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Loading... Socialism Is Great! A Worker's Memoir of the New China (original 2008; edition 2009)by Lijia Zhang
Work InformationSocialism Is Great!: A Worker’s Memoir of the New China by Lijia Zhang (2008)
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.  weaver-of-dreams | Aug 1, 2023 |   This is the author's memoir from her young adult years in the 1980s. Most of the book takes place after Zhang's mother forced her to leave high school and take over her old job at an arms factory. Zhang is surrounded by a job that lacks luster, coworkers more interested in napping than working, and an arguing family. Through it all, Zhang finds constant comfort in studying and reading. Having just finished several memoirs that were set during periods of political upheaval, I was expecting a little more conflict in this book. Compared to those memoirs, Zhang's life is peaches and cream. She goes through boyfriends and interests much like any young person does. She makes several discoveries about herself, such as developing a love of poetry. This is the book. There are relatively few hardships and relatively little conflict. I usually take notes when I read but found this narrative so dry that I stopped. Nevertheless, Zhang's use of the language shines. She makes constant analogies and uses wonderful proverbs to illustrate how and why people act. These analogies show just how artistic and ornamental English can be. Zhang's ability to use the language rivals the best modern authors from any country. (  ) mvblair | Aug 9, 2020 |  ) fizzypops | Jan 25, 2018 | Zhang is a fun and engaging personality, but the thing that makes this book interesting is that it's a real 'ant's eye view' of a time when China was starting to unfreeze and kicking off the process of tremendous change. We see the first private entrepreneurs tentatively setting up businesses, from kebab stalls to hair salons, and the impact that this has on daily life. A trickle of foreign films and novels becomes available. More and more Chinese start to study English and become familiar with ideas from outside China. This is not high politics or literature, but it's a quick read and an interesting perspective. (  ) wandering_star | Dec 10, 2012 | ) ziziaaurea | Apr 28, 2011 | no reviews | add a review
As China becomes disillusioned with "The Glorious Cause," so does factory-worker Lijia Zhang. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)951.058092History and Geography Asia China and region History 1949- (People's Republic, 20th century) 1980-1989LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.3)
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Wikipedia in English (1)
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Op het einde na, heb ik met plezier deze biografie gelezen. Het einde kwam voor mij op een heel raar punt. Ik weet niet of er nog een vervolg op komt, maar dat zou voor mij de enige reden zijn om een boek op dat punt te eindigen en dan zou ik het nog geen goede plek vinden.
De rest van het boek heb ik met veel plezier gelezen. Ik moest even wennen aan de schrijfstijl,die erg direct en zonder franje is. Het is meer een opsomming van feiten, waarbij je tussendoor wel de emotie voelt, maar de schrijfstijl past wel heel goed bij de sfeer van het socialistische China. Het verhaal had me in zijn grip en ik voelde mee met de persoon. Eigenlijk schommelt mijn waardering tussen de twee en drie sterren, maar uiteindelijk heb ik besloten om er twee sterren van te maken, gezien het totaal onbevredigende einde.
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