Andre’s Reviews > Indigenous Writers of Taiwan: An Anthology of Stories, Essays, and Poems > Status Update

I did not care for the essays and poems either, and the only poem about alleged sacrifices to the little people did not even feature said little people. For the most part this book was a dissappointment, and often being unable to tell when stories were set did not help either. e.g. how was I supposed to know whether the story with a paiwan prostitute was current day or not?

I really don't care for most of this, like ... at all. If the stories were at leeast written better but most are just bad.

Did I get the definition of essay wrong? Are they just stories by people? The first one seems to suggest this.

Come on, it was so obvious that Youwai was a goddess and would have to leave once she touches a single thing in the kitchen. And considered how much she did for the village with all her magic it was really silly by the in-laws to complain about her lack of cooking.

why on earth did the gods send a giant purple flying fish as some "warning"?

This short deluge story from the Orchid Islands was better than the one before that. At least it was short and did not act as if indigenous people could do no wrong.

Granted, the third story (basically three ghosts talking with each other) is better than the second, but to me it comes across as an excuse for all the violent practices among the Atayal in ages past. It even ends with the typical excuse of "indigenous" people by accusing the othes as invaders even then the indigenous wereinvaders themselves. It is just an excuse for double standard.

The first story was so boring that I switched to the second and at least this one about a young Paiwan remembering a punishment for someone talking out of turn was better, even if just because it was short, but I expected a worse punishment then laying of nettle leaves, I know those things and trust me, despite what this story says, a normal person could take it. Yeah it stings and itches but not more.

I was really confused as to when this story of "The Last Hunter" is set. Said hunter and his wife constantly talk about hunting as if that is their main subsistence, but he also rides a bike, there is talk about a storage company and other work and now even the Yuan, which is odd because from what I know Taiwan has the dollar and so I looked it up and the yuan was only present in Taiwan from 1945-49.

Gosh, I had these chapters with roman numerals that don't even add to the page count on goodreads. I hope the actual stories make up for it.