From outsider to insider-Introduction on Some Serious Readings about China(ii)

3) The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

This one is a classic, and yet many often forget to add it to their China book library. Besides being a good read, this book was important historically, as it was a best-seller in the 1930s and helped American readers consider the Chinese as allies in the upcoming war with Japan. Even though it takes place in the 1930s, the book describes Chinese village life and culture in detail, and many of these cultural intricacies are still important in China today, especially in the countryside. Then again, the theme that wealth erodes our traditions is also a theme that we can see in present-day China’s cities. This theme and other themes in the book (such as man’s reliance on the earth) are timeless. There is a movie version out too for those who want to cheat.   

4) Riding the Iron Rooster by Paul Theroux

Theroux is (was?) a cranky person. But more importantly, he is a very observant person and has done a great job taking his observations of a trip through China and putting them into words for this book. I mentioned above that most books about China go out-of-date by the time they are published— this book is certainly out-of-date. But, if you are traveling to China, how can you resist reading a book about riding a train through China. Theroux takes the train as far north as he can go into northern Heilongjiang Province, and then again as far south as he can go south of Kunming in Yunnan Province. While the trains have changed a lot since his journey, many travelers to China can still identify with his endeavors and appreciate his observations. Actually, I would not read this book before taking a trip to China— I would bring it for the long train rides. (to be continued)

Posted at 02:44PM Dec 16, 2008 by admin in Laowai Talk  |  Comments[2]