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A review by lunasbookrants
Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from a Quarantined City by Fang Fang
4.0
First thing first: if you are only reading this book for the sake of getting more dirt on the CCP, then you are coming to the wrong place. Granted, this book is biased, but this is because the book is written from the perspective of an average Wuhan citizen who witnessed the entirety of the Chinese government's dealing from her humble perspective, plus a few interviews that she has done with some medical authorities. She is not a professional reporter, nor does she have access to all inside information regarding to China's coronavirus situation. Bear in mind that this is a DIARY, as one of the comments written above me has pointed out, and it is impossible for the writer to give an extensive narrative on this matter. Also, I would like to point out that this piece of writing was heavily censored and criticized by the pro-CCP people in China solely because Fang Fang calls for the public to hold the government accountable for their actions (which is actually the main point of this book, mentioned at the end of many chapters), which further proves that this book is in no way a political propaganda defending the CCP.
I read the Mandarin version of the book and a few excerpts of the English translation. Frankly, I do not think that the translation's doing the book justice. Fang Fang has a simplicity and unique Chinese humor in her writing that are lost from translation, which make the book less sincere. This is why I am giving the book four stars. But otherwise I think this is a wonderful and honest book. Her most amazing talent, I think, is that she uses everyday events to convey the emotion of the masses. For example, she notes that at one point people's emotions become numb from losing so many loved ones to coronavirus (almost every one knows someone who died from the virus) to the point that people can't even cry anymore. Instead, they channel their fury to cursing the incompetent government both online and offline. This is actually a brilliant way of criticizing the lack of freedom of speech in the Chinese society. The people of Wuhan has obviously realized this when the death toll in the city soared, all because the provincial government and the so-called "experts" attempt to cover up the severity of the disease from public. On the other hand, Fang Fang brings up the memes that Chinese people created online, as well as the heart-warming support within individual communities/neighborhoods to show optimism and stamina that the Chinese people displayed during this time of crisis, which make the situation more bearable.
As I have said before, this diary is a honest narrative, providing us a glimpse into Wuhan during its lockdown. The writing is not perfect (understandable, since it's all written online with little furnishing), but the raw emotions that it conveys make this book worth a read. It's also interesting to see how many more Chinese people are beginning to realize the importance of freedom of speech through this incident, and are brave enough to speak up, to encourage each other, and to criticize the authority for its wrongdoings. This is a valuable lesson that both the CCP and the Chinese people need to learn, because we can't afford another pandemic like this again. Hopefully, after this incident, the Chinese people can finally earn their freedom of speech (or at least a bit more).
I read the Mandarin version of the book and a few excerpts of the English translation. Frankly, I do not think that the translation's doing the book justice. Fang Fang has a simplicity and unique Chinese humor in her writing that are lost from translation, which make the book less sincere. This is why I am giving the book four stars. But otherwise I think this is a wonderful and honest book. Her most amazing talent, I think, is that she uses everyday events to convey the emotion of the masses. For example, she notes that at one point people's emotions become numb from losing so many loved ones to coronavirus (almost every one knows someone who died from the virus) to the point that people can't even cry anymore. Instead, they channel their fury to cursing the incompetent government both online and offline. This is actually a brilliant way of criticizing the lack of freedom of speech in the Chinese society. The people of Wuhan has obviously realized this when the death toll in the city soared, all because the provincial government and the so-called "experts" attempt to cover up the severity of the disease from public. On the other hand, Fang Fang brings up the memes that Chinese people created online, as well as the heart-warming support within individual communities/neighborhoods to show optimism and stamina that the Chinese people displayed during this time of crisis, which make the situation more bearable.
As I have said before, this diary is a honest narrative, providing us a glimpse into Wuhan during its lockdown. The writing is not perfect (understandable, since it's all written online with little furnishing), but the raw emotions that it conveys make this book worth a read. It's also interesting to see how many more Chinese people are beginning to realize the importance of freedom of speech through this incident, and are brave enough to speak up, to encourage each other, and to criticize the authority for its wrongdoings. This is a valuable lesson that both the CCP and the Chinese people need to learn, because we can't afford another pandemic like this again. Hopefully, after this incident, the Chinese people can finally earn their freedom of speech (or at least a bit more).