A review by machen27
Kingdom of Characters: The Language Revolution That Made China Modern by Jing Tsu

informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

3.0

For a book which is about the history of the Chinese language and its incorporation into digital communication, the text is surprisingly light and easy to read. I certainly found it informative, but felt that it failed to engage with the historical context. The significant instabilities of 20th century China and growing pains of the computer revolution are basically a backdrop for the mostly disconnected story about individuals trying to preserve a piece of their culture. This last idea is the core of this books' thesis: only by the labor of passionate defenders of the Chinese language has it survived to today as it is. I think the examples drawn from history are sufficient to defend this thesis, but without a deeper understanding of the shifting cultural and global context I think it fails to really say muchIelse. I recommend it as a light, fluffy read as a starting point for learning more about the history of the Chinese language, but encourage readers to supplement.