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Sue's Reviews > Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
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Sue's review
bookshelves: history, bio-memoir, china, around-the-world-in-52, read-in-2012, plan-to-re-read, kindle
Jan 07, 2011
bookshelves: history, bio-memoir, china, around-the-world-in-52, read-in-2012, plan-to-re-read, kindle
Wild Swans presents the story of three generations in the life of the author's family, which covers most of the 20th century, as well as the amazing social, political and economic changes occurring in China as a whole. We move from the portrait of a concubine with bound feet to a woman who worked alongside her Communist Party husband to bring Party ideals to fruition, then on to the granddaughter who is among the first of her generation to be allowed to leave the country to study.
Along the way, there are the classics of any family story,love and hate, birth and death, marriage with unimaginable struggles, and gradual worsening of life on a regular basis. The details should be read. Most of us who grew up in the 50s and 60s have some memory of hardships in China. We really didn't know and it is important to know about the history of China, from pre-Communist times to the present as it explains so much.
Highly recommended as a big step in education about China in the 20th century through a personal history.
Addendum: I plan to read the introduction to the 2003 edition as I've heard it adds some valuable insights to the intro and epilogue available in the original 1991 edition I own.
Along the way, there are the classics of any family story,love and hate, birth and death, marriage with unimaginable struggles, and gradual worsening of life on a regular basis. The details should be read. Most of us who grew up in the 50s and 60s have some memory of hardships in China. We really didn't know and it is important to know about the history of China, from pre-Communist times to the present as it explains so much.
Highly recommended as a big step in education about China in the 20th century through a personal history.
Addendum: I plan to read the introduction to the 2003 edition as I've heard it adds some valuable insights to the intro and epilogue available in the original 1991 edition I own.
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Reading Progress
January 7, 2011
– Shelved
May 27, 2011
– Shelved as:
history
September 20, 2011
– Shelved as:
bio-memoir
September 25, 2011
– Shelved as:
china
November 30, 2011
– Shelved as:
around-the-world-in-52
March 8, 2012
–
Started Reading
March 19, 2012
–
20.64%
"The Chinese civil war in Manchuria has ended between the Communists and Kuomintang with heavy loss of life in Jinzhou. We readers are now introduced to the man who will become the author's father. So much to learn in the story so far which moves from an almost feudal existence at the turn of the 20th century, to a new atmosphere of freedom for all, including women, promised by the Communists."
page
116
March 21, 2012
–
26.69%
"The promises of the revolution are taking a toll on the young marrieds as the reality of this new Communism hits home. Life is very hard, often brutal, and Wang is a confirmed Party member who follows and believes in all the new directives which aim to create a spartan society where each member spies on others and keeps everyone else in check. Physical hardship is considered an honor and a test to be passed."
page
150
April 1, 2012
–
67.26%
"Gradually moving through the woefully named Cultural Revolution, during which most party officials suffer terribly as Mao works to create his own cult-like government. Chang's parents were not spared and she wasw affected in many ways, not least being the loss of her schooling. While she held on to her belief in Mao for some time, what she saw happening to good people around her ultimately led to doubt"
page
378
April 6, 2012
–
96.8%
"One of my favorite quotes came quite near the end, as Chang is finally allowed to study English and is able to openly read English language books. At one point "when I read in Gulliver's Travels about the emperor who 'published an Edict, commanding all his Subjects, upon great Penalties, to break the smaller End of their Eggs,' I wondered if Swift had been to China." The emperor truly had no clothes and Chang saw it."
page
544
April 6, 2012
– Shelved as:
read-in-2012
April 6, 2012
–
Finished Reading
October 2, 2016
– Shelved as:
plan-to-re-read
October 2, 2016
– Shelved as:
kindle
Comments Showing 1-44 of 44 (44 new)
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Barb H
(new)
Mar 10, 2012 09:01AM
I have not read this, but somewhat relevant to this book is a wonderful movie I just watched, Mao's Last Dancer . It is about a ballet dancer who was chosen at the age of 11, during the cultural revolution, to be trained as a performer. The bonus material was interesting too!
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Barbara, I have this at home to read. I've hear it was wonderful.
I've read the first chapter. Very dense reading full of powerful information. I'm reading it with a group and will be reading in a month.
I'll try to follow your updates, Sue. I'd be interested to hear how you're doing.
We're having a group discussion of the book at The Imprinted Life so I may put more of my comments there. I'll definitely have a review her and try to comment from time to time.
I'll have to "work backwards" and read the book now. I wonder if I'll still be so impressed with the movie. The dancing was amazing and lovely to see in any case!
I bet you will Barbara since it's a different medium and a more specific area covered in the movie.
Of course movies often miss very essential nuances. This was a fine movie, though and of course there's the ballet!
I haven"t been watching many movies for quite a while. T here are lots on my list---just like books---but I gravitate to the books.
Sue did you finish the book. I read it ,but I don't remember much about it. I didn't even write a review, I just rated it three stars.
Haven't finished it yet Kitty. I seem to be reading slowly lately. I like it. It's the biography/memoir of 3+ generations of Chinese women from the early 20th century to the 1990s. Through this family we see the many changes in China itself, from the take over by Japan, the end of WW2 and rise of Communism and resulting struggle for dominance and power. The role of women -- and the change in the role -- is amazing over the course of one century. I'm about 1/5 through the book and WW2 has just ended.
I think what disturbed me was her defense of her father, if you haven't gotton that far that is all I will say.
I'm not that far so I'll see what comes as I read it.
I'm just at the point you are, Sue.
Kitty, I've actually just been introduced to the author's father. The Communists and Kuomintang have finished the terrible fighting around Manchuria with the Communists winning. I really am learning a lot.
I learned quite a bit also. She is knowledgable about the fighting and all the historical facts. It is akin to a history lesson.
Very definitely. There certainly are reasons the Communists were able to win over the country after the people had been through so much. I'm glad to learn more about China.
It's a good one, isn't it Asmah. Little things like that are good from the author.
This book is one I've been promising myself to read for sometime! I've spent a little time in China, and saw much that was beautiful, and much that was not. I was struck with the sense of a place that is rich in history, and it's equally clear that history will be complex. We people are a complex species, are we not!
I enjoyed your review and have put this novel on my list to read.
I like this review, Sue, and have been contemplating reading this book ever since following the discussion threads. I'll definitely look for the newer edition.
Sharon, I would think you would enjoy reading this book, especially with some experience of China. I found it very eye-opening.Thanks Scout. I hope you find this book as interesting as i did.
Mikki, I'm pretty sure you'll like this. There is so much in this book to explain what we have seen from afar. I'd love to talk with you about it and keep that discussion going.
That sounds good and I'll try to squeeze it in the not too too far distance, so it's still somewhat fresh in your mind.
Goodness Mikki, there is so much reading ahead this year.
I know, just trying to keep it slow and steady!
I get to choose our next book for book club and I was thinking of choosing this book. Do you think it would make a good book club selection?
We read it as a group and it led to a good discussion. I learned a lot about 20th century China that I really had no idea of before. Personally, I think it's a great intro to China and that's certainly an important place to try to understand. It's also well-written. If your group has many women, this book involves 3 generations of Chinese women, following the changes in culture.The short answer would then be yes!
Thanks Sue. I think it sounds like a good fit for our group! And I've been wanting to read it, but wasn't able to get to it when the rest of you guys were reading it so missed out on the great discussion.
You can always use the discussion for ideas for your group if you;d like. Maybe it would trigger ideas. I found that this book really opened my mind a lot to reading more Chinese literature.
Super review, Sue. I bought this book a while back at a book sale...I am putting it on my short-list so that I get to it sometime soon.
Like Sara, I have had this one on my shelf for a long time. It is heading to the top. Thank you for an excellent review.
Excellent review, and enjoy your reread. Another point is that it's remarkably readable, given the subject and length.
Thank you, Angela. Looks like my review must have resurfaced.
Thanks Sara. I think you’ll be rewarded.
Ann, like Sara, I think you will enjoy this. And thank you.
Cecily, so true. The book carried me along. I wanted to know what was going to happen to this family, all its members. Very well written. I don’t have my paper copy any longer but I got a copy for kindle to replace it.
Good luck and enjoy, Sydney.
Someday, someday I will read this.
It’s well worth it, Jenny, but it is an investment of time. So many books out there!
