Comments on: Book Review

By: aHetherington

aHetherington — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:01:34 +0000

In a humanities class this semester we had a section on ancient China focusing mostly on the calligraphy. Calligraphy was one of the arts scholar-officials like Yuan were supposed to learn, though from what I understand it was less important during Yuan’s time than in earlier (Han and T’ang) dynasties.
The way calligraphy was used to express individual personality and philosophy is really facinating. One metaphor I particularly like, which perhaps shows the influence of Buddhism, is how ink could be used to represent self while the page represents the space for the self to exist.
It interests me that the scholar-official social class and lifestyle lasted for so long and that they seemed to stay on the front edge of artistic expression.

By: mbryan01

mbryan01 — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:20:59 +0000

I found your review very interesting. I was especially touched by the line about the prostitute on the street and the monk in the hut. “Echoe” is the word. Yuan captures my struggle and current predicament with two lines. I will be looking for this book. Also I like the site and will be visiting consistently.
M. Bryant

By: madelinehoran

madelinehoran — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:07:37 +0000

I really liked this review, which echoed a few of the themes you mentioned in class. Hopefully I can find this at Barnes & Noble. I am especially curious to read “The Twenty-First Day of the Seventh Month: A memory returned to me and I wrote it down”.