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207th Bone
A book of poems by Chinese writer and doctor Zhou Li, translated by Xi Nan. This is a personal book, a spiritual conversation with oneself, or short records of life and emotional fragments in the passage of time. You will see a man’s desires, love, confusion, puzzles in life, and even politics. The poems are sorrowful and despairing; fortunately, they are also very light. You can pick the book up at any time, open any page to start reading, and then put it down any time. Perhaps it can also be said that these poems are our “unbearable lightness of being.”
142 pages, Paperback
Published August 15, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 20, 2022
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
July 23, 2021
It's a good collection of poems. The Author describes very introspective feelings as emotional fragments that dissolve throughout life. The text is simple but very reflective.
December 13, 2020
207th Bone is a collection of poems written by Zhou Li between 2017 and 2019. The poems are translated into English by Xi Nan from the original Chinese. We start with his most recent pieces which are broader in focus and more reflective than his earlier poems which largely seem to relate to specific relationships or experiences.
The language of the poems is simple, at times touching. They are fragments/vignettes without titles, each giving us insight into a different aspect of the poet's internal world. As with all art, whether the work connects with you is a matter of taste and, while I enjoyed Li's poems, they didn't always connect with me. Some of the poems were hard-hitting dealing with issues as wide-ranging as self-harm, infertility and loss - this is where I felt the collection was at its strongest. Other poems seemed highly abstract and left me lost, trying to find deeper meaning where there may not have been any.
I found some of the word choices strange - "I was in my stark nakedness" and "the relationship was cut off as soon as it sprouted" being a couple of examples. To me, the cadence of these lines doesn't tally with what English-speakers would write or say. Unusual word choices aside, I understand the translator's dilemma. Xi Nan had to find a balance between preserving that which is unique to the original language while also seeking to convey the pieces' meaning and sentiment to English-speaking readers. I imagine striking this balance must be even harder with poetry than it would be with prose and, overall, I think the translator did a good job. However, there was a slight disconnect for me which prevented me from giving this collection a full 5 stars.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The language of the poems is simple, at times touching. They are fragments/vignettes without titles, each giving us insight into a different aspect of the poet's internal world. As with all art, whether the work connects with you is a matter of taste and, while I enjoyed Li's poems, they didn't always connect with me. Some of the poems were hard-hitting dealing with issues as wide-ranging as self-harm, infertility and loss - this is where I felt the collection was at its strongest. Other poems seemed highly abstract and left me lost, trying to find deeper meaning where there may not have been any.
I found some of the word choices strange - "I was in my stark nakedness" and "the relationship was cut off as soon as it sprouted" being a couple of examples. To me, the cadence of these lines doesn't tally with what English-speakers would write or say. Unusual word choices aside, I understand the translator's dilemma. Xi Nan had to find a balance between preserving that which is unique to the original language while also seeking to convey the pieces' meaning and sentiment to English-speaking readers. I imagine striking this balance must be even harder with poetry than it would be with prose and, overall, I think the translator did a good job. However, there was a slight disconnect for me which prevented me from giving this collection a full 5 stars.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 16, 2020
Simple, short poems. Not to be read all at once, but he has some good moments. Zhou Li makes his living as a doctor in modern China. He finds nature in the city, sometimes black humor (some good poems about the hospital), sometimes very sensual. I'm the publisher, so hopefully someone less biased will leave a review. But I think the book is good literature and Zhou Li deserves more recognition. I haven't read the original Chinese, but the translator, Xi Nan, is good--very careful.
December 28, 2020
Wonderful poetry that's morose and contemplative in a voice that I did not expect. Somehow made me question just what is "mundane" in the eyes of the world. Flows well and goes down like well brewed tea, poems that are nice to savor on a rainy day. They really put me in a mood after reading them.
Excellent translation that really captures the intricacy of the original language without needing an excess of index notes. I would personally like to have had a copy of the original text too, but that's my personal preference. I know that's not always mandatory.
I wanted was more poems though! They were so addicting but so short. A handful of poems rocked my comfort zone, and some I didn't like. Which means the collection was pretty grand. Zhou and Nan are a stellar team. Hope they do more together in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Excellent translation that really captures the intricacy of the original language without needing an excess of index notes. I would personally like to have had a copy of the original text too, but that's my personal preference. I know that's not always mandatory.
I wanted was more poems though! They were so addicting but so short. A handful of poems rocked my comfort zone, and some I didn't like. Which means the collection was pretty grand. Zhou and Nan are a stellar team. Hope they do more together in the future.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 18, 2021
(I received an advance review copy for free thanks to BookSirens, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.)
I am not sure what I expected getting into this book, but in retrospect I'm glad it started with an interview of the author, and information regarding translation and the format. The wording is deceptively simple, but in very few words paints a world of loneliness, sorrow, where the mundane sometimes betrays something so deep I had to stop myself to breathe. Heavy themes mixed with every day life, a simplicity you can understand as coldness at first, then you understand is a longing, maybe, a deep sadness or just exhaustion. This book is definitely not an easy read. It's slow and sometimes violent, deceptively boring but extremely powerful. I lost myself into it, and I am still terribly moved by it.
I am not sure what I expected getting into this book, but in retrospect I'm glad it started with an interview of the author, and information regarding translation and the format. The wording is deceptively simple, but in very few words paints a world of loneliness, sorrow, where the mundane sometimes betrays something so deep I had to stop myself to breathe. Heavy themes mixed with every day life, a simplicity you can understand as coldness at first, then you understand is a longing, maybe, a deep sadness or just exhaustion. This book is definitely not an easy read. It's slow and sometimes violent, deceptively boring but extremely powerful. I lost myself into it, and I am still terribly moved by it.
January 31, 2021
Fascinating look at China
I really enjoyed this poetry collection. It’s broken down by years written but has re-occurring themes of seasons, China, sexual desire, and the struggle of empathy from working in the medical field.
I was most fascinated to learn more about China and really appreciated the footnotes to learn more. Solid translation work.
My only note is that I wish the poems were broken into sections besides years, such as poems about the seasons, sex, etc..
TLDR: if you want sexy and moody Chinese poems, here it is!
I really enjoyed this poetry collection. It’s broken down by years written but has re-occurring themes of seasons, China, sexual desire, and the struggle of empathy from working in the medical field.
I was most fascinated to learn more about China and really appreciated the footnotes to learn more. Solid translation work.
My only note is that I wish the poems were broken into sections besides years, such as poems about the seasons, sex, etc..
TLDR: if you want sexy and moody Chinese poems, here it is!
November 1, 2020
I received an advance review copy for free from booksirens.com, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is an interesting if darker collection of poems exploring everything from day to day life to what appears to be mental health challenges. Even though the subjects were heaver the poems did not feel heavy themselves.
This is an interesting if darker collection of poems exploring everything from day to day life to what appears to be mental health challenges. Even though the subjects were heaver the poems did not feel heavy themselves.
January 9, 2021
It's so fascinating how l can catch a glimpse of his life the book. It's so funny and intriguing that after l read the book l thought that l knew him. He writes about the most random things but they all connect to his life somehow . l never thought l would actually like it the cover and the description did not hook me in definitely.
September 11, 2022
This book is very insightful. You provide insights on many elements of nature, birds, health, family, love, and loss. I could not stop reading!!! I highly recommend others read this book too.
March 2, 2021
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews