Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng
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Book Reviews of Life and Death in Shanghai
Book Review: Living Chess
Summary: 5 Stars
What makes Life and Death in Shanghai so captivating is the seemingly unlimited thought put into its writing. Since Nieng Cheng's quick and cunning analytical thinking was her only available weapon of self-defense, she spared neither time nor effort in analyzing every minute detail of her surroundings. Cheng's conversations with her interrogators at the detention house resembled a real-life chess game played between two grand masters. Both parties spent days, weeks, or even months formulating a defensive and offensive strategy. Life and Death in Shanghai leads the reader though a plethora of original logical thoughts and conclusions, not unlike the deductions of Sherlock Holmes, which give the story an almost fictional feel. This book will be of interest to both casual and critical readers. Highly recommended.Book Review: AGAINST ALL ODDS
Summary: 5 Stars
Nien Cheng's account of her suffering and survival during China's Cultural Revolution is both instructive and gripping. Her story reflects how easy it is for young, enthusiastic students to be turned into fanatical followers of an ideology which discriminates against all westerners and native intellectuals during this time of Mao's rule, similar to the emotions which swept across China during the Boxer Rebellion a century ago. The author's faith in her own innocence coupled with an ability to endure enormous mental and physcial suffering and her survival with an unbroken spirit reminds one of Eli Wiesel's experiences during the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. It serves as both a warning and invitation to all of us to carefully prove what our leadership and modern media portray as the only correct ideology.Book Review: Incredibly Moving, Incredibly Relevant - Look to the Past to Learn of China's Future
Summary: 5 Stars
Nien Cheng's memoir of her experiences before, during, and after the Cultural Revolution are an emotional and eye-opening look into the personal life of one of its victims. Written in a matter-of-fact and detailed way, Cheng succeeds where so many others fail - to deliver a detailed and factual account with just the right amount of personal feeling injected.
Separating the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party from that of individual Chinese (which many times differed greatly), this book details the heroism and cowardice propagated on an individual and systematic level against those considered "class enemies".
Overall, an uplifting story of the strength of the human spirit, and the neverending endurance brought about by the search for justice.
Book Review: Life before and after communist China.
Summary: 5 Stars
I borrowed this book, not being really shure of what I was going to find in it. However as soon as I started reading it I just couldn't put it down. I was hooked by Nien Cheng's account of her own experience in communist China. How she lost everything that mattered to her. How she survived the abuse and violence of the revolutionaries. How she coped with everyday situations during that time. She's a true survivor and a live witness of China's history in the 20th century. The book is well written. It's moving, touching ,way interesting, and invites us to reflect on what freedom ir really about. The best asset we humans can have in our lives is freedom, without a doubt. It's a book really worth reading if you want to know more about what communist china was for some people.Book Review: A Powerful Narrative
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a powerful narrative written with incredible eloquence. Cheng's use of the English language describes a life in all its peace and hell. One cannot help but feel for her and her family. Though she spent 6 1/2 years in detention in Shanghai, not a bit of the tale comes across as monotonous. She does not neglect the background, either. After reading this, one has a full understanding of the basis of her actions and the fundamentals of Chinese life that play a role in her experience. I could hardly put this book down at night. Though I certainly wouldn't wish her experience on anyone, I was sorry for this book to end. I have a great deal of respect for Mrs. Cheng, and look to her as an example of courage. This book is inspiring.