Wild Swans Group Read

I find that I have volunteered myself to run the quarterly non-fiction group read. The book is Wild Swans by Jung Chang. Please us this thread for general, spoiler-free, chit chat. I will (assuming I remember) start a thread in June for more in depth discussion. That should give everyone time to read the book before we start the detail conversation.

Just got a good start on this biography. I will be joining in the discussion in June.

I have the book, purchased at a church rummage sale a year and a half ago. Someone had been standing beside me when I picked it up and highly recommended it to me.

Came home, put it on the shelf (after cataloging it!) and there it sat until we were discussing this quarterly biography read. It looked amazing but is so big that I just never picked it up again.

So, today is the day to start it. I am glad we have three months to complete it!

I am finding it readable so the length is not bothering me as much as I thought it would.

I have picked up my copy from the library and will probably be starting it tomorrow.

I am only 50 pages in and already finding it fascinating!

I am 70 pages in and find it very interesting. All the details about married life and life for women is fascinating. What I am not liking is the tone. I find all that praise of her mother's and grandmother's bravery and flouting of conventions a bit over the top, but it is a minor quibble for me as I can see past that and into what I see as the major part of the story.

I just got my hands on our library copy but I probably won't get to it until next month. One of my colleagues teaches Chinese studies and uses this book with his students. He offered to share his discussion questions with me.

Just stumbled onto this group read and realized that I actually own this book and haven't read it. I'm going to take it down from the shelf and add it to the TBR pile and hope to get it read before quarter end. I've heard over and over what an amazing book it is, so I'm curious despite my general lack of enthusiasm for biographies.

Just requested it from the library - looking forward to reading it this quarter.

#9
When we get closer to having the discussion it might be nice to have some of these questions. Sometimes it is hard to get a discussion going. Even on-line.

<12 He said he'd share them with me for our discussion. I'll have to remind him before the end of the school year. I should probably send him an email.

I purchased this book today; it was listed as being in the Chinese history section of our local Barnes & Noble store, but was actually on a display table of important books. It will be interesting to see in our discussion whether we consider it to be biography/autobiography or more a history book.

Biographies and autobiographies are often history books. Or at least history through the lens in which the author sees it.

How's everyone doing?
I've finished, and will make a conscious effort to jot down my thoughts and ideas so I can remember them to discuss in about a month's time.

I love it so far. I kinda stalled but will pick it up again tomorrow (I have a library book to finish today).

I am about 150 pages into the book and even though I don't like the tone of the writing I like it and am learning much about the early days of the Communist Party. It is easy to see the roots of the Cultural Revolution in the conduct of the early party.

I have finished it and like Benita, I wasn't thrilled with the writing style finding rather stilted and flat. I did think the author was able to pass an enormous amount of information along within the context of the family history.

I am planning on reading this, but am going to start later in the month so it is fresh in my mind.

I finished the book this afternoon!

I am still working on it but make daily progress. I find all the detail in it very interetesting and helping me to learn much more about the daily life of the Chinese both before 1947 and now after. I am into the 1950's and the part where the author's parents are having all of their children. It is fascinating how they are raising these children in the communal nurseries, and in the communal living arrangements. So totally different than what I thought this kind of life would be and a far cry from how government officials life in China nowadays.

I just read Eighth moon : the true story of a young girl's life in Communist China which reminded me of reading about the same period in Wild Swans. I'm so glad I didn't have to live through that.

I have, as promised, started a detail discussion thread here. Do pop along, and exchange views on the book and any topics that you'd care to discuss in relation to it.