My take:
THE DINNER, by Herman Koch, begins a bit slowly but then progresses to a wonderful sardonic portrayal of the behaviour of the type of people who have money, reputation, fine clothes, perhaps a 'successful' political career, and a rather stupid narcissism, who maintain a deeply false image of themselves by walking into expensive restaurants and having waiters and restaurant managers grovel before them. I read about 50 pages and found myself laughing more and more at the very fine observations of behavior, then I took a nap, looking forward to the mounting ridiculousness of these clowns when I woke up. Then, when I woke up, I found that the nature of the story changed abruptly to very dark considerations of urban brutality and hypocrisy, and revelations about the, literally insane, violent characters, who are not at all what I had thought they were - with continuing spurts of absurd, dark, violent humor. I did nothing that day but read this fine novel, beginning to end - I found it as much of a page-turner as any good detective story, except that it was brilliant, original and a really significant contribution to anyone interested in modern urban life and the hollow pretensions and dangers of the stupidly rich and famous.
Example: psychotic man beating school principal to a pulp, looks up to find he is being watched by many students, spots his son, waves and smiles, without stopping.
Herman Koch is a very fine, observant, intelligent writer.
The next book club meeting will be on Wednesday, November 15, 18:30, at The Park. The book will be SEX AT DAWN, by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha, available (VPN needed) from docs.google.com (downloadable) and, apparently, elsewhere.
The Kunming Book Club has a wechat group in which many regular attendees participate, but is open to all. Readings, locations and times of meets are chosen by attendees. New participants welcome.
Getting Away: A return to Shaxi
发布者Most of the villages in the valley are Bai, an official minority. There are also supposedly Lisu in the hills to the east - I haven't gone up there, but they shouldn't be more than a few hours' hike at most.
Getting Away: A return to Shaxi
发布者On its way to becoming overly touristified, like many other places that have already gone too far in that direction - but still very much a great place. Thing is, the town of Sideng is only one point in the Shaxi Valley, & with a bicycle you can ride up & down the valley for a very long way.
The Shaxi Cultural Center & Guest House in Sideng is a very nice place to stay in an old courtyard house - very comfortable & friendly but not over commercialized.
Yunnan GDP third fastest-growing in China
发布者All good, except for the income distribution problem, which gets worse just about everywhere.
China moves to lessen air pollution, Yunnan excluded
发布者@Willie Gee, I think a lot of it may be going to make the city fancier & more 'modern'; and, through that effort, into the pockets of those who live on profits and/or their friends in government.
The last Mongols of Yunnan
发布者@Alex: I think Kubilai Khan, Genghis Khan's grandson, commanded the troops - was your ancestor, youngest son of Genghis Khan, with them? Possible, but it seems odd - would like to hear more about this.