The Obscure Reading Group discussion

This one: The Journey to the West, Volume 1
Wu Cheng'en, Anthony C. Yu (Translator)
544 pages, Paperback, published February 15, 1980 by University Of Chicago Press; ISBN: 9780226971506 (ISBN10: 0226971503)
is by the same translator, but an older edition.

The revised edition:
The Journey to the West, Revised Edition, Volume 1
576 pages
Published April 5, 2013 by University of Chicago Press
Has this to say for it:

But Yu has successfully taken on the task, and in this new edition he has made his translations even more accurate and accessible. The explanatory notes are updated and augmented, and Yu has added new material to his introduction, based on his original research as well as on the newest literary criticism and scholarship on Chinese religious traditions. He has also modernized the transliterations included in each volume, using the now-standard Hanyu Pinyin romanization system. Perhaps most important, Yu has made changes to the translation itself in order to make it as precise as possible.

So I've bought the Kindle edition of the revised edition, but I think in a pinch the first one would do as well.

As of now, the end of July works well for me.

Plataresca, I went back into the online inter-library loan catalogue today to check the status of this book and realized that my very specific search by full title resulted in only one result that was not available but when I generalized the search by just the title without the words volume 1 and revised, I was able to find several more copies available at other libraries in Michigan. I have successfully requested an available copy and will let you know when I receive it. So, I am thinking I will have it much earlier than July 24 if that works for you and Cherisa.

When I finish the two I’ve got going now I can begin

If we go slowly, so that there is enough time to analyze the (likely difficult) text and have time for other reads, then I can start any time!

Sounds good. I like slow. I have my nose in a number of different books right now too.

A movie is coming!
https://collider.com/the-monkey-king-...

All the more reason to read the book! :) Although it's hard for me to imagine that the production will do justice to the original.

I’m about to start Journey to the West. There’s a 99 page introduction! Is this part of the actual read? Do we want to skip it it and dice right into the story, or be able to talk about why such a long intro is needed?

Darrin, what do you think about it?
And maybe we should start a separate thread for this read already?

Plateresca and Cherisa, I am sorry for my absence. My wife and I spent our 30th wedding anniversary in Hawaii from July 15 to July 23 and as of yesterday we are returning to our normal lives...sigh. Prior to leaving I had put a hold on the book at our library system and I picked it up yesterday.

On the introduction, perhaps skip it and get to the story, though, perhaps at the end we could review it and make it part of the discussion if it provides any additional context to the story. I will probably read it anyway as I want to know more about this series of stories.

I also agree that we should have a separate thread. Do we want to divide the book up into sections with reading goals? Since picking it up yesterday I haven't looked at the book in detail yet and it is still in my book bag. Let me know your thoughts.

Hawaii for a big marker, Darrin, how great! My husband and I are doing Kauai and Maui 8 days each with 3 days front and back in Napa and Carmel CA for our 30th in Jan/Feb!

Yes, let's start a separate thread and dive right into the story, saving the intro for afterward.

Here is the new thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Darrin, congratulations! I wish you and your wife many more happy years together, and many romantic celebrations :)

We celebrated our 19th anniversary this year (newly-weds compared to all of you! :)) and just leafed a travel book I did on one of our youthful journeys; but there was cava :)

I will post the rest in the new thread.

Cherisa wrote: "Hawaii for a big marker, Darrin, how great! My husband and I are doing Kauai and Maui 8 days each with 3 days front and back in Napa and Carmel CA for our 30th in Jan/Feb!

Our last day and on the plane ride home we spent tentatively planning our next trip to Hawaii. The idea of staying longer and island hopping was top on our list. We also now want to bring our adult kids...our two sons and my oldest son's wife.

Plateresca wrote: "Darrin, congratulations! I wish you and your wife many more happy years together, and many romantic celebrations :)

We celebrated our 19th anniversary this year (newly-weds compared to all of you!..."

Congratulations to you too. I am pretty sure in our 30 years of marriage, it was the first time that we have ever taken a trip together without our kids. It was a good experience.

Hi ORG members! FYI, I just sent a message about nominations for our October read. Yes, it's that time already!

You're hopefully still in summer fun mode, for a little bit longer anyway, but if you'd like to suggest a book for our next regular group read, please reply to the message between now and Monday. We want to have something ready by September, so we can find the book and start reading before our discussions begin in October.

Remember that our October read is not limited to classics, but please review the guidelines and keep availability in mind when coming up with something obscure.

Happy nominating!

Just a reminder to all that the deadline to nominate a book for our October read is the end of the day tomorrow, August 28.

There have been some very interesting nominations so far! But if you haven't nominated yet and want to suggest a book for the poll, please send me a message by the end of the day tomorrow, August 28.

Thanks!

Hi all--the poll is up! You should receive an invitation, and find it by going to the top right of our home page or any of our threads and selecting "polls." It's also on the bottom of our group home page.

Please see my comment in the poll--one of the selections has a much more descriptive version than the one I linked to when I created the poll. I didn't see it until too late!

Be sure to vote by the end of the day tomorrow. :-)

More than one nominator is in a gothic mood, I see!

One last reminder--don't forget to vote for our OCTOBER read!

As of now, there's a clear three books that will go to the next poll that I'll put up early tomorrow morning (PST). But if you haven't voted yet, feel free to get in there and mess that all up. :-)

The Second Round poll is up. The time is limited--ends at midnight Pacific Time--so please vote now for your choice!

As many of us have said, there were some great nominations for our October read. The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch was the winner.

For poll results go
here

and please jump into the pre-discussion thread
here

Just a reminder that today and tomorrow are the LAST DAYS to either nominate a book for our June discussion OR second one selected by another ORG member.

There's a thread dedicated for this purpose atop the LOGISTICS section.

Be there or be square, as they used to say (in the hip 60s, I think).

Last full day for nominations and / or seconds on the JUNE NOMINATIONS thread in logistics.

The JUNE 2024 reading selection poll is up for today and tomorrow. Remember, if you accidentally vote for a book you don't want, you can simply vote again and the vote will change.

Around 8 polling hours remain (midnight Pacific) to vote for the JUNE selection.

As of this morning, Eastern We-Hate-Daylight-Savings Time, there's a 3-vote difference between the top vote-getters.

The poll is visible on the bottom of ORG's homepage.

Thanks Ken! I may think about changing my vote given the standings. I was totally sidelined timewise from participating in the last read unfortunately so looking forward to joining this one.

Dianne wrote: "Thanks Ken! I may think about changing my vote given the standings. I was totally sidelined timewise from participating in the last read unfortunately so looking forward to joining this one."

I don't participate in every read either so no worries, Dianne. It's called "Life," as in "gets in the way sometimes."

In some cases, it's also called, "I have lots of books on my TBR and can't work up enough enthusiasm to interrupt things for this particular selection.'

Sorry!! I have been missing in action for the past year due to my husband’s health. I like receiving the updates in case I can rejoin at some point in the future. I miss “discussing” the books, but I am still reading 🙂

Good to see you here, Sandra, but I'm sorry to hear what you're dealing with. Glad you're still reading--it can help so much when going through stressful times. Hope things are better soon!

BTW, Kathleen, after Master Humphrey I rather like the sombre tone of Barnaby Rudge. Wow, D. was moodily max flex!

Sandra, I hope your husband has turned a corner and is doing better.

Fergus, Quondam Happy Face wrote: "BTW, Kathleen, after Master Humphrey I rather like the sombre tone of Barnaby Rudge. Wow, D. was moodily max flex!"

Good to know, Fergus. And I'm currently reading A Tale of Two Cities, which is also very different from Master H. That Dickens did have quite a range!

"Free Range" = London to Paris

Thanks Kathleen and Ken.

As the first poll finished in a tie between The Stone Raft and The Case of Comrade Tulayev, we are now running a 2-day runoff poll between those books.

Vote, folks, vote!

Ken wrote: "It's called "Life," as in "gets in the way sometimes."
In some cases, it's also called, "I have lots of books on my TBR and can't work up enough enthusiasm to interrupt things for this particular selection.'"
So true!

Sandra, I'm very sorry for you and your husband. I hope it will get better.

Today is DAY 2 for POLL 2 for our June's reading book. As of this moment, we have a TIE (again), so if you haven't exercised your democratic right, please do!

Important news near the water cooler of the JUNE nomination thread. Be there or be thirsty.

Waiting! 😀

See poll result:

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/1...

See Message 20:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I put up folders for both books, the Saramago for a June 1st start (I figured two weeks would work for a 300-pager, though the discussion can overflow into late June no problem) and the Serge for a June 15th start.

Cherisa, feel free to put up a Week #1 and Week #2 thread at the appropriate time as well as a Reading Schedule one once you have the book in hand and choose a chapter to break it at.

I'll do the same for the Victor Serge book when the time comes.

Great to see some intrepid souls vowing the read BOTH books!

Ken, I checked Tilayev and it is pricey beyond my current means. Yikes! Mind if I bow out of joining the discussion group on the 15th? Sorry about this. But I'll be there for the Saramago! It's so droll.

Fergus, Quondam Happy Face wrote: "Ken, I checked Tilayev and it is pricey beyond my current means. Yikes! Mind if I bow out of joining the discussion group on the 15th? Sorry about this. But I'll be there for the Saramago! It's so ..."

No problem, Fergus. The paperback is $16.74 at amazon dot glom but maybe more in Oh, Canada! Me, I'm lucky. I can get a copy freebies through the interlibrary program.

As for you, it's yeoman duty to read and participate in ONE of the two June discussions, so no worries!

Thanks, Ken! You have always made my reading experience a happy one here.

Fergus, I prefer paper books to reading online, but if you're interested, I found The Case of Comrade Tulayev available on the Internet Archive here:
https://archive.org/details/caseofcom...

You may need to set up an account to "borrow" the book (view it), but it's simple and free. That's where I hope to be reading it.

Just a reminder, as we enter the stretch drive of May, that the first of two June discussions begins on June 1st (next Sat., a week from tomorrow).

It's a two-week discussion of The Stone Raft hosted by Cherisa, and you'd only have to have the first half of the book completed by the first. The rest of the book should be ready to discuss beginning the 8th.

Following this, on 15 June, we will begin our discussion of The Case of Comrade Tulayev hosted by the law firm of Me, Myself, and I. Again, only the first half of the book need be done by the Ides of June. The rest is for the last week of said month. Set in the time of Stalinist purges, it has some topical applications because history has a tendency to repeat itself. (Have you noticed?)

OK, comrades. Happy Memorial Day and I hope, after honoring those who served to protect our country and Constitution from liars and mountebanks (like the Duke and the Dauphin in Huckleberry Finn and, er, some modern-day politicians as well), you get some reading in!

Thanks, Ken! Loving the deft irony of Stone Raft…😏❤️

In case people don't read the Group Home Page description (where it's been posted since July), I'll add it here. The ORG is taking a little respite. As stated on the homepage:

July 2024 update: This group is going on hiatus due to low participation in recent discussions. Like a phoenix, however, it reserves the right to fly up from the ashes!

Thanks, all. And happy fall!

Thanks Ken. This will give me a chance to go back and read everything on the group bookshelf. 🤓

Sara wrote: "Thanks Ken. This will give me a chance to go back and read everything on the group bookshelf. 🤓"

Well, there's THAT! (smiley emoticon here)