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Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (Paperback) (平装)
by Jung Chang
| Category:
History & culture, China & Aisa |
| Market price: ¥ 178.00
MSL price:
¥ 158.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
The history of twentieth-century China is told through the lives of three women - a story of tragedy, perseverance, love, devotion, kindness, stupidity, insecurity, fear. A wonderful gift to the entire human race. |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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Yidu (MSL quote), China
<2007-05-06 00:00>
I am grateful for Mrs. Chang who took the time to write this book. After reading this book, I feel I more understand the history of China in the last century and a half. I am currently living in China and so to understand these beautiful people's history is invaluable. Many things have changed, obviously, but some mindsets have remained and this book has helped me to make China my home as a foreigner. If you are traveling to China for any period, or are interested in global affairs and reprecussions, this books is for you. It won't dissapoint. I'm currently reading it for the second time and it won't be my last, I'm sure.
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harpergirl (MSL quote), Pennsylvania
<2007-05-06 00:00>
Jung Chang tells the story of her family surviving the Mao years in China. An unexpected development - to me - was her father's character. While he was always moral and steadfast, I began by not liking him at all, and ended up venerating him for those very qualities. He exemplifies how a single human can maintain his dignity and standards in spite of the most horrific treatment. All his youthful ideals about the Communist party were trashed under Mao - as was his own reputation- yet Jung's father maintains his dignity and idealistic belief in what he perceived to be the humanistic goals of the Communist party until his very sad and unnecessary death. Jung's mother, who while under horrible treatment, was so kind to other people that she was called "Kuan Yin" or Goddess of Mercy. A true triumph of the human spirit.
Ms. Chang writes very dryly and dispassionately about her family's torment and trouble, I suspect because it is impossible for her to deal on an emotional level with the remembrance of such things as her mother's being made to kneel on broken glass. To write in a dry, these-are-the-facts style only enhances the horror of the treatment meted out not only to her family, but to many innocent people in China.
Yes, it IS history, and ought to be read as such, but it is also an affirmation of the survival of love, family, and the human spirit in incredibly tough times. It is not a romantic novel, nor a political polemic.
Read it if you want to know more about China and why she is how she is today, but also read it if you want to know the depths and heights to which human nature can plunge or soar.
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Ashley Peterson (MSL quote), USA
<2007-05-06 00:00>
I read this book for my book club. I enjoyed the book, it was interesting to read about the lives of these three generations of women in China & how constricted their lives were. I learned a lot about communism in China that I did not know. The time line of the story was sometimes a little hard to follow. If you are not interested in history or politics at all this book is not for you. The character development was lost to the political story. I do wish I knew how the author met her husband & her life was in the US after she left china, I felt that was lacking.
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Joseph (MSL quote), USA
<2007-05-06 00:00>
I just finished this book and found it amazing - I was totally engrossed in it while reading it, finding the story and events to be fascinating. I feel like it taught me a tremendous amount about 20th century Chinese history in a form far far superior to a textbook - many of the events are described from first hand experience of them. Others are told as the author heard them from friends and family. Overall, the book is superb.
The gripes some (a small percentage of people) will have are probably the following: 1) the writing style is either too dry or to the point, 2) the book weaves in and out of too many stories and recollections and should have stayed more focussed, and 3) possibly that the book is too "negative", as one reviewer here put it. In response to these possible complaints. 1) I would say that the reader should be prepared for a frank and direct record of events surrounding the author - I actually liked this about the book, as it made it more convincing. 2) On getting sidetracked, I would agree that for a little bit during the last 75 pages of the book or so, there was a lull as the author described events happening around various family members and friends. It could have stayed a bit more focussed and been slightly shorter, but this complaint will probably be voiced mostly by those who can't handle reading a 500 page boook... 3) On being "negative" or grubby, I strongly disagree and believe readers simply need to see how uplifting the book really is. There is nothing negative and there is no winning in the book in my opinion, although there is a strong political message surrounding Mao that develops in the latter half of the book. This message is not a complaint though, and from my view the author is, as I am, struck by Mao and what he was capable of in China during his reign.
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Sou Shiko (MSL quote), USA
<2007-05-06 00:00>
I am the kind of person who cannot stand sustained negativity, so I never finished reading this book. I really think the author is a talented and smart person, and from what I hear from my parents I also think what she is telling is mostly true. But I feel sorry for her for what she must have suffered from her selfishness and her own negative view of everything around her. I used to be like that many many years ago and I know how it hurts. Anything has both good side and bad side. I think it's more healthy to remember what good things happened rather than how terrible things were which nobody can do anything about.
This book could be much better if the author had more sense of humor and described everything in a lighter tone.
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Stephen (MSL quote), USA
<2007-05-06 00:00>
Outstanding!! While reading I was transported into another time and place. Jung Chang is a contemporary of mine and as the story moved along I tried to think back to where I was at a particular time and compare my life expierences with hers. No comparison, what hardship's she and her family faced. Brave lady!! I also purchased "Mao" and can't wait for her next book
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Liz (MSL quote), USA
<2007-05-06 00:00>
I was recommended this book by a physician I was seeing. I told him I was going to Beijing and he said his parents had been and really recommended reading this book before going to China. I received it and I am so grateful for the recommendation. The book is facinating, brutal, wonderfully written and gave me knowledge that I otherwise would not have received. I understood many of the things I saw with a new and more enhanced understanding. I loved visiting Beijing and I loved it even more because of this book. |
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Jyoti (MSL quote), USA
<2007-05-06 00:00>
This is a very comprehensive account of one family's endurance of Communist China as told from the perspective of one member of the family. At times, I think it's a little unbelievable in the detail that she knows about family members who were no longer alive when she wrote the book. However, the writing is easy and her descriptions emotionally charged. This would be an especially good book to read in preparation for a trip to China.
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Barbara (MSL quote), USA
<2007-05-06 00:00>
I enjoyed and was amazed at the role of the women in the history of this culture within my lifetime. Hard to realize how different the lives of women can be in different parts of the world. I have always had an interest in the EAST and this book certainly adds to the intrigue and interest I have in China and other eastern cultures.
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An America reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-05-06 00:00>
I chose this book from an available three as an assignment for my AP Government class (the other two being River Town by Peter Hessler and Bitter Winds by Harry Wu). I regret every word of its gruelling 505-paged crap.
Usually I enjoy memoirs, autobiographies, and non-fiction. However, what I was hoping to find in this telling of the Cultural Revolution had excellent potential but ultimately no elaboration.
I believe that in order for a book to be both enjoyable and historical, there must be some sort of emotional input. It is as if Chang is so terrified to express her views that she holds back completely and the reader is left with an incredible load of names, dates, facts, facts, facts, and really boring information that can be summarized in a paragraph out of my high school textbook.
Perhaps that's what aggrivated me most - there is SO much information in this book alone that one paragraph could indeed be pulled, an an entire book could be based upon it. Characters could actually have depth, the situation could actually be explained in detail, and MAYBE some conversation could be had!
Yes, what this book lacks (among several other things) is decent dialogue. Cliche quotes or proverbs are pulled from time to time, but never do any of the characters in Wild Swans share in any passionate communication - and the book is its consequence. I am receiving no communicative vibe from this author.
This book is NOT unique. She deserves not to be worshipped for her accounts, but her mother and grandmother deserve to be congratulated for going through what they did. Jung Chang has simply written some of it down. Poorly. The historical events can be read truthfully via any wikipedia reference, and more emotion is drawn from a debate session in my government class (involving my protest of this book as a whole).
Unfortunately, this book has turned me away from learning about China though I do hope perhaps to read something a bit more insightful. For now, I'll stick with Frank McCourt and his mastery of the modern memoir.
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1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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