The Impact of Bao Ninh's "Sorrow of War"

Sun, Laichen lsun at Exchange.FULLERTON.EDU

Wed Dec 30 01:00:30 PST 2015

Dear List,

I'd like to inform you that after having been translated into 14 languages (English, Danish, Swedish, French, German, Korea, Japanese--two translations, traditional Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, Greek, Dutch, Persian and published in at least 16 countries/regions, Bao Ninh's "Sorrow of War" is going to be published in simplified Chinese in mainland China by the Sanlian Press in Beijing, as one of the Translation Series of Overseas Southeast Asian Studies. It is translated by Dr. XIA Lu at Beijing University from the original Vietnamese version (the other one is the French edition; all others are from the English version) I remember a few years ago this list recommended some books on Vietnam and Bao Ninh's novel was one of them. I have been asked to write a foreword to the Chinese edition and I focus on the international impaoct of this novel. I'd like to solicit from the list on this matter, that is, in what ways as you know or experienced the novel has impacted the world in general and you in particular. Any piece of information or anecdote is welcome! Also, if you have comments on the translation quality of any editions in any languages, please also let me know, because I have also included a section on the translation.

Thanks a lot in advance! I have mentioned and even quoted many scholars on this list on their comments on Bao Ninh's novel already. But I felt that it will not be complete without asking you on this "Vietnam Studies Group" list.

Also, Prof. Hue-Tam Ho Tai, I'd like to know your name in Chinese characters, so I can cite properly.

Happy New Year!

Laichen SUN

Cal State Fullerton

Thompson, C. M. thompsonc2 at southernct.edu

Wed Dec 30 09:31:33 PST 2015

Dear Laichun,

One thing I have found lacking, or at best given little attention, in the various forwards to this book and the various articles about it that I have read is attention to the fact that Dang Thuy Tram was a physician and that she came from a medical family which included both western trained and traditional health workers. The best discussion I know of this can be found in

ÐẶng Thùy Trâm and her Family:

Lives in Medicine

Robert D. Whitehurst

this is chapter 3 of

Southern Medicine for Southern People: Vietnamese Medicine in the Making Cambridge Scholars

Publications, 2012. Laurence Monnais, C. Michele Thompson and Ayo Wahlberg eds..

cheers

Michele

Michele Thompson

Professor of Southeast Asian History

Dept. of History

Southern Connecticut State Univ.

JK gok-8 at spro.net

Wed Dec 30 12:38:34 PST 2015

As a former medical anthro., my thanks for your post, Michelle.

Joanna Kirkpatrick

www.artsricksha.com

Thompson, C. M. thompsonc2 at southernct.edu

Wed Dec 30 12:54:52 PST 2015

Dear Laichun and Members of VSG,

I've just realized that when I thought I answered a private email about Dang Thuy Tram's diary that I replied to a message on VSG about Sorrow of War. My apologies for this very stupid mistake, the seemingly eternal rain here in the Deep South must have fogged my brain!