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+--- Thread: 2001 Kanji, Remembering Fra. Joseph R. De Roo (/thread-759.html)
2001 Kanji, Remembering Fra. Joseph R. De Roo - Laura - 2007-09-01
Hello all,
All the discussion about methods has brought back many memories of my brief time in Tokyo over 20 years ago. I had the great privilege of studying under Father De Roo. He was an amazing man, teacher, scholar who dedicated his life to studying and teaching kanji. 2001 Kanji was the result of a lifetime dedicated to scholarship and working with students. I found a hard cover edition of his book a few months ago in a used bookstore, the best book purchase I have ever made. Now that I am looking at the bushu radical lists, I realized I already know many of them from using "2001 Kanji" to make my stories and look up unknown kanji. He taught his graphemes in context along with the Eleanor Harz Jordon textbook, "Japanese, the Spoken Language." Since, most students stayed with the program for 2 years, this worked well. I just got started.
I recommend this book without reservation to anyone lucky enough to find it!
Laura
2001 Kanji, Remembering Fra. Joseph R. De Roo - Christine_Tham - 2007-09-01
I agree wholeheartedly. I am currently learning from a copy found in a library, and have ordered a used copy from Amazon, but it hasn't arrived yet.
Don't be put off by the poor typesetting and the dense text. If you take the time to pour through the book, you will realise it is an amazing condensation of a lifetime of intimate knowledge of the characters.
You are extremely lucky to have studied under Father De Roo.
If I am forced to only keep 1 Kanji book out of the dozens I have, this is probably the one I will select.
2001 Kanji, Remembering Fra. Joseph R. De Roo - Chadokoro_K - 2007-09-02
Hi Laura,
How much did you pay for it at the used bookstore? (I saw a used paperback copy online for $33 earlier in the week, but now that copy is gone and another online bookstore is asking $99. Sheez!)
For others interested in getting a copy, Bonjinsha Online lists the book as "Now Printing" and the list price is approx 1,500 yen. I hope they really are reprinting it.
BTW, I seem to recall that you are in the Bay Area, California. If so, maybe you and I and others might want to organize a RTK gathering here. (Can't let those in Japan have all the fun.)
2001 Kanji, Remembering Fra. Joseph R. De Roo - Laura - 2007-09-02
Hi Chadokoro-K,
I paid $125 for it at Black Oaks. Crazy! But, it is a very nice, old-fashioned, clothbound hardcover book printed on heavy paper with sewn bindings. Father De Roo made a copy of his book for me and pasted the binding on himself when I was in his class. When it looked like it was going to fall apart, he would come by and apply more glue. I went by the store several times to gaze at "my" book before being overwhelmed with akogare and succumbing.
We're probably neighbors.
Best,
2001 Kanji, Remembering Fra. Joseph R. De Roo - Chadokoro_K - 2007-09-02
Hi Laura,
Now I understand why you paid $125. I think I will hold off on $99 for a paperback edition, though. (Sigh!)
I wondered if you found it at Black Oaks. I remember they had a set of Heisig cards there that I was going to announce to the group and then just plain forgot about until you mentioned having purchased a used set.
It sounds like we are indeed neighbors. I sometimes teach down the street from Black Oaks.
If you happen to notice another (more reasonably price paperback copy) in one of the used bookstores around here please do let me know.
BTW, for you or anyone else in the Berkeley area, Black Oaks currently has an original Nelson's Character Dictionary and Moes has "A new Dictionary of Kanji Usage" which I like because it groups compounds according to the meaning sense for the entry kanji.
Cheers,
2001 Kanji, Remembering Fra. Joseph R. De Roo - Matthew - 2007-09-02
Wow. You're very lucky to have been able to study with De Roo himself. I would have loved to have met the man. I have a copy of 2001 Kanji I bought from Bonjinsha a few years ago, and I have to agree with Christine, this is my favorite kanji book out of all the ones I have owned.
Maybe we should all band together and make a new edition that includes the RtK 3 kanji!
2001 Kanji, Remembering Fra. Joseph R. De Roo - Chadokoro_K - 2007-09-02
OK, now I really want this book! (Drool.)
I will definitely contact the publisher Bonjinsha to find out when the next printing is due to be released, and will post here to let everyone who is interested know what they have to say.