"Nirvana in Fire"/"Lang Ya Bang" Group Read: Discussion Post for Chapters 1-4

[x_los]

We're taking a break from poetry to read Lang Ya Bang/Nirvana in Fire. We did try this before, over a year ago, but now we're doing it in concert with a larger Discord of people. If that's your preferred book-club method, contact superborb for an invite.

I'll be on there, but also doing a weekly post with thoughts over here. Feel free to join in/discuss here if Dreamwidth is your preferred method.

If anyone is interested in dankodes running further poetry content during or after NiF, please let me know what you'd be keen to discuss. I'm happy to work with you on that. I'll probably ask this again once NiF draws to a close.

For the first week, we're discussing chapters 1-4 of Lang Ya Bang. This discussion will draw to a close, and the next session will open, on May 9th.

Chinese text: https://sj.uukanshu.com/book.aspx?id=17338
English translation: https://merelhyn.tumblr.com/post/641747965727358976/the-langya-list-epubpdf

SPOILER POLICY: I personally don't give a fuck or even like to give unearned credence to the concept, so since I'm writing the post, anything's fair game.

Comments

Chapter 2

[x_los]

- GOD 'Jing' everyone was confusing for me the first time I watched NiF
- P audacious of the Emperor to give the kid an entire name
- technically, by real identity and blood, should Changsu be a person of higher status? The Emperor's sister took a formal demotion, and he's the Emperor's nephew. So is Jingrui, but Changsu is older.
- I wonder if historical dramas give undue time to codex books vs scrolls, simply bc we're still comfortable with the codex today?
- 'donned in' feels like English tourists on holiday saying things loud and slow, with a Spanish accent. Older/formal English as an awkward second language: one cannot be 'donned in part-worn, casual robes'. Clad in, maybe. 'To don' is exclusively the action of putting on, not a descriptor or resting state of wearing.
- Jingrui is from a G&S plot.
- Idk how to feel about Feiliu's position as mentally handicapped in a vague way. I'm a bit uneasy with it, though not sure of any particular quality of the depiction that makes me so. Maybe it's just that it's not handled quite according to frameworks of good or poor representation I'm used to, and it's such a hotly politicised thing, so I'm not sure how to read it and can't reconcile it neatly into categories I'm sure of.
- YUJIN! AYYYYYY.

And last time, I said:

- Here in chapter 2 the emperor made a decent judgment of Solomon (is that a familiar enough coordinate this writer would know it?). Don't get comfortable, he will never make a good decision again.
- Reading this after watching the series has the weird effect of making you feel LIKE Changsu. You know the Marquess of Ning is fucking awful before everyone else in the room, it's v weird.
- YUJIN, MY FAVOURITE SON! Well, one of. I used to just call him Tigger before I properly learned his name.
- was Xie Bi this central in the first ep of NiF? If so, I don't remember it. Duchess Mu apparently pushed to the fore at this juncture for the tv version only.
- how did people KNOW this novel was where it was AT? the opening gives very few fucks about your interest level. We've just spent 2 chapters... having some congee, which Fei Liu did not like.

Re: Chapter 2

[superborb]

'Don' is such an inexplicably common translationese choice.

I think we may be led to think of the emperor as having been good before the paranoia got him. Maybe it's a remnant of that time.

This /is/ revised without the multi-chapter ADVENTURES IN THE JIANGHU--

Re: Chapter 2

[x_los]

Yeah I wonder if the novel's aborted first beginning still preceded this version in popular memory, shaping people's reception and the audience engagement.

That's true re: time and the Emperor. 'Is this him back when he's still on the ball?'

Re: Chapter 2

[halfcactus]

was Xie Bi this central in the first ep of NiF? If so, I don't remember it.
I was also wondering this! I don’t remember him part of the banter (and his interactions with Yujin feel pointed somehow).

LOL It really is a very slow set of chapters but I guess if it was released a few chapters at a time (since it was a webnovel?), this type of short but slow beginning is not a dealbreaker?

Re: Chapter 2

[x_los]

Yeah, true re pacing, but in that hot-house competitive 'by the word' atmosphere I would almost expect the beginning to come out SWINGING, knowing it had an audience to win fast.

Re: Chapter 2

[xmarksthespotwhereistand]

Fei Liu's portrayal is just something i can't roll with it in any of these adaptations. Like, what's the excuse for having him like this?
His portrayal is just the worse out of all the characters.