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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
Me encariñé mucho con este libro, es algo largo (como 650 páginas) pero vale muchísimo la pena.
Cuenta la historia de tres generaciones de mujeres desde 1910 hasta 1980 aproximadamente, hablando de su abuela, su madre y más tarde de ella misma.
Siento que la historia de juventud de la abuela es un poco más lenta y se siente más extranjera, pero a partir de la historia de la madre -y posteriormente la de la propia autora- definitivamente no podía dejar de leer.
Me sorprende lo poco que sabía yo de la historia reciente de China y del periodo de la invasión japonesa y posterior instauración del comunismo de mano de Mao. (De los 50s a los 70s principalmente) Ni que decir la cantidad de indignación que esta lectura me causó. Hay cosas que me parecieron tan disparatadas que tenía que estarme recordando que este no es un libro de ficción. Como cuando quisieron proponer que el rojo de los semáforos debía significar “avance” porque era el color del comunismo, causando muchos accidentes. Esto hablando sólo de las cosas ridículas y más inofensivas, pero hubo muchísimas cosas horriblemente crueles que son difíciles de asimilar y que no paran de escalar en intensidad a medida que se avanza con la lectura.
Entre las que más me afectaron están la manera en que se seguía despreciando a las mujeres, las “cacerías de brujas” hacia las personas educadas o más afortunadas previo al comunismo por tacharlas de “burguesas”, esa manera de lavado de cerebro en que el sufrimiento de los campesinos era algo a lo que todos debían aspirar en vez de instaurar educación y salud para todos (!!!), en fin; pese a todo, me encantó la forma tan cautelosa y a la vez crítica que usó la autora para abordar estas situaciones.
Este libro sólo me deja con ganas de seguir leyendo obras de no ficción que tocan temas históricos, sobre todo relatos contadas desde las perspectivas de las mujeres.
Cuenta la historia de tres generaciones de mujeres desde 1910 hasta 1980 aproximadamente, hablando de su abuela, su madre y más tarde de ella misma.
Siento que la historia de juventud de la abuela es un poco más lenta y se siente más extranjera, pero a partir de la historia de la madre -y posteriormente la de la propia autora- definitivamente no podía dejar de leer.
Me sorprende lo poco que sabía yo de la historia reciente de China y del periodo de la invasión japonesa y posterior instauración del comunismo de mano de Mao. (De los 50s a los 70s principalmente) Ni que decir la cantidad de indignación que esta lectura me causó. Hay cosas que me parecieron tan disparatadas que tenía que estarme recordando que este no es un libro de ficción. Como cuando quisieron proponer que el rojo de los semáforos debía significar “avance” porque era el color del comunismo, causando muchos accidentes. Esto hablando sólo de las cosas ridículas y más inofensivas, pero hubo muchísimas cosas horriblemente crueles que son difíciles de asimilar y que no paran de escalar en intensidad a medida que se avanza con la lectura.
Entre las que más me afectaron están la manera en que se seguía despreciando a las mujeres, las “cacerías de brujas” hacia las personas educadas o más afortunadas previo al comunismo por tacharlas de “burguesas”, esa manera de lavado de cerebro en que el sufrimiento de los campesinos era algo a lo que todos debían aspirar en vez de instaurar educación y salud para todos (!!!), en fin; pese a todo, me encantó la forma tan cautelosa y a la vez crítica que usó la autora para abordar estas situaciones.
Este libro sólo me deja con ganas de seguir leyendo obras de no ficción que tocan temas históricos, sobre todo relatos contadas desde las perspectivas de las mujeres.
It feels difficult, even a bit wrong, to try and critically review Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang, impossible to give it anything less than five stars for sheer emotiveness and educational value. It’s one the most impactful books I’ve read in my whole life, and I’ve read quite a few.
Jung Chang came to London as an English student in 1978, soon after Mao’s death. At first she couldn’t bear to think back on her life in China much at all, but once her mother comes to visit and recounts her story in full detail, Chang realizes she needs to write. Not only her story, but her mother’s and grandmother’s as well. And she does that incredibly well!
Wild Swans starts out as the time of Emperors comes to an end and we follow all the turns the 20th century takes: warlords, Japanese occupation, Kwomintang, the Communist party, and of course, Mao. Chang writes vividly, sometimes painfully vividly, how Chinese women lived through it all.
This certainly isn’t an easy read, but totally worth it. I learned so much about China yet this doesn’t feel like a history book. By zooming into three women we get a personal view into wider political changes and I think that’s really valuable.
Jung Chang came to London as an English student in 1978, soon after Mao’s death. At first she couldn’t bear to think back on her life in China much at all, but once her mother comes to visit and recounts her story in full detail, Chang realizes she needs to write. Not only her story, but her mother’s and grandmother’s as well. And she does that incredibly well!
Wild Swans starts out as the time of Emperors comes to an end and we follow all the turns the 20th century takes: warlords, Japanese occupation, Kwomintang, the Communist party, and of course, Mao. Chang writes vividly, sometimes painfully vividly, how Chinese women lived through it all.
This certainly isn’t an easy read, but totally worth it. I learned so much about China yet this doesn’t feel like a history book. By zooming into three women we get a personal view into wider political changes and I think that’s really valuable.
Wild Swans by Jung Chang was the May/June non-fiction choice in Jess’ Patreon book club and so I finally got round to reading this tome. A global phenomenon, this memoir traces back three generations of Chang women in Maoist China. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and found it both valuable and entertaining – although that seems like a strange word in this context!
Jung Chang has a lovely lyrical way with words throughout this book. It makes for a smooth reading experience and, as a reader, you feel drawn into almost every scenario. Chang’s grandmother and mother went through some undoubtedly harrowing experiences and it is a credit to Jung that their stories could be so graciously shared and in such minute detail. It is these details that piece the story together in such a perfect way.
This is a big tome, so I was worried about whether my attention would be properly captivated throughout the duration of the book but I needn’t have worried. Like I said, Chang does have a lyrical way with words in telling her family’s stories. At times, it felt stunted and there were a few sentences set up in the same way that I always find sounds funny. I suppose this added to the feeling of mundanity, repetitiveness and oppression of the time. The scope and execution of Wild Swans is just incredible. It's hard to put into words: I feel enriched for having read about Chang's family, and learning about Communist China under Mao in this medium. It's persistent and unflinching. One I'll savour forever, and certainly dip back into again.
Jung Chang has a lovely lyrical way with words throughout this book. It makes for a smooth reading experience and, as a reader, you feel drawn into almost every scenario. Chang’s grandmother and mother went through some undoubtedly harrowing experiences and it is a credit to Jung that their stories could be so graciously shared and in such minute detail. It is these details that piece the story together in such a perfect way.
This is a big tome, so I was worried about whether my attention would be properly captivated throughout the duration of the book but I needn’t have worried. Like I said, Chang does have a lyrical way with words in telling her family’s stories. At times, it felt stunted and there were a few sentences set up in the same way that I always find sounds funny. I suppose this added to the feeling of mundanity, repetitiveness and oppression of the time. The scope and execution of Wild Swans is just incredible. It's hard to put into words: I feel enriched for having read about Chang's family, and learning about Communist China under Mao in this medium. It's persistent and unflinching. One I'll savour forever, and certainly dip back into again.
This was an excellent read. I learned so much about China through her family's experiences. Mrs. Chang writes about such difficult things in a nuanced way. Beauty shines through it.
Fantastic memoir spanning the 20th century in China. Chang tells the stories of her grandmother (footbinding, concubine), her mother, and herself. While bringing the recent history of China to light, Chang also allows the reader insight into the relationships among members of her family, their loyalties, and life under the Communist regime. Highly recommended to anyone traveling to China (although the book has been banned there, I had no issues whipping it out and reading it on the subway, bus, parks, etc.)
This is so hard for me to do. How do I leave a review for a life altering book? I need some more time before I can pen something down that does justice to the book that gave me nightmares, that made me weep, that made me want to, despite myself, keep turning the pages?
A very enlightening book about Chinese history in the 20th century told through the lens of 3 generations of women. I learned an incredible amount and some of the stories are truly unbelievable. However it was very long and took me multiple starts and stops to finally finish it over the course of a year.
Such an incredible multi-generational family biography, perfectly interwoven with broader historical narratives that help to explain the family's experience. As a world history teacher, this was so, so informative for my understanding of 20th century China, while telling an inspiring story of perseverance, love, and strength.
Quote “I grew up taking hierarchy and privilege for granted”
I learnt a little about the beginnings of communism in China
Murder, torture, famine, violence, imprisonments, disappearances…. is this communism? Reading this book, which is a memoir rather than a novel, certainly makes you wonder what communism is.
Let me define communism according to britannica.com “Communism, political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society. Communism is thus a form of socialism—a higher and more advanced form, according to its advocates.”
Definition of communism according to the RAE: Movement and political system, developed since the nineteenth century, based on the class struggle and the suppression of private property of the means of production.
Or Wikipedia Communism (from Latin communis, 'common, universal') is a philosophical, social, political, and economic ideology and movement whose ultimate goal is the establishment of a communist society, namely a socioeconomic order structured upon the ideas of common ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes, money, and the state. As such, communism is a specific form of socialism.
Or Oxford: a political movement that believes in an economic system in which the state controls the means of producing everything for the people. It aims to create a society in which everyone is treated equally.
There is nothing about torture, famine, violence, imprisonments or disappearances in this definition.
OK, so I know I am reviewing the book, not communism, but communism is a huge part of this book. Actually, most of the book is about politics of the 20th century. I don’t doubt many of these things happened, but there are some quotes that seem difficult to remember after so many years but I am sure many things did actually happen, like the famine, just look it up on Wikipedia for more information.
There is so much going on over the numerous years the book covers and it is written in fact style, lots and lots of paragraphs which are often individual facts. The writing is not good, lots of rambling, but it was written in English and as it is her second language so this can be understood, but a good editor should be able to correct this.
There are sooo many facts from the author's point of view, of course, that it got a little tedious. This is of course a personal view, that of the author Jung Chang, many of the facts might be a little biased, and well, this is a very anti Mao book, hardly surprising it is banned in China because it talks about brutal political upheavals in China and purges of the Cultural Revolution.
After all the negative stuff that the author portrays, how can China, in so few years, reach the super nation it is now? (2021),
The beginning of the book, the parts with her grandmother and her mother seemed much more real than the part with the author herself as the main character.
So many characters, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, other family members, people from the party that occasionally pop up 20 years later. …….. This book could be so much more interesting.
Favourite part was when Jung Chang went to visit Peking as a teenager and I enjoyed the descriptions of the journey and the hardship during the journey.
I got to about ⅔ of the way in and decided not to waste any more of my time with the tedious descriptions.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-24923993
I learnt a little about the beginnings of communism in China
Video review in Spanish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNquA2QQHeQ&list=PLniFXSpJj5RWIDC0udo2vtJsUn0Vd2HrS&index=40
I learnt a little about the beginnings of communism in China
Murder, torture, famine, violence, imprisonments, disappearances…. is this communism? Reading this book, which is a memoir rather than a novel, certainly makes you wonder what communism is.
Let me define communism according to britannica.com “Communism, political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society. Communism is thus a form of socialism—a higher and more advanced form, according to its advocates.”
Definition of communism according to the RAE: Movement and political system, developed since the nineteenth century, based on the class struggle and the suppression of private property of the means of production.
Or Wikipedia Communism (from Latin communis, 'common, universal') is a philosophical, social, political, and economic ideology and movement whose ultimate goal is the establishment of a communist society, namely a socioeconomic order structured upon the ideas of common ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes, money, and the state. As such, communism is a specific form of socialism.
Or Oxford: a political movement that believes in an economic system in which the state controls the means of producing everything for the people. It aims to create a society in which everyone is treated equally.
There is nothing about torture, famine, violence, imprisonments or disappearances in this definition.
OK, so I know I am reviewing the book, not communism, but communism is a huge part of this book. Actually, most of the book is about politics of the 20th century. I don’t doubt many of these things happened, but there are some quotes that seem difficult to remember after so many years but I am sure many things did actually happen, like the famine, just look it up on Wikipedia for more information.
There is so much going on over the numerous years the book covers and it is written in fact style, lots and lots of paragraphs which are often individual facts. The writing is not good, lots of rambling, but it was written in English and as it is her second language so this can be understood, but a good editor should be able to correct this.
There are sooo many facts from the author's point of view, of course, that it got a little tedious. This is of course a personal view, that of the author Jung Chang, many of the facts might be a little biased, and well, this is a very anti Mao book, hardly surprising it is banned in China because it talks about brutal political upheavals in China and purges of the Cultural Revolution.
After all the negative stuff that the author portrays, how can China, in so few years, reach the super nation it is now? (2021),
The beginning of the book, the parts with her grandmother and her mother seemed much more real than the part with the author herself as the main character.
So many characters, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, other family members, people from the party that occasionally pop up 20 years later. …….. This book could be so much more interesting.
Favourite part was when Jung Chang went to visit Peking as a teenager and I enjoyed the descriptions of the journey and the hardship during the journey.
I got to about ⅔ of the way in and decided not to waste any more of my time with the tedious descriptions.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-24923993
I learnt a little about the beginnings of communism in China
Video review in Spanish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNquA2QQHeQ&list=PLniFXSpJj5RWIDC0udo2vtJsUn0Vd2HrS&index=40
I loved this book, but it was definitely a challenge for me to read. I knew little to nothing about Mao's China, or the Cultural Revolution, so I found myself struggling to understand the overwhelming political feeling of the time, along with trying to understand the characters.
This was a very powerful read.
This was a very powerful read.