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River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (P.S.) | |||||||
 
| 80% Recommended by our customers. Publisher: Harper Perennial Catalog: Book Release date: 2006-04-25 Media: Paperback Number of pages: 432 Ean: 9780060855024 Book Isbn: 0060855029  Tip: compare prices with similar booksAuthor:
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 Written on February 29, 2008 Summary: A Good Read, Good Insights For anyone who's been tempted to respond to one of those ads to "teach English abroad," River Town offers an insightful window into the world of expat instructors--in this case to Chinese students. Peace Corp volunteer Peter Hessler trades his life as a Princeton grad, Oxford M.A., and disillusioned potential Ph.D. candidate, for a new life as "He Wei," an English language and literature teacher at Fuling Teachers' College in Sichuan province. For two years, between 1996 and 1998, Hessler lived and taught in Fuling, a city of 200,000, where locals could not recall having seen an American ever before and remembered seeing only one other foreigner since 1949. The vignettes Hessler creates from his encounters with a fascinating cast of characters were so evocative and enjoyable that I forced myself to read only two chapters a day in an effort to savor each moment with this tome. Living in China presents challenges for all expats, but during his first year, Hessler felt the additional pressure of being held under a microscope by both his students and the town folk, to whom he seemed such a novelty. As a result, the author devises some interesting and effective strategies for both coping with the strains of his life in Fuling and for absorbing as many cultural nuances as possible. Through the sketches he presents, Hessler tries to answer the questions "what experiences lead up to one's ability to cope and succeed in a foreign environment," and "at what point do the benefits start to outweigh the challenges?" One of the author's key strategies for both fitting in and for learning about local culture was to become fluent in Mandarin as quickly as possible. He also tried to pick up as much local dialect as possible. Mastering the language helped to ingratiate "He Wei"with his students, colleagues, and the town folk, but also unlocked the mysteries of Sichuan. As Ernest Hemingway lingered in bars, Hessler hung out in tea houses, soaking up local culture. He experienced some challenges from locals who either did not appreciate his presence or wanted to take advantage of him, but he never gave up trying to be accepted. Eventually, persistence paid off, and he developed a rapport with the local people and won the trust of many students. One of the strategies that led to his success was Hessler's ability to laugh at himself and find humor in almost any situation--essential as an expat. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this book is Hessler's ability to look determinedly at the bright side. Hessler's observations on the differences between Americans and Chinese culture are also a highlight. Some of the most interesting parts of the book are when he presents student reactions to writing assignments and their adaptations and dramatizations of English literary texts. As a result, the book provides fascinating insights on many topics, such as history, money, jobs, family values, youth culture, education, and the economy. It is clear that this teacher learned as much from his students as they learned from him--or possibly more. Even if you have no desire to teach or live in China, you will likely enjoy hearing about Hessler's "river town." This teacher deserves an A for the effort he made to truly experience and learn about the average Chinese life and for documenting his sharp observations in such entertaining detail. Written on February 25, 2008 Summary: An outstanding account of life in China I read very few books, but I just could not put this one down...I have studied Chinese - Mandarin for two years and I will be moving to China in May of this year for work...so with all of that in mind, I was anxious to learn more about the culture of China and to experience how an American was accepted into a smaller town in China. The humor and detail that he puts into his writing makes it very enjoyable to read...I would recommend this book to anyone interested in everyday life in China and how the history of the country plays into this. Written on January 23, 2008 Summary: Charming and fascinating Excerpts from this book first appeared in "The New Yorker". Their charm prompted me to buy the entire book (in hardback, yet!), and I was not disappointed. Hessler writes fluidly and charmingly about his experience in China, teaching English as a foreign language to Chinese students. An altogether beguiling book. In similar vein, I highly recommend Mark Salzman's "Iron and Silk", a more idiosyncratic, but equally charming memoir. Also Brad Leithauser's novel "Equal Distance", fictional, and set in Japan, rather than China, but equally evocative in its own way. Written on January 17, 2008 Summary: Unsparing honesty Here are a few of the many reasons to like River Town, Peter Hessler's account of the two years he spent as a Peace Corps volunteer in the city of Fuling, in Sichuan province in China. First, it's so honest. Hessler includes the good and the bad, including all of his mistakes and misunderstandings. In particular, I admire Hessler's unsparing account of the hostile crowd incident, which occurs just before he is about to leave Fuling. Then there's the artful way he interweaves observations about history, particularly the effects of the past (in particular, the Cultural Revolution) and the future (the construction of the Three Gorges dam). If you've ever spent any time living in a society very different from your own, you'll appreciate the way Hessler depicts the things that make him uncomfortable in Fuling (even though he becomes used to many of them): the constant honking of cars, the pollution, the way people stared at him or screamed "hah--looo" in his face, the obligatory drinking bouts. Most of all, however, there is his skill at characterizing the many people he meets; he has an eye for the detail that makes the people of Fuling seem as if you've met them too, even though you never will. Written on January 16, 2008 Summary: River Town-Learn While Reading This is a thoroughly enjoyable book that guides you through the experiences of life in a remote village in China from a American who is the first white person to live in their community. |
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| Our price | $10.17 | $10.85 | $10.88 | $6.99 | $11.56 | $10.20 |
| List price | $14.95 | $15.95 | $16.00 | $26.95 | $17.00 | $15.00 |
| Lowest used price | $4.48 | $4.97 | $4.95 | $9.07 | $9.00 | $7.60 |
| Lowest new price | $7.00 | $8.81 | $5.59 | $6.99 | $9.49 | $7.60 |
| Collectible price | - | $27.50 | $16.00 | - | - | - |
| Catalog | Book | Book | Book | Book | Book | Book |
| Release date | 2006-04-25 | 2007-05-08 | 2003-08-12 | 2006-04-25 | 2008-06-03 | 2007-07-24 |
| Media | Paperback | Paperback | Paperback | Hardcover | Paperback | Paperback |
| Format | - | - | - | Bargain Price | - | - |
| Number of pages | 432 | 528 | 544 | 512 | 352 | 336 |
| Ean | 9780060855024 | 9780060826598 | 9780743246989 | - | 9780812975246 | 9780805086645 |
| Book Isbn | 0060855029 | 0060826592 | 0743246985 | - | 0812975243 | 0805086641 |
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