A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary For Lovers

This would be my first attempt at a book review... or rather, my thoughts after reading a book.

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First up, "A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary For Lovers" by Xiaolu Guo 郭小橹。 I think I must first clarify two things: one, this is not a dictionary... it is actually just a fictional novel, somewhat based on the author's diary when she moved to London; two, I know I have a Chinese girlfriend now but that was not why I wanted to buy the book. It was actually recommended by someone in The Sunday Times and I found it interesting.

A warning beforehand... If you cannot stand bad English, replete with spelling errors, grammatical errors etc. ("What else I knowing about West?"), well, this book is definitely not for you! The book is delibrately written in poor English, but it slowly improves as the book proceeds on, showing how the protagonist tries her best to improve her English. There are also Chinese characters throughout the book.

To give a simple summary of the plot: A Chinese girl, forced by her parents, reluctantly goes to England to study English for a year. There she meets an Englishman, and lots of misunderstandings, quarrels (and sex) etc. occur between them as they learn more about each other. It is a romantic comedy.

I just finished reading the book today. I think to fully appreciate this book, you must not only be Chinese-English bilingual, but, as LKY said Singaporeans should be, bicultural. I found this to be true in many instances throughout the book, such as during the times the protagonist and her British lover quarrel. A lot of play on words ("Big Stupid Clock" = 大笨钟 = Big Ben) and also direct translations of chinese proverbs. However some of the translations are not proper... was that done intentionally? I don't know.

Oh the differences between the East and the West! There are times when I read this book I find so many similiarities in the relationship portrayed and my own (I hate vinegar! Yucks! But she cannot live without it).

There are parts in the book with simple drawings which reminds me of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time". I guess it's a trend to do that nowadays? On the other hand, the book sometimes feel like the book "The Catcher in the Rye", sans the glorification of violence and sexism, coz sometimes there seems to no specific plot and mostly just personal rants as time goes by--well, after all, it is based on a diary.

All in all, an interesting read. PRC Chinese should enjoy reading it (like my girlfriend), and I believe that they can understand and relate to the protagonist's plight and situation most clearly. A good understanding of both East and West is crucial in catching all the nuances in the book.