Reviews

Golden Boy: Memories of a Hong Kong Childhood by Martin Booth

sugablob's review against another edition

adventurous informative inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

2.5

it was for school but it was quite enjoyable, disagreed with some stuff but overall informative about the place i’m from. usually i hate the books our school gives us so this was nice 

persey's review against another edition

4.0

This was a wonderful read edging into five-star territory, evocative and compelling about a place and a time long gone, and yet. I can’t ignore two overarching issues. The first is the author’s age especially at the start of the memoir, seven going on thirty-seven it seems, as he was a tiny man-about-town where he didn’t even speak the language at first. I’m not sure how much is memory and how much is later projection, especially given that the author returned to Hong Kong in a few years for good and it seems likely later experiences overlaid his earliest memories. I’m willing to give that a pass, but more troubling is his account of his parents’ relationship, where while the author is on his mother’s side and portrays his father as a vicious buffoon, it’s entirely obvious that she actively sought to undermine his relationship with his father to the point of cozening reactions that resulted in physical punishment. His father was a Colonel Blimp, but, unintentionally on the author’s part, his mother comes off equally badly. There’s not always two sides to every story, but it seems clear there were in this case.

soapie33's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.75

starduest's review against another edition

5.0

Vivid description of Hong Kong in the 50s, thoroughly engaging and entertaining.

cpwood's review against another edition

4.0

Enchanting anecdotes from a Hong Kong childhood. Thoroughly enjoyed every page.

katelynliu's review against another edition

5.0

I’ve been reading a lot of memoirs recently to live vicariously through the eyes of people who have grown up under circumstances I can’t even begin to imagine. Gweilo, on the other hand, is a book that not only makes you nostalgic for an often glorified childhood under the former British Empire, but a journey and reflection upon my own childhood here 50 years later. Hong Kong has since become a vibrant jungle of skyscrapers, high-end shopping malls, and luxurious high-rise apartment buildings, yet the heart and energy that Booth described in his memoir is as deeply woven into the fabric of HK as the humidity, geography, and incomparable views across the islands.

This is my last year in Hong Kong. I’ve lived here for 14 years but can probably count the number of times I’ve left HK island on my fingers. I’ll never be able to forgive myself if I don’t eat at a ‘dai pai dong’ (open food stall), venture past districts more than 2 MTR stops away from Central, or take the time to really understand and appreciate this city for all it’s given me, and for all its glory.

Booth’s childhood was truly such an adventure. At 17, I’m only just starting to re-embark on mine.

paul_dunleavy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

giovannnaz's review against another edition

4.0

A fun read. Don't forget, there is a glossary in the back. I didn't realize until I finished the book. I'll have to start reading tables of contents! Also, this is one of those books that would do nicely to include a map.

jameseckman's review

3.0

A glimpse of a long passed post-war colonial Hong Kong, of white dominance, poverty and gangs. While there's still some poverty and gangs, Hong Kong is run by Chinese now. My older friends who lived there in this period say that very little of the old remains.

A very different and fun read, though I wonder how good Booth's memory for these events was given 50 years passing. A strange childhood indeed.