Comments on: Writing The Chinese Girl http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/writing-the-chinese-girl/ Reflections of a working writer and reader Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:23:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Paul http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/writing-the-chinese-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-111495 Paul Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:14:56 +0000 http://www.johnbakersblog.co.uk/?p=87#comment-111495 I didn't understand it. <strong>jb says</strong>: What can I say, Paul? Try harder. Some of <a href="http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/press-reviews-of-my-novels/reviews-the-chinese-girl/" rel="nofollow">these people</a> seemed to understand it. I didn’t understand it.

jb says: What can I say, Paul? Try harder. Some of these people seemed to understand it.

]]> By: Jd Webb http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/writing-the-chinese-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-110073 Jd Webb Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:25:23 +0000 http://www.johnbakersblog.co.uk/?p=87#comment-110073 The concept of masks as a symbol of different parts of ourselves is so interesting - like the lyrics of "The Stranger" by Billy Joel. <strong>jb says</strong>: Hi Jd. This links to the lyrics of <a href="http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/The-Stranger-lyrics-Billy-Joel/953DB3F466E12BCA48256870001B45F1" rel="nofollow">The Stranger</a>. The concept of masks as a symbol of different parts of ourselves is so interesting – like the lyrics of “The Stranger” by Billy Joel.

jb says: Hi Jd. This links to the lyrics of The Stranger.

]]> By: nicole http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/writing-the-chinese-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-109247 nicole Mon, 12 May 2008 08:06:50 +0000 http://www.johnbakersblog.co.uk/?p=87#comment-109247 I enjoyed 'The chinese Girl', and especially marvelled your writing letters from a female to a female. I have uncovered a personal prejudice here, in that I have avoided any male writing in a female character, but you did this so well, I was impressed and now will open my mind to other male authors who have written the female character. Your comment about 'good guys and bad guys ...Life isn’t that simple and books that suggest that it is don’t really do us a service." is very adult, very rational. But sometimes I deliberately read books/essays to top up my "feel good" bank of energy - just sometimes I like to read that the good wins over bad, and that the bad is locked away or vanquished. Just sometimes I like to escape the adult rational 'knowing' that sadly the good dont always win over bad, and that the bad may go on to get worse, because police forces all over the world are underfunded etc. And reading a journey or unmasking story of good turned bad turned good, the 'phoenix rising from the fire' type story, makes the next day after the last page is read, just that wee bit manageable. The danger of course is that a wee sojourn into fiction might become someones view of reality - that sad place of mind called 'denial'. Countries are invaded by armed soldiers, supposedly to bring democracy to the people; gangs are supposedly a group of misunderstood people rejected by society, etc. The bottom line for me is that I want to feel that somewhere, even if only in fiction, the light battles with the dark, and prevails - eventually. I only need to open a newspaper to know that there is not that often news on a happy ending type story - imagine reading only good news - then I would know someone somewhere had done a damn good PR job or spin on reality. <strong>jb says</strong>: Hi Nicole. It's good to hear you enjoyed the book. My remarks about 'good guys, bad guys,' above are really about the dangers of dualism, and I think I broadly agree with your own remarks, and that the books I have written and published try to contain this inequality between either good or bad being on the winning side. I really don't see why it should be one or the other in any given situation, but that doesn't mean that I never see the good as coming out on top. But overall I see <em>The Chinese Girl</em> as a novel about masks, which we all wear and which simultaneously hide and proclaim our identity. I enjoyed ‘The chinese Girl’, and especially marvelled your writing letters from a female to a female. I have uncovered a personal prejudice here, in that I have avoided any male writing in a female character, but you did this so well, I was impressed and now will open my mind to other male authors who have written the female character. Your comment about ‘good guys and bad guys …Life isn’t that simple and books that suggest that it is don’t really do us a service.” is very adult, very rational. But sometimes I deliberately read books/essays to top up my “feel good” bank of energy – just sometimes I like to read that the good wins over bad, and that the bad is locked away or vanquished. Just sometimes I like to escape the adult rational ‘knowing’ that sadly the good dont always win over bad, and that the bad may go on to get worse, because police forces all over the world are underfunded etc. And reading a journey or unmasking story of good turned bad turned good, the ‘phoenix rising from the fire’ type story, makes the next day after the last page is read, just that wee bit manageable. The danger of course is that a wee sojourn into fiction might become someones view of reality – that sad place of mind called ‘denial’. Countries are invaded by armed soldiers, supposedly to bring democracy to the people; gangs are supposedly a group of misunderstood people rejected by society, etc. The bottom line for me is that I want to feel that somewhere, even if only in fiction, the light battles with the dark, and prevails – eventually. I only need to open a newspaper to know that there is not that often news on a happy ending type story – imagine reading only good news – then I would know someone somewhere had done a damn good PR job or spin on reality.

jb says: Hi Nicole. It’s good to hear you enjoyed the book. My remarks about ‘good guys, bad guys,’ above are really about the dangers of dualism, and I think I broadly agree with your own remarks, and that the books I have written and published try to contain this inequality between either good or bad being on the winning side. I really don’t see why it should be one or the other in any given situation, but that doesn’t mean that I never see the good as coming out on top.
But overall I see The Chinese Girl as a novel about masks, which we all wear and which simultaneously hide and proclaim our identity.

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