neuxue (
neuxue) wrote in
baihe_media2024-12-18 12:27 pm
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To Embers We Return (焚情) Read Along: Chapters 31-40
I know the novel has finished serialising and some of you have already finished reading it, but I've been having fun catching up in the comments of the previous chapter-by-chapter discussions so here's another read-along post. Whether you're also planning to binge-read the whole thing now that it's finished, or have already read it and want to relive the fun, or are following via
douqi's translation, come and join me!
Note: I will not be writing detailed chapter summaries because I'd like to finish the novel sometime this decade, but I'll try to give at least brief notes on what happens, to help keep track of where in the story we are. I might also switch to 20 chapters at a time rather than 10 to keep the number of posts manageable but want to get to a nice multiple of 20 first.
Discussion of Chapters 1 to 10 can be found here.
Discussion of Chapters 11 to 20 can be found here.
Discussion of Chapters 21 to 30 can be found here.
The link to the novel on JJWXC is here;
douqi's ongoing translation is here.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Note: I will not be writing detailed chapter summaries because I'd like to finish the novel sometime this decade, but I'll try to give at least brief notes on what happens, to help keep track of where in the story we are. I might also switch to 20 chapters at a time rather than 10 to keep the number of posts manageable but want to get to a nice multiple of 20 first.
Discussion of Chapters 1 to 10 can be found here.
Discussion of Chapters 11 to 20 can be found here.
Discussion of Chapters 21 to 30 can be found here.
The link to the novel on JJWXC is here;
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Re: Chapter 34
I honestly don't even have much to say about this one except that once again Ning Yuan is very good at writing these incredibly charged scenes and I wonder how much longer these two are going to torment themselves like this.
Also I both enjoyed and had a bit of a giggle at the almost literal 'I want to study her under a microscope' of the line There was something uniquely compelling, even entrancing about Bian Jin; cold as snow, the more she held you at a distance, the more you wanted to hold her in the palm of your hand and look more closely.
And I have so many questions about the reference data and what kind of ethical review was involved.
Re: Chapter 34
She is SO GOOD honestly Anglo fandom/profic writers could learn so much from her.
Also I both enjoyed and had a bit of a giggle at the almost literal 'I want to study her under a microscope' of the line
Someone in the novel's comments said something about 'Bian Jin is the code and Shen Ni is the codebreaker' and that is not unfair.
And I have so many questions about the reference data and what kind of ethical review was involved.
As do I! Like what did the ethics approval form even LOOK like.