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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
While this is the story of a man pulling a Rickshaw in 1930s China, it is also the story of the working poor in any era or country. Someone with a good understanding of Chinese history would undoubtedly get more out of this book that I did, hopefully a few years from now I can do just that.
I wrote my undergraduate thesis on Lao She's novella Cat Country in 2013, but it was only this year that I finally read Lao She's two most famous works (Rickshaw Boy, and the play Teahouse).
This is a sad story. Worth reading, but depressing at times. There are moments when Xiangzi seems like he's on the up-and-up, but they never last long. If you've read Yu Hua's To Live, you have the general flavor of hope and endurance battered down by a lifetime of hardships. But this story takes place well before that one. Xiangzi has such small ambition—to own his own rickshaw and maybe have a wife—but everything from abduction and theft to rich manipulative women get in his way.
This is a sad story. Worth reading, but depressing at times. There are moments when Xiangzi seems like he's on the up-and-up, but they never last long. If you've read Yu Hua's To Live, you have the general flavor of hope and endurance battered down by a lifetime of hardships. But this story takes place well before that one. Xiangzi has such small ambition—to own his own rickshaw and maybe have a wife—but everything from abduction and theft to rich manipulative women get in his way.
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story of Xiangzi, the rickshaw man in question, is a true tragedy. His honest, hardworking, and idealistic character comes through so strongly, as well as his dream to make something of himself. Yet he is trampled in a sick society where the poor are condemned. Laoshe convincingly shows how money is more than subsistence - it can be substance of fate itself, of dignity and of dreams. The lack thereof is soul-crushing and soul-murdering.
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was an interesting view upon the social and economic life of most Chinese people of the 20th century. The way the author builds his social critique around the main character - Xiangzi - and the lives of those around him is subtle, and yet powerful.
This book's strenght comes from the flow of the narrative. Even though Xiangzi goes through a lot in a short period of time, the writing doesn't overtake the reader, giving space for us to understand everything he's going through. Sometimes even the description of the surroundings creates a breathing moment.
The characters are charming in their own disgrace, which I wouldn't consider something positive if it wasn't for the critique the book brings in itself. Xiangzi is very relatable, but at times it's quite easy to hate him for his stubborness and lack of will before others. By the end of the book is impossible not to be moved by the complicated life he led.
I'll definitely come back to him again in the future.
This book's strenght comes from the flow of the narrative. Even though Xiangzi goes through a lot in a short period of time, the writing doesn't overtake the reader, giving space for us to understand everything he's going through. Sometimes even the description of the surroundings creates a breathing moment.
The characters are charming in their own disgrace, which I wouldn't consider something positive if it wasn't for the critique the book brings in itself. Xiangzi is very relatable, but at times it's quite easy to hate him for his stubborness and lack of will before others. By the end of the book is impossible not to be moved by the complicated life he led.
I'll definitely come back to him again in the future.
I read this for class. It was okay imo, interesting plot but basically ruined by the misogyny.
"His life might well be ruined by his own hands but he wasn't about to sacrifice anything for anybody. He who works for himself knows how to destroy himself. These are the two starting points of Individualism."
Rickshaw Boy is an engaging study of the culture of individualism that characterized Republican Chinese society, that same dog-eat-dog culture denounced by Lu Xun. For this purpose, the novel follows the harsh life of a poor rickshaw boy, whose life is characterized by a constant and precarious struggle to earn enough money to get by. Despite such clear indictment of individualism might be seen as fertile ground for supporting a Socialist revolution, it does not seem like Lao She prefers such solution. As a matter of fact, the rickshaw boy realizes that there is no point in working himself out death in his individualist and decayed society, taking the decision to spend his last days gambling, drinking, and enjoying his few hard-earned money. In contrast, the character who rebels to this society, Ruan Ming, is described as an hypocrite and dishonest revolutionary. Can this be read as a hint of Laoshe's pessimism towards Mao's ideals?
The novel is also worth reading for its vivid depiction of 1930s' Beijing, "filthy, beautiful, decadent, bustling, chaotic, idle, lovable... The only friend he had was this ancient city."
Rickshaw Boy is an engaging study of the culture of individualism that characterized Republican Chinese society, that same dog-eat-dog culture denounced by Lu Xun. For this purpose, the novel follows the harsh life of a poor rickshaw boy, whose life is characterized by a constant and precarious struggle to earn enough money to get by. Despite such clear indictment of individualism might be seen as fertile ground for supporting a Socialist revolution, it does not seem like Lao She prefers such solution. As a matter of fact, the rickshaw boy realizes that there is no point in working himself out death in his individualist and decayed society, taking the decision to spend his last days gambling, drinking, and enjoying his few hard-earned money. In contrast, the character who rebels to this society, Ruan Ming, is described as an hypocrite and dishonest revolutionary. Can this be read as a hint of Laoshe's pessimism towards Mao's ideals?
The novel is also worth reading for its vivid depiction of 1930s' Beijing, "filthy, beautiful, decadent, bustling, chaotic, idle, lovable... The only friend he had was this ancient city."
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
There were parts of this novel that I found very intriguing but like the protagonist himself, i quickly went back to apathy.
It was interesting to get an insight in to the lives of rickshaw pullers, an often overlooked group of people. The way historical events play out on the edges of the main characters awareness is interesting although he himself doesn't care.
It was interesting to get an insight in to the lives of rickshaw pullers, an often overlooked group of people. The way historical events play out on the edges of the main characters awareness is interesting although he himself doesn't care.
Interesting when considering the little I know about modern China. A piece of history.