Wild Swans : Three Daughters of China
by Jung Chang
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Book Reviews of Wild Swans : Three Daughters of China
Book Review: History worth reading
Summary: 5 Stars
"Wild Swans" is the autobiography of Jung Chang, a London-based writer who grew up during the Cultural Revolution in mainland China. Her story covers three generations of her family's history. Chang's grandmother was a concubine whose feet were bound at the age of 2, just before the practice disappeared in the early 20th century. Chang's mother was a hard-working government bureaucrat whose passion for Communism glowed brightly in 1949, but was extinguished during the repressive years of Mao's leadership. And Chang herself endured the hardships of life in China in the 1960s and 1970s, but emphasizes that her suffering was minor compared to that of her countrymen.
"Wild Swans" is a great book. It's one of those rare finds that both educates and captivates. Readers who have an interest in Chinese history will discover a fascinating account of life under Mao and Deng. And those who enjoy a first-person memoir from an author who led an interesting and challenging life will be drawn in by Chang's stories. "Wild Swans" isn't the best-known memoir out there, but it's a good one to read and share with others.
Book Review: Highly recommended for those interested in history
Summary: 4 Stars
"Wild Swans -- Three daughters of China" is the true story of 3 generations of Chinese women. The front of the book boasts a review by the NY times, saying "the importance of this book cannot be overstated," and I think they are right. Simply by following the lives of these three women and extended family you get to see the sweep of history -- the helplessness of the avereage person in traditional China, the abuses that women were exposed to, the financial predations of the ruling classes, the warlord (post ming) era, why and how communism took hold on China, how the war for a communist China was fought, and how they (being individuals) slowly woke up from fighting rampant abuses in their society to being prisoners of a revolution of their own making. I would literally say "If you read one book this year, Wild Swans by Jung Chang should be it." Far from being just about the Chinese experience, it really has a lot to say (indirectly) about culture, human foibles, the making of good and bad societies, human relations, and I can not help seeing all of it through a prism of today's political reality.Book Review: Excellent presentation
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this book on my shelf since published in 1991 and decided this week to read it. I am sorry I waited so long. Beautifully written and an invaluable insight into the Chinese mind. In my opinion it goes a very long way toward explaining the historical distrust between Chinese and Western peoples. Chinese people could not/were trained not to express their thoughts (and in many instances were encouraged to not even have thoughts) and this lack of ability to communicate directly is perceived as untrustworthy by Westerners. I did have to laugh when I read that Chinese told their children to be grateful for their food as children in the capitalist West were starving! (Being of an age where when I said "yuck" I was told children in China were starving and I should be glad I wasn't.) But many did starve and many more were starved of spirit and individual thought. An outstanding and extremely readable history of a period of relatively recent political events and the results therefrom. Alas, the philosophy and practices of Mao have permeated many other parts of the world.Book Review: An unheralded gem!
Summary: 5 Stars
There's not much to add beyond the other 400 stellar reviews. I do wonder why this incredible story has not been made into a mini-series along the lines of "Roots". I don't recall the book receiving much press at the time of its release. I only discovered it by accident while surfing on Amazon - after having read "Life and Death in Shanghai" by Nien Cheng (an equally impressive book). This book covers the most tumultous period of Chinese history from early in the 20th century through WWII and the Japanese occupation to the Civil War, the Communists victory and Mao's reign of terror. It is a history lesson in itself. The magnitude of Mao's crimes (45 million dead) is hard to comprehend but this book tells the story of an ordinary but incredibly resourceful family who are thrown into the maelstrom. Simply surviving the brutal indoctrinations and forced labor required constant alertness, energy, fortitude and luck. I also highly recommend "Red Azalea" and "Wild Ginger" by Anchee Min. Both books quite accurately depict the horror and insanity of the Cultural Revolution.Book Review: Wow!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read. I agree that the first half was somewhat of a slow read, but nonetheless, I found it very interesting. I knew very little about 20th century China, and found the historical information fascinating and horrifying. I have a much better understanding of the reasons behind the push for communism, and I admire the dedication of the young communists such as the author's parents at the suffering they endured to try to improve the lives of their fellow countrymen/women. The horrors suffered under the Maoist regime are unimaginable, and the author brilliantly conveys the love and integrity of her parents throughout the terror and pain they endured. Woven within the historical details is the story of the love of three generations of strong women who are able to persevere under the most brutal conditions. I usually gloss over political details in books such as these, but I was enthralled with every word, and was sorry when the book ended. I'm recommending this masterpiece to all of my friends! Bravo, Chang Jung!