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Search - River Town : Two Years on the Yangtze

River Town : Two Years on the Yangtze

River Town Two Years on the Yangtze
Author: Peter Hessler

In the heart of Chia's Sichuan province lies the small city of Fuling. Surrounded by the terraced hills of the Yangtze River valley, Fuling has long been a place of continuity, far from the bustling political centers of Beijing and Shanghai. But now Fuling is heading down a new path, and gradually, along with scores of other towns in this vast a... more »nd ever-evolving country, it is becoming a place of change and vitality, tension and reform, disruption and growth. As the people of Fuling hold on to the China they know, they are also opening up and struggling to adapt to a world in which their fate is uncertain.Fuling's position at the crossroads came into remarkably sharp focus when Peter Hessler arrived as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1996, marking the first time in more than half a century that the city had an American resident. He found himself teaching English and American literature at the local college, discovering how Shakespeare and other classics look when seen through the eyes of students who have been raised in the Sichuan countryside and educated in Communist Party doctrine. His students, though, are the ones who taught him about the ways of Fuling -- and about the complex process of understanding that takes place when one is immersed in a radically different society.As he learns the language and comes to know the people, Hessler begins to see that it is indeed a unique moment for Fuling. In its past is Communist China's troubled history -- the struggles of land reform, the decades of misguided economic policies, and the unthinkable damage of the Cultural Revolution -- and in the future is the Three Gorges Dam, which upon completion will partly flood the city and force the resettlement of more than a million people. Making his way in the city and traveling by boat and train throughout Sichuan province and beyond, Hessler offers vivid descriptions of the people he meets, from priests to prostitutes and peasants to professors, and gives voice to their views. This is both an intimate personal story of his life in Fuling and a colorful, beautifully written account of the surrounding landscape and its history. Imaginative, poignant, funny, and utterly compelling, River Town is an unforgettable portrait of a city that, much like China itself, is seeking to understand both what it was and what it someday will be.

ISBN-13: 9780719564802
ISBN-10: 0719564808
Publication Date: 3/7/2002
Rating:

Currently 5/5 Stars.

1

5 stars, based on 1 rating

Publisher: John Murray Pubs Ltd
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

Penelope M. reviewed River Town : Two Years on the Yangtze on 2/28/2010 + 5 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Very fine view of the Chinese in the period described but a slow read. The authors ego was very apparent in this book but the vividness of his descriptions of his trips and what he saw made me feel I was there.

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Barbara M. reviewed River Town : Two Years on the Yangtze on 7/20/2006 + 55 more book reviews

One of my favorite books on China. The story of a young male Peace Corp worker who was sent to China for two years to teach english. I appreciated his sensitivity for his job and his descriptions of his life and the town he was in.

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Rob E. (baloner) reviewed River Town : Two Years on the Yangtze on 7/4/2009 + 3 more book reviews

Hessler teaches much about China without getting dry or dull; Hessler's time in China comes off neither aloof nor pretentious and his narration is second to none. This is a very engaging and fast read. Doesn't necessarily make one want to visit China but certainly allows vicarious appreciation of the party structure, social problems, and the way individuals in rural China view the world. Well done.

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John S. (Seajack) reviewed River Town : Two Years on the Yangtze on 8/3/2007 + 347 more book reviews

Engaging story of a Peace Corps volunteer's two years as a teacher in a remote Chinese city. Looking forward to reading his recent book on China.

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Luanne W. (Lulu) reviewed River Town : Two Years on the Yangtze on 1/21/2007 + 19 more book reviews

An amazing account of a Peace Corps worker's experience in China and how the society really works.

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