة، افهم لماذا قيل عنها أنها "مئة عام من العزلة الصينية"..
هي رواية أجيال تتبع العقود الأخيرة من عمر قبيلة صغيرة تعيش في الجبال.. وكعادة القصص التي تحكي عن تعاقب الأجيال وتبدل الأحوال فهي تترك غصة في القلب، لكنها قراءة ممتعة، خاصة في حكيها عن حياة القبيلة وحكاياتها السحرية، وتجعل من الموت جزءا من طبيعة الحياة كالشمس والقمر والجبال.. تبدأ الأحداث في بطء ثم تتسارع في الفصول الأخيرة الى درجة تجعل من الصعب متابعة كافة شخوص الرواية التي تظهر وتختفي بسرعة، واعتقد انه أمر مقصود من الكاتبة، فالأحداث تتباطأ أو تتسارع بإيقاع الحياة نفسها..
بالمناسبة ذكرتني بشدة برواية حديث الصباح والمساء للرائع نجيب محفوظ أكثر من رواية مئة عام من العزلة.
هي رواية أجيال تتبع العقود الأخيرة من عمر قبيلة صغيرة تعيش في الجبال.. وكعادة القصص التي تحكي عن تعاقب الأجيال وتبدل الأحوال فهي تترك غصة في القلب، لكنها قراءة ممتعة، خاصة في حكيها عن حياة القبيلة وحكاياتها السحرية، وتجعل من الموت جزءا من طبيعة الحياة كالشمس والقمر والجبال.. تبدأ الأحداث في بطء ثم تتسارع في الفصول الأخيرة الى درجة تجعل من الصعب متابعة كافة شخوص الرواية التي تظهر وتختفي بسرعة، واعتقد انه أمر مقصود من الكاتبة، فالأحداث تتباطأ أو تتسارع بإيقاع الحياة نفسها..
بالمناسبة ذكرتني بشدة برواية حديث الصباح والمساء للرائع نجيب محفوظ أكثر من رواية مئة عام من العزلة.
March 3, 2018
Read for the Tales & Co. book group.
I really enjoyed learning about the Evinki tribe and culture, and loved the narrative aspect of this story. Something about a person just recounting their life and history is really enjoyable to me. I had no knowledge of the Evinkis prior to this reading, which is why I love reading! You always learn something new.
I really enjoyed learning about the Evinki tribe and culture, and loved the narrative aspect of this story. Something about a person just recounting their life and history is really enjoyable to me. I had no knowledge of the Evinkis prior to this reading, which is why I love reading! You always learn something new.
September 8, 2020
Yorumlarda biri şey yazmış "Beautifully written, but depressing as fuck" kslflsllfls bu resmen ben.
June 2, 2023
todella upea tarina kauniilla kerronnalla ja luontokuvauksella. Heräsi kiinnostus lukea enemmänkin evenki-kansasta ja Google lauloi kyllä kirjan kuuntelun ohella…
February 19, 2025
I really truly enjoyed this. It took longer than usual for me to get into this though, and I was really worried I wouldn't like this. But once I was hooked I was HOOKED.
This has that family saga genre convention that I absolutely love, I eat books like this upp. There are so many characters and life events to be invested in and connected too - feeling the love and loss as the rest of the family does too.
There is a lot of death and tragedy in this narrative too though, so fair warning before reading. The descriptions of nature and intimacy and companionship and art were sublime. I enjoy how each phase of the book was titled under one theme.
I am so glad that I stumbled upon this book by absolute chance, this wasn't influenced by what I'd heard on social media or from people around me (honestly, the cover of the Vintage Earth edition did it for me), as this covered people and a period of history I hadn't been exposed to before.
This has that family saga genre convention that I absolutely love, I eat books like this upp. There are so many characters and life events to be invested in and connected too - feeling the love and loss as the rest of the family does too.
There is a lot of death and tragedy in this narrative too though, so fair warning before reading. The descriptions of nature and intimacy and companionship and art were sublime. I enjoy how each phase of the book was titled under one theme.
I am so glad that I stumbled upon this book by absolute chance, this wasn't influenced by what I'd heard on social media or from people around me (honestly, the cover of the Vintage Earth edition did it for me), as this covered people and a period of history I hadn't been exposed to before.
March 31, 2022
Olipa tämä surullisen koskettava tarina. Paimentolaiskulttuureissa ja luonnon kanssa elämisessä on jotain, mikä kovasti kiehtoo... Ja se, miten nämä kansat on alistettu ja tapettu ja elämäntyyli tuhottu, on sydäntäsärkevää. Kovia ihmiskohtaloita ja mm. katkeruutta ja menetyksiä on kirjassa kuvattu hienosti.
August 15, 2022
4.5*
beautiful, lyrical and slow prose.
a generational tale of a tribe living in the mountains of china, chronicling their lives, relationships and deaths, as well as the effects of the inevitable influence of the outside world.
beautiful, lyrical and slow prose.
a generational tale of a tribe living in the mountains of china, chronicling their lives, relationships and deaths, as well as the effects of the inevitable influence of the outside world.
Read
August 28, 2024I only vaguely knew there’re reindeer herders in North Asia, so glad I found a novel centred on them.
Эвэнкил / Evenkīl / ᠧᠸᠧᠩᠺᠢ
This book is very much Magical Realism. The “modern”world would describe Evenki life as idyllic, but I think I came to realise true idylls don’t exist—people get hurt easily, and hurt people hurt people.
However, it’s worth noting that the author is not Evenki and some passages seem to reflect Han Chinese, or any Confucian influenced culture after Westernisation, ideology (ie. filial duty to sacrifice). That said, it feels respectfully done, and I learned a lot about Evenki practices.
Эвэнкил / Evenkīl / ᠧᠸᠧᠩᠺᠢ
This book is very much Magical Realism. The “modern”world would describe Evenki life as idyllic, but I think I came to realise true idylls don’t exist—people get hurt easily, and hurt people hurt people.
However, it’s worth noting that the author is not Evenki and some passages seem to reflect Han Chinese, or any Confucian influenced culture after Westernisation, ideology (ie. filial duty to sacrifice). That said, it feels respectfully done, and I learned a lot about Evenki practices.
April 23, 2022
Kiinalaisen Chi Zijianin teos Puolikuu lumosi minut uskomattomilla luontokuvauksilla vuoristossa Venäjän ja Kiinan rajaseuduilla Argunjoen lähistöllä. Kirjan kertojana toimi yhdeksänkymmentävuotias evenkinainen, joka oli jäänyt lapsenlapsensa kanssa Iso-Hinganin vuoristoon porojensa kanssa, kun muu heimo oli muuttanut heille rakennettuihin taloihin. Evenkit olivat paimentolaisia, jotka siirtyivät porojaan seuraamalla seuraavaan porojen ruokapaikkaan. Itse he metsästivät ja kalastivat ruokansa.
Kirjan kertoja aloitti tarinoinnin omasta syntymästään, joka tapahtui talvisaikaan. Kirjan edetessä aukesi koko suvun ja heimon henkilöiden tarinat auki. Heimolla oli myös oma šhamaani, joka tanssi tarvittaessa, kun joku sairasti tai he olivat saaneet hyvän metsästyssaaliin, jota kannatti juhlia jne.
Chi Zijianin Puolikuu kertoi hienosti polveilevan sukusaagan evenki-paimentolaisten elämästä vuoristoisella seudulla Kiinan ja Venäjän rajaseudulla, jossa luonto oli läsnä jokaisessa hetkessä.
Kirjan kertoja aloitti tarinoinnin omasta syntymästään, joka tapahtui talvisaikaan. Kirjan edetessä aukesi koko suvun ja heimon henkilöiden tarinat auki. Heimolla oli myös oma šhamaani, joka tanssi tarvittaessa, kun joku sairasti tai he olivat saaneet hyvän metsästyssaaliin, jota kannatti juhlia jne.
Chi Zijianin Puolikuu kertoi hienosti polveilevan sukusaagan evenki-paimentolaisten elämästä vuoristoisella seudulla Kiinan ja Venäjän rajaseudulla, jossa luonto oli läsnä jokaisessa hetkessä.
February 11, 2025
Chi Zijian’s The Last Quarter of the Moon is a beautifully woven intergenerational saga of the Evenki tribe, an indigenous nomadic people spread across China, Mongolia, Russia, and Siberia. The novel transports readers deep into the forests, where traditions, folklore, and the rhythms of nature shape the lives of the Evenki.
Told through the eyes of an unnamed female protagonist, the story spans her lifetime—beginning in childhood and culminating in old age. Her namelessness, revealed at the novel’s end with a poignant explanation, adds a layer of mystique and universality to her narrative. Through her, the author vividly captures the lives, customs, and struggles of the Evenki people, intertwining their traditions with the historical shifts brought by Japan, Russia, and China—forces that remained distant yet impactful on these forest-dwelling tribes.
Chi Zijian’s storytelling is immersive, bringing the Evenki way of life alive with meticulous detail. I loved how she delved into their spiritual practices, particularly the use of magic and the spirit dance—where, as the protagonist explains, something must always be given in return to gain something. While many folktales and legends touch on this concept, the way it is portrayed in the novel is both heartwarming and deeply melancholic.
The novel’s pace fluctuates—at times moving swiftly through events, yet always drawing the reader into the lives of its richly developed characters. I found myself deeply attached to the protagonist and the people around her, especially her two husbands and the many men and women who shaped her journey. Their relationships, struggles, and resilience made this book an emotional and unforgettable read.
Chi Zijian masterfully takes the reader across landscapes and histories, making the forests of the Evenki tribe feel both intimate and vast. This book left me in awe, not only of its storytelling but also of the world it unveiled. A truly remarkable read.
Told through the eyes of an unnamed female protagonist, the story spans her lifetime—beginning in childhood and culminating in old age. Her namelessness, revealed at the novel’s end with a poignant explanation, adds a layer of mystique and universality to her narrative. Through her, the author vividly captures the lives, customs, and struggles of the Evenki people, intertwining their traditions with the historical shifts brought by Japan, Russia, and China—forces that remained distant yet impactful on these forest-dwelling tribes.
Chi Zijian’s storytelling is immersive, bringing the Evenki way of life alive with meticulous detail. I loved how she delved into their spiritual practices, particularly the use of magic and the spirit dance—where, as the protagonist explains, something must always be given in return to gain something. While many folktales and legends touch on this concept, the way it is portrayed in the novel is both heartwarming and deeply melancholic.
The novel’s pace fluctuates—at times moving swiftly through events, yet always drawing the reader into the lives of its richly developed characters. I found myself deeply attached to the protagonist and the people around her, especially her two husbands and the many men and women who shaped her journey. Their relationships, struggles, and resilience made this book an emotional and unforgettable read.
Chi Zijian masterfully takes the reader across landscapes and histories, making the forests of the Evenki tribe feel both intimate and vast. This book left me in awe, not only of its storytelling but also of the world it unveiled. A truly remarkable read.
October 7, 2024
Jos haluaisin tiivistää lyhyesti kirjan tunnelman, pyytäisin ajattelemaan tilannetta, jossa vanha isoäiti kertoo elämänsä tarinaa jälkipolville takkatulen ääressä. Isoäiti on elänyt yksinkertaista paimentolaiskansan elämää luonnon ehdoilla ja vaikka maailma muuttuu ympärillä - joskin melko kaukana omasta arjesta - elämä pyörii universaalisti jaettujen inhimillisten kokemusten eli yhteisöön kuulumisen, elämän, kuoleman, rakkauksien ja riitojen ympärillä. Kerronta on kaunista ja verkkaista. Omaan makuuni tai ehkä omaan tunnetilaani lukuhetkellä hetkittäin liiankin verkkaista. Kirjan kerrontatyyli tarkoittaa myös, että esimerkiksi dialogia tästä kirjasta ei juuri löydy muuta kuin sen verran, mitä kirjan kertoja haluaa jonkun henkilön sanomana korostaa kullakin hetkellä. Ei se varsinaisesti häiritse, mutta saattaa varsinkin luettuna olla välillä vähän raskasta. Luulen, että en itse olisi saanut tätä oikein etenemään painettuna laitoksena, mutta kuunneltuna toimi ihan hyvin.
Erityisesti olin vaikuttunut siitä, miten hienosti tämä on kiinan kielestä käännetty suomeksi. Ei sillä, että minulla mitään ammattitaitoa sitä olisi arvioida, mutta kuunneltuani suomentajan jälkisanat käännöstyöhön liittyen, en voinut kuin ihailla sitä, miten soljuvaa tekstiä suomen kielelle on syntynyt varsin haastavasta lähtökielestä.
Erityisesti olin vaikuttunut siitä, miten hienosti tämä on kiinan kielestä käännetty suomeksi. Ei sillä, että minulla mitään ammattitaitoa sitä olisi arvioida, mutta kuunneltuani suomentajan jälkisanat käännöstyöhön liittyen, en voinut kuin ihailla sitä, miten soljuvaa tekstiä suomen kielelle on syntynyt varsin haastavasta lähtökielestä.
February 25, 2022
Koskettava tarina poronhoidosta elävästä evenki-kansasta halki 1900-luvun suurten mullistusten. Paimentolaiskansa Kiinan, Venäjän/Neuvostoliiton ja Japanin suurien historiallisten tapahtumien melskeissä oli yllättäen kymmenien kiinnostavien elämäntarinoiden lähde. Loistava luettava Konttisen Siperia-kirjan jälkeen, sillä Konttisenkin kirjassa käsiteltiin evenkejä lyhyesti. Kiinan paimentolaiskansoja kohtaan kohdistama kolonialismi teki kipeää. Ylimääräinen tähti ihan vain kovin vähän kuvatun kansa käsittelystä.
Kärsi toki lähes kaikkien suurten vuosisataromaanien tavoin tapahtumien hillittömästä tulvasta, jossa ei ollut hengähtämiselle juuri sijaa. Silti koskettava ja kiinnostava kuvaus katoamaisillaan olevasta kansasta.
Kärsi toki lähes kaikkien suurten vuosisataromaanien tavoin tapahtumien hillittömästä tulvasta, jossa ei ollut hengähtämiselle juuri sijaa. Silti koskettava ja kiinnostava kuvaus katoamaisillaan olevasta kansasta.
October 8, 2024
This is a story about an ethnic minority, Evenki, that lives in the north of inner Mongolia in China. The story unfolds the tribal structure, shamanic ritual, and their relationship with the nature through examine character livies spamming five generations.
I adored the words of Chi Zijian, she captured the precise balance between romanticizing and realizing the Evenki culture and lifestyle. Her story gives the audience a good think on how the “civilized” development in a country marginalize ethnic group and their nomadic lifestyle.
“面对越来越繁华和陌生的世界，曾是这片土地的主人的他们，成了现代世界的”边缘人”，成了要接受救济和灵魂拯救的一群！我深深理解他们内心深处的哀愁和孤独“ - 迟子建
October 28, 2025
its really good look at the 20th century of a small tribe called the Evenki. some of the scenes are quite sad and it's probably got too many characters to really keep track of but I think, overall it's a very interesting and tragic read about a changing world
March 26, 2024
Absolutely stunning.
May 31, 2024
3,5 stars. Beautiful but repetitive at times.
April 30, 2023
wow this took so long i felt like i lived her life too
good in many parts but 200-300 boring
good in many parts but 200-300 boring
January 5, 2025
I was intrigued when I discovered that this story takes place in the Northeastern region of China, a place so far removed from my own experiences and perked my interest.
It was a slow-burning, enthralling epic story spanning three generations of tribe of the Evenki, a little-known population heard about in the West. The narrator is 90, the wife of the tribe's last Clan Chieftan, and her familial relations to each of the characters are told, but she herself remains nameless and anonymous.
The narrator details the joys, sorrows, and vissisitudes that befall the tribe over the decades. Rich are the explanations of how the Evenki way of life is unseparable from their natural environment - their herds of reindeer, the wild moss upon which they feed (and determine the direction of their nomadism), the endless uses of birch bark - these natural elements are themselves characters of the book. The human characters - mostly family/extended family of the narrator, are colourful in their diversity and life stories. There are also encounters with Russian and Japanese peoples whether by trade or by war.
Respect is paid to the traditional shamanism; in fact, I found myself questioning whether the story fell into the realm of realism, or magic realism, as the main shaman that is featured prominently throughout has the ability to save lives at the expense of a family death, or conjure rain.
Regarding death, there are numerous characters that die over the span of the narrator's 90 years - and the often brief, matter-of-fact way in which those deaths are portrayed, to me mirror the inevitable ways in which those remaining alive necessitate continuance of living.
By the second half of the novel, one begins to see the encroachment of modernity upon the tribe - logging and deforestation, and mounting political influences in early modern China that attempt to 'civilise' the nomadic peoples and resettle them into townships.
The style of the narration can be slow at times, but it is worth it to get through this novel. Indeed, I finished the novel feeling enriched to have glimpsed this way of life, this remote region of our vast world.
It was a slow-burning, enthralling epic story spanning three generations of tribe of the Evenki, a little-known population heard about in the West. The narrator is 90, the wife of the tribe's last Clan Chieftan, and her familial relations to each of the characters are told, but she herself remains nameless and anonymous.
The narrator details the joys, sorrows, and vissisitudes that befall the tribe over the decades. Rich are the explanations of how the Evenki way of life is unseparable from their natural environment - their herds of reindeer, the wild moss upon which they feed (and determine the direction of their nomadism), the endless uses of birch bark - these natural elements are themselves characters of the book. The human characters - mostly family/extended family of the narrator, are colourful in their diversity and life stories. There are also encounters with Russian and Japanese peoples whether by trade or by war.
Respect is paid to the traditional shamanism; in fact, I found myself questioning whether the story fell into the realm of realism, or magic realism, as the main shaman that is featured prominently throughout has the ability to save lives at the expense of a family death, or conjure rain.
Regarding death, there are numerous characters that die over the span of the narrator's 90 years - and the often brief, matter-of-fact way in which those deaths are portrayed, to me mirror the inevitable ways in which those remaining alive necessitate continuance of living.
By the second half of the novel, one begins to see the encroachment of modernity upon the tribe - logging and deforestation, and mounting political influences in early modern China that attempt to 'civilise' the nomadic peoples and resettle them into townships.
The style of the narration can be slow at times, but it is worth it to get through this novel. Indeed, I finished the novel feeling enriched to have glimpsed this way of life, this remote region of our vast world.
October 26, 2022
I really need to stop buying books just because they have awesome cover art ...
Beautiful nature and folktale writing enveloping a repetitive and ridiculous family drama, The Last Quarter of the Moon is a long tale told by an elderly Evenki woman about her life in her urirang on the border of China and Soviet Russia. The global changes that sweep through that part of the world are but faint murmurs compared to the ever-present dangers of Mother Nature and the tribulations of dealing with rowdy and impulsive relatives, with much of the book dedicated to recounting the absurd deaths in her clan that reads less like a folktale and more like a shortlist for the Darwin Awards combined with a suicide watchlist: bear maulings, lightning strikes, allergic reactions, choking on bones, getting sucked in a whirlpool, getting spooked by a spider, and even getting Dick Cheneyed. I'm not sure why the author centred the entire book around this, but it unfortunately overshadows what otherwise could be a supremely lovely work. Learned a lot about Evenki tribal traditions if we're looking for plus sides to this literary experience.
Beautiful nature and folktale writing enveloping a repetitive and ridiculous family drama, The Last Quarter of the Moon is a long tale told by an elderly Evenki woman about her life in her urirang on the border of China and Soviet Russia. The global changes that sweep through that part of the world are but faint murmurs compared to the ever-present dangers of Mother Nature and the tribulations of dealing with rowdy and impulsive relatives, with much of the book dedicated to recounting the absurd deaths in her clan that reads less like a folktale and more like a shortlist for the Darwin Awards combined with a suicide watchlist: bear maulings, lightning strikes, allergic reactions, choking on bones, getting sucked in a whirlpool, getting spooked by a spider, and even getting Dick Cheneyed. I'm not sure why the author centred the entire book around this, but it unfortunately overshadows what otherwise could be a supremely lovely work. Learned a lot about Evenki tribal traditions if we're looking for plus sides to this literary experience.
January 2, 2024
对我来说这本书前面大半部分都非常精彩，后面百分之十几的部分略有一点烂尾，整体还是很不错的。
故事从“我”的父母正值壮年的时期开始讲起，从“我”的孙辈们的壮年时期谢幕。
我想说几位我比较有感触或是比较喜欢的人物。
伊万。我觉得伊万是一个很饱满、有着铮铮铁骨的人，他的一生好像都在保护别人。他从苏联贩子手里救出的女人成了他的妻子，日本人来之前他的妻子带着儿女逃回额尔古纳河左岸去了，他从来不允许别人说一句他妻子的坏话，即使她们逃走。被日本人带下山去集训的时候，他保护受辱的金得，被关起来毒打，他用大手生生掰断栏杆从窗户逃了。后来他参军，总是托人给营地的人们送一些好东西，有一次他突然回到营地（好像是在主人公的第二次婚姻仪式上），我当时感到像是自己的一位多年不见的老朋友突然出现一样感动。他一生都没有忘了逃走的妻子，死了之后还是让人在他坟前画上十字，那是他妻子的信仰。
两位萨满。“我”的童年里好像有很多时候都是出现在尼都萨满的希楞柱里的，童年很轻盈，而尼都萨满给我一种哀愁和神秘的感觉。他最后一次跳神是对抗日本人。妮浩一生失去了很多个孩子，她每一次去挽救别人的生命，都用了自己的一个孩子的生命去换，这些也是最让我感到神力的地方，大概从那个落水的孩子开始，我开始去思考这种力量的真实性。妮浩最后一次跳神是为了拯救大火之中的山林。
林克与达玛拉。他们的感情深厚、踏实又温暖，许多情形让我想起了我的爸妈。林克过早地意外离世了，留达玛拉又孤独地过了好多年。写到达玛拉和尼都萨满的感情时我非常震惊，但我觉得林克和达玛拉才有最坚实的感情。
“我”与拉吉达。主人公的两段婚姻都非常幸福，她和拉吉达的相识和结合是在他们都还青涩的年龄，而和瓦罗加相遇时他们都已经历了真正的生活，是两个成熟的人的结合。我很喜欢拉吉达是因为拉吉达不顾各种迷信的说法带“我”去打猎，我很容易被这种年轻、炽热的爱所打动。
故事中后期，那些和父母同辈的人们一个个离去，伊万、达西、杰芙琳娜、金得、依芙琳……我从这里感受到故事变得仓促起来，在故事里待了几十年的人们，一起创造了那么多回忆的人们，我认为他们离去的描写太紧太仓促。书中每隔一段就会伴随着一个人的死亡，到了后期，频繁的死亡，频繁的新生，熟悉的人走得差不多，新生的人又密集得让我有些分不清他们的名字和身份了。
其实心里有些希望在这个时代，遥远的额尔古纳河岸仍然生活着这样一群鄂温克人，与驯鹿、森林为伴。当激流乡在故事里出现时，我有一种回忆被打破的感觉，回忆被打破了一道口子，现实从那口子里探了过来，于是不得不带着现实继续赶路了，现实把那口子撕得越来越大，最后全都挤进来，只剩一个小小角落，剩一位老妇人和她的孙子、一把遥远的年代留下的火种、一些驯鹿而已。
故事从“我”的父母正值壮年的时期开始讲起，从“我”的孙辈们的壮年时期谢幕。
我想说几位我比较有感触或是比较喜欢的人物。
伊万。我觉得伊万是一个很饱满、有着铮铮铁骨的人，他的一生好像都在保护别人。他从苏联贩子手里救出的女人成了他的妻子，日本人来之前他的妻子带着儿女逃回额尔古纳河左岸去了，他从来不允许别人说一句他妻子的坏话，即使她们逃走。被日本人带下山去集训的时候，他保护受辱的金得，被关起来毒打，他用大手生生掰断栏杆从窗户逃了。后来他参军，总是托人给营地的人们送一些好东西，有一次他突然回到营地（好像是在主人公的第二次婚姻仪式上），我当时感到像是自己的一位多年不见的老朋友突然出现一样感动。他一生都没有忘了逃走的妻子，死了之后还是让人在他坟前画上十字，那是他妻子的信仰。
两位萨满。“我”的童年里好像有很多时候都是出现在尼都萨满的希楞柱里的，童年很轻盈，而尼都萨满给我一种哀愁和神秘的感觉。他最后一次跳神是对抗日本人。妮浩一生失去了很多个孩子，她每一次去挽救别人的生命，都用了自己的一个孩子的生命去换，这些也是最让我感到神力的地方，大概从那个落水的孩子开始，我开始去思考这种力量的真实性。妮浩最后一次跳神是为了拯救大火之中的山林。
林克与达玛拉。他们的感情深厚、踏实又温暖，许多情形让我想起了我的爸妈。林克过早地意外离世了，留达玛拉又孤独地过了好多年。写到达玛拉和尼都萨满的感情时我非常震惊，但我觉得林克和达玛拉才有最坚实的感情。
“我”与拉吉达。主人公的两段婚姻都非常幸福，她和拉吉达的相识和结合是在他们都还青涩的年龄，而和瓦罗加相遇时他们都已经历了真正的生活，是两个成熟的人的结合。我很喜欢拉吉达是因为拉吉达不顾各种迷信的说法带“我”去打猎，我很容易被这种年轻、炽热的爱所打动。
故事中后期，那些和父母同辈的人们一个个离去，伊万、达西、杰芙琳娜、金得、依芙琳……我从这里感受到故事变得仓促起来，在故事里待了几十年的人们，一起创造了那么多回忆的人们，我认为他们离去的描写太紧太仓促。书中每隔一段就会伴随着一个人的死亡，到了后期，频繁的死亡，频繁的新生，熟悉的人走得差不多，新生的人又密集得让我有些分不清他们的名字和身份了。
其实心里有些希望在这个时代，遥远的额尔古纳河岸仍然生活着这样一群鄂温克人，与驯鹿、森林为伴。当激流乡在故事里出现时，我有一种回忆被打破的感觉，回忆被打破了一道口子，现实从那口子里探了过来，于是不得不带着现实继续赶路了，现实把那口子撕得越来越大，最后全都挤进来，只剩一个小小角落，剩一位老妇人和她的孙子、一把遥远的年代留下的火种、一些驯鹿而已。
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