The Shore Beyond Good and Evil: A Report from Inside Burma's Opium Kingdom Hardcover – July 1, 2002

Thanks

I was delighted to see the novel  The Shore Beyond Good and Evil  by Takano Hideyuki, who is known for a variety of adventureous books in Japanese only, published in English. Finally, being able to read without checking a dictionary every sentence or two! And, after reading the liner notes and introduction, I was hooked. It lasted about 10 seconds. I am unsure who to blame more: Takano for his appalling writing (or unwillingness to 'correct' it) or Kotan Publishing for their dreadful attempt to edit and publish his work in English. Did a Native English speaker proofread this? How could anyone believe that this was well written? And, believe me, after years working as a translator, I am not asking for a riveting, Nobel prize worthy level of prose; simple, understandable English would suffice. Sadly, the writing was so bad that, at times, I found myself pounding my head in frustration. I nearly gave up reading numerous times, but perserved, though with no sense of accomplishment. I urge someone, anyone at Kotan or, better yet, the author himself, to have a professional go through the text and correct the appalling mistakes that truly and sadly take so much away from a wonderfully intriguing story. Please.... The Shore Beyond Good and Evil