Hong Kong Reading List - Omar Reviews
The World of Suzie Wong – Robert Mason
If you have read Omar’s Hong Kong story, you simply must enjoy this wonderful book and the movie that was inspired by it. You may also cross your fingers that my remake screenplay will be adopted and we can all revisit this tale one more time…
Golden Boy – Martin Booth
This is a well written vision into Hong Kong in the fifties, though the end of a wonderfully brave and curious young man. The rather complete, short story style, makes for an easy, very enjoyable read.
White Ghost Girls – Alice Greenway
This is a poetic book seen largely through the busy but unspoken thoughts of a young girl, in a foreign land, facing some horrible tragedies.
The Expatriates – Janice Y.K. Lee
With the story revolving around tragedy, bad fortune and poor decisions, it is not an easy read. But Lee makes these three women and their location so real, memorable and alive, that you feel more in touch with your own good and bad traits, just by following along.
The Piano Teacher – Janice Y.K. Lee
Lee does not hide her character’s faults. They are imperfect beings in an imperfect world, especially when they are surviving a brutal war. That being said, this book will leave you feeling you have shared this test of time, tragedy and triumph through brilliant writing. There is a foreboding to upcoming disaster throughout this story, the strength is in survival.
Fragrant Harbor – John Lanchester
Not only is this a great generational story, John’s descriptions and anecdotes make you feel like you are actually in the room with the characters
Hong Kong Stories
David T.K. Wong I am so thankful for discovering this book of HK short stories by this dedicated writer while browsing at Commercial Press in Causeway Bay. I would discover that David, born in 1929 has loaded his extensive written works online for us all to enjoy. He is not only a master short story teller, he shares his interesting life, through a fascinating time in Hong Kong and world history. https://davidtkwong.com
James Clavell – Asian Saga
I honestly can’t imagine anyone who cares about world history and wishes to be a citizen beyond their own country of birth, not reading these books. Perhaps the greatest historical fiction series ever written.
Ordered by publication date:
• King Rat (1962)
• Tai-Pan (1966)
• Shōgun (1975)
• Noble House (1981)
• Whirlwind (1986)
• Gai-Jin (1993)
Ordered by internal chronology:
• Shōgun: set in feudal Japan, 1600.
• Tai-Pan: set in Hong Kong, 1841.
• Gai-Jin: set in Japan, 1862.
• King Rat: in Japanese POW camp, Singapore, 1945.
• Noble House: set in Hong Kong, 1963.
• Whirlwind: set in Iran, 1979.
For more on these books, including my favorite quotes, and Hong Kong travel notes, visit artbz.bz/OmarT.HK.html
CHINA MOVIES
Omar’s favorites, In order of preference
Movie Year Director/Actors
KingofMasks99 Tian-MingWu/ZhigangZhang Zhigang Zhao
InTheMoodForLove00 KarWaiWong/MaggieCheung TonyLeung
CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon00 Ang Lee/ChowYun-Fat
MichelleYeoh ZiyiZhang
LustCaution 07 Ang Lee/Tony Leung Wei Tang,
SuzhouRiver 00 YeLou Zhou Xun
Zhou's Train 04 ZhouSun GongLi
2046 04 KarWaiWong/ Tony Leung Li Gong,
2 became 1 06 Wing-cheongLaw/MiriamYeung RichieRen
BeautyRemains 05 AnnHui Zhou Xun
CestLaVie,MonCheri94 YiTungShing/ChingWanLau AnitaYuen
Coming Home 15 Yimou Zhang/ChenDauming Gong Li
Goddess of Mercy 04 AnnHui/ NicholasTse WeiZhao
Grandmaster 13 KarWaiWong/ ZiyiZhang/TonyLeung
AlreadyTomorrowinHK16 EmilyTing/JamieChung BryanGreenberg
Isabella(Macau) 05 Ho-cheung Pang/Chapman To Isabella Leong
Lost in Time 03 Tun-shingYee/Wai-ManChan CeciliaCheung
Sounds of Colors 03 JoeMa TonyLeung MiriamYeung
House of Flying Daggers04 Yimou Zhang/ Zhang Ziyi
The Hands 04 KarWaiWong GongLi ChangChen
Drink,Drank,Drunk 05 Tung-shing Yee/MiriamYeung DanielWu
Elixar of Love 04 Yip Kam Hung/MiriamYeung RichieRen
LoveUndercover 01 JoeMa MiriamYeung DanielWu
AnnainKungFuLand03 Wai Man Yip/EkinCheung MiriamYeung
AshesofTimeRedux 08 KarWaiWong/BrigitteLin LeslieCheung
EverydayisValentine01 JingWong/LeonLai CeciliaCheung
Fallen Angels 13 KarWaiWong/LeonLai MicheleReis
Girls in the Hood 95 LeungYuen-Man
Hong Kong 1941 84 LeungPoChi/Yun-FatChow AlexMan
HookedonYou 07 Wing-cheong Law/MiriamYeung EasonChan
LegendofBlackScorpian06 Xiaogang Feng/ZiyiZhang YouGe
LetsLoveHongKong02 Yau Chin Chung-Ching Wong Erica Lam
PerfectBeauty 05 Zhou Xun
Quiting 01 ZangWang Jia
Note: genteel Omar T is rather shy of violence. The more violence in a movie, the more likely it is dropped in the list hierarchy or its elimination. “Can’t we emulate Buddha more; be enlightened, enjoy storytelling, be inspired by those who overcome challenges, without the sensationalism of violence?”