nakedsushi's review against another edition
4.0
My grandmother's house was a two story shack pushed against other similar shacks in an alley called Chopstick Road. My dad said it was called Chopstick Road because it was so long and narrow. The alley opened up onto a busy street full of bicycles, loud buses, and honking cars. On one corner where the alley met the street was a small to-go restaurant where people could buy pre-made dishes to supplement their dinner. On the other corner was a general goods store where we could buy things like toothbrushes, soap, extra face towels, and notebooks. Because the shack was so small and always so packed full of adults, I spent most of my days at my grandmother's house outside playing with my cousin and the other neighborhood kids. Those days gave me very vivid memories of my childhood in Shanghai.
That's why when I saw the cover of this book, I was immediately drawn to it. Even though it's probably a different alley in Shanghai, the alley on the cover of the book reminded me of my grandmother's alley.
The short stories contained in Years of Red Dust span from the years before the Cultural Revolution to the years during modern China's economic reform. They're loosely tied together by being about residents on a street called Red Dust that's reminiscent of Chopstick Road. Each story is heart-wrenching and bittersweet. Like all good stories, there's no clear good guy, bad guy, or any clear cut way of how things could have gone better. They feel like a series of vignettes about the people affected by Chairman Mao's policies. Some had humor, others had wit, but almost all of them have a certain sadness to them.
Although I enjoyed the book immensely, it was by no means perfect. There is a lot mentioning of old proverbs and Confucian sayings, which could have been introduced in a more natural way than, "There is an Old Chinese proverb that says ..." Those got repetitive and distracted from the scenes. After I learned to just let those go, I found myself enjoying the book a lot more.
That's why when I saw the cover of this book, I was immediately drawn to it. Even though it's probably a different alley in Shanghai, the alley on the cover of the book reminded me of my grandmother's alley.
The short stories contained in Years of Red Dust span from the years before the Cultural Revolution to the years during modern China's economic reform. They're loosely tied together by being about residents on a street called Red Dust that's reminiscent of Chopstick Road. Each story is heart-wrenching and bittersweet. Like all good stories, there's no clear good guy, bad guy, or any clear cut way of how things could have gone better. They feel like a series of vignettes about the people affected by Chairman Mao's policies. Some had humor, others had wit, but almost all of them have a certain sadness to them.
Although I enjoyed the book immensely, it was by no means perfect. There is a lot mentioning of old proverbs and Confucian sayings, which could have been introduced in a more natural way than, "There is an Old Chinese proverb that says ..." Those got repetitive and distracted from the scenes. After I learned to just let those go, I found myself enjoying the book a lot more.
margaretefg's review against another edition
3.0
Vignettes about people in Red Dust Lane Shanghai, whose lives mirror the changes in China from 1949 to 2005. The tofu worker poet occurs twice, but most characters only once. The stories highlight how much change and how completely the world seemed to have turned upside down twice since 1949.
jasonfurman's review against another edition
4.0
This short story cycle is set in what I believe is a fictional street, Red Dust Lane, in Shanghai. The stories are each labeled with a year -- starting in 1949 and ending in 2005. They all begin with prefatory material "This is the last issue of The Red Dust Lane Blackboard Newsletter for the year XXXX" which serves as a frame for the story that follows, generally a simple story of the local residents, often with their daily lives shaped by the massive events around them.
By themselves, none of the individual stories are outstanding. But the whole is greater the sum of the parts and collectively they form an enchanting social history of modern urban China. They have a certain rhythm and repetition that grows on you, with a few repeated characters and, in at least two cases, a follow-up story set several decades after the original.
By themselves, none of the individual stories are outstanding. But the whole is greater the sum of the parts and collectively they form an enchanting social history of modern urban China. They have a certain rhythm and repetition that grows on you, with a few repeated characters and, in at least two cases, a follow-up story set several decades after the original.
parafilm's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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