Dictee
by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 283)
recommends it for:
cinema-o-philes, those interested in post colonial studies, poets
if dictee isn't necessarily enjoyable to read, it's a profound read. one comes to the first page of the book w/ a quote from sappho, although its authorial legitimacy is up in the air. the reader (or more appropriately, the viewer) is left to piece together a sort of anti-novella text, collaged with documents and images. christian metz is a must-read, as well as the theory behind the cinematic apparatus, and lacan's idea of jouissance, if the viewer/reader wants to understand cha's intentions...more
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I'm not sure I would have entered the text the same way without the help of genius post-colonnialist critic Tomo Hatori. Anyone know him? His voice is so soothing, I wanted always to sleep in his class, a painful thing because he was one of the best instructors I've ever had, and every missed ten minutes meant missing something good--something important and moving and insightful. He brought me to this wonderfully creative, challenging book. I read it about nine years ago in that class and I thin...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
people who think that nothing is lost when translating poetry
I really wanted to like this book. But frankly, it was riddled with spelling errors, repetitive, verbose instead of spare, and had very little ear for poetic rhythm. I'll give you the very end of it and if you think this is good, go read the whole book:
"Trees adhere to silence in attendance to the view to come. If to occur. In vigilence[sic] of lifting the immobile silence. Lift me to the window picture image unleash the ropes tied to weights of stones first the ropes then its scraping ...more
"Trees adhere to silence in attendance to the view to come. If to occur. In vigilence[sic] of lifting the immobile silence. Lift me to the window picture image unleash the ropes tied to weights of stones first the ropes then its scraping ...more
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Read in May, 2008
I can't say I enjoyed this book, but enjoyment was hardly the point.
Dictee is a contradiction, an attempt to express what cannot be expressed while addressing its own impossibility. Even if Cha's repitition borders at times on obnoxious, the challenge of the book itself asks why we demand narrative in our lives, and what language actually means. While reading I became aware of the movement of my eyes, the blank spaces, the images--the physicality itself of reading. In my hands I real...more
Dictee is a contradiction, an attempt to express what cannot be expressed while addressing its own impossibility. Even if Cha's repitition borders at times on obnoxious, the challenge of the book itself asks why we demand narrative in our lives, and what language actually means. While reading I became aware of the movement of my eyes, the blank spaces, the images--the physicality itself of reading. In my hands I real...more
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Read in January, 2003
This book was my favorite college reading. I had the chance to watch one of her videos at Berkeley Museum a couple of years ago. This book is phenomenal because it pulls you in even though it is not an accessibly compelling read. It is cryptic. It is deep. It makes you read each punctuation, literally. Dictee has its own unique tongue. So many different subjects manifest in this history, biographical, political, poetic, language infused book. It isn't about any one thing. Where some may find are...more
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recommends it for:
Everyone
A masterpiece. How she died was unbearably cruel and unbelievably strange...what was it...the day after this book came out? On the street by a stranger's brutal hand? Intolerable to think of it...it's too punishing...and the work is so humane, so transcendently beautiful, trying (in an almost Promethean gesture) to heal the pain history inflicts on the individual.
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Read in March, 2008
I read this for class. It is very fragmented. It has a poem on one page and a picture on the next. Part of it is written in 2nd person. Very confusing book but it correlated with how identity is made up of multiple fragments. I am a Mexican-American heterosexual girl that is Mormon and is pretty poor.
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Read in November, 2007
Often intentionally difficult to read, due to its experimental techniques, but also exhilarating for the same reason. I strongly suspect this will very much reward rereading. It's clearly not the sort of book that you're supposed to just once, cover-to-cover.
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Cha weaves together the lives of many (both real and mythical) through images, poetry, and other texts...this is one of those books that changes every time you look at it--the juxtapositions she sets up are full of opportunities for meaning-making.
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I am inspired by Cha's use of collage to tell a story...the way she uses pictures, handwritten documents, etc to add another level of cohesiveness to the story. Her work has helped me think writing in a new way.
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i once described this book as "the best book i've ever read, been moved or amazed by, and not had a personal identification or investment with the terms of the project"
and that means a lot to me.
and that means a lot to me.
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This book is amazingly difficult; I threw it across the room after ten pages. Part poetry, biography, and history rewritten, it is a beautiful and misunderstood work.
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
people with way too much time on their hands
I know she died tragically and all but that doesn't change the fact that this is a load of pretentious rambling bollox.
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Read in January, 2000
recommends it for:
strong readers/artists
this book requires a lot of the reader but the payoff makes it MORE than worthwhile.
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Read in January, 2005
For me, this was one of those life-changing texts. Cha is/was amazing.
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i do not like this book b/c it's by an asian. i like it b/c it's good.
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Currently rereading, for my class...a unique if frustrating book.
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Have been meaning to get to this one for a while now.
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Read in January, 2002
recommends it for:
people interested in feminism, experimental writing/genres, mythology, asian identity...
Please read this book, its beautiful.
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