Thursday, April 03, 2008
I like my job, as a librarian. It gives me time and space of my own to do the things I want to do. The work is good, much better than a teacher. Yet, I'm so lost with what to do with my free time. So much so that I'm starting to feel the void and emptiness everytime I come home from work. So much so that I'm lossing sleep and feeling down. I need to engage in some enriching social activity out of work, but what is it I want?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Genre: Non-Fiction, Conduct of life
Title: The importance of living
Author: Lin, Yutang, 1895-1976.
Publisher: Singapore : Cultured Lotus, 2001.
Call number: English 128 LIN
Available at most libraries
Book review:
Witty and humourous, Lin Yutang managed to entertain and yet at the same time, shared great insights to the way of life. Don’t let the title fool you into thinking that it’s a book that involves deep thought and written in the abstract philosophical prose of ancient Chinese classics. Very much on the other end of the road, Lin combined anecdote, parables, stories and jokes to make the most serious matters into light-hearted ones. The importance of life is readable to anyone from all walks of life. Daoism and Confucianism shape Lin’s views, but Lin is mostly a Daoist. He preaches the Chinese Daoist way of life of idleness and humour as the highest ideal of life, successfully reflecting on what happiness should be and how to really enjoy life. Lin wants us to appreciate simplicity and he actually talked in details on very ordinary stuffs like the best way to drink tea, on lying on a bed, on sitting on a chair or even how and what to eat.
He gives such a real representation of life that anyone can identify with and marvel at the way he brings across certain issues. Lin likes to write fictions short stories, many a times extremely ridiculous and nonsensical. Be reminded that though many stories draws from a touchy religious context, Lin does not go overboard and that we ought to seriously give it a pinch of salt. In the story, Adam and Eve lived together. But one day Adam just got so sick of Eve nagging at him that he went to God and asked God to take Eve away. So Adam grew lonely without Eve to the extent that he could not bear it any longer and went to God, asking for Eve back. This cycle took place so many times that eventually God got so sick that he washed his hands off the whole matter, with Adam and Eve stuck together forever! Lin does it again; this potential comedy central stand-up comedian gave such a realistic account of human desire of company and freedom at the same time. This particular story leaves the deepest impression, and oh……… how so much of it that I can identify with it!
Lin is a contemporary equivalent of Zhuangzhi, one of the ancient Chinese great thinkers who shaped Daoism. For those who have no idea of who Zhuangzhi is, do read Lin’s works. Lin writes as if he was Zhuangzhi, the style and humour, the way they look at worldly matters. I can’t help to suspect if he was Zhuangzhi himself, only to be writing in English instead of Chinese. Lin’s writing is pleasant to read and easy to follow, and exceptionally funny. He frees us from our own entrapping mind muddled and dull with unimportant matters of power, fame and wealth. Lin wants us to liberate ourselves, to free our souls from the pursuit of world riches. To nourish the spirit and mind by embracing simplicity and treat matters less seriously. Never had I laughed and smiled so much when I read. Reading this book is simply relaxing and soothing. It teaches us that the world is already a beautiful place and be appreciate of what we have. It is a must-read for Singaporeans who always complained of a stressful life.
The importance of life is a good book that presents to readers a practical, applicable and accurate world of Chinese Daoism through Lin’s eyes. With my deepest reverence to comment on a writer who has influenced me so much, Lin is inevitably one of the greatest writers of the century.
Title: The importance of living
Author: Lin, Yutang, 1895-1976.
Publisher: Singapore : Cultured Lotus, 2001.
Call number: English 128 LIN
Available at most libraries
Book review:
Witty and humourous, Lin Yutang managed to entertain and yet at the same time, shared great insights to the way of life. Don’t let the title fool you into thinking that it’s a book that involves deep thought and written in the abstract philosophical prose of ancient Chinese classics. Very much on the other end of the road, Lin combined anecdote, parables, stories and jokes to make the most serious matters into light-hearted ones. The importance of life is readable to anyone from all walks of life. Daoism and Confucianism shape Lin’s views, but Lin is mostly a Daoist. He preaches the Chinese Daoist way of life of idleness and humour as the highest ideal of life, successfully reflecting on what happiness should be and how to really enjoy life. Lin wants us to appreciate simplicity and he actually talked in details on very ordinary stuffs like the best way to drink tea, on lying on a bed, on sitting on a chair or even how and what to eat.
He gives such a real representation of life that anyone can identify with and marvel at the way he brings across certain issues. Lin likes to write fictions short stories, many a times extremely ridiculous and nonsensical. Be reminded that though many stories draws from a touchy religious context, Lin does not go overboard and that we ought to seriously give it a pinch of salt. In the story, Adam and Eve lived together. But one day Adam just got so sick of Eve nagging at him that he went to God and asked God to take Eve away. So Adam grew lonely without Eve to the extent that he could not bear it any longer and went to God, asking for Eve back. This cycle took place so many times that eventually God got so sick that he washed his hands off the whole matter, with Adam and Eve stuck together forever! Lin does it again; this potential comedy central stand-up comedian gave such a realistic account of human desire of company and freedom at the same time. This particular story leaves the deepest impression, and oh……… how so much of it that I can identify with it!
Lin is a contemporary equivalent of Zhuangzhi, one of the ancient Chinese great thinkers who shaped Daoism. For those who have no idea of who Zhuangzhi is, do read Lin’s works. Lin writes as if he was Zhuangzhi, the style and humour, the way they look at worldly matters. I can’t help to suspect if he was Zhuangzhi himself, only to be writing in English instead of Chinese. Lin’s writing is pleasant to read and easy to follow, and exceptionally funny. He frees us from our own entrapping mind muddled and dull with unimportant matters of power, fame and wealth. Lin wants us to liberate ourselves, to free our souls from the pursuit of world riches. To nourish the spirit and mind by embracing simplicity and treat matters less seriously. Never had I laughed and smiled so much when I read. Reading this book is simply relaxing and soothing. It teaches us that the world is already a beautiful place and be appreciate of what we have. It is a must-read for Singaporeans who always complained of a stressful life.
The importance of life is a good book that presents to readers a practical, applicable and accurate world of Chinese Daoism through Lin’s eyes. With my deepest reverence to comment on a writer who has influenced me so much, Lin is inevitably one of the greatest writers of the century.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)