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Dancing in the River (4)
Growing up in a small, riverside town, Little Bright is thrusted into the political whirlwinds along with his family during China’s Cultural Revolution. When a reversal of the winds of reform blows through the land, however, he learns the once-forbidden tongue―English―which lends wings to his sense and sensibility. At college, he adopts a new English name, Victor. With the deepening of his knowledge of the English language, he begins to place himself under the tutelage of Pavlov, Sherlock Holmes, and Shakespeare. When the story unravels, however, Victor’s un-Chinese passion and tension threaten to topple his moral world and mental universe. Now, he must wade into an uncharted journey to unlock the dilemma and to unearth his destiny. Drawing on his own life experiences, George Lee has fashioned an unforgettable coming-of-age story about fate and faith, good and evil, power of imagination and storytelling, and, above all, wonder of English literature.
288 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 10, 2022
3.5 rounded up
“ That year, at age eleven, I discovered the pleasure of reading by the light of a kerosene lamp. But books were as rare as meat. Almost all books - other than those of Chairman Mao- were regarded as poisonous plants. To utter the word “library” was as horrifying as the word graveyard .” There was one exception, though. Tons of seized poisonous plants (meaning books) were piled up in the town’s only junk recycling depot, which became my summer library.”
This coming of age story of a young boy growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China was a learning experience giving me an idea of what that time and place was like, which spanned from 1966-1976. It’s a debut novel which has the feel of a memoir and won Canada’s Guernica Prize in 2021.
Little Bright discovers his love of books, renames himself Victor as goes to university to discover not only more from books, but also to discover who he is in the light of his wanting more than his cultural upbringing can give him. Questioning who he is, what he believes, where he wants life to take him, it’s thought provoking and moving at times.
I received a copy of this book from Guernica Editions through
NetGalley.
“ That year, at age eleven, I discovered the pleasure of reading by the light of a kerosene lamp. But books were as rare as meat. Almost all books - other than those of Chairman Mao- were regarded as poisonous plants. To utter the word “library” was as horrifying as the word graveyard .” There was one exception, though. Tons of seized poisonous plants (meaning books) were piled up in the town’s only junk recycling depot, which became my summer library.”
This coming of age story of a young boy growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China was a learning experience giving me an idea of what that time and place was like, which spanned from 1966-1976. It’s a debut novel which has the feel of a memoir and won Canada’s Guernica Prize in 2021.
Little Bright discovers his love of books, renames himself Victor as goes to university to discover not only more from books, but also to discover who he is in the light of his wanting more than his cultural upbringing can give him. Questioning who he is, what he believes, where he wants life to take him, it’s thought provoking and moving at times.
I received a copy of this book from Guernica Editions through
NetGalley.
July 15, 2022
This is by far one of my favorite books of all time. Set to publish in November 2022, this book is a powerful piece of literary fiction. Dancing in the River follows a man's life growing up in China. The rich language throughout the novel is absolutely exquisite. One of the most beautiful aspects of this book is how the language gets even richer as the man grows up and studies at college and graduate school. I honestly could not stop reading. The book asks powerful questions about life, especially the most difficult times in life (the sorrow). I found myself pondering many of the philosophical and political questions raised throughout this book. I truly anticipate that this book will be one of the most popular novels of our time, not only of 2022. There is so much to devour and think about that I think I will have to re-read it a few times. Thank you to NetGalley and the Guernica Editions (publisher) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. -Chelsea K. Reviewer
September 4, 2022
"...our life journey is a soul's journey, onward and upward and, ultimately inward...the purpose of this journey is not a place to house our body or mind, but to find a home to anchor our soul."
"(Little Bright's) journey began on the edge of the (Yangtze) River...listening to the solemn whisper of the waves...our people say a boy's fate can be revealed by how he behaves on his third birthday...". "Life is to be lived by following crowds, other people's beliefs...I was left-handed...a frightening omen."
Grandma couldn't write (didn't drink the ink) but upheld tradition with stories filled with wisdom. "If you don't eat bitterness, endure hardship, how can you rise above others?" "From time to time our stomachs growled, but we said we were full. Slumber became my best food; I cooked satisfaction in my head...I picked up the habit of escaping by creating imaginary dialogue in my mind."
Little Bright's school education included mandatory labor as well. "The countryside is our classroom." Students were taught how to build terraced gardens in the mountainside. His imagination and passion was fueled by entering the world of Charles Dickens and Robinson Crusoe, among others, from his "summer library" of discarded, banned books that were piled up in the town dump. When his crime was unmasked, eleven-year old Little Bright was required to make a public confession. He had better perform good deeds now!
It became beneficial to teach the English alphabet and sentence building to the students. By learning a foreign language, knowledge becomes power. Little Bright's awareness was further enhanced by a teacher's presentation of the rules of logic. "When the assumption you begin with is false, everything generated from that must be false." He learned "there was an enormous difference between 'what to think and how to think'." He hungrily read Sherlock Holmes, Shakespeare and Hugo. "I had stepped into a new unknown; I had no idea what I should believe anymore but I could never again close my mind...I could not unlearn."
"Dancing in the River" by George Lee is a heartfelt, beautiful coming-of-age novel that takes place during China's Cultural Revolution. "When rowing down the river, you don't know when the tidal waves will roll into you. Just smile and let your boat dance with the waves of life." Sound advice, however, Little Bright aka Victor had a dilemma. Should he embrace the past and all its traditions or be a "contrarian" and discover a future far from the mountainside and the Yangtze River? According to Grandma, "If you eat the bitterness of all bitterness, than you become a man above all men." This thought provoking literary read is highly recommended
Thank you Guernica Editions and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"(Little Bright's) journey began on the edge of the (Yangtze) River...listening to the solemn whisper of the waves...our people say a boy's fate can be revealed by how he behaves on his third birthday...". "Life is to be lived by following crowds, other people's beliefs...I was left-handed...a frightening omen."
Grandma couldn't write (didn't drink the ink) but upheld tradition with stories filled with wisdom. "If you don't eat bitterness, endure hardship, how can you rise above others?" "From time to time our stomachs growled, but we said we were full. Slumber became my best food; I cooked satisfaction in my head...I picked up the habit of escaping by creating imaginary dialogue in my mind."
Little Bright's school education included mandatory labor as well. "The countryside is our classroom." Students were taught how to build terraced gardens in the mountainside. His imagination and passion was fueled by entering the world of Charles Dickens and Robinson Crusoe, among others, from his "summer library" of discarded, banned books that were piled up in the town dump. When his crime was unmasked, eleven-year old Little Bright was required to make a public confession. He had better perform good deeds now!
It became beneficial to teach the English alphabet and sentence building to the students. By learning a foreign language, knowledge becomes power. Little Bright's awareness was further enhanced by a teacher's presentation of the rules of logic. "When the assumption you begin with is false, everything generated from that must be false." He learned "there was an enormous difference between 'what to think and how to think'." He hungrily read Sherlock Holmes, Shakespeare and Hugo. "I had stepped into a new unknown; I had no idea what I should believe anymore but I could never again close my mind...I could not unlearn."
"Dancing in the River" by George Lee is a heartfelt, beautiful coming-of-age novel that takes place during China's Cultural Revolution. "When rowing down the river, you don't know when the tidal waves will roll into you. Just smile and let your boat dance with the waves of life." Sound advice, however, Little Bright aka Victor had a dilemma. Should he embrace the past and all its traditions or be a "contrarian" and discover a future far from the mountainside and the Yangtze River? According to Grandma, "If you eat the bitterness of all bitterness, than you become a man above all men." This thought provoking literary read is highly recommended
Thank you Guernica Editions and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2022
Read my full review on Rosepoint Publishing.
I’m not sure how to describe this narrative, part memoir, part poignant journey of a Chinese male born in a little riverside town and indoctrinated heavily as a child with anti-western sentiment. Little Bright is filled with the ideas, history, and culture of thousands of years fostered by propaganda through education and family traditions. Indeed, there were strong repercussions for viewing any angle of a subject that wasn’t sanctioned.
So the shock felt by the author during China’s Cultural Revolution is extreme. Now encouraged to learn the once forbidden English language—the better to infiltrate and turn into intelligence—the more valuable the student.
Secretly, however, the author had been questioning a lot of life’s mysteries opening doors to many more questions.
Deep into philosophical and political questions, the author transitions from Little Bright to Victor and experiences all the new found independence of a college student. More and deeper questions. And English? There was another whole exquisite literary world out there to explore.
I enjoyed many of the sayings, though there were many passages that required rereading to understand sufficient to digest. Too many quotables to list.
I felt at times that I was rereading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Much the same struggle of making sense of oneself with similar conclusions.
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.
I’m not sure how to describe this narrative, part memoir, part poignant journey of a Chinese male born in a little riverside town and indoctrinated heavily as a child with anti-western sentiment. Little Bright is filled with the ideas, history, and culture of thousands of years fostered by propaganda through education and family traditions. Indeed, there were strong repercussions for viewing any angle of a subject that wasn’t sanctioned.
So the shock felt by the author during China’s Cultural Revolution is extreme. Now encouraged to learn the once forbidden English language—the better to infiltrate and turn into intelligence—the more valuable the student.
Secretly, however, the author had been questioning a lot of life’s mysteries opening doors to many more questions.
Deep into philosophical and political questions, the author transitions from Little Bright to Victor and experiences all the new found independence of a college student. More and deeper questions. And English? There was another whole exquisite literary world out there to explore.
I enjoyed many of the sayings, though there were many passages that required rereading to understand sufficient to digest. Too many quotables to list.
I felt at times that I was rereading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Much the same struggle of making sense of oneself with similar conclusions.
I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.
January 16, 2023
Dancing in the River, written by George Lee; reviewed by Michael Bowers
Dancing in the River tells the story of a young man growing up in China during the Cultural Revelation of the Mao and Mua communist era. George Lee was very articulate in his writing, describing the evolution of a young man “Little Bright” from birth to his realization of purpose. Little Bright’s desire to read molded his future being, sometimes straying outside of the Party’s approved literature list.
George described Little Bright’s coming of age and how it brought many challenges, to include family misfortune, party solidarity, and sexual desires. Unfortunately, at this time in China’s culture, something as simple as a kiss could be misconstrued as an impure act. Relationships were frowned upon by the Party.
Unfortunately, Dancing in the River provides a very detailed storyline that sometimes results in loss of interest by the reader. The elements of drama, suspense, and intrigue were missing. A lot of time was spent describing schooling and elements of non-essential storyline and not enough on the character development and struggles, or the ramification of dissention of the Party’s teaching.
The book was written as a Memoir, detailing what could be the actual life of the author. The adversities described are heart wrenching. While difficult at times, Dancing in the River is a good read. I’m glad I had the chance to read this book.
Dancing in the River tells the story of a young man growing up in China during the Cultural Revelation of the Mao and Mua communist era. George Lee was very articulate in his writing, describing the evolution of a young man “Little Bright” from birth to his realization of purpose. Little Bright’s desire to read molded his future being, sometimes straying outside of the Party’s approved literature list.
George described Little Bright’s coming of age and how it brought many challenges, to include family misfortune, party solidarity, and sexual desires. Unfortunately, at this time in China’s culture, something as simple as a kiss could be misconstrued as an impure act. Relationships were frowned upon by the Party.
Unfortunately, Dancing in the River provides a very detailed storyline that sometimes results in loss of interest by the reader. The elements of drama, suspense, and intrigue were missing. A lot of time was spent describing schooling and elements of non-essential storyline and not enough on the character development and struggles, or the ramification of dissention of the Party’s teaching.
The book was written as a Memoir, detailing what could be the actual life of the author. The adversities described are heart wrenching. While difficult at times, Dancing in the River is a good read. I’m glad I had the chance to read this book.
December 2, 2022
I admit that I struggled a bit in reading Dancing in the River by George Lee. It reads almost like a memoir, but it is called a novel. That leads me to think that much of the story is autobiographical with fictional elements. In the story, Little Bright learns to fear anything Western. He is growing up when Mao’s Cultural Revolution keeps people fearful because neighbors report on neighbors. His family is targeted.
I found Little Bright’s love of language inspiring. The story is sprinkled with admirable sentences and sayings. When he returns home after being away, Little Bright waxes poetic about his return. One of the lines I found poignant follows here: “When the veils of night began to shroud the sky, I saw the same familiar stars dispersed and sparkling overhead.”
Another line that struck me occurs late in the story: “I would never forget this day when I broke myself into pieces.” These lines at the very end of the story sum up the poetry found throughout the story: “My vision brightened at last. As my inward eye opened and dove into the sparkling blue water, I saw my own mind dancing in the river.”
Certainly, for book clubs, Dancing in the River provides much for discussion: Mao’s Cultural Revolution, people’s reactions to that revolution, escape from the tyranny, and Little Bright’s own development.
I found Little Bright’s love of language inspiring. The story is sprinkled with admirable sentences and sayings. When he returns home after being away, Little Bright waxes poetic about his return. One of the lines I found poignant follows here: “When the veils of night began to shroud the sky, I saw the same familiar stars dispersed and sparkling overhead.”
Another line that struck me occurs late in the story: “I would never forget this day when I broke myself into pieces.” These lines at the very end of the story sum up the poetry found throughout the story: “My vision brightened at last. As my inward eye opened and dove into the sparkling blue water, I saw my own mind dancing in the river.”
Certainly, for book clubs, Dancing in the River provides much for discussion: Mao’s Cultural Revolution, people’s reactions to that revolution, escape from the tyranny, and Little Bright’s own development.
December 13, 2022
This book was recommended to me and I'm glad because I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a first person narrative by Little Bright, who is later also called Victor, and takes his story from birth, learning the customs of his grandparents, to adulthood. Described as a coming of age novel, we wonder whether the coming of age is of Victor, or the Chinese communist country that he lives in - or both.
Having grown up myself during part of the nineteen sixties, the seventies and part of the eighties, I constantly compared my life with that of Victor's. The liberation of post-war UK during the sixties just didn't happen for him, and as I sat in that time period, I had no idea that in parts of the world, the state-agreed news was broadcast via speakers in village squares.
They say that travel broadens the mind, but by reading novels like this, one can travel in distance and in time. The ordinary reader will find a fascinating novel. The academic, with an understanding of the place and time, will find meat to place on the bones of his/her knowledge.
Now, to recommend this book to some other lucky person, for I am keeping my copy.
Having grown up myself during part of the nineteen sixties, the seventies and part of the eighties, I constantly compared my life with that of Victor's. The liberation of post-war UK during the sixties just didn't happen for him, and as I sat in that time period, I had no idea that in parts of the world, the state-agreed news was broadcast via speakers in village squares.
They say that travel broadens the mind, but by reading novels like this, one can travel in distance and in time. The ordinary reader will find a fascinating novel. The academic, with an understanding of the place and time, will find meat to place on the bones of his/her knowledge.
Now, to recommend this book to some other lucky person, for I am keeping my copy.
April 10, 2023
Daytona Beach Shores Community Center Book Club Reader Barb B says:
The book is an educational delight to people who are not of Chinese descent and want to learn about Chinese beliefs and customs. The author takes you through a painful search for his "real" self, and introduces you to many Chinese customs and sayings or "morals". For instance, "The fate of all good men is they are always doomed to be short-lived." We say, "The good die young."
It was a search we all go through as we grow older. Trying to find a reason for why we are here and what our purpose is. I give it 5 stars. #booktribbc #daytonabeachshorescommunitycenterbookclub
The book is an educational delight to people who are not of Chinese descent and want to learn about Chinese beliefs and customs. The author takes you through a painful search for his "real" self, and introduces you to many Chinese customs and sayings or "morals". For instance, "The fate of all good men is they are always doomed to be short-lived." We say, "The good die young."
It was a search we all go through as we grow older. Trying to find a reason for why we are here and what our purpose is. I give it 5 stars. #booktribbc #daytonabeachshorescommunitycenterbookclub
December 15, 2022
Dancing in the River by George Lee is a fantastic read! I loved this book. It takes you on an emotional journey and gives you insight into Mao’s revolution and the propaganda against the west. It is an outstanding coming of age story which is well-written and deeply enlightening and insightful. If you’re a fan of Cultural Heritage or Coming of Age stories, then you won’t want to miss this one. Five stars!
February 18, 2023
This is a lovely, well written book, that weaves in the power of literature as a means of escape. It's quite harrowing to read, and brings out very forcefully that there are some cataclysmic events in countries that directly affect you-the Famine and the Cultural Revolution in China being examples of this. THe motif of the river as both unchanging and constantly changing is used to moving effect. The book feels very authentic, that adds to its power. HIghly recommended.
December 16, 2022
My attention span was only several minutes, but I finished reading the whole book within a day. As a first-generation Chinese Canadian immigrant, I see myself in Mr. Bright's journey. My heart went out to him while he was looking for ways out. A must-read book for people who want to understand China and the people living there.
George is an amazing and gifted storyteller.
George is an amazing and gifted storyteller.
January 9, 2023
This story talks about the author George Lee's life experience with the coming of age and the power of storytelling. I enjoyed the way he narrated it. Reading it, it looked as if I was there when it happened. It was worth the time spent reading it and I enjoyed every bit of this story. I highly recommend it.
January 16, 2023
A great read. George Lee is an amazing and gifted storyteller. This story talks about Lee's life experience. It takes you on an emotional journey and gives you insight into Mao’s revolution and the propaganda against the west. It is an outstanding coming of age story which is well-written and deeply enlightening and insightful. Highly recommended!
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December 13, 2022George Lee’s debut novel DANCING IN THE RIVER offers a rare and intimate view into the coming of age of a young boy in a sleepy mountain village along the Yangtze River, during and after China’s Cultural Revolution.
Read the full review on Booktrib.com
Read the full review on Booktrib.com
March 22, 2023
Few books have the ability to bring you back to a place and time and hold you there. I learned a lot about China, the people and propaganda. I thoroughly enjoyed Little Bright's coming of age story. One of the lines that really resonated with me was..."...our life journey is a soul's journey, onward and upward and, ultimately inward...the purpose of this journey is not a place to house our body or mind, but to find a home to anchor our soul."- Truly profound. I love a book that allows you to question your fate, and life's purpose. A remarkable read.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews