Alice Poon's Blog, page 18
April 23, 2014
Book Review - The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I’ve just finished “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame. I’m giving it 5 stars out of 5 because I was absolutely bewitched by the endearing animal characters, the spellbinding scenery and the sometimes touching, sometimes hilarious twists and turns of the story. The minute description of English rural scenery shows the author’s genuine love of the place where he spent his boyhood – the enchanting Berkshire countryside and Thames River vicinity. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves animals.
April 12, 2014
Book Review - The Kite Runner
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I have mixed feelings about “The Kite Runner”. There is no question that Khaled Hosseini is a talented and charming storyteller. He knows how to titillate readers’ sensibilities. Indeed, that the movie adaptation was as much a success as the novel bears evidence to that. Somehow the story reminds me of the hugely popular film “Slumdog Millionaire”. Maybe because both stories are great tear-jerkers.
“The Kite Runner” does touch my sensibilities. I am deeply saddened by what happens to Hassan. I can empathize with Amir for his burden of guilt. I am moved by the description of Hassan’s unquestioning loyalty towards Amir and of the father-son relationship between Amir and Baba. I am shocked at the human conditions in war-torn Afghanistan and I am appalled about the plight of Afghan children. But I can’t help feeling there’s still something amiss in the novel. Perhaps a precious chance to embed a deeper meaning to the novel was lost.
Read the full review here:-
http://alicewaihanpoon.blogspot.ca/20...
April 6, 2014
Book Review - The Painted Veil by Somerset Maugham
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I saw the 2006 movie “The Painted Veil” on TV some years ago and somehow couldn’t quite forget Edward Norton playing the always tense and melancholic Walter Fane, who actually has a sensitive and loving heart beneath what appears to be a cold and distant outer shell.
Recently in an online chat with other readers at Goodreads, I was asked to name my favorite movie which was adapted from a novel and I answered “The Painted Veil” just because I loved the movie very much as I remembered it. But I had never read the novel before. So I decided to read the novel. When I finished reading it, I felt the novel impresses me even more than the movie.
The novel moves me on several levels.
Read the full review on my blog:
http://alicewaihanpoon.blogspot.ca/20...
March 28, 2014
A Big Thank-you to All Entrants for My Last Giveaway
I've just stumbled across a valuable piece of advice on one of the group threads, which is to express appreciation of the interest shown by entrants of giveaways in a blog post.
Better late than never. I would like hereby to give my heartfelt thanks to readers who entered the giveaway contest for "Fated and Fateless" but did not win.
You've probably noticed from an earlier blog post that the novel has got a 5-star review on Amazon.com.
Should anyone be interested in reading and reviewing my novel, kindly send me a direct message and I would gladly provide a free PDF copy.
Better late than never. I would like hereby to give my heartfelt thanks to readers who entered the giveaway contest for "Fated and Fateless" but did not win.
You've probably noticed from an earlier blog post that the novel has got a 5-star review on Amazon.com.
Should anyone be interested in reading and reviewing my novel, kindly send me a direct message and I would gladly provide a free PDF copy.
March 24, 2014
March 13, 2014
March 12, 2014
Excerpt Part 1 of "Fated and Fateless"
I've split the excerpt into Part 1 and Part 2. Below please find the link to my blog post that contains Excerpt Part 1.
http://alicewaihanpoon.blogspot.ca/20...
March 10, 2014
Giveaway "Fated and Fateless" Closing March 15, 2014
One signed paperback copy of "Fated and Fateless" is available as a giveaway from March 8 to March 15, 2014.
March 4, 2014
Review of "Land and the Ruling Class in Hong Kong"
The Original Edition of "Land and the Ruling Class in Hong Kong" (December 2005) was rated as Editor's Choice: Scholarly by Canadian Book Review Annual in September/October 2007.
The Chinese Edition "地產霸權" (July 2010) won the 4th Year Hong Kong Book Prize in June 2011.
Here's the full review of the Original Edition by Gary Watson from Canadian Book Review Annual:-
"Oligopoly pays." That’s the chief lesson emerging from Alice Poon’s excellent survey of Hong Kong’s real estate and infrastructure economies. Although Hong Kong is often characterized as one of the world’s freest economies, it is in fact controlled by a handful of wealthy individuals and companies who stifle—rather than encourage—competition.
Poon dissects the sinews of Hong Kong "big money" and isolates its key components, those being legislative and legal sway over land and competitive policies. Hong Kong’s biggest fortunes owe their growth and security to dominance over a wide spectrum of businesses ranging from transport, public utilities, supermarkets, and food distribution to, most importantly, land development. Huge amounts of real estate are developed by a handful of large companies who control all aspects of supply, construction, and property management. Indeed, the usual hallmarks of classically defined competitive markets are nearly absent; instead, Hong Kong’s market structure suffers from steep barriers to entry and government policies that serve to bolster the market positions of a half dozen huge conglomerates.
The situation of near-anarchy for Hong Kong’s corporate heavyweights may make for impressive annual reports but does little to relieve Hong Kong’s mounting social and economic tensions. Poon carefully details how government "of the rich, by the rich, for the rich" in Hong Kong has damaged civil norms and deprived its population of economic security and well-being. Not surprisingly, articulate protest groups have lodged forceful criticism of "business as usual" and gained widespread support, proving that discontent is deep-seated and justified.
Poon’s concise, well-argued analysis is one of the few available English-language sources on Hong Kong’s predicament. While Hong Kong’s once-vigorous and argumentative press has lost its teeth following the takeover, new outlets such as blogs have assumed huge importance as a barricade for free expression and democratic principles. With Shanghai rapidly eclipsing Hong Kong as the banking and finance powerhouse for China’s breakneck growth, there’s a chance that competition may in fact re-emerge and make for the kind of "popular" entrepreneurship long absent in Hong Kong.
Gary Watson
Canadian Book Review Annual
The Chinese Edition "地產霸權" (July 2010) won the 4th Year Hong Kong Book Prize in June 2011.
Here's the full review of the Original Edition by Gary Watson from Canadian Book Review Annual:-
"Oligopoly pays." That’s the chief lesson emerging from Alice Poon’s excellent survey of Hong Kong’s real estate and infrastructure economies. Although Hong Kong is often characterized as one of the world’s freest economies, it is in fact controlled by a handful of wealthy individuals and companies who stifle—rather than encourage—competition.
Poon dissects the sinews of Hong Kong "big money" and isolates its key components, those being legislative and legal sway over land and competitive policies. Hong Kong’s biggest fortunes owe their growth and security to dominance over a wide spectrum of businesses ranging from transport, public utilities, supermarkets, and food distribution to, most importantly, land development. Huge amounts of real estate are developed by a handful of large companies who control all aspects of supply, construction, and property management. Indeed, the usual hallmarks of classically defined competitive markets are nearly absent; instead, Hong Kong’s market structure suffers from steep barriers to entry and government policies that serve to bolster the market positions of a half dozen huge conglomerates.
The situation of near-anarchy for Hong Kong’s corporate heavyweights may make for impressive annual reports but does little to relieve Hong Kong’s mounting social and economic tensions. Poon carefully details how government "of the rich, by the rich, for the rich" in Hong Kong has damaged civil norms and deprived its population of economic security and well-being. Not surprisingly, articulate protest groups have lodged forceful criticism of "business as usual" and gained widespread support, proving that discontent is deep-seated and justified.
Poon’s concise, well-argued analysis is one of the few available English-language sources on Hong Kong’s predicament. While Hong Kong’s once-vigorous and argumentative press has lost its teeth following the takeover, new outlets such as blogs have assumed huge importance as a barricade for free expression and democratic principles. With Shanghai rapidly eclipsing Hong Kong as the banking and finance powerhouse for China’s breakneck growth, there’s a chance that competition may in fact re-emerge and make for the kind of "popular" entrepreneurship long absent in Hong Kong.
Gary Watson
Canadian Book Review Annual
