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Quinn's Reviews > Street of Eternal Happiness: Big City Dreams Along a Shanghai Road
Street of Eternal Happiness: Big City Dreams Along a Shanghai Road
by
by
This was a look into a culture I knew nothing about. It was an interesting listen, for sure, and I am glad that I stuck around for the entire run time of the audiobook.
Pros:
- As mentioned above, I was able to learn about a culture I have little to no experience with, via a storytelling style that was easy to digest and inviting
- The book delves into the lives of multiple people, meaning that a fresh perspective is never more than a chapter away.
Cons:
- The book did not bring me to tears or give me a belly laugh, thus keeping it from a 5-star review.
- The audio quality seemed to fluctuate over the course of the book. It was especially noticable during the last few chapters of the book (where it almost sounded like a different narrator was speaking, the change was so pronounced)
- This may be an unfair criticism, but the narrator sounded "fake," to me, almost like he was narrating a commercial (or maybe an after-school special). It didn't stop me from completing the book , but I did notice it so I am bringing it up in my review.
Ultimately, this was an enlightening listen, giving me insight into the lives of a few modern Chinese people (with a focus on residents of Shanghai). Above all, it was refreshing to get an, "on-the-ground," perspective, rather than one filtered through my own government or the media.
Pros:
- As mentioned above, I was able to learn about a culture I have little to no experience with, via a storytelling style that was easy to digest and inviting
- The book delves into the lives of multiple people, meaning that a fresh perspective is never more than a chapter away.
Cons:
- The book did not bring me to tears or give me a belly laugh, thus keeping it from a 5-star review.
- The audio quality seemed to fluctuate over the course of the book. It was especially noticable during the last few chapters of the book (where it almost sounded like a different narrator was speaking, the change was so pronounced)
- This may be an unfair criticism, but the narrator sounded "fake," to me, almost like he was narrating a commercial (or maybe an after-school special). It didn't stop me from completing the book , but I did notice it so I am bringing it up in my review.
Ultimately, this was an enlightening listen, giving me insight into the lives of a few modern Chinese people (with a focus on residents of Shanghai). Above all, it was refreshing to get an, "on-the-ground," perspective, rather than one filtered through my own government or the media.
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Reading Progress
July 4, 2018
–
Started Reading
July 4, 2018
– Shelved
July 4, 2018
– Shelved as:
books-to-sit-back-and-enjoy
July 4, 2018
–
20.0%
"So far, the audiobook has run though a series of vignettes detailing the life and times of various residents of Shanghai. It has provided an inside-outsider's view (the author is not Chinese) of the city, and has been an entertaining listen so far."
July 9, 2018
–
57.0%
"This book dives into the lives of Chinese citizens with a particular focus on a part of Shanghai called, "The Street of Eternal Happiness." In doing so, the book explores the history, economics and culture of China. It has been an engrossing listen; I am learning a lot about China (even if said learning is filtered through white, western reporter). My only complaint is the voice talent sounds fake, somehow."
July 10, 2018
–
79.0%
"I'm in the last fifth of the book, and I'm excited to see how the author wraps things up.
With that said, I want to correct two things I said in an earlier updates: 1) each chapter is not a self-contained, and as the narrative has gone on, a few "main characters" / points of focus have emerged. Also, 2) when I said the narrator sounded fake, I meant he sounded like a voice you would hear in a commercial."
With that said, I want to correct two things I said in an earlier updates: 1) each chapter is not a self-contained, and as the narrative has gone on, a few "main characters" / points of focus have emerged. Also, 2) when I said the narrator sounded fake, I meant he sounded like a voice you would hear in a commercial."
July 10, 2018
–
Finished Reading
