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50books_poc2009-07-23 09:45 am
annwfyn.livejournal.com) wrote in 50books_poc2009-07-23 09:45 am
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'Becoming Madame Mao' by Anchee Min
'Becoming Madame Mao' is a novel based on the life of Mao's wife, who was heavily involved with the Cultural Revolution and became one of the most nototorious figures in the PRC. Although it is a novel, the writer, Anchee Min, states that she has tried to stick to the facts as closely as possible, using direct quotes from diaries, memoirs and letters where at all possible.
It's a really interesting read, and very accessible even if you don't know a lot about Chinese history. The only thing that slightly threw me was the style of writing. For some reason, Anchee Min keeps switching between first person and third person narrative, and I never entirely understood why. As far as I can tell, there is no third person narrator who might be adding in commentary of any kind. It doesn't jar nearly as badly as it could do, but it did confuse me somewhat.
Overall, however, definitely recommended.
It's a really interesting read, and very accessible even if you don't know a lot about Chinese history. The only thing that slightly threw me was the style of writing. For some reason, Anchee Min keeps switching between first person and third person narrative, and I never entirely understood why. As far as I can tell, there is no third person narrator who might be adding in commentary of any kind. It doesn't jar nearly as badly as it could do, but it did confuse me somewhat.
Overall, however, definitely recommended.