Favorite Chinese Books & Books About China
Submitted by crispin on Tue, 02/20/2001 - 09:58
Tags:
- The Man Who Stayed Behind-- Sidney Rittenberg. An amazing story of an American caught up in the Chinese revolution.
- Red Azalea-- Anchee Min. Firsthand account of the Cultural Revolution.
- Life and Death in Shanghai--Nien Cheng. The Cultural Revolution from the viewpoint of one of the persecuted.
- Story of the Stone (Dream of Red Mansions)--Cao Xuequin. Lengthy, fascinating, mystical account of life in upper-class Old China.
- Wild Swans--Jung Chang. This one made me cry.
- Journey to the West (Monkey). So far I've only read the Shambala Press edition, which I believe is abridged. Still a good yarn, though!
- Stillwell in China--Barbara Tuchman.The American side of the war. Fascinating glimpse into Chaing Kai-Shek's psyche.
Author Comments:
I didn't think too much of The Good Earth, although I know it's considered A Definitive China Novel. And, I'm afraid I never got through Red Star Over China-- sorry Edgar Snow-- it just didn't hold my attention.
I liked Joy Luck Club but I think it was really more about the Chinese-American experience rather than about China. Ditto for On Gold Mountain. Which, actually, I liked better than Joy Luck Club.
Last time I was in China I picked up a musical cigarette lighter with the face of Chairman Mao on it. When you open the top it plays "The East is Red." That's got to be my all-time favorite souvenir of anywhere!
Thanks for giving us alternative titles. I didn't know that MONKEY was a.k.a. JOURNEY TO THE WEST. I've read the Arthur Waley translation, which is abridged. I came to it via the very entertaining t.v. series of the 70s, with which the novel compares interestingly. I can recommend Waley's translations of CHINESE POEMS, originally published in 1946 but still available, I think, from Allen and Unwin.