I always figured the dialogue was a lost in translation/ cultural disconnect thing. What I had a problem with was the way Liu writes women. The way Zhuang Yen comes into the story into the second book made me want to puke.
There was a phrase in there which suggested to me that she was somehow Da Shi’s daughter, which didn’t help, but at least explained how she was “procured” so quickly. Then later I realized she’s probably not his daughter and I don’t know how he found her.
I always figured the dialogue was a lost in translation/ cultural disconnect thing. What I had a problem with was the way Liu writes women. The way Zhuang Yen comes into the story into the second book made me want to puke.
There was a phrase in there which suggested to me that she was somehow Da Shi’s daughter, which didn’t help, but at least explained how she was “procured” so quickly. Then later I realized she’s probably not his daughter and I don’t know how he found her.
It was so tough getting through the first half of The Dark Forest because of the women. But damn the second half is incredible