Stefanie A. (Erlichette) reviewed on
This book does give a good sense of the insanity and cruelty of life under Mao, which is what I sought, but reads a bit more like fiction due to a few qualities that some readers will love but others (like me) who are interested in the book primarily for a view of the Chinese experience during that era will find distracting.
Much of the book is devoted or connected to two clandestine love affairs (which are themselves in some way telling about life in China during the time) but they're somewhat confusing -- both in terms of following the narrative, as well as understanding them in the context of the broader society. (IE, she and one lover had trysts in a room where other people slept, but no one noticed -- this in a society full of spies.)
She also does not offer perspective on how or why she gets certain privileges or process them after the fact. I found myself double-checking that the book was a memoir.
Much of the book is devoted or connected to two clandestine love affairs (which are themselves in some way telling about life in China during the time) but they're somewhat confusing -- both in terms of following the narrative, as well as understanding them in the context of the broader society. (IE, she and one lover had trysts in a room where other people slept, but no one noticed -- this in a society full of spies.)
She also does not offer perspective on how or why she gets certain privileges or process them after the fact. I found myself double-checking that the book was a memoir.
