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What Members Thought
Jul 25, 2009
Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
women-s-fiction,
books-about-books
The type of book you keep thinking about
and thinking about after you close the book.
Would make a good book for group discussion.
Recommended.
and thinking about after you close the book.
Would make a good book for group discussion.
Recommended.
A tight little novel that really delivers. Set during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the story centers (largely) on two teenage city boys sent to the boondocks to be "re-educated." Both boys come from what would normally be considered the cultured upper-crust, with some exposure to the classics in both literature and music. The re-education involves working the fields with illiterate peasants and humping baskets of shit up the ridges. They are starved for some sort of mental stimulation, which
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I did like this a lot, but really, the fuss people have made over it! It's a coming of age story set in China during the cultural revolution. Features young male friendship and bonding, falling in love with the same girl, and the backdrop of forbidden Western literature, which in my opinion, these two young men greatly over rate.
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This story was okay. It was more like a long short story than a novel, but it had its good points. I am not very familiar with Chinese society, but this seemed to be a good representation of what I imagine 1971 China was like. There are some luminous moments, but also heartbreaking ones.
Sweet, often funny little (occasionally gross) coming-of-age story.
Don't, I repeat, don't read/listen to this book if you are about to see the dentist!!! Much of this reminds me of the "cross cultural" aspects of Peace Corps.
Listening now with interest to this tale of two young men, sons of the old elite, enduring re-education in early 70's Mao-ist China. So far, so good. ...more
Don't, I repeat, don't read/listen to this book if you are about to see the dentist!!! Much of this reminds me of the "cross cultural" aspects of Peace Corps.
Listening now with interest to this tale of two young men, sons of the old elite, enduring re-education in early 70's Mao-ist China. So far, so good. ...more
enchanting storytelling...
This reads like a fable. Not strong character development but an easy read and I found it interesting enough. Finished in one afternoon.
Sep 24, 2008
Lori
marked it as to-read
Jan 17, 2010
Nanosynergy
marked it as to-read
Jul 10, 2011
Kiri
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
z-read-2010-2019,
literature
Apr 20, 2013
Jessica
added it
Aug 03, 2013
Laura
marked it as maybe-not
Sep 08, 2014
Juliana Philippa
marked it as to-read
Sep 23, 2018
Theresa Wright
marked it as to-read
Sep 23, 2019
Deborah
marked it as to-read
