Shalee lhaih 2015: shiaghtin 48

Go here for English version. Note, this is rewritten from scratch, not a direct translation.

23oo - 29oo Vee Houney

Jerrey sheyoo shiaghtin as daeed ny Shalee Lhaih. Shoh ny lhiah mee yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie:

バクマン y.l. 5 (大場 つぐみ, 小畑 健)

Ny smoo 'syn aght cheddin, dy firrinagh. Y red smoo douys 'sy lioar shoh, shen cowraghey Nakai. Ta'n lioar son jannoo feniagh jeh: fer ta lane soit er aaghoostey y coorse keirdey echey, as ta lane vaiht ayns cooish ghraih lieh-chioneagh marish Aoki. As dy jarroo, t'eh streppey dy chosney caa elley myr ellyneyr. Agh dy jarroo, t'an aghtey echey boirey orrym er dy fa dy vel blass stalker 'sy chooish: t'eh graih echey er Aoki as cha nel eh goaill rish yn aigney eck. Cha noddym jannoo briwnys dy nee drogh-aghtey t'ayn, agh ec y traa cheddin, er lhiam dy vel feysht ayn tra ta'n skeeal shoh dy voyllaghey myr shoh. Dy jarroo, ta skeealyn gilley dy cadjin cur trimmid er surranse as daanys myr Firrynys, as foast shoh y caa ynrican echey son raa ellynagh. As ta fys aym myrgeddin dy bee Bakuman cur briwnys elley er aghtey Nakai rish jerrey y skeeal. Agh ayns shoh, cha nel eh baghtal, as shen kyndagh rish freggyrtyn ny karracteyryn elley son y chooid smoo. T'adsyn ooilley gra "agh, she Red Deiney t'ayn as shegin da jannoo eh"; cha nel fer erbee smooinaghtyn "chaarjyn, ta Nakai ny hoie çheumooie jeh thie ben scarr jeh as graih echey urree, gaghinaghey son caa elley as treishteil dy jean eh meeinaghey e cree liorish surranse. Shen neuchooie."

Fockle s'jerree

Lhaih mee 1 lioar, va 65 aym yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie, myr shen ta 64 faagit dou nish. Shegin dou lhaih 14 lioaryn ayns 4 shiaghteeyn.

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English version

23rd - 29th November

The end of week forty-eight of the Reading Project. Here's what I've read this week:

バクマン v. 4 (大場 つぐみ, 小畑 健)

More of the same. The main event in this volume is Nakai's effort to reignite his manga career after a major setback. I was actually a bit concerned by the portrayal of Nakai in this book. The story essentially treats him as making a heroic effort to convince Aoki to give him a second chance as her co-creator. And to an extent that's true, but he's also locked in a completely one-sided crush on Aoki, and that adds worrying elements to this. The thing is, he's obsessively pressuring Aoki to accept him, motivated by a messy mixture of romantic feelings and desire for success as a manga team, and refuses to accept her decision to part. It's not easy to distinguish his actions (essentially guilt-tripping her, while making a big show of his manly humility and endurance) from just plain old being a stalker. He won't accept her decision, he's certain they could work out if she'd give him another chance, and he's sure that if he just proves to her how much he loves her cares about their work, she'll take him back. And she does. I know that it's a story, and a boys' story at that where this kind of macho stuff is lauded. And I know that the line isn't quite as clear-cut in this case, because she's also his only real chance at artistic success. And I also know (having read the story before) that Bakuman will take a much firmer line with Nakai and his behaviour later in the series. Nevertheless, I felt like here it was a little dubious, and perhaps most because the reactions of the other characters were generally "he has to do this Man Thing" rather than anyone going "dude, you're sitting outside the house of a woman you fancy begging for another chance and hoping to soften her heart through suffering, that is not okay."

Afterword

I read 1 book this week, I had 65 last week, so 64 are left over. I have 14 books to read in 4 weeks.

Shalee Lhaih 2015: shiaghtin 47

Go here for English version. Note, this is rewritten from scratch, not a direct translation.

16oo - 22h Vee Houney

Jerrey shiaghtoo shiaghtin as daeed ny Shalee Lhaih. Shoh ny lhiah mee yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie:

バクマン y.l. 4 (大場 つぐみ, 小畑 健)

Ta'n skimmee gaase ny smoo 'syn ym-lioar shoh, as myr shen ta possan dy ellyneyr ny s'lhea 'sy chooish. S'cosoylagh ve nee possan smoo saympleyragh t'ayn myrgeddin, smooinaghtyn dy ghow shin toshiaght marish tree gillyn scoill ard-cheeayllagh. T'eh cur ram geill da mynphoyntyn y çhynskyl manga, agh by vie lhiam shen dy firrinagh. Ta'n skeeal croghey er oirr credjaltys gyn tuittym foast. Ta beggan bree bea çheet my vlaa ayns ny reagheyderyn myrgeddin. Er y laue elley, ta bree Kaya er skellal roish çhelleeragh, as cha nel wheesh persoonid ayn nish. S'kenjal eh dy vel ee baighey bree ayns obbyr ny gillyn, agh cha by vie lhiam dy ren ee treigeil dean e hene erbee dys cooney lhieuish. Ta leshtal 'sy skeeal, agh er lhiam dy row blass lajer reih reagheyderagh ayn; cha nee eiytys dooghyssagh aigney Kaya hene t'ayn.

As mish my ynseydagh Shapaanish, s'doillee eh toiggal y skeeal shoh dy cruinn; cha nee focklaght ta bun y chooish, agh ennaghtyn. Shimmey anchaslys beg bentyn rish ennaghtyn, ymmmyrkey as cosoylaght ta goll er cowraghey liorish grammeydys cramp. Cha nel eh my lhiettal jeh toiggal bun y skeeal, agh y blass t'er ny keayrtyn.

The Wirral Home Guard (Harold Jager)

She lioar veg neuchramp t'ayn - ny lioaran, bunnys. Ta blass formoil meeammyssagh urree, as ga dy vel blass scoillaragh ayn myrgeddin, rish lhaih eh chreid mee dy row yn ughtar aaloayrt ny cooishyn shoh dou 'sy thie lhionney, bunnys. Va bree gleashagh ayn, soilshaghey magh bea ayns 1944, chammah's feniaght chadjin as fuilliaght hene-scryssagh y theay. T'ee screeuit lane vie; va Jager dooishtey bree ny buill dy lajer, son mac yn ard erskyn ooilley, as va firrinys ny skeealyn lane loaghtagh. Ta trimshaght neuimraait ny hrooid y liooar, agh foast ta maynrys ry-akin ayns sheshaght chaarjyn rish traaghyn doillee, as ayns currym jeant dy biallagh. Dy jarroo, va beggan troo orrym nagh ghow mee ayrn 'sy çheshaght shen, ga dy nee boghtynid eh shen - ta mee booisagh nagh row y feme orrym! V'eh foym cur y lioar shoh gys Oxfam erreish dou lhaih eh, as rouyr lioaryn aym, agh dennee mee dy row eh orrym freayll ee as cur ee dy ammyssagh 'sy skelloo reesht. Va aigney orrym dy yannoo curteish, bunnys. She lioar imlagh as neuheiyagh t'ayn, as y lioar smoo gleashagh lhaih mee rish foddey.

Fockle s'jerree

Lhaih mee 2 lioar, va 67 aym yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie, myr shen ta 65 faagit dou nish. Shegin dou lhaih 15 lioaryn ayns 5 shiaghteeyn.

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English version

16th - 22nd November

The end of week forty-seven of the Reading Project. Here's what I've read this week:

バクマン v. 4 (大場 つぐみ, 小畑 健)

This volume brings a welcome broadening of the cast, giving a broader (and perhaps more typical) range of manga artists to follow. It's a little heavy on the details of the industry, but to be honest I quite like that. The story hovers on the fringes of credibility, and I liked the way Yuujiro is humanised more in this story. From a learner's perspective, this is a bit hard to follow, not because of the vocab but because a lot of nuance regarding emotions, attitudes and probabilities is imparted through complex syntax. It's not necessarily a problem for following the story, but working out exactly how people feel about things is tricky. Kaya had lost a fair bit of her oomph this time, and turned into a bit of a tagalong. It's nice that she's invested in their struggles, but having her drop her own ambitions to be supportive didn't sit too well with me, despite the excuses. It feels like an editorial decision rather than a natural outcome of her character.

The Wirral Home Guard (Harold Jager)

This is a short, simple book - almost a pamphlet really. It is written with irreverent formality, and although it takes a somewhat scholarly tone, I can almost hear the author recounting this all. I found it quietly moving, a small reminder of what it was like to be alive in 1944, and the everyday heroism and self-effacing endurance of so many ordinary people. It is surprisingly well-written, really bringing out a sense of place, especially for a local like me, and evoking the reality of the stories he shares. There is a lot of unspoken sadness in here, but also a lot of joy in the hard times shared with good friends, and in the sense of duty done. It even makes me feel a little wistful not to be part of that cameraderie - though I can only be glad I didn't have to. I was planning to send it to Oxfam (too many books), but I felt the need instead to respectfully shelve it. It was a little hard not to salute. This is, humbly and unobtrusively, the most moving thing I've read in a long time.

Afterword

I read 2 books this week, I had 67 last week, so 65 are left over. I have 15 books to read in 5 weeks.

Shalee Lhiah 2015: shiaghtin 46

Go here for English version. Note, this is rewritten from scratch, not a direct translation.

9oo - 15oo Vee Houney

Jerrey sheyoo shiaghtin as daeed ny Shalee Lhaih. Shoh ny lhiah mee yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie:

バクマン y.l. 3 (大場 つぐみ, 小畑 健)

Ta tree cooishyn ec bun yn ym-lioar shoh: scansh aggindys dy ynsaghey jeh sleih elley; y scansh t'ayn eddyr ny by vie lhiat screeu (ny jannoo) as ny ta cooie myr cooid earishlioar er lheh (ny myr obbyr er faill); as cormid beaghee as obbree. As ad ard-jeean dy gheddyn conaant er straih-skeeal 'syn earishlioar, t'ad jannoo eab er ard-chaghlaa dys obbyr yiow lhaihderaght smoo. By vie nagh dooar ad bac shallidagh, agh lhiettrimys mooar - cha lhisagh eh ve aashagh da fer ta screeu skeealyn folliaghtagh inçhynagh goaill toshiaght er skeealyn caggee.

Ta cooishyn graih nyn mun arganeyn 'sy lioar shoh. S'doillee da Saiko toiggal nagh vel manga hene dean ynrican Shuujin, foddee; as cooish ghraih lane whaagh echeysyn, cha nod eh toiggal aght sleih elley. Er lhiam dy vel y skeeal shoh dellal rish ennaghtyn mie dy liooar, as y keayrt shoh t'eh bentyn rish ard-deanyn garraghey dy tappee rish aase, as streppey dy hoiggal ny h-arraghyn shen as goaill rish reddyn myr t'ad nish. By vie lhiam chammah yn aght jeean ta Kaya gobbraghey dy chiangley marish Shuujin, ga dy nee fer aeg corvianagh t'ayn gyn tort, wheesh currit da'n dean echey nagh vel eh cur monney geill da ennaghtyn sleih elley. Agh foast, t'ee ennaghtagh dy liooar, as cha nel aigney eck dy lhiantyn rish gyn failt.

Fockle s'jerree

Lhaih mee 1 lioar, va 68 aym yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie, myr shen ta 67 faagit dou nish. Shegin dou lhaih 17 lioaryn ayns 6 shiaghteeyn.

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English version

9th - 15th November

The end of week forty-six of the Reading Project. Here's what I've read this week:

バクマン v. 3 (大場 つぐみ, 小畑 健)

In this volume, there are three main themes: the difference between what you want to write and what can get published in a specific magazine; the importance of willingness to learn; and work-life balance. The artists run into their first major hurdle when, eager to get into publication with unbecoming haste, they try a radical shift in style to something more populist. I was pleased to see that this was presented as a genuine obstacle, and not something to be shrugged off. Meanwhile, Shuujin's relationship causes tension with Saiko, who struggles to grasp the idea that manga might not be Shuujin's exclusive focus. The interplay between the characters always pleases me; here it brings out the way priorities change rapidly during adolesence, and the struggle to come to terms with those changes. I like Kaya's sensitive, yet determined attitude to getting together with Shuujin, in the face of Shuujin's unthinking self-absorption.

Afterword

I read 1 book this week, I had 68 last week, so 67 are left over. I have 17 books to read in 6 weeks.

Shalee Lhiah 2015: shiaghtin 45

Go here for English version. Note, this is rewritten from scratch, not a direct translation.

2h - 8oo Vee Houney

Jerrey queiggoo shiaghtin as daeed ny Shalee Lhaih. Shoh ny lhiah mee yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie:

バクマン y.l. 2 (大場 つぐみ, 小畑 健)

Yl-lioar fondagh, lane dy haghyrtyn ta seiy y skeeal er oaie. S'mie lhiam y kiangley quaagh t'ayn eddyr Shuujin as Kaya: cleayn, cooidjaghtys as cohirreydys covestit, as ta blass ennagh er y vroish ta tayrn gy scooinaghtyn kianglaghyn caardjyn scoill aym nagh doig mee ad er chor erbee, agh v'ad cummal seose dy mie aght ennagh. Dy jarroo, ta'n kiangley shoh ny smoo anaasoil na coardailys quaagh Mashiro as Miho ta jeant er dreamyn gloyrnvianagh aegid.

Ta'n skeeal shoh jummal stiagh mooarane dy 'ys er y çhynskyl manga, as myr shen t'eh trome nish as reesht. Agh t'eh soilshaghey magh caslys so-chredjal jeh wheesh dooillee ta bea ellyneyr manga. Ta'n sterrym ennaghtagh shen goll er mooadaghey foast ayns aignaghyn jeigeyryn gloyrvianagh as jerkallys neuresoonagh oc.

The Little Worm Book (Janet and Allan Ahlberg)

Lioar veg lane d'aitt mychione feeiud as boggey dhianeyn. She boghtynid t'ayn, dy jarroo, aitt teaymagh hene. Ta duillag ny ghaa ayn hug orrym gearey er ard: Dhiane Mooar ny Seer, myr sampleyr. As ta caslyssyn Yanet Ahlberg er feie ny lioar as ad keshal lesh bree. Ny share gyn lhiggey da paitçhey credjal y chooid - veagh molley agglagh ayn! - agh she bolgum spoyrt t'ayn.

The Colour of Water (Kim Dong Hwa)

Skeeal smooinaghtagh er kynney, appaghey, doostey keintyssagh as caghlaaghyn graih. 'Sy nah lioar shoh, ta beggan fys ec Ehwa er y dooghys keintyssagh eck, as t'ee gappaghey dys ben aeg ayns ynnyd paitçhey. Ta'n skeeal graih 'sy lioar shoh feer tappee, dy jarroo - cha nel eh lane vaghtal wheesh dy hraa ta goll shaghey, agh t'eh corlhiemmey er oaie er lhiam. Ny yei shen, ta coraa meein y skeeal moogey blass joltee erbee. Dy jarroo, she coloayrtyssyn dowin graihagh Ehwa as e voir ta cooid smoo y skeeal, as ad resooney magh keeallyn "graih", "bwoirrinys" as "poosey". Foddee oo gra dy nee e voir hene ta feniagh y skeeal, as Ehwa y fakider ta soilshaghey magh dooin y bea oc.

Fockle s'jerree

Lhaih mee 3 lioar, va 71 aym yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie, myr shen ta 68 faagit dou nish. Shegin dou lhaih 18 lioaryn ayns 7 shiaghteeyn.

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English version

2nd - 8th November

The end of week forty-five of the Reading Project. Here's what I've read this week:

バクマン v. 2 (大場 つぐみ, 小畑 健)

A good solid volume with lots of development. I like Shuujin's rather strange relationship with Kaya, a mixture of attraction, companionship and competitiveness - it has some verisimilitude to it that reminds me of schoolfriends' relationships that often left me puzzled. In truth, it's vastly more interesting than Mashiro and Miho's far weirder relationship built on lofty ideals.

There's lots of insight into the industry in this volume, which can get a bit heavy. It nicely showcases the challenges of even trying to get into manga, and how this emotional rollercoaster grows even more exaggerated in the hands of idealistic teenagers with unrealistic ambitions.

The Little Worm Book (Janet and Allan Ahlberg)

A delightful little book about the joys of worms, with the charming illustrations I expect from an Ahlberg book. Though the whole thing is sheer nonsensical whimsy, there are some particularly bizarre entries that really put a smile on my face. Of course, a child reading this could be in for some serious disappointment if they take it as truth! A little mouthful of fun.

The Colour of Water (Kim Dong Hwa)

A thoughtful exploration of family, growing up, sexual awakening and different kinds of love. In this second book, Ehwa is becoming more aware of her sexuality and becoming less of a child, more of a young woman. The actual romance arc is quite fast, as the book seems to compress time quite a bit, but its gentle tone prevents it feeling rushed. The loving, deep conversations between Ehwa and her mother actually form most of the story as they explore the concepts of romantic love and marriage.

Afterword

I read 3 books this week, I had 71 last week, so 68 are left over. I have 18 books to read in 7 weeks.

Shalee lhaih 2015: shiaghtin 44

Go here for English version. Note, this is rewritten from scratch, not a direct translation.

26oo Jerrey Fouyir - 1d Vee Houney

Jerrey kerroo shiaghtin as daeed ny Shalee Lhaih. Shoh ny lhiah mee yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie:

Star Light, Star Bright: The great short fiction of Alfred Bester, volume 2 (Alfred Bester)

Dhossan mie dy chaghlaaghyn skeeal liorish ughtar fondagh. Shimmey çhaglym "skeealyn share X" ta lhaiht aym, agh dy cadjin ta scansh eddyr oc. By vie lhiam dagh skeeal 'sy lioar shoh. T'ad cur ny smoo geill da sleih na sheanse, as ta fir beggan quaagh ry-akin dy kinjagh. Ta Bester goaill stiagh skeealyn soit er eie sheansagh chammah's fir elley ta fansee hene, bunnys. Ta blass aitt ayn myrgeddin son y chooid smoo, agh she aitt dorraghey t'ayn.

バクマン y.l. 1 (大場 つぐみ, 小畑 健)

Cha lhaih mee eshyn yn çhiaghtin shoh, agh toiggal dy ren mee lhaih eh 'syn Çhapaan hene y vlein shoh chaie.

Fockle s'jerree

Lhaih mee 2 lioar, va 73 aym yn çhiaghtin shoh chaie, myr shen ta 71 faagit dou nish. Shegin dou lhaih 21 lioaryn ayns 8 shiaghteeyn.

Wahll, ta cosney beg ny share na veg.

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English version

26th October - 1st November

The end of week forty-four of the Reading Project. Here's what I've read this week:

Star Light, Star Bright: The great short fiction of Alfred Bester, volume 2 (Alfred Bester)

A very solid collection (as you'd expect from a "best of") from a very good author. The stories range across a wide scope of sci fi, and most have a fantastical quality, as well as a tone that sits somewhere between dark humour and wry stoicism. Quirky individuals are a recurring theme. Though the stories are mostly relatively hard science, all touch on the human element and some focus on that above all. Bester also throws in a couple of stories without any science at all, such as the titular Star Light, Star Bright and a rather cheery post-apocalyptic story.

バクマン v. 1 (大場 つぐみ, 小畑 健)

I didn't actually read this this week, but I did come to the conclusion that I actually read it in Japan last autumn, and can take it off the list and move on to volume 2.

Afterword

I read 2 books this week, I had 73 last week, so 71 are left over. I have 21 books to read in 8 weeks.

That's a pleasant change, helped along by a very long train trip down to London and back.