Red Azalea by Anchee Min

This book is a memoir of the Chinese author Anchee Min. She talked about her life in China in the years of Chairman Mao and the communist party. She was at the age of six when she started taking care of her siblings whom were younger than her a year. She was sent to the Red Fire Farm camp and she suffered a lot there because of the hard duty that was given to her. After that, she was sent to the studio to work as a set clerk after she failed becoming an actress. She used to sing operas. She loved one of the comrades in the Red Fire Farm camp her name was Yan. She also loved the supervisor of the film Studio whom nobody knew his name. Anchee Min saw how the people in her country were suffering. Her parents were an example of being victims of Chairman Mao cruelty. Both of them had to leave their jobs as professors and work in the factory. Nobody dared to talk badly about the communist party and if they did, they would be considered as reactionaries. Finally, Madam Mao was arrested and the people of China celebrated with crabs and wine.

               

We recommend this book because it is about the years of Chairman Mao and the communist party. It was interesting for us, for we learned about the culture of China. Also, it is a memoir of the famous Chinese author Anchee.    

The Joy Luck Club

The Joy Luck Club

By Jaime, Bella, and Vicky

The book I am reading is “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan. It is about four different stories and relationships between daughters and mothers. I really recommend people read this book because it is stories about immigrant family and their experiences. In the beginning it’s very confusing because it starts talking about the Chinese culture and the way of life in China. Before the four mothers immigrated to United States with their bad experiences in China, but they came with a lot of hopes to start a new life. Their daughters were born in the U.S, which it makes them different from their mothers and as they growth they experience cultural crash. I like some parts of this book because they have some myths like when Suyuan Woo and her family went to the beach, and her little son drowned in the beach. After the police didn’t find the body, her mother came with a Chinese bible to pray to the Chinese gods. This book remained me of some parts of my life. For example, as I immigrant I felt things Jing-Mei’s mother felt when she arrived to this country. I know it’s very hard for immigrants to start a new life.

The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

Book Review

Ping, Ting, Jin, Cheung

The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

This book The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith talks about the woman, Mma Ramotswe, sets up a detective agency to help others solve their problems. She is not afraid of the difficulties or dangers, and she uses her intelligence to help people find the truth. Her goodness and enthusiastic attracts a man, Mr. J.L.B.Matekoni. He had ever asked her to marry him, but she refused him. At the end of the book, Mma Ramotswe accepts his proposal finally.

We would like to recommend this book because this book is not only talks how to solve the cases, but also includes love and some of African cultures. In this book, there are many chapters, which are about different stories. All of the characters have different personalities, Mma Ramotswe is warm-hearted, Obed Ramotswe is selfless… We especially like some cases such as the chapters, Missing Husband, Kidnap Boy and Witch Doctor. They really catch our attentions in what happen to her each case.

Brookyln book review

Gladys Onoh and Hannah Onoh

English 100

11/30/2011

                                                                       Book review

            We read Brooklyn, a book by Colm Toibin. This book is quite interesting and educative. However, it is also depressing. Brooklyn is about a girl named Eilis and her family in Ireland. Eilis have an elder sister and three brothers. Her brothers lived in England. Eilis couldn’t find a good job in Ireland after she graduated from college. She decided to go to America so that she can find a better job and help her family. The author did a good job because he narrated the story very well to the extent that the reader visualizes settings. When you read the book it makes you feel like everything is happening right in front of you and can put yourself in the main character’s shoe.

            Nevertheless, the book is a little depressing and realistic because right from the beginning of the novel, the story started off very sadly. We kept reading with the hope that things will get better but just as the story was about getting better tragedy struck the family. They lost the eldest sister rose, who happens to be breadwinner and our second favorite character. Throughout the story, it was one misfortune or the other. The book is educative because it makes you travel to Ireland without actually going there physically. Though the book didn’t end as we expected   but we will recommend this book to anyone who likes to read all type of books  because little realistic, it is not like fiction where anything is possible or where things that don’t happen in real life take place. This book is not for anyone who is easily unhappy because it will worsen their situation. Overall, the book is the bomb.

Fight Club Review

Fight Club Group
By, Pan, Jin, Christopher

This Chuck Palahniuk novel is a master piece of its own. The characters are unique in their personality. Tyler, one of the main characters has its own master plan that will involve soap and fights with groups of men where they’ll meet in bar basements around the country. This twisted, dark comedy will make you start your own fight club, or even make your own soap. Every little step they take, or do will be for their final preparation of the ultimate master plan, a plan that will take them through laughter, pain, agony, and pleasure. Fight Club is a must read for anyone interested in a dark comedy

"Red Azalea" Review

Salma, Ling, Alan and Tania

Red Azalea

Our group liked Red Azalea by Anchee Min, which is about a young Chinese girl who used to live under the revolution. She had been sent to the Red Fire Farm as a part of her party’s task. She had to work hard to survive, and she wanted to become a member of the party. Her life changed when she became close to her commander Yan. This part was the most interesting part of the book. Her relation with Yan transformed from a friendship to a secret relation between lovers. One day Anchee got a chance to ran away from the farm and be an actress. She fell in love with the producer, who was a close friend with Mao’s wife. After Mao’s death everything changed and she lost her supervisor, Yan and ended up in America. We were expecting that she will be with the supervisor in a love relationship, but she moved to the USA and stayed single.

Untitled Project

Untitled Project