This unusual memoir describes how China's foremost male ballet dancer (and colonel in the People's Army) underwent China's first sex-change operati...
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reviews
Sep 23, 2009
Pearly
rated it: 
Does this book ring a bell to Moas Last Dancer or what? excluding the fact that Moa's Last Dancer is the better book.
Shanghai Tango is not a bad book, it's a good one and an interesting story, I love a good ballet/dance story and if it's true I love it even more.
Jin Xing was born a boy who wanted to be a woman, this is quiet a challenge in Communist China. after traveling over sea's he learns that he can have a sex change operation. The story before and after that though More...
Shanghai Tango is not a bad book, it's a good one and an interesting story, I love a good ballet/dance story and if it's true I love it even more.
Jin Xing was born a boy who wanted to be a woman, this is quiet a challenge in Communist China. after traveling over sea's he learns that he can have a sex change operation. The story before and after that though More...
Sep 23, 2011
Camy
rated it: 
Perhaps I was just lured by the artwork on the work - very attractive and it presented itself as worth reading? I was disappointed as I felt that this memoir glossed over so much. Never felt that emotions were truly explored and motivation for the sex-change were somehow not convincing enough. I also did not feel the passion for the art - the dance and the desire to become a woman seemed lacking. So difficult to put into words how I felt after I completed the book - I thought it would be memorab
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Aug 05, 2011
A very unique tale that doesn't always come across sympathetically. Our book club couldn't decide if it was cultural or a personality trait that made Jin seem so self absorbed.
The descriptions of the rise through the army ballet corps were really interesting but it was let down by seeming to be rushed in the second half of the book after the operation. We had many questions about this later life and most of them were quickly skipped over.
Book Club gave it 4/2/3/2/6/6/6/2/2/7
Hugely varied respo More...
The descriptions of the rise through the army ballet corps were really interesting but it was let down by seeming to be rushed in the second half of the book after the operation. We had many questions about this later life and most of them were quickly skipped over.
Book Club gave it 4/2/3/2/6/6/6/2/2/7
Hugely varied respo More...
Aug 04, 2009
Jenny
rated it:
I went to my library to find a book for my book club not realising that only the express section was open on a Sunday. I had a mooch around and spotted the oriental cover of this book. Seeing as I love all things Chinese/Japanese I took it out.
The story wasn't what I was expecting. It is about a young boy called Jin Xing who loves to dance and joins Mao's Red Army as this is where he can get the best dance training. He continuously battles with his sexuality and eventually feels that More...
The story wasn't what I was expecting. It is about a young boy called Jin Xing who loves to dance and joins Mao's Red Army as this is where he can get the best dance training. He continuously battles with his sexuality and eventually feels that More...
Apr 16, 2010
Talya
rated it:
I enjoyed reading about Jin Xing's life as a dancer in China and New York. I felt there was too much telling and not enough showing in the book but she is a dancer, not a writer. She was so brave to do what she felt was right for her even if it meant losing everything. It is an inspirational story.
Oct 15, 2009
Jessica
rated it: 
I read this on the Tokyo-Detroit leg of my flight home from having my own sex reassignment surgery. It was a very powerful book and I am sad that I do not have my own copy. I especially like the image that she wanted for herself at the end of the book, sounds like what I want out of life.
May 22, 2009
Kaushalya
rated it: 
I came across this at the Bangkok airport and read it during my really long transit. It's an easy read.You can find a video clip (interview and narration) of Jin Xing here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07kcm-9VG...
Dec 04, 2009
Emily
rated it:
this was an audiobook. I would have never read it is book and did not even know what is was about when I started, but I have to say it was interesting.
Aug 10, 2010
chucklesthescot
rated it:
Jin Xing has always loved to dance and stood out from the other boys in communist China by wanting to be a dancer-and wanting to have a sex change and do ballet. This is her story of achieving her dreams overseas and trying to start a new life as a woman.
A decent read, showing a totally different side of China. Child dancers are trying to get experience overseas and encountering problems with visas as China fears they won't come back, and foreign teachers face restrictions on what they More...
A decent read, showing a totally different side of China. Child dancers are trying to get experience overseas and encountering problems with visas as China fears they won't come back, and foreign teachers face restrictions on what they More...
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