Items related to Borrowed Tongue
Synopsis
An overseas Chinese woman confronts her past, seeking the origins of the insecurity that now besets her. The clues leads backwards, to her family and to China, to a past that is both obsession and legacy. She is now something of a foreigner herself-foreign culture, foreign children, foreign home. An affecting and unusual story about the quest for identity, it is written in English-a borrowed tongue.
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From Ungrateful Star: Do not mistake me. Itis me too. I am Chinese or I am nothing. I can get hurt by the stones I throw, and it still seems a betrayal to have to speak to you in this borrowed tongue. My proper language is Mandarin, the language to sing or to make love in: even the Cantonese prefer to sing in it if they can; I don't know how they make love-I'm not sure if they have the time; they're so busy making money. Mandarin-silly name-or National Language-even sillier, as if the language was owned, like the National Anthem, that foolish western imperialist invention-or Ordinary Language-silliest of all, as if a language could be ordinary! It flows in me, this language. I can't empty it out and fill it up with another (even if I nearly had to). It's my life-blood, my bones, my world.
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Chinese
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherRenditions Paperbacks
- Publication date1989
- ISBN 10 9622013813
- ISBN 13 9789622013810
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages216
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Borrowed Tongue
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 10-9622013813-G
Quantity: 1 available
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Borrowed Tongue.
Published by
Renditions., Hong Kong., 1986
ISBN 10: 9622013813
ISBN 13: 9789622013810
Used
Softcover
Seller: Asia Bookroom ANZAAB/ILAB, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
216pp, paperback, minor soiling wrappers. This is the story of a Chinese exile confronting her past, seeking the origins of her contradictions and nightmares. the clues lead backwards, to her family and to China, to a past that is as much an obsession as a legacy, to a truth that can only be revealed by questions a daughter is not supposed to ask. She has left behind her family home in Soochow and the mother who perhaps never wanted her, and is now something of a foreigner even to herself - foreign culture, foreign personality, foreign children. She questions her family ghosts and explores her childhood memories - in a borrowed tongue. Seller Inventory # 101725
Quantity: 1 available