Mesmerising and haunting at the same time

One of the most astonishing books you'll ever hear. Astonishing in its detail, recall and portrayal of life in 20th century China. From its origins in the Empirical style late 19th Century, to rule under the feared Kuomintang, the rise of the Communist Party and the emergence of Mao and his reign of terror, on finishing I want to start all over again, so much will I miss Jung Chang's captivating story and stories, told in extraordinary detail. This epic tale captures the mind's eye on first listen and holds it there throughout. At times it was deeply harrowing, shocking and moved me to tears. The narration is superb - fitting and easy to listen to. I have wanted to read Wild Swans for 20 years and it surpassed all expectations. Listen to this great book - you will not be disappointed.

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40 people found this helpful

Fascinating and moving.

Would you consider the audio edition of Wild Swans to be better than the print version?

I do not own the print version but feel the story probably does come across better in audio form. The narrator does a good job and having someone tell you the story makes it feel more personal.

I would however have liked to have the map and photos in the book to refer to while reading but this is a minor point.

What did you like best about this story?

Realising just how much has happened in China over the last century. Even though I was already aware of some of the history of the country having it told through three generations of the same family really puts into perspective how fast it has happened.

Many people have described this book as a sad read and it is true that the book contains many, many depressing events. Seeing how people coped despite this and how even at the worst of times there were still people trying to do good against their own interests is something I personally found uplifting though.

Which character – as performed by Pik-sen Lim – was your favourite?

The authors father (Wang Yu/Shou-yu) was to me the most interesting and complex character. His struggle for a cause he really believed in, the ideals he held over anything else and the way he suffered for this and the changes he went through over the book made for a fascinating character. Almost all the characters were interesting though.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it was far too long for that and would have been too depressing to listen to all at once. It was something I was keen to listen to every day though and will most likely listen to again in the future.

Any additional comments?

I felt this book was very personal and yet also very fair in how it described China's recent history. I feel it does a good job of describing how people ended up acting the way they did and avoids being overly critical. It really makes me want to read more on the subject.

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3 people found this helpful

Extraordinary! Best of it's kind for sure!

Any additional comments?

Great book as described by all the reviewers here. The narrator is soothing to listen to and so is the writing style. This is a genuine story written in a genuine possible way and never fails to touch the reader’s heart and soul. It describes what China has gone through in the twentieth century.
I was never able to properly understand what communism was about before reading this book. It has taught me a great deal about it through live characters and real stories. Like most of the readers of this book I have had little knowledge of China and the influence of Mao on modern China. This book is a good start to explore. But one has to be cautious to judge the whole Chinese civilisation and one fifth of the world population through this book only. That would be unfair with Chinese people who are among the best and the brightest.

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2 people found this helpful

gripping

Very interesting history of China and how events affected a family. I was unable to put the book down.

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1 person found this helpful

Sobering insight of a nations upheaval.

This book is well worth listening to.

A beautifully written history of the social changes in China. Without giving anything away, a book that should be read/heard, just to understand the extent of the suffering that took place, and the resilience of the human spirit.

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Thoroughly good read/listern

Really enjoyed this book . Found it very interesting . A glimpse into a past time and family life under a dictatorship. Highly recommended 😉

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Oh, my goodness

This is extraordinary. I thought I had a reasonable idea of Chinese communism and the cultural revolution - I knew absolutely nothing. An astonishing event that affected a huge percentage of the world’s population, and yet we know so little about the horrors they endured. Beautifully written, with so many touching, simple family moments - it is truly incredible. Jung Chang - you have changed the way I will see things and will be forever grateful.

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Takes your breath away

Deeply engaging from the first pages. Profoundly human and illuminating, through the story of a family it reveals the bigger picture of the Chinese people in the 20th century. Highly recommended

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incredible!

this is an amazing revelation and has changed me in many ways. I feel very grateful especially for my own freedom and abundance!

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One of my all time favourites

Having read this book three times before, it was a brilliant experience to listen to it as well. Fabulous book, worth every second.

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