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In Manchuria: Journeys Across China's Northeast Frontier

Michael Meyer

3.99 · Rating details · 373 ratings · 60 reviews

In the tradition of In Patagonia and Great Plains, Michael Meyer’s In Manchuria is a scintillating combination of memoir, contemporary reporting, and historical research, presenting a unique profile of China’s legendary northeast territory. For three years, Meyer rented a home in the rice-farming community of Wasteland, hometown to his wife’s family, and their personal sag ...more

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Hardcover, 352 pages

Published February 17th 2015 by Bloomsbury Press

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Mar 26, 2015 Hadrian rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction, travel, history, china

This is a charming book which talks about a part of China which is not often discussed. Many popular China books recently published discuss China's economic transformation or its political power. Here is something removed from all of that. This is rural life. But it's not anywhere near the central plains nor along any of the major rivers.

This is in the area now called the Northeast (东北). But it was not always called that. It was once Manchuria(满洲), where the Manchu tribes who comprised the Qing This is a charming book which talks about a part of China which is not often discussed. Many popular China books recently published discuss China's economic transformation or its political power. Here is something removed from all of that. This is rural life. But it's not anywhere near the central plains nor along any of the major rivers.

This is in the area now called the Northeast (东北). But it was not always called that. It was once Manchuria(满洲), where the Manchu tribes who comprised the Qing Dynasty came from. It was also once Manchukuo, when it was a Japanese colony, ripped from China proper by invasions and colonial intrigue.

Meyer has a rare connection to this village called Wasteland (荒地). His wife, a Berkeley-educated lawyer, was born here. Meyer defines this place by what it lacks - no library, no newspaper, no cemetery, no battlefields, no historical plaques, no flush toilets. The place wasn't even incorporated as a village until 1956.

He sleeps on a kang (炕) - that is, a heated stove under a bed. He talks with the locals about farming and the strange details of daily life. There's even enough open space for him to run a marathon - which seems unthinkable in China if you've ever been to just the coastal cities. When he returns to the village after an absence, he's greeted with 'Welcome back. Nothing's changed.' His arrival was the news.

That doesn't leave him lacking for topics. A good half of the book takes the form of historical anecdotes. Some of stories have passed out of physical memory (the old Qing border walls have long since crumbled) and some still exist, but are refurbished. For example, take the old Cathedral in Harbin. That was built by the sizable Russian minority, but abandoned and mistreated after the Communists first took power. Now it is cleaned up as a major tourist spot for the city.

For those are the two big stories of the book. There are long sweeping moments of border changes, wars, and conquests, but also the daily lives of the rice farmers as they go through these vast impersonal changes. The newcomer is the Eastern Fortune Rice Company (东福米业) which aims to transform the village into a company town, complete with resorts and new apartments. There are even rumors of a name change.

This is a good book. It takes a fair look at the people from an admitted outsider's perspective. The historical set pieces are interesting, as well as the incidental details. It is a book about little things discovered by accident, and the distant ruins of history and rising towers of tomorrow. ...more

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Jan 26, 2016 Sue rated it it was amazing

Twelve years ago when I was planning a trip to China, I used a guidebook which issued a warning to the effect that “no matter how up to date this book is at the time of its printing, it will be out of date by the time you read it.”

Michael Meyer tries to grab hold of that slippery country and to give a sense of its past and present by living in a remote Manchurian village called Wasteland and digging through the layers of history. All the while, the village is hurtling into the twenty-first centu Twelve years ago when I was planning a trip to China, I used a guidebook which issued a warning to the effect that “no matter how up to date this book is at the time of its printing, it will be out of date by the time you read it.”

Michael Meyer tries to grab hold of that slippery country and to give a sense of its past and present by living in a remote Manchurian village called Wasteland and digging through the layers of history. All the while, the village is hurtling into the twenty-first century, as Eastern Fortune Rice, an organic rice production facility, buys up land and crops, moving farmers into highrises. A spa – not likely to be patronized by the locals – springs up and inspires the rapid building of roads.

Meanwhile Meyer lives with a farmer in a traditional hut, sleeping on a cotton bedroll atop a kang, a brick platform heated by burning dried rice stalks underneath. He loves this place and enjoys village status because his wife grew up in Wasteland. When he is not volunteering in the local school as an English teacher, he travels in often rough fashion through Manchuria, a region whose history is embedded in the imperial aspirations of China, Japan, and Russia.

As a land on the “wrong” side of the Great Wall, Manchuria has a unique past, not so tied to the ancient great dynasties that are so much the hallmark of Chinese pride. Meyer gives us a lot of history; I was woefully ill informed about the Russian and Japanese incursions on this land, and I kept turning to Wikipedia for grounding in dates and sequence.

When Meyer moved between his personal experiences and chapters on history, I initially found the narrative somewhat fractured, but the book got stronger for me as the threads came together, and I was left feeling that this is a wonderful book. I especially relished the stories of his travels to find lost histories – Russian churches, a willow palisade “wall,” old train stations.

In Manchuria is equal parts history lesson and village cultural study. It’s lovely to be embraced by Meyer’s zeal for his story.
...more

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Oct 08, 2015 Beth Cato rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015, chinese, memoir, nonfiction, research

I read this with the hopes of data I could use in my novel research, and I ended up delighted with the book overall. This is one of several great travelogues/historical explorations I have read in recent years (Children of Kali by Kevin Rushby is worthy of note here). Meyer approaches the book with an American perspective, but as an American who is quite happy to immerse himself in other cultures. He lived for a year in his wife's native Manchurian village of Wasteland, while his wife is elsewhe ...more

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Mar 06, 2015 Bookworm rated it liked it

Would be good for those who are interested in Chinese history. Former Peace Corps member Michael Meyer takes us through a journey of rural China, from it's time under the emperors to the modern day and the changes and shifts it has gone through. When people think of China they may think of the Forbidden City or the Great Wall or Communism or any other number of things, but Meyer takes the reader on a very different journey through a place where probably a lot of people may have never heard of, u ...more

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Apr 06, 2015 Sally rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, travel

I thoroughly enjoyed this description of Northeastern China, centered on the village (named Wasteland) where the author's wife spent her childhood. Largely a memoir of the author's experiences and travels to sites of interest, it gives quite a lot of the history of Manchuria, as this part of the country was traditionally called, from the imperial period through the Japanese occupation, the Mao years, and into the present. This history is both from research and from the point of view of people wh ...more

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Feb 24, 2016 Ethan Cramer-Flood rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Michael Meyer is such an exquisite writer on China that I almost couldn't finish this book, both because nearly every sentence generated additional thoughts -- forcing me into perpetual distraction -- and because my sense of inadequacy in the face of his ridiculous skill was constantly in the back of my head. Damn you Meyer, for being this good! :)

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Feb 13, 2015 Mainlinebooker rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

I adored Meyer's previous book about the fall of the hutongs in Beijing, China but I felt this piece to be more disjointed. In attempting to show what has happened to the small farmer and advent of big agribusiness into the Manchurian way of life, he mixes three narratives. One is his personal life and the time spent living among the Manchurian natives in a small village, another is the vast history of Manchuria, the conquests, and its peculiar place in the thinking of the rest of China, and ano ...more

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Jul 25, 2015 Dave Eisenstark rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone interested in the world.

Terrific book. The characters in it are wonderful, including the author. I would have enjoyed an even larger cast and more day-to-day action. Certainly you have to think of Great Plains by Ian Frazier and the Peter Hessler books on China when you read this. A great tradition the author follows nicely. I'm anxious to go back and read Meyer's book on the hutongs as well.

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Mar 08, 2015 Shannon Reed rated it really liked it

I love this book. I learned so much about a region of the world I barely knew existed. Honesty compels me to admit that I know the author, which is why I picked up this book. But instead of being a slog of oblagation, it was truly a joy to read

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May 28, 2015 victor harris rated it did not like it

I really enjoyed his other books, not this one. As another reviewer noted, it was "plodding." The writing was flat and it never got anywhere. There was nothing tying the story line together.

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Jan 30, 2015 Claudia Callis rated it really liked it

Very interesting book about the changing countryside of China.

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Mar 26, 2018 Selfisher rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 读书：历史之外，满洲以里

初见这本书是看到有朋友新书到手秀朋友圈，但这本中文名叫做《东北游记》的书并没有引起我找来一读的欲望：就是外国记者在东北转悠一圈的所见所闻，顺便来点怀古呗？去年关于东北的负面报道特别多，于是对东北的历史和现状有了一些兴趣，希望了解作为共和国长子的东北何以至此。所以，我带着问题，找到这本书，想通过书中描写的历史，看看能否找到东北变成今天这个样子的合理性，以及有没有可能窥见这片土地的未来。读完之后，好像找到了，但也似乎问题更多了。

先大略介绍一下这本书吧。英文名《In Manchuria：A Village Called Wasteland And the Transformation Of Rural China》，我宁愿翻译成《满洲以里：荒地村与中国农村的变迁》而非《东北游记》。作者是跟彼得·海斯勒（何伟）一起作为美国和平队志愿者在中国支教过的迈克尔·迈尔（梅英东），此前还写过一本《再会老北京》，风评也很不错。梅英东在北京支教认识了一个东北姑娘，跟人结婚后跑到姑娘老家吉林市的荒地村住了两年，顺便借着东北便捷的铁路网四处访古流窜，追寻这片土地的历史，也观察这片土地的现 ...more

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Dec 06, 2017 Kuang Ting rated it really liked it

Author Mr. Meyer was a reporter in China before. He first came to China in 1990s with Peace Corps. It's very interesting to note that he was a classmate of Peter Hessler. They learned Chinese in a college in Sichuan, then sent to different schools to teach English. It's said that Hessler was the best Chinese learner in class, and Meyer was the second. After teachers days, they both went to Beijing and became journalists. This is Meyer's second book about China. The first one is about old alleys Author Mr. Meyer was a reporter in China before. He first came to China in 1990s with Peace Corps. It's very interesting to note that he was a classmate of Peter Hessler. They learned Chinese in a college in Sichuan, then sent to different schools to teach English. It's said that Hessler was the best Chinese learner in class, and Meyer was the second. After teachers days, they both went to Beijing and became journalists. This is Meyer's second book about China. The first one is about old alleys in Beijing.

'In Manchuria' is another great journal on contemporary China. Manchuria is the old name of China's Northeast. It's the hometown of Manchu which was the founding tribe of Qing Dynasty, China's last dynasty. Its location makes it a strategic place in modern history. Bordering Korea and Russia, everyone wants to take control. Russia could use it to reach the Pacific, getting its first ever harbor that wouldn't freeze in the winter. Japan wanted to use it as a base to invade whole China. Manchuria is a fertile land, so it could also relieve Japan's burden on its excessive population. Japan can export resources back to homeland as well.

In short, Manchuria has become a troubled land since 19th century. Meyer visited many places in the region. He weaves history and anecdotes perfectly into his travelogue. He gives detailed information on the past, present, and future of this land. He introduces each country's influence here.

Meyer's wife is from the village he stayed. She studied English in China and went to Berkeley studying law. She was based in Hong Kong during Meyer's three years stay in her hometown. They had their first child in the end and it wrapped up Meyer's journey.

In addition to history, Meyer gives lively depiction on local people. He lived with his wife's relatives. He taught English in primary school there. It was a small village. A foreigner's presence was 'well-known' to everyone. He showed us traditional rural lives. The personas are very colorful. I learn how people from Northeast think or behave.

Finally, a main theme runs through all chapters. Traditionally, individual farmer takes care of his own farmland. However, aging population in rural areas makes it unsustainable. Private companies are taking over their lands. These companies employ high tech agricultural methods to enhance output. It also relieve China's heavy burden to feed 1.3 billion people. Furthermore, the firms promise to provide necessary measures for old farmers livelihood. For example, the firms build new apartment and encourage them to move here, leaving the old farm houses. Thus, old ways of living are disappearing.

In Manchuria not only captures the characteristics of China's rural people but also introduces readers to this lesser known area in China. It's a nice book to know more about this beautiful country.
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Sep 16, 2017 Adrian rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Michael Meyer has provided an approach to travel writing with which I was previously less acquainted. While my travel writer of choice, was, and is, Robert D Kaplan, Meyer provides a style and narrative in contrast, in the sense that a greater portion of the novel is personal recollection of interactions with people, but not just any people, people who form the human and personal accounts of China's transformation.
Having previously lived in Jilin Province, and having personally explored the citi Michael Meyer has provided an approach to travel writing with which I was previously less acquainted. While my travel writer of choice, was, and is, Robert D Kaplan, Meyer provides a style and narrative in contrast, in the sense that a greater portion of the novel is personal recollection of interactions with people, but not just any people, people who form the human and personal accounts of China's transformation.
Having previously lived in Jilin Province, and having personally explored the cities described in this book, namely Harbin, Changchun and Shenyang, Meyer brings the places to life in the form of a journey through history, worthy of any previous travel writing I have encountered.
The transformation of rural China of the subtitle, is largely the corporatization of rural China. Meyer takes us through a journey, from the Qing Dynasty, to subordination in the Japanese puppet state of Manchuguo, to collectivization in the Mao era, to the abolition of the latter and the introduction of the household contract responsibility system in 1984, and eventually the abolition of all agricultural taxes in 2006.
The people described in the book are faced with the dilemma of the conglomerate of East Fortune Rice who were effectively buying up the land, and redeveloping the town, a development with mixed views. As Meyer describes, this may offer the chance for the urbanisation of the village, the chance to live in 2 bedroom apartments with central heating, rather than the Kang, but perhaps some people are content with the life they have.
Meyer provides an insight into Chinese culture one is unlikely to gain from scholarly history or current affairs books because he intimately interacts with the ordinary people themselves, therefore, the book is educational, and educational in a warm and personal way.
Definitely recommended to those with an interest in China, and particularly those with an interest in China's much overlooked Northeast. The Northeast is a charming, unique place of beautiful forests, and lively people, and is well worth a visit, or even living for an extended period, as I have done. For those considering the Northeast, Meyer's book is a very good prelude. ...more

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Nov 17, 2017 Suzanne rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, non-fiction, book-club-2017

The more I read about China, the more eager I am to learn about this nation, rich in history and culture. Michael Meyer, becomes an expat living in rural China after a stint in Peace Corps, and enjoys teaching there. He meets his Chinese wife and decides to rent some land in a small village called Wasteland - the home of his wife's family.

What follows is a charming and interesting story of Meyer's personal experiences in an area of China rarely written about, the people, and it's history. I e ...more

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Nov 12, 2017 Pan Hu rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-audible

As a native Manchurian (people from Manchuria), I find this book really fun to read. There are a lot of interesting subtle observations of Manchuria people from a foreigner's perspective and some even made me homesick. This is a book I would recommend if someone wants to know the roots of modern Manchuria people and culture.

One thing I do not like about this book is the lengthy details of historical backstory. Though they are crucial to introducing the historical background to people unfamiliar ...more

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Sep 05, 2018 Jason rated it really liked it

Shelves: china

Fantastic and insightful look into the history and places of cities, peoples, politics, and changes shaping China's lesser known 'dongbei' northeast. Heard of Manchuria, but always wondered what it was and is--now you can know.

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Dec 26, 2018 BDT rated it liked it

A fun piece that is occasionally difficult to follow. The local history and environment of Manchuria is fascinating, and is described with rich and vivid language. The author's personal experiences are also fascinating, yet at times repetitive or lengthy.

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Jun 03, 2017 Owen rated it it was amazing

It's a good book when I wish it was longer.

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Feb 07, 2019 Hao Zhang rated it it was amazing

As a Manchurian myself, I found this book very compelling, worth to read!

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Mar 22, 2017 Jenny Knowles rated it it was amazing

This is a fascinating account of living in today's Manchuria with thoughtful sections about the history of this part of north west China over the last century. It is part travelogue, part social science, part philosophy and is written in an absorbing way with some lovely language.

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Mar 12, 2017 Richard rated it really liked it · review of another edition

very enjoyable. just didn't hold my interest as much as I like. it seemed to be more about the author then it was about Manchuria or those who live there

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Dec 29, 2014 Zeb Kantrowitz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley-read

The subtitle of the book is a good summary of what the book is all about: A Village Called Wasteland and the Transformation of Rural China. Meyer who first spent time in southern China as part of the Peace Corp, married a woman from northeastern China (Manchuria). After being married for thirteen years, his wife (now a lawyer) took a job in Hong Kong. Meyer (a travel writer and author) decided it would be a great time to visit her family in Manchuria and travel around the area.

His wife’s family The subtitle of the book is a good summary of what the book is all about: A Village Called Wasteland and the Transformation of Rural China. Meyer who first spent time in southern China as part of the Peace Corp, married a woman from northeastern China (Manchuria). After being married for thirteen years, his wife (now a lawyer) took a job in Hong Kong. Meyer (a travel writer and author) decided it would be a great time to visit her family in Manchuria and travel around the area.

His wife’s family was from a little town on the Songhua River outside of Jilin in the middle of Heilongjiang Province (Manchuria), called Wasteland. All he could find out about the town was that it was declared a village in 1956. Prior to 1949, it may have just been a group of houses off a side road. After the takeover of the Communist Chinese it was declared a commune and the land in the area was flooded and turned into rice paddies. The village was famous for the type of ‘sticky rice’ they grew known as ‘big wasteland rice’.

Meyer (from Minnesota) spent three years living in the town which was just like a small town in the Middle West of the US. He lived among his wife’s aunt and uncles who had spent their whole lives in the village, from before World War 2. They remembered the times when the land was owned by absent landlords, the wars of the Warlords (before WW2), the Japanese occupation. They were there when the Russians chased out the Japanese and the war between the Communists and the Nationalists.

Under the Communist Chinese they were forced into communes, attacked by the Red Guards during the “Cultural Revolution” and were part of the first areas to be given private use of the land they lived on. By the time Meyer went to live in Wasteland, the village was being swallowed up by a huge new Agribusiness called “Eastern Resources”. Everyone in the village remembered his wife as a child (when she was called the Princess) before she married Meyer and went off to the US. In the US she went to college and became a lawyer specializing in international law.

Meyer spent much of his time traveling around the Province studying the wars between the Russian, Japanese and Chinese over this land. He interviewed (he is very conversant in Mandarin) many of the local politicians and toured all the important Museums in the area. In his own way Meyer gives the reader a history lesson as well as a discussion of the cultural changes to Manchuria during the twentieth century.

For me though the best part of the book is his descriptions of the older people of the village of Wasteland. These are the ‘common people’ of the area who have lived through all of the changes from the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, the Chinese Republic of 1912-1949, and under Communist rule. His description of the small town atmosphere where everyone knows everyone’s business is truly worth the read. All during his stay in the village the old ‘aunties’ question him as to when he will start a family. (At the time he was 39 and his wife Frances was 34.) This is a great view of the changes to rural China (and the whole country) from ground level. Well worth your time.

Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com
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Mar 30, 2015 Steve rated it really liked it

While I sometimes labored through In Manchuria, it was more often due to a busy summer and a distracted mind. Make no mistake, writer Michael Meyer is gifted in making history engaging without being intellectually insulting – no easy task.

Obviously, in a project as all-encompassing as telling the “transformation of rural China,” some chapters are more interesting than others. Meyer not only tells the history of the region, but also describes his sojourn. I found the chapters dealing with the Ja While I sometimes labored through In Manchuria, it was more often due to a busy summer and a distracted mind. Make no mistake, writer Michael Meyer is gifted in making history engaging without being intellectually insulting – no easy task.

Obviously, in a project as all-encompassing as telling the “transformation of rural China,” some chapters are more interesting than others. Meyer not only tells the history of the region, but also describes his sojourn. I found the chapters dealing with the Japanese occupation and the puppet state of Manchukuo to be the most fascinating and revealing. My wife, like Meyer’s, is from this area (his wife from the book’s titular village Wasteland, mine from Harbin), and her unflagging dislike for the Japanese is understandable given the history. While Nanjing might have garnered the majority of sympathetic global press, Harbin and the northeast were also the settings for tragically little-known Japanese atrocities. I particularly appreciated Meyer’s inclusive recollection. He tells the story as objectively as possible, referencing both Chinese and Japanese horrors from that terrible period, and there’s certainly plenty of tragedy to spread around. As anyone familiar with China’s last hundred years knows, China has inflicted plenty of pain and misery on her own people, and Meyer reminds us in various ways how there is still a paucity of complete information taught in China’s schools. This doesn’t help matters (my wife’s deep-seated feelings bear this out), and it makes me sad that ignorance still holds reign when it comes to public education. Needless to say, it’s a moving and riveting section of the book.

There are local touchstones in two endearing Wasteland characters, Auntie Yi and Sang Jiu, to whom Meyer periodically returns and gains vital perspective and first-hand lessons in Chinese history. In telling the history of this particular region of China, he essentially reveals the chain of events for the entire nation. Afterall, Mao’s vision was all about returning the country to the farmers. The culture of rural, farm-centric China is the key player here, and Meyer reveals the shrinking position farming has in modern China and how that defines the transformation going on nationwide. Not only are the citizens eschewing farming for city jobs, but the farmers who do stay are constantly pressured to give in to big corporations and governmental bureaucrats with grandiose visions to alter the landscape of the entire country. The influence of Big Farming has done a number here at home, and clearly, its reach is global.

In Manchuria is a well-written mash-up of history and journal, told by a man with a great deal of experience in the area, coupled with critical Mandarin chops, and a personal stake in the game. Instead of the run-of-the-mill cautionary tomes about the daunting growth of China and her increasing influence on the global stage (usually with the words “dragon” and/or “red” worked into the title for dramatic affect), Meyer offers this comfortable narrative filled with history, humor, and heart. It’s a great history and a great read. ...more

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Sep 10, 2015 Matthew rated it really liked it

Shelves: china, essaysjournalism, history, biography

Enjoyed this - it is part memoir, part history, though most dominantly perhaps, it is travelogue - Meyer's style gives the sensation of an intelligent, educated fellow traveler taking you into new places, though perhaps this is a misnomer as he takes you into stories and relationships and memories as well. Hessler and Osnos, I think, are better at - or perhaps aimed more at - sketching and drawing together the epic and the anecdotal, and are more literary writers (imo, which isn't authoritative) Enjoyed this - it is part memoir, part history, though most dominantly perhaps, it is travelogue - Meyer's style gives the sensation of an intelligent, educated fellow traveler taking you into new places, though perhaps this is a misnomer as he takes you into stories and relationships and memories as well. Hessler and Osnos, I think, are better at - or perhaps aimed more at - sketching and drawing together the epic and the anecdotal, and are more literary writers (imo, which isn't authoritative) while Meyer attempts this less, rather he sort of hangs around a place long enough that the details, not just physical but relational (human to human, human to place, human to landscape, human to narrative) start to emerge and this is what he describes. But this is perhaps what drew me to this book - it seems unique in Western writing on China for focusing on a particular province rather than trying to describe the broad national trends. Some other themes come through - as per a previous book on Beijing's hutongs, there is a sense of Meyer's questioning of the rapidity and inexorable nature of economic development, and urbanisation in particular. In Beijing it was more about urban planning in a dense city and the role of conservation and history, in Manchuria it is perhaps more about farmers' rights and how to address issues such as when some farmers want to sell out to a larger agricultural cooperative, but certain individuals want to keep farming their own land. In the background, there are echoes of larger social issues - the aging of rural populations due to emigration, rural poverty, land use rights, corrupt officials, etc. But it is refreshing to read a journalistic account of China that doesn't go too heavy on these social issues which should be well known to regular China watchers. There is an American inflection to this writing, and Meyer acknowledges this, but I think he manages to 'localize' quite successfully (thanks to his wife being part of the family in which community he embeds himself, which lends the personal angle to this book), though some observations would be more interesting perhaps to the American than to the Asian reader.

(I attended a talk by Meyer at which he said while there was demand for his writing in the US, he was also surprised that the translations of his books have been doing well in China - he made the point that China's at the stage where domestic writers can't really afford to take a few years off living in a rural village just to write a book on rural life - it would simply be too much economic risk. But thus there is a gap in the market. He also mentioned that he has conversations with city officials on urban planning and conservation - let's hope some of these turn into actual conservation policies. Though I do think he can come across as a bit anti-development at times, though perhaps not intentionally.) ...more

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Dec 12, 2014 Caleb Tankersley rated it it was amazing

I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway, and I’m so glad I did.

I’m in a Creative Writing PhD program. I tend to read and have strong opinions about a lot of high literary fiction. (You can read my reviews on Newpages and Necessary Fiction. I also have plenty here on Goodreads as well.) So it was refreshing to open a book of non-fiction. Michael Meyer’s In Manchuria is a travel journal in the vein of New Journalism, though peppered with a fair amount of in-depth research. Meyers guides read ...more

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Jan 28, 2016 Amelia Laughlan rated it really liked it

Shelves: memoir, non-fiction, travel

Part travel-writing, part history text, part memoir, In Manchuria shines with all the best bits of these three genres, which it steps in and out of at a startlingly pace. For the most part this blending works well. However, there are occasional jumps which are tricky to follow.

In Manchuria paints a densely historical portrait of Meyer's life in rural Manchuria. While likely most accurately described as travel writing, In Manchuria feels far more historical than most titles of the genre - a bypro ...more

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Jun 01, 2015 Steven rated it really liked it

Shelves: cold_places, culture, maps, memoir, social-sciences, travel

I'd heard a snippet from this book read by the author on a podcast -- I can't remember which one, but I'm thinking maybe "This American Life."

Meyer, who married a woman from northeast China, spends a year in her hometown, known as Wasteland, living with her relatives. In between teaching English at the local school, he sets out to visit sites related to Manchurian history. Among them are the Willow Pallisade, a more northern and maybe not-so-Great Wall made of trees and meant to outline settleme ...more

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Mar 07, 2016 Isaac Babel's Ghost rated it really liked it

In the past decade and a half or so most books written about China by non-Chinese Westerners have included not just their experiences living and working in China, but also long, obnoxious screeds about Chinese politics (Peter Hessler and Nicholas Kristof are prime examples of this). This book, thankfully, is almost totally free of that. Meyer's book is actually two stories in one: His travelogue of and musings on the history of northeastern China, and an examination of the apprehension that resi ...more

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Sep 28, 2015 Debbie Payne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: firstreads

I received In Manchuria from a Goodreads giveaway and although it has taken a long time to finish this book, I thoroughly enjoyed its contents.

I know little about China but have become very interested in a country that is steeped in history, culture and tradition. China has exerted itself as a dominant presence in our political world and we should learn about this country, both it's politics and its people.

This book had the right blend of history and the culture of the people living in Manchuria ...more

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About Michael Meyer

Michael Meyer

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Michael Meyer is an American travel writer and the author of In Manchuria: A Village Called Wasteland and the Transformation of Rural China and The Last Days of Old Beijing: Life in the Vanishing Backstreets of a City Transformed. He graduated from University of Wisconsin–Madison. He first went to China in 1995 with the Peace Corps. Following Peace Corps, he graduated from the University of Califo ...more