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p9ng's review
5.0
This is a very well told story of the development and modernization of the Chinese written language. It is told through the history of various characters along the way, who each were influential in modernizing Chinese script. This is an arduous task that, as the author writes, continues today. Could written communication become a keystone as China's effort to match, ultimately becomes an effort to exceed, the success of the West?
f4ye's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.5
this was such an exciting way to depict china’s character revolution. the author’s way of telling this story at times feels like fiction. i did zone out a lot in the last two chapters though, but i think i just need to go back and listen. loved this and am glad to be informed.
faithwong's review
very interesting, i just don’t have the mental bandwidth for a history book atm :(
juliloops's review
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Professor Tsu's linguistic detective-story is a deeply engaging portrayal of the Chinese language's ancient and often tumultuous history. By highlighting the deeply personal connections that individuals throughout history have forged with this script, Tsu invites readers to feel that same cultural pride and dedication that propelled Chinese to its contemporary position.
dukegregory's review
3.0
Yes, it offered a succinct, informative, readable summary of the modernization of the Chinese script throughout the 20th century, including the ingenuity needed to adapt typewriters and typefaces and keyboards and computers and catalog systems to the unique parameters Chinese's long list of characters requires. The dilemma is that Jing Tsu's style isn't much of a style, and it reads like more of a collection of profiles rather than a cohesive, internally structured history. There are even moments of redundancy and overexplanation that possibly reveal Tsu's cracks: this was probably originally written as separate essays and then compiled and edited as a book. At least, it feels that way in an unsatisfying way. So, all in all, worth it for the names (oh, side note, this book relies too much on a Great Men consideration of historical development) and facts but not as thrilling as a literary text.