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redowns1022's review against another edition
3.0
I had trouble getting 'into' this book for reasons that were hard to figure out. I would put it down for days at a time. Chapters jump from story to story and until you get a little ways in, it doesn't seem to have a force driving the narrative forward. I enjoyed the second half much better and found his reflections on Washington DC (when a character immigrates to the US) and the similarities between Chinese and Americans particularly interesting. I don't know too much about China and Hessler does a good job of really introducing you to the Chinese people beyond the government or history.
In terms of who I might recommend this to, usually I find that books focusing on personal narratives are great reads to introduce you to a country or a culture if you are unfamiliar with it or do not usually read history or political science. This book, though, I think it probably most enjoyable for readers already very interested and somewhat knowledgeable about China.
In terms of who I might recommend this to, usually I find that books focusing on personal narratives are great reads to introduce you to a country or a culture if you are unfamiliar with it or do not usually read history or political science. This book, though, I think it probably most enjoyable for readers already very interested and somewhat knowledgeable about China.
charsiew21's review against another edition
5.0
Anything Peter Hessler writes about China is required reading, imo. This is my favourite.
sp26's review
5.0
Peter Hessler is a god. Lyrical and poetic without being too folksy, best memoirs I have read yet. Will be sad to finish his last
hoserlauren's review
3.0
Peter Hessler starts in China as an English teacher, eventually moving his way over to journalism. He keeps in contact with his students and their stories are brought to life in this book. He uses these stories to tell a bit about China's past and teach the reader about more recent history. For example, he has a student move to Shenzen and get a job at a factory there. Peter tells the recent history of Shenzen and how it is an experimental city, built with many factories that have attracted young people to come work. This makes it different from many other cities in China as it is one city where the younger generation isn't living with their family.
There are lots of interesting stories like this interspersed in the book. I learned a lot about the Uighurs, a group I had no knowledge of before. Peter describes then as having similar problems as the Tibetans but without the Dalai Lama to make their plight more well known.
At times, this book could be a bit slow and too detailed. There were also times where Peter would start to examine one subject, stop, and come back to it later 50 pages. It at times made for a disjointed read. However it told an interesting story of an unknown China to me.
There are lots of interesting stories like this interspersed in the book. I learned a lot about the Uighurs, a group I had no knowledge of before. Peter describes then as having similar problems as the Tibetans but without the Dalai Lama to make their plight more well known.
At times, this book could be a bit slow and too detailed. There were also times where Peter would start to examine one subject, stop, and come back to it later 50 pages. It at times made for a disjointed read. However it told an interesting story of an unknown China to me.
kcdarmody's review against another edition
5.0
Superb narrative non-fiction. Hessler takes many threads of life in modern China (including its history, which is a very real presence) and weaves a complex yet beautiful tapestry of his experiences as a foreign correspondent at the turn of the 21st century. He's a gifted writer with a keen eye for detail and the ability to create narrative unity from a widely divergent set of events.
modernviking's review
4.0
Great insight into turn of the century China. Not sure how much of it is still relevant today, given the pace of the change, but if the author is correct about Chinese mentality then much of it should be as he claims the culture is so tied up in its own history.
Memorable quote:
A fish-trap is for catching fish: once you've caught the fish, you can forget the trap. A rabbit-snare is for catching rabbits; once you've caught the rabbit, you can forget about the snare. Words are for catching ideas; once you've caught the idea, you can forget about the words. Where can I find a person who knows howto forget about words so I can have a few words with him? - Chuang Tzu
Memorable quote:
A fish-trap is for catching fish: once you've caught the fish, you can forget the trap. A rabbit-snare is for catching rabbits; once you've caught the rabbit, you can forget about the snare. Words are for catching ideas; once you've caught the idea, you can forget about the words. Where can I find a person who knows howto forget about words so I can have a few words with him? - Chuang Tzu
mirsa's review
5.0
Fascinating account of a journalist's experiences in China at the turn of the century. Hessler takes us from archaeological digs in Anyang to Muslim dumpling joints in Yabaolu, from the relentless industry of the experimental city of Shenzhen to the uncertainty in immigrant neighborhoods in D.C. post-9/11. He introduces us to an Uighur trader, former students from his time teaching English in a rural Sichuanese town, and even the famous actor Jiang Wen - all people trying to make their way in the world, all people who grew from the soil of 20th-century China in its most turbulent era. Hessler has a gift for telling the stories of the 老百姓, the ordinary people, without pushing his own narrative over theirs. Highly recommended.