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∂AIL Professor David Lattimore↓Department of Chinese
↓Brown University↓Providence, Rhode Island∞

Dear Professor Lattimore:

	I much enjoyed %2The Coldest Winter in Peking%1 which you reviewed
for the %2New York Times%1.  I wish I could convince myself that it is
genuinely Chinese.  Do you know the author or even the translator,
and have you or even the publisher seen a Chinese manuscript?

	I fear that the novel is by a Japanese, possibly a reporter who
has worked in China or conceivably a recently repatriated Japanese
expatriate who worked in China.  The following circumstances lead to this idea:

	1. The fact that the Taiwan editions are translations from
Japanese.

	2. The fact that the jacket blurb uses the phrase "in the
form of a novel by a dissident Chinese" which does not commit the
publisher to a definite assertion.

	3. The fact that the author seems to take for granted the
psychology of the Japanese - their thoughts can be reported without having
to be explained.

	4. The fact that the author takes for granted the behavior
of Americans - their actions can be reported without having to
be explained, although their thoughts are not reported.

	5. Russians and Chinese seem to require much more explanation
than either Japanese or Americans.

	6. Chia expresses surprise that his Russian girl friend
can find an oriental attractive.  I had always thought this hangup
was characteristic of Japanese and have never heard it of Chinese.

	7. The attention to the geography of Peking suggests someone
who is proud of his knowledge of that geography - perhaps prouder
than a native would be.

	8. The fact that the book was published in Japan long enough
before an English translation was attempted for Taiwan editions to
appear translated from the Japanese.

	Does the language suggest a translation from Chinese rather
than from Japanese?

	Even taken together, I don't regard these points as conclusive,
but I would welcome some objective evidence that the novel is what it
purports to be.

	Like you, I would especially like to know if any of the
interesting underground subcultures depicted in the story are for real.
That would be an enormous difference from the Soviet Union.  Should you
know the author, be he Chinese or Japanese, please transmit my compliments
on a fine story, but if he is not Chinese, he shouldn't muddy the waters
by pretending he is.

.sgn