Absurd

Society of Comparative Literature,

A.A.H.K.U.S.U., Session 2014-2015

mARCH 2015 Newsletter I

Absurd

At One in the Morning Discontent with everything, discontent with myself, I would really like to redeem myself, to feel a bit of pride in the silence and solitude of the night. Souls of those I have loved, souls of those I have sung, strengthen me, support me, distance me from the lie and the corrupting vapors of the world.

Give me the grace to produce a few beautiful lines to prove to myself that I am not the least of men, that I am not inferior to the ones I despise!

Charles Baudelaire

Absurd 比較文學期刊（第一期） Newsletter I of Society of Comparative Literature _______________________________________________________ 編輯及排版設計: 吳溢鏘

Edit and Design: Kaden Ng 出版: 二零一四至二零一五年度香港大學學生會文學院學生會比較文學學會

Publisher: Society of Comparative Literature, A.A.H.K.U.S.U., Session 2014-2015 地址: 香港大學方樹泉文娛中心2A01室

Address: Room 2A01, Fong Shu Chuen Amenities Centre, the University of Hong Kong 電郵: scomplit@hku.hk; hkuscomplit@gmail.com

Email 網址:

Website

http://www.scomplit.hkusu.hku.hk

出版日期: 二零一五年三月三十日

Date of issue: 30th March 2015 頁數: 四十五

Pages: 45

Content ............................................................... 01 Introduction of Society of Comparative Literature; Acknowledgements ........................................02 Message from the Editor ......................... 03 Message from the Excutive Committee, Session 2014-2015 .......... 04 Activities Reviews ........................................ 13 Inauguration Ceremony Bazaar Features: “The Absurd� ............................ 15 Film Review .................................................... 21 Book Review .................................................. 24 Creative Works

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Upcoming Activities ..................................... 39 Comparative Literature Festival Violence as Beauty Mini Libary Book List .............................. 42 Welfare List ..................................................... 44

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Since its establishment, the Society has been committed to holding educational and recreational activities for students and staff in the University of Hong Kong. It has also devoted itself to raising awareness of issues in its related disciplines, such as cultual studies and textual analysis.

The Society primarily serves to promote Comparative Literature as an intellectually engaging and rewarding subject with interdisciplinary perspectives. Most ardently, we hope that you will enjoy the activities in months to come, and be left with memorable moments and valuable insights.

Gold Sponsor:

Interviewee: Miss Wong Ivy Hay Mun

Contributors of Creative Works Photo Resources:

http://s753.photobucket.com/ http://www.deviantart.com/ http://green-landscape.com/ http://www.wallpaper4me.com/

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Message from the Editor

Upon entering university, I have witnessed myriads of absurd social phenonmon. The idea of using Absurd as the theme of the newsletter comes into my mind out of the blue.

Absurdities engulf people. We all have a sense of righteousness. We pass judgment on what is right or wrong. But the world we inhabit is not an utopia; it is a cruel, brutal, and meaningless world. There is a constant discrepancy between our aspirations and reality.

We try to rectify the world. Boat against the current, but borne back ceaselessly.

succumbing himself to the abject reality.

In our daily life, our endeavours to resist this absurd universe are often counted as a crime.

The way in which people look at you is like a judge glaring at a suspect in a trial.

Nevertheless, do not be despaired. Pershap we cannot bring about changes, but we should at least strive to bring abusrdities into light, so that we can live in the truth.

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Messages from the Executive Committee, Session 2014-2015

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Cheung Tik Man, Janice Chairperson

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Lai Pui Yiu, Angela Internal Vice Chairperson & General Secretary

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It was early January, exactly one week before semester two begins. There I was, shivering and heading towards Chi Wah Learning Commons as the ruthless wind whirled, spinning around my Jong meeting kicked off. The University bookstore was my ultimate safe haven. I decided to sneak in and strolled around to kill time. The atmosphere could really affect one’s feelings. I guess it was either the chilly weather, or the venerable books that provoked me to contemplate my University life so far.

Oops…I have forgotten to introduce myself. Before I start my long-winding passage about my not-so-boring, kind-of-extraordinary life in HKU, allow me to present myself formally. My name is Amanda. I am currently the External Vice Chairperson of Society of Comparative Literature, responsible for dealing with external affairs, from attending council meetings to establishing networks with executive committees from other societies. If I am speaking this aloud, I should I used to be a withdrawn person. I would rather bury myself in the world of Keats, Faulkner and Beckett than participating in groups like student union, prefect team etc. Entering HKU, I discovered that most of my schoolmates were student leaders in their secondary schools. However, I was quite uninvolved, if not reserved back in my high school years. The greatest achievements were perhaps directing a Shakespearean play or winning a prize in a poetry contest. I was really taken aback when I heard my orientation campmates were either house captains or student union presidents in the past.

Nevertheless, I wanted to try something different in HKU. I don’t think it would do me much good staying in my comfort zone forever. To me, University life ought to be a self-discovery of what you want, who you want to be and what you want to do after years of study. With the aim to change myself for the better, I make a promise to myself to try everything at least once. It was probably the most challenging, yet the most rewarding goal ever. organizing events before. I misunderstood that it was merely about having fun and organizing some functions for a small group of regular attendees to join. Looking back, I found my childish beliefs laughable and naive.

I did not fully realize what it meant to be an executive committee until I was chosen. It was then I was required to listen carefully to the duties of my post and the events which I am the person-in-charge. I was startled by the number of standing committees within the Council and the amazingly complex Council structure. Eyes widened, mouth opened, I was shocked to hear the operation details of an orientation camp. For one second, I doubted my decision. But in the end, I wanted to give it a try despite knowing that it is hard, like EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. I am thankful for the fantastic journey I have had so far. I would not have became a more cheerful, outspoken and daring person if I missed the chance of being an executive member of this special society. I do hope everyone I consider this as the power of youth.

Hui Long Yi, Amanada External Vice Chairperson

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Li Hiu Chun, Edmond Financial Secretary

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Ng Yee Man, Scarlett Academic Secretary & Student Representative

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Ng Yat Cheong, Kaden Publication Secretary Photo credit to Anjay

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Ng Hoi Yuk, Joyce Social Secretary

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Leung Pik Kwan, Beverly Welfare Secretary

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Activities Reviews

Inauguration Ceremony

28th November 2014

7:00p.m. - 8:30p.m.

MBG07, Main Building

The Inauguration Ceremony, which marked the beginning of the new session, was successfully held on 28th November, 2014. The wonderful night started with the speeches from our honorable guest speakers, Dr. Daniel Vukovich, Professor Gina Marchetti and Miss Ivy Wong. They shared their thoughts on our theme for the ceremony “Introspection” and the theme of the Comparative Literature Festival, “Violence as Beauty”. This was definitely a great introduction of our aspiration and activities for the coming year.

Afterwards, the Chairperson of the past session, Miss Frances Lai, delivered a speech expressing her gratitude to her companions along the year of office and giving anticipation for the new session. Subsequently, the handover of society chop to the Chairperson of the current session symbolized the transfer of authority and passing on the passion for Comparative Literature to the new session. This was followed by the introduction of the new cabinet and the speech conducted by the Chairperson of 2014-2015, Miss Janice Cheung.

Gifts were presented to every guest for their courtesies. With different symbolic meanings regarding the theme of “Introspection”, we presented mirrors, kaleidoscopes and crystal balls as our souvenirs. We sincerely hope that we could all remember to introspect daily and dynamically with multi-perspectives.

The ceremony ended with enjoyable chats, palatable refreshments and photos for reminiscence with all our guests.

The Society would hereby extend our gratitude to all our guests, members and helpers. With your support, we pledge to strive harder for the upcoming activities.

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Activities Reviews

Baz aa

r

Our annual bazaar was successfully held from 19th January to 6th February. “Book Café”, is the theme of our bazaar this year. We aimed at providing a pleasant and comfortable place for our customers to relax. For sure, hot coffee, tea, cookies and chocolate, which are commonly found in book cafes, were for sale. Reading the books of our society’s mini library while enjoying our nosh is incredibly enjoyable. With the sub-themes of “Light and shadow”, “Classic" and “Love Confession”, we brought our customers exquisite quality goods. For instance, we offered adorable table lamps and dainty stationery. Postcards of different celebrities and the captivating teddy bears were also available for purchase. Just as in the past, we designed Society products such as hoodies, baseball jackets and paper, which were all popular. Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to our supportive and fond of our products. Looking forward to seeing you in our society’s upcoming activities.

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fEATURES: “the Absurd”

Interviewed and written by Kaden Ng

In recent months, an intense political atmosphere has overwhelmed the word – “absurd” (荒誕), which is employed to describe political events, politicians, and socio-cultural phenomena. In our daily conversation, “absurd” is a term we use to describe something widely has a unique meaning in philosophy. Absurdism is an important part in modernism. Are there any connections between our daily events and this cultural concept? Can philosophy and literature aid us in understanding the absurdities that are surrounding us? In this to explore absurdism.

Comparative Literature. Her research in post-socialist Chinese cinema. Our editor Kaden Ng has invited her to share her insights on “the absurd” with our readers so as to shed light on this elusive concept. In a cozy evening, the two have gathered together in the department to exchange their thoughts.

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already are.

I think absurdism is a way to look at the world. It is a perspective. It has been 現實比小說更荒誕). When we can no longer understand the world through a realist perspective, we need to interpret the world in an alternative way. What makes a text absurd is not only its surrealism to portray absurdities.

For decades, the Western world has been dominated by Judeo-Christian value.

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Albert Camus captures this existential disillusionment in the Myth of Sisyphus in

on the other hand, can also be a human condition as well as a socio-cultural but disillusionment may not be necessarily embody or imply the absurd.

The absurd as a human condition has prevailed in Western existential literature.

at the outset.

The absurd can also be understood as a socio-cultural phenomenon, caused by the disharmony between our mind and the social setting. On a societal level, absurdity

especially key to Camus’ revolt against the absurd and create their own meanings.

in their religious or political orthodoxies.

Waiting for Godot

characters are exchanging senseless conversations, and the plot is circular. On a

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The Bald Soprano,

has radically changed the way in which language operates, compelling people which language has been manipulated as political tools and propagandas, rather

distress the disenchanted Chinese people have to go through has subtle contextual Despite the stark contextual similarities, contemporary Chinese literature

human condition that we can do nothing to bring about changes, but merely a socio-cultural phenomenon that we can somehow overcome. This is probably

(高行健)’s play - Bus Stop (車站), which is commonly recognized as the Chinese Waiting for Godot lengthy waiting process, they complain, they argue, they debate, and in the course

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Bus Stop and Waiting for Godot

黃建新)’s The Black Cannon Incident (黑炮事件 has a peculiar obsession with playing Chinese chess alone. One day, he discovers

This message, however, has alerted the police authorities, who subsequently carries out secret surveillances and investigations on Zhao, recklessly concludes

which results in a big explosion, causing a big loss to the government.

but laments that he does not even have the right to send his own telegram.

to be absurdist. The underlying reason is probably the political dangers. Gao Bus Stop condemned it as a “spiritual pollution”. Hence, while an absurd sensibility can be

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absurd at a existential or socio-cultural level. Nevertheless, an absurd character or 邱 禮濤)’s Ebola Syndrome (伊波拉病毒). Yau has employed extreme violence to push Aberdeen (香港仔) and Fruit Chan (陳果)’s The Midnight After (那夜凌晨，我坐上了旺角開往大埔的紅VAN). These

The Midnight After. Absurdism

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Film Review: Exodus This film reveals the dire absurdity of human existence in the modern society. For countless times, we are appalled by different absurd incidents. But how many times have we stood up and fought for our aspirations?

Even when we do, our persistence is often futile. The social setting compels one to indulge in egoistic pursuit.

A path of hedonism is unimpeded, while a path of virtue is full of hindrances. There is little we can do to bring absurdities into light, let alone rectify them.

Director: Pang Ho-cheung Starring: Simon Yam, Annie Liu, Nick Cheung, Irene Wan, Maggie Shiu Release dates: 13/9/2007 Written by Kaden Ng On the surface, this is only a story of the fall of an absurd hero.

An absurd hero is one who affirms individual autonomy and dignity in defiance of the absurd. The protagonist, Tsim Kin-Yip, strives to uphold his conscience and integrity as a law enforcer but in vain, turning a blind eye against injustice eventually.

The director, Pang Ho-cheung laments the futileness of individual efforts in the form of dark comedy. Pang himself points out that there were people who firmly believed that they bore a special mission in this mundane life. In reality, how many of us are Mosses?

Who are we as an individual when compared to the enormous social force?

The movie begins with an overwhelming sense of absurdity. There is a bunch of police officers dressed as naked frogmen, beating up a suspect with hammers at the middle of the night.

They perpetuate the violence in such a peculiar way is precisely because of its sheer absurdity. No one will believe in the suspect when he complains, not even the judge. By the end of movie, it reveals that Sergeant Tsim is a witness of the incidents, and he reports it to his supervisor. Isolated by his peers, he unfortunately receives a bad appraisal, and loses his chance of promotion. It is because of this incident he becomes a very

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skeptical person. He learns that in this world there is something that has become so absurd, to a point where people will no longer believe in it, but it does not mean that it does not exist.

In one usual afternoon, Tsim interrogates the suspect Kwan Ping-Man, who is arrested for peeping in a female bathroom. Kwan defends himself by saying that he was only doing an investigation on a group of woman who had conspired to eliminate all men.

He goes further to assert that many women are planning to destroy men and they are exchanging their ideas in the washroom secretly because it is the safest place.

The accusation is ludicrous. Even a prudent mind like Tsim dismisses it lightly without hesitation. After work, he continues his monotone and repetitive life with his wife Ann. Although they lose their spark in their marriage, Tsim never cease to be a committed and caring husband.

Here comes the twist when Kwan’s file vanishes mysteriously. Tsim immediately tries to retake the statement from Kwan. Unexpectedly, Kwan completely changes his account, confessing that he is just a perverted voyeur. An ordinary police may feel relieved to hear the suspect pleading guilty. But after learning that Kwan alters his story upon the visit of Madame Fong, Tsim begins his suspicion.

He first reports the incident to his immediate supervisor, only to be ridiculed. So, he resorts to carrying out an independent investigation on his own. In the process, he confronts myriads of obstacles. His wife complains that he was not working seriously.

His mother-in-law casts doubt on his financial ability to take care of her daughter.

Madame Fong even threatens Tsim with his chance of promotion. Worst still, Kwan is killed because he knows too much about the secret female assassin organization.

Facing the doubt of his family, the hostility of his co-worker, his longing for promotion, and the peril of his personal life, he stops being righteous. Not only does he withdraw the investigation, he delightfully accepts the seduction of Kwan’s wife and has an affair with her. He turns from being a devoted and dedicated husband into an infidel man. This marks the fall of an absurd hero who succumbs to hedonism.

Astonishingly, it turns out that Ann was a female assassin who stops her practice because she falls in love with Tsim. But now, disillusioned with a bitter heart, she murders Tsim ruthlessly. The movie thus ends with sheer pessimism.

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Ann’s act of vengeance manifests the dire absurdity of the society.

Before the end of the film, there is a flashback of Ann’s childhood, which reveals that Ann grows in a miserable divorce family, suffering domestic violence. She always wants to commit suicide since then. It turns out that it is Madame Fong who has “enlightened” Ann and recruited her to the organization, telling her: “You gotta fight for happiness. Suicide is not a solution. You are unhappy because your life doesn’t change. It’s still the same. You chose to escape. Why don’t you try to change the world? In fact all hatreds of this world are caused by men. Have you ever wondered what the world will be if there is no man left?”

When confronting absurdities, we can either accept the reality or we can strive to overcome the obstacles by bringing about changes. Ann opts for the strenuous one and pursues it dementedly. On a metaphorical level, one can say that the perverted social system impels us to realize our aspirations in an extreme manner. It punishes those who play fairly. Hence, the core absurdity may be rooted not in the maniacal events and behaviors of individuals, but the social setting that brews them. As Tsim laments, “In this world there is something that has become so absurd, to a point where people will no longer believe in it, but it does not mean that it does not exist.”

Lurking behind the invisible cloak, absurdities thus blossom.

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Book Review Book Name: The Castle Author: Franz Kafka Publisher: Penguin Pages: 304 Written by Amanada Hui The Castle illustrates a man’s futile efforts to change the unchangeable and the blurred line between normality and absurdity. Set in a mysterious unnamed village, the protagonist K tries to gain access to the castle and subsequently seek employment. K then experiences countless red-tapes and bureaucracy as he tries, in different ways, to reach out for the authorities. As the story unfolds, he is increasingly troublesome and deranged in the eyes of the villagers. The Castle ends abruptly as K is still in the process of obtaining the rights to live and work.

K’s attempts to change immutability can be described as an absurdist act. French writer Albert Camus wrote in his essay collection, The Myth of Sisyphus, men have the tendency to search for inherent meaning in existence, which is humanly impossible. Camus describes people who look for deep meaning in fate as “absurd”. The desperate venture of K to obtain the official approval to live and work for the Castle as the land surveyor might be interpreted as a metaphor for the inability to find any innate meaning of life.

What the two have in common is the fustiness endeavor to alter a system which is so large for any alteration. The Castle, like destiny, possesses the strength that is beyond human and normal person, like K, who can never do anything to change it no matter what.

Knowingly facing such impossibility every day, K still believes in finding Castle officials and talks them into giving him written proof to abode. His actions are akin to that of Sisyphus, the titular character of Camus’s book. Sisyphus keeps pushing the stones up to the mountain though he knows that it is bound to fall again by the next morning. The ceaseless, continual, yet humanly unattainable quest presented in The Castle can be read as a tribute to absurdist behavior observed by Camus.

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It is intriguing how “perception” interprets what is conventional and what is absurd.

Kafka indicates that there is no intrinsic definition of normality. K’s actions are mostly seen by the villagers as abnormal or even deranged. For instance, no one in the village could understand why K would not want to wait for the official’s approval instead of bothering people from the Castle non-stop. Likewise, K, as a foreign outsider of this community, considers the villagers to be absurd and irrational to worship office-bearers in the Castle and feel so privileged about working for the Castle. Similar situations, when viewed by two parties, could result in utter differences. Villagers, being raised to respect and devote themselves to the Castle, would certainly regard K as a ridiculous person who has no idea how the system of the Castle works. On the other hand, K, is unaware of the unspoken rules of the village and the unexpressed authority of the Castle, considering villagers’ illogical worship absurd. Kafka objectively describes the two parties train of thoughts without giving his own, which leads readers to contemplate such paradox who is really normal and who is the actual ridiculous one here?

The ultimate two questions proposed by Kafka are - should one stop searching just because something is, or seems to be, impossible? Are all absurdities existing in the society really absurd?

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Absurd Despite the scholarly explanations of the absurd, people often interpret this word dierently in our daily circumstances. In this issue, we have selected nine pieces of submissions in total. Each of them depicts absurdities from an unique perespective. Some explore the absurd philosophically; some behold the absurd in a nihistic way; some stress the importance of living in truth and courage. We hope that they can further provoke you to ponder the absurd.

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Jim One morning Jim woke up with the awareness of all things in his mind.

His was the birdsong that trilled in the window, his were the paw prints that scampered the lawn.

And his the droppings too.

His world now teemed with so much sound that he could barely focus.

And when he tried he found himself halfway around the world, sipping tea from china cups just as surprised as he was.

He got up.

He got changed.

He brushed his teeth and left the house.

Then a speeding truck from the next locality slammed its windscreen into him, and he died.

His final thoughts as he expired were those from tarmac and cement.

Blood is so bloody.

But of course he wasn’t finished, for his was the life of everything.

The man was dead but the mind was not: before a single heartbeat gone he’d plopped inside a frog.

There was a frog on the lotus frond beside him.

It was wearing spectacles; it looked intelligent.

Jim thought to seek its counsel. “Uh…” he began.

A. “Stocks are doing bad today, my dearest froggity friend.

Life is not an easy thing for creatures who are green.

Feels bad, man.”

“Ribbit,” Jim said.

The elderly frog peered close at him , eyeballs barely fitting in his glasses and their frame.

“I say, dear chap, is something wrong with you?

Hurry up, unwind that tongue to free yourself for speech.”

Jim now realised that his tongue was wrapped around a fly.

He coughed, he gulped, it echoed down his mouth.

It tasted like chicken.

He settled backwards on his haunches.

“Mr. Uh… Frog, I think you’ve worked out at this point I’m not a true batrachian.

Though green and slimy skin I sport my heart is human made.

I know it sounds impossible but please believe my words.”

The elderly frog raised a finger to adjust his spectacles.

“You’re a man who’s in a frog.

What’s with all your fuss?

Though life is tough at least I’m green, a froggy life for me.”

He removed his horn-rimmed frames to clean them with a leaf.

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“I’m more concerned for the frog you’re in.

When you assumed his consciousness you might have quashed his mind.

A frog is weak, its will but weaker.

The green and slimy skin you sport will die if you should leave.”

Jim looked down on a chastened floor.

“I’m sorry,” said he.

“Don’t be.” The frog held up his spectacles and poked a finger through the frames.

“No lenses, see?”

He tossed his glasses in the pond where they were washed away.

The frog ignored them as they went.

“I didn’t know the frog you’re in, if I’m to tell the truth.

Frogs are animals—their nature is selfish.

You’ll never find a friend in one.”

Jim said, “I hope you’ll help me all the same.”

The frog produced a monocle from somewhere up his leg.

With it aperch his snubby nose he looked reliable again.

“Don’t hesitate to ask, my dearest froggity friend.”

“There are ways to take a frog and turn it into man.

My human form is dead.

To every creature I may be linked, but to myself I’m not.

I need a way to turn to man so I can go back home.”

“It has certainly been said that should a frog be kissed,

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and that a princess be the one with slime left on her lips, the ugliest frog can become prince.”

The elderly frog nodded ruminatively.

“But of countries only forty-four have monarchies to boast, and that’s assuming nobles there will let their daughters’ hands be wed.

No, my dearest froggity friend, I’d say the chance is low.”

Jim said, “And there’s no other way?”

The old frog paused, its manner changed.

Gone was the hermit’s tone.

“The Grimms original dictates ‘Princess throws the frog on wall.’

I happen to know a princess whose standard fits the Grimms’.”

An adjustment of the lens.

“I’ve got some painkillers as well, although they don’t come cheap. ” Suited and smooth was all Jim saw —slime and something more.

But Jim, as you might not remember, had a strong resolve.

He couldn’t let himself invade a princess to throw a frog.

As fishy as the frog’s deal was it seemed his only choice.

He squared his shoulders though they were round and tried to speak above a croak.

“How much do you want?”

And then a hawk came swooping in and spiked the old frog dead.

It only took seconds; Jim felt him go.

And now Jim was in its mouth.

Before the beaks could close on him he jumped to a different soul.

“Frogs on spit-roast going easy, eat one get one free!”

Jim could feel his feathers in a ruffle.

He scratched his head and pondered of its cause: was it some wrong inherent in the spit-roasting a frog?

No: it was nothing but the wind, the clouds before his wings, and now the rising stomach-ache from eating glasses frames.

He doubled over in the air and vomited his corpse. “Ribbit. Ow.” “Nasty. Must suck to have that wet your head,” the hawk remarked to Jim. “Be glad you’re safe and far away with me.”

Jim was momentarily astounded.

“Your mind’s working fine. Even though I’m here.”

Perhaps the consciousness was far too high-minded a topic for a simple bird: it seemed to have flown right over its head, for the bird ignored him to continue, “You probably hate us avian chaps, for raining down your cities full with shit.

But you lot have to shit far more than us.

The more you drink the more you shit, I’ve read.”

“Where on earth could you have seen that?

Sounds unsafe to read.”

Jim pulled his bird-brain back on track:

there was a problem at hand.

“Look, I couldn’t give a damn how literate you are.

And that you’ve got to eat to live I totally understand.

But the frog just now, the one with the glasses, he was my ticket to humanity.

All thanks to you I’m stuck in animals, without a way to turn back into man.”

His rant was cut off by some turbulence.

While he futilely tried to brace himself and fumble for the seatbelt in his mind, the hawk had only to fold in its wings: and then the two were back in stable flight.

The hawk ventured to ask: “So you can, what—” “I can go in creatures.”

“Then find a human—” “That’s out of question.”

“But animals are fine?”

“But you’re animals!”

Then the hawk did not try to speak, and so they flew a silent stretch.

When last the hawk believed that Jim was calm, it dived a group of nightingales.

They scattered from their predator; the hawk assumed a host.

“It seems though you won’t mess with your kind there’s nothing wrong with ours.

So try out all us animals: why bother being man?

Goddamn.

I’m not a self-help book, all right?

Can’t help you when I can’t.”

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Were they correct, the things the hawk had said?

Who had he even been from the very start?

Jim, male, killed in the second paragraph.

“Strong resolve”, but could he believe the author? He could be just as human as a frog.

The hawk could tell that Jim was wavering, and decided to give him one last push.

“They say bonobos have a lot of fun…”

And Jim was gone and he was free once more.

*** So did our hero lose himself to hedonistic ape? Perhaps: but Jim was also going through as many forms as mates, so let’s forgive him if his fun the writing here escapes. He was within the hummingbird that strummed the morning breeze; he was within the seagull chick the prowled the trash for meat. He jumped ship to a rattlesnake for greater feeding ease, then slithered in a sardine shoal for safety in the mob. Mob, herd, shoal, school, flight: numbers, all: then solitary beasts he tried, so he could steal and rob. He was the spider, trapping prey in webs of loathing spun; he was the fly, his buzzing sight catching too much and none. He was the sloth: in one whole week he could get nothing done.

Then he was raindrops streaming down terraced leaves. He fell, split, reformed, dripping finally into the ground to wend deep into caves where the dark was crystal and where all joined together in one primal flow, strengthening in sound until there was nothing but a roar of foam, falling to come to rest in a still, clear pool where silent tongues lapped. The bodies drank their fill and straightened: in unorchestrated concert they loped back into the sparse spring woods and ran.

They were following a scent trail. Hares, at the Large Rocks by the Clearing of Sunset. The wolf had split up from the pack so it could hunt alone.

Trying not to think too loud, Jim asked, Why aren’t you with your pack?

The wolf said, Watch.

A single leaf, falling down a tree. A lone mimosa shying from the breeze. Gravel lying undisturbed—there! A brush of whiskers displaced three grass stems.

The hare had sensed them.

Jim thought that maybe he could force the hare out of cover and so assist the wolf. He could almost hear its muscles tense. It would be a simple matter for him to enter the hare and— And the hare was crushed within his jaws, in a spasm and then limp.

The wolf said, I’ve heard of you. The lost human, free everywhere except to home.

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Jim was glad his sheepish smile didn’t transmit in thought. The wolf seemed hungry enough.

I’m just sightseeing the animal kingdom now. Given up trying to get back into a human.

Tell me, human, what do you think of this ability of yours?

Jim tried to think, but got distracted as a nearby worker bee admiring the voluptuous size of its queen.

You must find it useful. Anything you want to know at any time you need. But it doesn’t seem to have served you very well across these five-odd leaves. To think—it shifted the hare in its jaws—I caught this before you even neared it.

I could have— But you didn’t. With the hundred bodies available to you in just this area you had too much information to see what you needed to know. I had just me. That’s all I need.

Jim realised suddenly that he could barely remember what he had been like before the animals. The horror came as a jolting fall, his mind flinching back only to find no ground to stand on.

Even should you return to humankind you’ll still be plagued by your condition. Already you can barely tell who you are. The wolf set down the hare: they were at their den. You’ve seen enough for one life. Enough for ten. Just give up while you can.

He was tired: now he understood. He had given up returning to human on his second jump, and all the jumps that followed had been, in a quiet part deep down, mechanical. All he had done he had done only to do more.

Wasn’t too different from life, really.

Night was falling in the woods, and as the trees drew on shadowed drapes he found that the darkness crept not just around him but in him as well. The consciousness of animals and objects were fading from his mind. Awareness after awareness disappeared as one by one the stars winked on above.

Before long the sky was ablaze with light.

He watched comets streak cold trails against the white, a little like snow and a little like salt, and the wolf watched with him. It sat unmoving until trails had run their course. Then it stood up and devoured the hare, clean, leaving only bones to furnish the earth. The cycle unbroken.

End.

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Chempakam Mohith M Varma Over a silent village hovers the starlit sky and on the face of the village pond a burglar leaps onto the fourth star of the night, stumbles for a moment and later regains his stealth. After stealing the first two stars, he felt he is done for tonight but soon he realized the stars were melting in his jute bag, stolen nine nights ago from the village granary, which prompted him to steal more since the farmer’s greedy bag could accommodate a lot more of liquid gold. Stealing the third star was quite exasperating for the burglar because of the burden of air mused upon it. Weary yet discontent, he robs the night of its fourth star and steps on Vega. Now the bag stores significant volume of liquid gold and bearing it across each leap has become a struggle seemingly similar to a sigh therefore he makes an effort with a breath. A breath is a war inside water. He is about to lay his head on her bosom exuding the fragrance of Chempakam; a touch of something soft, something wet wakes him distant from his fading memory and we realize he is at last on Rigel.

Incapable of relishing the loot, he spills the stars over a faded reflection of moments and dreams. Gold fuses into the inner depths of blackness, brilliance drowns in the pond and there, in the grey mist, rises the silhouette of blue for a lovely lady sleeping on a bed of milk. In the darkness the burglar cannot sense the scent of those flowers drenched in utter whiteness yet he smiles, unremittingly.

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精神病院狂想曲 Sputnik 昨夜 我夢到 我懷孕了 懷上了蘇拉威西島的火山和霍亂 我還去了河童之國 發現每個河童都懷孕了 他們腆著肚子 在考門薩測試 和你去空無一人的電影院 看歐洲的星空 散場

從此，我的冬天 雪在燒 住進精神病院第十九年 我天天聽尼采的搖籃曲入睡 瞇著眼睛 在柵欄外見到 你和他，去歐洲數星子 我用鎖鏈在壁上刻下 “紙包不住火” 懺悔 “對不起，是我沒把你治好。”

然後 我還看到你 和他視頻聊天 唱片機吱吱瘋狂的爵士樂 你倚著薩克斯跳脫衣舞 我關上了電腦 你跑來和我擁吻纏綿 重修舊好 我的身體上掛著潮濕的你 我的腦海全是春天的白鴿 然後，我懷孕了 這多像是小時候和你聽鬼故事 拖住你的手 向前跑 身後是黑色的燈籠 紅色的紗 單色的眼 聽著河流的嗟嗟 你抽開我的手跳了下去 我歸在現實與虛無的岸堤 狂笑

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關於時間的偽命題 Sputnik 早早地入睡 躲避第十二聲鐘響 躲避第十二聲串起天體的合唱 在心靈的日界線做單擺運動 就可以找到永恆的 支點 將消逝和湧現的時間 如一滴水融化在一條河流裡 今夜 你我都是赫拉克利特流變的水 與過去抱拳揮別 義無反顧地走向 高懸死亡開遍野花的高地 那遍野的花 是春天遺失的嘴唇 含著藍色的水 盛滿阿茲特克人埋在花牌裡的 泥罐 普遍而模糊的猜測 匍匐在時間之袍的褶皺 在奇蹟面前 我們祈禱天使和佛祖 祈求他們把時間踩在腳下 祈求飛奔的列車有個站台 好讓我們 看清夜中的星光成海 沒有一種符號可以概括無盡的 意外 計數法只是對時間的隱喻 像個懦弱的跟屁蟲 唯唯諾諾地微分上帝和他的主人

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於是，我徬徨在宇宙的某個突變 的節點 左手邊是再也回不去的過去 右手邊是再也到不了的未來 唯有當下的鐘聲胡琴聲嗚咽聲 你眼中的海洋 你懷中的島嶼 像一條充盈河谷的魚 我站在夏日的冰面上 願 成為你 最後一個過客 最後一場雪 最後一場關於時間的戰爭

Sometimes Amy Che sometimes, I like to think, if I just become nothing, what would I be? sometimes, I like to ponder, if I let go of everything, would there be anything I let go? sometimes, I like to challenge, if I just give up, who would suffer? sometimes, I count my blessings, then proceed to count my woes, get mixed up, confused, and give up somewhere in between. sometimes, not all the time, but maybe as a result of time - excess and lack of it I like to think, to ask, to not think‌ sometimes.

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Xinyi Zhang

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What makes absurdities?

Absurdity: feel something wrong but we refuse to see it.

Our eye is blocked by a mask.

To get rid of absurdity, we need to tear off that mask.

AimerJoies

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鼓動 ・我 海思 （寄調：模特－－李榮浩 原詞：周耀輝 作曲：李榮浩） 暗角的一套鼓 沉醉敲出肺腑 還未夠 止不到的兩手 曾灰心得顫抖 還未夠 發燙的一套鼓 嬴了多少拍手 還未夠 想捉緊於兩手 磨傷手 受個夠 ＊為碰到運氣 曾浴血接住契機 若要有道理 還是要放下自己 願看見步履 盡處探歷裡偏離 越有我運氣 人越會惹是惹非 越有我道理 人越變惹事議非 越有我步履 越見狹路見卑微＊ ＃到底 哪些掌聲使我卻步 哪些風景遮蓋旅途 是我好勝 高估世界量度 接軌世間只好加快腳步 人遠走的劫數 還在奏 卻得一種聲韻在控訴＃ 愛侶推開送走 時間收歸我手 情未夠 親戚間的鬥嘴 成功不得讚許 誰敗寇 摯友間的競爭 煩躁指揮喪心 還在鬥 只得到於兩手 難分享 賺個夠 重覆＊＃＃ 到底 哪些掌聲使我卻步 哪些風景遮蓋旅途 是我好勝 在大世界乞討 接軌世間只好加快腳步 人遠走的劫數 還在奏 每天敲擊心裡在計數

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Upcoming Activities Comparative Literature Festival

Violence, will you resist?

Ask yourself why you resist violence.

Is it from– The cruelty and inhumanity of abusers on sufferers?

The bloody and dripping scenes?

The insulting and offensive verbal attacks?

Or the ugliness of men?

Beauty, you cannot resist.

Violence, an irresistible fear.

Indulge yourself in your imagination of beauty.

Is it akin to– The slow motion in Wong Kar-wai‘s movies?

The delicate literature of romantic poet Xu Zhimo?

The colors of harmony in Claude Monet‘s paintings?

Or the intoxicating soft music of Hisaishi Jou? Beauty, an irresistible charm.

Violence and beauty are like demons and angels.

But if “beauty and violence”? become one, can you really resist this obsessive cross?

This time, Society of Comparative Literature wishes to embark on a crimson journey with you.

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Opening Ceremony Date: 30th March, 2015 Time: 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Venue: Global Lounge

inhumane act, can be regarded as beauty? Join the ceremony, and you will be enlightened by our guest speakers from the Department of Comparative Literature. You will also learn more about the upcoming activities. Let’s embark on this crimson journey together!

Exhibition: Violence Or Beauty?

Date: 31st March - 2nd April, 2015 8th - 10th April, 2015 13th - 17th April, 2015 20th - 22nd April, 2015

Venue: Outside Jockey Club Tower (G/F) Outside SU Starbucks Outside Old University Bookstore Outside Delifrance

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

What is art and what is aesthetics? Should art be used to portray violence? Do we have an ethical concern when it comes to art.? Does the aesthetics of violence make violence more violent? Is murder an art form that worth appreciation and analysis? Come to our exhibition and look at the debates made by the philosophers and scholars. You may have a new insight and you are also welcomed to share your thoughts related to the above questions in our exhibition!

Film Shows: When Bullets Meet Samruai Sword

First Session: A Better Tomorrow 1 Date: 1st April, 2015 Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.

Venue: UG205, Union Building

Second Session: Kill Bill Vol. 1 Date: 8th April, 2015 Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.

Venue: UG205, Union Building

(1986) by John Woo and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) by Quentin Tarantino. You will appreciate how violence is presented in two completely different ways. After the screening, a 30-minute discussion will be moderated by Mr. Sean Yim Sheung Man, a new Hong Kong director, and a cultural critic who currently writes articles in City Magazine and Hong Kong Economic bound to gain new insights into the representations of aesthetics of violence!

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Music Forum: You Know What The ___ I‘m Singing – Aesthetics of Violence of Hong Kong Music Guest speaker: Prof. Stephen Chu Yiu Wai X MC Yan (LMF) Date: 14th April, 2015 Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Venue: Global Lounge What is your impressions on Cantonese music? Is it all about romance but NO MORE? Our Music Forum is an excellent choice for you to see a new world of Cantonese music.

We have invited Prof. Stephen Chu and MC Yan from LMF as our guests, and we will examine the music of LMF, Josie Ho and other underground bands in Hong Kong.

Panel Talk: Carcass On A Canvas Guest speaker: Ms. Vivian Ho (Vvn Ho)* Date: 22nd April, 2015 Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Venue: Theatre C, Chow Yei Ching Building *Hong Kong-based young artist Death, a social taboo that has always been represented as dark, unpleasant and scary in many forms of art. Do you believe it can actually be portrayed in a completely different way? Our guest speaker, Vivian Ho is a post-90 artist who has her unique ideas on violence and death and her paintings has astonished the public. Interested to learn about her art creation and views on violence? Please come and join us!

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Mini Library Book List Film Studies A1.E Film as Social Practice A2.E Film Theory: An Introduction A3.E

The Imaginary Signifier

Graeme Turner Robert Lapsley Michael Westlake Christian Metz

A5.C A6.B A7.B A8.B A9.B A10.B A11.C A12.C A13.C Gender B1.E B2.E B3.E B4.E

and Sexuality Studies A History of Breast Beyond the Pale Confession: Sexuality, Sin, the Subject Feminism and Psychoanalysis

B8.E

Of Women, Outcastes, Peasants, and Rebels The Rape of Clarissa Woman and Chinese Modernity Women, Texts and Histories 15751760

Visual Culture C1.E Back to Egypt C2.E Chen Dangqing: Painting after Tiananmen C3.C GO C4.E Sotheby's Magnificent Chinese

Marilyn Yalom Vron Ware Jeremy Tambling Richard Feldstein, Judith Roof Carol J. Clover Donna J. Haraway Christopher Badcock Kalpana Bardhan Terry Eagleton Rey Chow Clare Brant, Diane Purkiss

Mirror Paintings and English Furniture from the Horlick Collection Vision in Context Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America

Do Do Jin Ming Ackbar Abbas OCAT Sotheby’s

Teresa Brennan, Martin Jay James Allen

Literary Theory and Culture Criticisms D1.E An Introduction to Literature, Criticism Andrew Bennett, and Theory Nicholas Royle D2.E Aesthetics and Politics Fredric Jameson D3.E Blasted Allegories Brian Wallis D4.E Critical Practice Catherine Belsey D5.E Critical Thinking: Selected Topics Chuan Aik Kam& for Discussion and Analysis Stephen Edmonds Jacques Lacan D6.E Ecrits: A Selection D7.E Malraux R.W.B. Lewis D8.E Malraux: La Condition Humaine J.A Hiddleston (Studies in French Literature 23) D9.E Modern Man in Search of a Soul C.G. Jung D10.E Mythologies Roland Barthes D11.E New Perspectives - A Comparative University of Literature Year Book Vol.1 Hong Kong, Peking University D12.E

New Perspectives - A Comparative Literature Year Book Vol.2

D13.E

Reorientations: Critical Theories and, Pedagogies Repression and Figuration from Totem to Utopia

D14.E

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Writing and Difference

E6.E E7.E E8.E E9.C

B12.E

C6.E

D18.E

E2.E E3.B E4.E E5.E

Men, Women, and Chainsaws Modest Witness@Second Millennium Oedipus in Evolution

C5.E

The Kristeva Reader The Power of Myth The Spivak Reader

Theoretical Books on Language E1.B A Dictionary of English Usage

B5.E B6.E B7.E

B9.E B10.E B11.E

D15.E D16.E D17.E

University of Hong Kong, Peking University Bruce Henricksen Antony Tatlow

Camera Lucida Essential Grammar in Use Futures for English Oxford Paperback Dictionary & Thesaurus The Pocket Oxford Dictionary The Prison-House of Language The Voice of Things

Toril Moi Oseph Campbell JDonna Landry, Gerald Maclean Jacques Derrida The Hong Kong Standard Roland Barthes Raymond Murphy Colin MacCabe Oxford Oxford Fredric Jameson Francis Ponge

Poetry and Theoretical books on Poetry F1.E Poetry, Language, Thought Martin Heidegger F2.C I F3.C II Novels G1.E G2.F G3.F G4.E G5.E G6.E G7.E G8.F G9.F G10.F G11.E G12.E G13.E G14.E G15.E G16.E G17.E G18.E G19.E G20.F G21.E G22.C G23.C G24.C G25.C G26.C G27.C G28.C

and Theoretical Books on Novels A Doll’s House Henrik Ibsen A l'ombre des jeunes filler en fleurs Marcel Proust Du cote de chez Swann Marcel Proust Foe J.M. Coetzee Goodbye Columbus Philip Roth Goodnight Lady Martina Cole Kiss of the Spider Woman Manuel Puig La Bâtarde Violette Leduc La tentation de I' Occident André Malraux Lazarus André Malraux Life is Elsewhere Milan Kundera My Beautiful Laundrette Hanif Kureishi Onitsha J. M. G. Le Clézio Querelle of Brest Jean Genet René Leys J.A. Underwood Rose Mellie Rose Marie Redonnent The Awakening Kate Chopin The Fountainhead Ayn Rand The Magic Toyshop Angela Carter Un amour de Swann Marcel Proust Understanding Othello Faith Nostbakken II III IV V

Hong Kong and China Studies H1.E China and Southeast Asia: Changing Socio-Cultural Interactions H2.E Frontiers of History in China Vol. 7 H3.E H4.E H5.E H6.E H7.E H8.E

University of Hong Kong Di Wang, Zujie Yuan

Frontiers of History in China Vol. 8 No. 1 Frontiers of History in China Vol. 8 No.2

Di Wang, Zujie Yuan Di Wang, Zujie Yuan

HKU Space and it Alumni: The First Fifty years Hong Kong: Culture and the Politics Disappearance Mao's Great Famine Rethinking Hong Kong: New Paradigms, New Perspectives

Lawrence M.W. Chiu, Peter Cunish Ackbar Abbas Frank Dikötter Elizabeth Sin, Siu-lun Wong, Wong-hoi Chan

H9.E

South-East Asia, 1930-1970: The Legacy of Colonialism and Nationalism

Fred R. Von Der Mehden

H10.C H11.C H12.C H13.C H14.C H15.C H16.C H17.C Cultural Studies I1.E Albert Camus of Europe and Africa I2.E I3.E I4.E I5.E I6.E I7.E I8.E I9.E

Artificial Africans East-west Comparative Literature: Cross Cultural Discourse Europe and its others vol. 1 Europe and its others vol. 2 Europe’s Myths of Orient French Cultural Studies Vol.23 French Cultural Studies Vol.24 Learning from Las Vegas

I10.E I11.E I12.E I13.C

Phantasmatic Indochina The Postcolonial Exotic

Conor Cruise O’Brien Ruth Mayer Tak-wai Wong Francis Barker Francis Barker Rana Kabbani Dervila Cooke Nicholas Hewitt Robert Venturi, Steven Izenour, Denise Scott Brown Jane Bradley Winston, Chau-Pech Ollier Panivong Norindr Graham Norindr

I14.C

Biography J1.E André Malraux J2.E Anti-Memoirs J3.E Aurélia, La Pandora, Les Chimères J4.E Flaubert J5.E Picasso’s Mask J6.E Saint Genet: Actor and Martyr J7.E The Words Others K1.E How to Live Without Fear and Worry K2.E K3.E K4.E

Logic Tutor Obroni Where are you going?

Philip Johnson Writings

Jean Lacouture André Malraux Gérard De Nerval Herbert Lottman André Malraux Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Sartre K.Sri Dhammananda Laurence Goldsein

Open University Arts: A Second Level Course – The Enlightenment OUA1.E Tom Jones by Henry Fielding Part One OUA2.E Tom Jones by Henry Fielding Part Two OUA3.E Architecture and Landscape OUA4.E William Hogarth OUA5.E Hume’s Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals OUA6.E Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire OUA7.E Frederick the Great OUA8.E Experient and Exploration OUA9.E Candide by Voltaire OUA10.E Haydn in London OUA11.E Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro OUA12.E Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations OUA13.E Joseph Wright of Derby OUA14.E Chardin OUA15.E Dangerous Acquantances OUA16.E Colour Book OUA17.E Gazetteer A Third Level Course – Romantic Poetry OUB1.E Illustration Booklet OUB2.E Blake OUB3.E Wordsworth and Coleridge OUB4.E Keats OUB5.E Shelley A Third Level Course – The Nineteenth Century Novel and its Legacies OUC1.E A Study Guide to Mansfield Park OUC2.E Mansfield Park OUC3.E A Study Guide to Wuthering Heights OUC4.E OUC5.E OUC6.E OUC7.E OUC8.E OUC9.E OUC10.E OUC11.E OUC12.E OUC13.E OUC14.E OUC15.E OUC16.E OUC17.E

Wuthering Heights A Study Guide to Great Expectations Great Expectations Cousin Bette On the Eve Poor Relations and Rich Publishers Middlemarch What Maisie Knew Tess of the d’ Urbervilles The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn Germinal Anna Karenina Points of View Legacies

Oxford University Press

You are most welcome to borrow any items in our mini library!

Feel Free to contact our Academic Secretary, Scarlett Ng, at 97069723 to arrange appointment.

Library materials for lending may be borrowed for a period of 14 days (can be extended upon request).

An overdue fine of $5 per day is imposed on each and every loan item returned late.

The borrower will be charged for any item(s) lost or damaged at the amount equal to the cost of that item(s).

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Welfare List

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備註 Remarks： 旺角西洋菜南街：旺角站D3 / E2出口 兆萬中心：旺角西洋菜南街1N號 （旺角站D3出口 / 油麻地站A2出口） 家樂坊：旺角登打士街56號 （旺角站E2出口 / 油麻地站A2出口） 新之城：旺角彌敦道688號 （旺角站D2出口） 潮流特區：旺角彌敦道580A - F號 （旺角站E2出口 / 油麻地站A2出口） 星際城市：旺角山東街47 - 51號 （旺角站E2出口） 金百利商場：銅鑼灣記利佐治街1號 （銅鑼灣崇光百貨側 / 銅鑼灣站E出口） 東角Laforet商場 : 銅鑼灣東角道24 - 26號 （銅鑼灣站D1出口） 銅鑼灣地帶：銅鑼灣記利佐治街2 - 10號 （銅鑼灣站E出口） 淘大商場2期：九龍灣牛頭角道77號 （九龍灣站B出口） 條款及聲明 Declarations： １）所有店鋪優惠有效期至2016年3月31日。 All offers are valid until 31st March, 2016. ２）如欲享受店鋪優惠，同學必須先出示比較文學學會會員卡。 To enjoy the above discounts, students must show the membership card of Society of Comparative Literature. ３）如有任何爭議，提供優惠的店鋪保留最終決定權。 All matters and disputes will be subject to the final decision of the sponsoring companies.

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The struggle itself towards the heights ’

A.A.H.K.U.S.U., Session 2014-2015 Society of Comparative Literature,

Address: Room 2A01, Fong Shu Chuen Amenities Centre, the University of Hong Kong Email: scomplit@hku.hk; hkuscomplit@gmail.com Website: http://www.scomplit.hkusu.hku.hk