A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers - Xiaolu Guo

Some years ago I took part in a seminar for teachers of English on the cultural differences between GB and Germany. The lecturer talked for over an hour and when he had finished it was clear that he hadn't exhausted the subject. Try to imagine the cultural differences between countries from different continents! The 23-year-old Chinese woman Z (as she's called because no Westerner can pronounce her name) has been sent to London for a one-year language course by her parents so that she can later help them with their export business. She comes with very little English and the knowledge about the country she's got from her schoolbooks and films. One ...  Read the complete review

Having enjoyed Rowan Simons' "Bamboo Goalposts" about an Englishman's attempts to introduce football to China, I was keen to read Xiaolu Guo's "A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary For Lovers". Whilst I realised this was a work of fiction, it seemed to offer the reverse perspective; that of a Chinese woman trying to make her way in learning and living in English. It was also advertised as a rom-com style of book, which is something I quite enjoy and whilst I've not learned languages for some time and may not be able to relate to the main character so well, I still anticipated a decent read and my expectations were certainly met. Calling ...  Read the complete review

Known as Z (because no-one can pronounce her name), an innocent Chinese girl in her early twenties arrives in London to study English. She finds everything confusing at first; the language, the food, the attitudes are all deeply alien to her. Soon, she bumps into an English man at the cinema and falls in love. The English man, whose name we never discover, asks Z to ‘be his guest’ at his home, which she translates as meaning she can move in with him. Once living together, Z has a rapid introduction to sex and the cultural differences between China and England. To Z, living together as lovers means that they are committed to each other. Unfortunately, the ...  Read the complete review