A thread for novel readers (all the spoilers so don’t click if you don’t want to see)

@nathsketch @Elise no problems. Hopefully you find it enjoyable too.

@MTH123

Going back to properly read my physical copy published this year, it would appear that  both versions you have are probably from the 2013 publication after all, which would explain why they are the same.

My physical copy has name changes:

颛顼 Zhuan Xu - renamed to 玱玹 Cang Xuan
蚩尤 Chi You - renamed to 赤宸 Chi Chen
共工 Gong Gong - renamed to  洪江 Hong Jiang

According to Chinese mythology, Chi You was the great chief of the legendary Jiu Li tribe while Gong Gong was a water deity. There was controversy surrounding Tong Hua's books as she incorporates a lot of characters and names from history and Chinese origin mythology but changed them considerably in her works.  As such,  the name changes were probably among the revisions she incorporated in the 2019 edition to address the issues.

 nathsketch:

Where did you buy this physical copy? 

I'm assuming liddi has a physical copy of the Mandarin version. 

This link is for the 2013 version: https://www.amazon.com/%E9%95%BF%E7%9B%B8%E6%80%9D-%E5%A5%97%E8%A3%85%E5%85%B13%E5%86%8C-%E6%A1%90%E5%8D%8E/dp/B016R3GB42. 

 nathsketch:

Where did you buy this physical copy? 

I bought mine on Shopee but I see it available on eBay too.

 AH :

Out of curiosity, which volumes are which? I'm wondering if the order of each character logically matches the title of each volume. I assume ZX's cover is used for "Volume 1: Lost You Forever", but I'm curious which character is used for "Volume 2: Telling of a Sorrowful Love" and which is used for "Volume 3: Missing You Without End".

Wait nvm I opened the pic in a new tab and could see the numbers ^^"

So TSJ got "Telling of a Sorrowful Love" and XL got "Missing You Without End". I suppose that makes sense, if "You" refers to XL.

 liddi:

Vol 2 诉衷情 Love Confessed

 liddi:

Vol 3 思无涯 Unending Yearning

Interesting, these translations are a bit different from Koala's but I still feel like they don't correspond all that well with the chapters in their respective volumes.

 liddi:

There is also a manhua version

Ooh for the second cover I love that the artist picked up on the novel's description of the jade-coloured ribbon that XL uses to tie back his hair!

Okay yeah really appreciating the ribbon ^^

 liddi:

Then again, I don't feel that each volume really represents a complete arc per se either since every character thread is still interwoven into the story all the way to the final chapter, so I am more inclined to view the title of each volume as just a progression, rather than actually representing the chapters within.

Yeah, true. 

 liddi:

Incidentally, the manhua refers to Cang Xuan, not Zhuan Xu, so it should be based on the revised edition.

Good to know. I've spent so much time with Koala's translation of the 2013 version that I've become quite attached to it. Although it's silly of me, I'm not a big fan of the changes that don't feel (to me) like they add or improve anything. But c’est comme ça. 

 liddi:

This scene always makes me tear up, no matter which medium:

There's something about scenes with intense overt emotion like this... I can't fully appreciate them. I have to look away. But when it comes to intense internal emotions like heartbreak or internal sorrow with a stoic exterior - I'm obsessed. 

Or simple statements with so much depth behind them. Love. Love. Love.

On top of the lovely sentiment here, depicting TSJ in fox form and XY and the clinic crew as dolls was such a cute way to depict his desire to protect them!

@liddi

They are gorgeous, aren't they? 

Vol 1 (red) has Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao at the swing on the dust jacket, and them at the summit in the illustration.
Vol 2 诉衷情 Love Confessed (green) shows Jing and Xiao Yao on their boat trip, and illustrates their happier times at Hui Chun Clinic
Vol 3 思无涯 Unending Yearning (blue) features Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao walking on the ocean, and their archery lessons as the illustration

The book covers which combine to make that spectacular panorama is arranged so that Vol 3 is in the centre.

These ARE beautiful.  I love how they make a panorama.

But that third with XL teaching XY archery has prompted some questions, like why is it XL instead of FFB teaching her archery?