Robert Garmong > Recent Status Updates

Very interesting so far. I’m surprised that this was allowed to be published in the country that still hasn’t come to terms with its Mao-era past.

It helps a lot to know at least a little bit of Mandarin and Chinese culture to understand the book in all its nuances.

This translation makes the book come alive to me in a way no other translation ever has. I’ve semi-enjoyed The Iliad in the past, but reading the Emily Wilson translation is the first time I’ve *loved* it.

This book starts out with a great "hook" — literally, a riverboat pilot finds a body while fishing with his high school friend.