A 10th-century Chinese mandarin travels forward in time; and writes letters home reporting on the strange land of Zha-ma-ni in which he is surrounded by giants with big noses; and frightened by the iron carriages called mo-tao-ka. We gradually realise that he is in present-day Munich; and the hapless voyagers encounters with modern life and love; make delightful reading. Scotland on Sunday Witty; lively and idiosyncratic. Times Literary Supplement We view contemporary society through the eyes of one unaccustomed to our ways; which proves to be both a refreshing and enlightening experience.The authors prose sparkles with an idiosyncratic humour; resulting in a charming read. Buzz Magazine Letters Back to Ancient China is a satire on modern life in the vein of Gullivers Travels; with a little bit of Asterix thrown in. And though it may lack the imaginative scope of the latter; it is not without its own peculiar charm. The story sees a tenth-century Chinese civil servant journey forward through time to 1980s Munich. From here he sends home a series of letters filled with fantastic tales from the future. Our hero; Kao-Tai; is beautifully drawn as an inquisitive and sexually voracious time-traveller. Appalled by the noise and dirt of our world; he comes to view our society as terminally obsessed by progress; without care for the consequences. Whilst some of the observations are a little obvious -arent we silly rushing about all the time- Rosendorfers lightly comic touch and the effervescence of his main character; keep things racing along. And here translator Mike Mitchell should take great credit too. More contentious is the elitist nature of the few things Kao-Tai comes to value. Our neutral hero; unsullied by this filthy world; likes expensive champagne; Beethoven; Mozart; Goethe and Titian; but sees nothing worthwhile in modern music; sport; TV; beer; in fact just about everything popular apart from sex. The marriage of high-culture snobbery with playful fantasy is a combination that; strangely struck a chord in eighties Germany. Since publication more than twenty years ago; Letters Back to Ancient China sold over two million copies. The Big Issue
#2668699 in eBooks 2012-02-01 2012-02-01File Name: B00QJ87FY6
Review
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Beautiful and SimpleBy SonyaLikesThis book is 79 poems with drawings. There are only a few lines to each poem. "perhaps/only perhaps/ you stand beside me/ in the falling rain." Accompanying each poem is a drawing done in black; what looks to be waterbased paint. Poems and drawings are very simple; very beautiful. "looking into your eyes/ I forget that people die."7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Zen Telegrams offer peace and thoughtBy A CustomerZen Telegrams by Paul Reps offers insight into the spirit. A collection of one page image poems; it can be seen as a commentary on the world in which we live as Reps delves into each subject with only a few words. His simple style sets the mind in motion as his words; gallop; fall; or smear across the page. The result his poems open the soul.This book can be used as a meditative initiative; or a gentle reminder of the world we call home. For either use; it is a collection that is definately a must own because of the power it conveys.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Turtle In-lineGreat tool
