River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (P.S.)
by Peter Hessler
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Book Summary Information
Author: Peter HesslerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-04-25
ISBN: 0060855029
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Book Reviews of River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (P.S.)
Book Review: A Young American's Rich Experiences Teaching in Fuling China (1996-1998)
Summary: 5 Stars
"River Town," by Peter Hessler, relates the experiences of the author and his colleague, Adam Meier (two twenty-somethings), as Peace Corp volunteers teaching in the city of Fuling in Sichuan Province, China during 1996-1998. Hessler indicates that in addition to teaching, his personal goals were to immerse himself into Chinese culture so as to become a better writer, and also to learn to speak, understand, and write Chinese. It is within the context of these goals that Hessler shares his personal experiences. As he explores Fuling and other geographical sites(e.g., Raise the Flag Mountain, Wu River, Dadu River, Yangtze River, City of Yulin, City of Chongqing, et al), like a tour guide, he virtually `stops along the way' to reflect on the history associated with these sites.
Hessler taught English to Chinese students, and he describes this overall experience as quite gratifying. He views his students as bright, motivated, and (inwardly) creative. At the same time (paradoxically), Hessler feels that, because of the political system, the Chinese people have very narrow ideas; e.g., they are accustomed to learning by rote, accepting facts without question (particularly from authority figures), and copying slogans verbatim (which borders on plagiarism). In an effort to bring out their creativity Hessler required his students to playact various Shakespearian plays (e.g., Hamlet), and to memorize (and sense the `musicality' of) the sonnet; Hessler laments that most American students wouldn't willingly study poetry. To further bring out their creativity and their individual thoughts, Hessler assigned his students various `thought-exercises'; e.g., he asked them to analyze how Robin Hood might view (and be viewed by) modern Chinese society. The sample responses are thought-provoking and highly creative.
Hessler portrays his experience learning Chinese as extremely challenging, but gratifying. Initially, he tried learning on his own. He discovered that there is no such thing as the `Chinese language'; the particular `Chinese language' that is spoken depends on the person's background and education level. More specifically, Mandarin is spoken by educated people, especially the young. Then, there are numerous dialects which differ drastically from one another. Most of the people in Fuling were uneducated and spoke a dialect called Sichuanese. Eventually, Hessler found two teachers (whose service was funded by the Peace Corp). Because neither teacher spoke English, all lessons were (fortunately) conducted exclusively in Chinese. Hessler draws a contrast between the American `gentle correction' style of teaching (i.e., praising the student for what she/he got right) and the Chinese `harsh correction' style (i.e., based on the premise that perfection is expected). Initially, Hessler clearly favored the American `gentle correction' style; but ultimately, he seemed to become `sold on' the Chinese `harsh correction' style, particularly regarding teaching/learning a foreign language.
Hessler describes Fuling as noisy and polluted, but quite fascinating. Fuling is located in the Yangtze River Valley, along the Yangtze and Wu Rivers. Overlooking Fuling is a mountain that has two names: Peach Bottom Mountain (not commonly used) and Raise the Flag Mountain (commonly used). The Dadu River runs into the Min River which runs into the Yangtze River which passes the slopes of Raise the Flag Mountain. As Hessler explores Fuling he `stops' to reflect on the history of Raise the Flag Mountain. Specifically, Hessler cites The Great Teiping Rebellion (started in the mid-1840s by Hong Xiaquan and his greatest general named Shi Dakai) against the Qing dynasty. Hessler describes how (72 years later) Mao's Communist forces arrived at the same Dadu River during the heart of the Long March. Interestingly, Hessler's assessment of Mao's effectiveness running China essentially agrees with that of Jung Chang (author of `Wild Swans') when he states, "Mao lacked the vision and experience necessary to run a country effectively, and power inspired him to build a cult of state-worship around his image." Hessler points out that both Hong Xiaquan and Mao Tse-tung were officially opposed to opium, foot binding, prostitution, and gambling; however, ultimately, both leaders began to acquire the very same trappings (and fall victim to the same corruptions) against which they had campaigned---e.g., vast mansions, hordes of sycophants, and innumerable concubines.
Hessler describes the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution as disasters; and he criticizes both Mao Tse-tung (orchestrator) and Chou Enlai (facilitator) for their respective roles in these programs. By contrast, Hessler praises Deng Xiaoping for criticizing The Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, for which he was purged twice. However, Hessler laments that, despite Mao's (and to a lesser degree Chou Enlai's) crimes, some Chinese (particularly, young people) still view them as heroes/gods. More specifically, Hessler expresses dismay that his Chinese students shared a positive view of Mao (which stems from an announcement made by Deng Xiaoping that "Mao was 70 percent right, and 30 percent wrong"), and that they made light of the disastrous Cultural Revolution. Ironically, Mao's wife (Chiang Ching) and the `Gang of Four' are not viewed by the Chinese as heroes --- e.g., there are no monuments built to them.
Among the many other interesting topics presented by Hessler is the Yangze Three Gorges Project, the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. Work on the dam commenced in 1993. The Three Gorges Project was first conceived by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and later considered by Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Tse-tung, Deng Xiaoping, and Premier Li Peng. Hessler summarizes the advantages of this project, and does an especially good job articulating the many disadvantages. Another fascinating topic presented by Hessler is the White Crane Ridge (along with its history), a famous hydraulic relic in the Yangtze River. This relic remains almost perennially submerged in the water except during the dry seasons (winter and spring), when its carvings (e.g., fish, calligraphy, etc.) dating back to the Tang dynasty (618-907) are exposed to view. Many other interesting topics are covered in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to 'share' Hessler's rich experience.
Summary of River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (P.S.)
A New York Times Notable Book
Winner of the Kiriyama Book Prize
In the heart of China's Sichuan province, amid the terraced hills of the Yangtze River valley, lies the remote town of Fuling. Like many other small cities in this ever-evolving country, Fuling is heading down a new path of change and growth, which came into remarkably sharp focus when Peter Hessler arrived as a Peace Corps volunteer, marking the first time in more than half a century that the city had an American resident. Hessler taught English and American literature at the local college, but it was his students who taught him about the complex processes of understanding that take place when one is immersed in a radically different society.
Poignant, thoughtful, funny, and enormously compelling, River Town is an unforgettable portrait of a city that is seeking to understand both what it was and what it someday will be.
In 1996, 26-year-old Peter Hessler arrived in Fuling, a town on China's Yangtze River, to begin a two-year Peace Corps stint as a teacher at the local college. Along with fellow teacher Adam Meier, the two are the first foreigners to be in this part of the Sichuan province for 50 years. Expecting a calm couple of years, Hessler at first does not realize the social, cultural, and personal implications of being thrust into a such radically different society. In River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze, Hessler tells of his experience with the citizens of Fuling, the political and historical climate, and the feel of the city itself.
"Few passengers disembark at Fuling ... and so Fuling appears like a break in a dream--the quiet river, the cabins full of travelers drifting off to sleep, the lights of the city rising from the blackness of the Yangtze," says Hessler. A poor city by Chinese standards, the students at the college are mainly from small villages and are considered very lucky to be continuing their education. As an English teacher, Hessler is delighted with his students' fresh reactions to classic literature. One student says of Hamlet, "I don't admire him and I dislike him. I think he is too sensitive and conservative and selfish." Hessler marvels,
You couldn't have said something like that at Oxford. You couldn't simply say: I don't like Hamlet because I think he's a lousy person. Everything had to be more clever than that ... you had to dismantle it ... not just the play itself but everything that had ever been written about it.Over the course of two years, Hessler and Meier learn more they ever guessed about the lives, dreams, and expectations of the Fuling people.
Hessler's writing is lovely. His observations are evocative, insightful, and often poignant--and just as often, funny. It's a pleasure to read of his (mis)adventures. Hessler returned to the U.S. with a new perspective on modern China and its people. After reading River Town, you'll have one, too. --Dana Van Nest
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