Scan barcode
A review by keysmashhh
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Relationships: 3.5/5
World-Building: 4/5
Genre: 4.5/5
Plot: I loved the way Jung Chang told the story, especially using the three generations of experiences, it allowed for a wider range of China's history to be explored which was really interesting. I found the details she had and the story-like style of the narrative really gripping, especially when dealing with her own experiences during the Cultural Revolution. I feel like I really learned a lot, especially to do with the Rustication campaign and the quality of life for the ex-Red Guard members.
Characters: I found all three generations to be really fascinating to read about, especially when looking at the differences between each one. Sometimes I found the wider family to be neglected in terms of information, for example, it would have been interesting to hear about the grandmother more during the Cultural Revolution to understand her experiences of the same events.
Relationships: Familial relationships were the central point of the story and I thought Jung Chang did a really good job at explaining the cultural differences between Western ideas of familial relationships and Chinese ideas of familial relationships (especially between fathers and daughters)
World-Building: The language Jung Chang used was very engaging and descriptive which gave a really good insight into the world she was living in. I liked the anecdotal form of the memoir, I think it allowed for the experiences of her and her relatives to be explored in a way that made me as a reader really engaged. It was also interesting to see the differences between different regional bits of China, as each family member moved around the country.
Genre: The biographical style of the book combined with the narrative form of Jung Chang's experiences really worked for me in keeping me interested in the story. A small detail but I really liked the inclusion of photos in my copy of the book, it personalised the stories even more.
Characters: 4/5
Relationships: 3.5/5
World-Building: 4/5
Genre: 4.5/5
Plot: I loved the way Jung Chang told the story, especially using the three generations of experiences, it allowed for a wider range of China's history to be explored which was really interesting. I found the details she had and the story-like style of the narrative really gripping, especially when dealing with her own experiences during the Cultural Revolution. I feel like I really learned a lot, especially to do with the Rustication campaign and the quality of life for the ex-Red Guard members.
Characters: I found all three generations to be really fascinating to read about, especially when looking at the differences between each one. Sometimes I found the wider family to be neglected in terms of information, for example, it would have been interesting to hear about the grandmother more during the Cultural Revolution to understand her experiences of the same events.
Relationships: Familial relationships were the central point of the story and I thought Jung Chang did a really good job at explaining the cultural differences between Western ideas of familial relationships and Chinese ideas of familial relationships (especially between fathers and daughters)
World-Building: The language Jung Chang used was very engaging and descriptive which gave a really good insight into the world she was living in. I liked the anecdotal form of the memoir, I think it allowed for the experiences of her and her relatives to be explored in a way that made me as a reader really engaged. It was also interesting to see the differences between different regional bits of China, as each family member moved around the country.
Genre: The biographical style of the book combined with the narrative form of Jung Chang's experiences really worked for me in keeping me interested in the story. A small detail but I really liked the inclusion of photos in my copy of the book, it personalised the stories even more.