aradhyatrivedi's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
itsgs's review against another edition
4.0
Review of the English translation by Jeffrey Kinkley:
A bittersweet tale of life in yesteryear rural China (Hunan/ Sichuan region during the end of imperial rule). The crux of the story is the relationship between a young girl, Cuicui, who is coming of age; and her grandpa, who is the village ferryman. There isn’t much by way of a story, but that is not a shortcoming for this book. The focus is the simple life and beliefs/ customs of the unsophisticated characters, and the village of Chadong itself with the river and bamboo-rich mountains that pan it. My enjoyment from reading this book just came from the beauty in these simple things.
Not sure why this book was banned in China.. would love to understand what was unacceptable about this gentle unsophisticated book..
A bittersweet tale of life in yesteryear rural China (Hunan/ Sichuan region during the end of imperial rule). The crux of the story is the relationship between a young girl, Cuicui, who is coming of age; and her grandpa, who is the village ferryman. There isn’t much by way of a story, but that is not a shortcoming for this book. The focus is the simple life and beliefs/ customs of the unsophisticated characters, and the village of Chadong itself with the river and bamboo-rich mountains that pan it. My enjoyment from reading this book just came from the beauty in these simple things.
Not sure why this book was banned in China.. would love to understand what was unacceptable about this gentle unsophisticated book..
bradleys's review against another edition
2.0
Though frequently compared to [a:Lu Xun|7509399|Lu Xun|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1426653622p2/7509399.jpg] in his impact on modern Chinese literature, Shen's chef d'œuvre pales in comparison to both the tragic-realist depiction of rural living in [a:Mao Dun|4833374|Mao Dun|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1459718274p2/4833374.jpg]'s seminal "[b:Spring Silkworms|487991|The Shop of the Lin Family & Spring Silkworms|Mao Dun|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347345941l/487991._SY75_.jpg|476264]" or the radical redefinition of the literary norms made manifest in Lu's corpus. Border Town's saving grace is the rich depiction of the inner live of its otherwise unrealistically perfect characters.
serafyne's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
andres_escoces's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
amangialardo's review against another edition
4.0
En annorlunda bok som inte påminner om någonting jag tidigare läst. Tyckte väldigt mycket om det poetiska språket ("ett stjärnskott rispade rymden" etc.) men också själva storyn i sig. Man fick väldigt tydliga bilder i huvudet när man läste och miljön var väldigt vackert beskriven.
I övrigt tycker jag det är sorgligt att biblioteket sålde den här boken för 5 kr, för jag tror många skulle uppskatta den om de faktiskt läste den. Det är nämligen en ganska mysig bok som går fort att läsa och som man får ut mycket av!
I övrigt tycker jag det är sorgligt att biblioteket sålde den här boken för 5 kr, för jag tror många skulle uppskatta den om de faktiskt läste den. Det är nämligen en ganska mysig bok som går fort att läsa och som man får ut mycket av!
nior's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bahnree's review against another edition
5.0
Girl coming-of-age story that doesn’t end with a wedding !!!!!!!
appleinducedsleep's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5