I went on to write oracle bones and country driving, completing a trilogy. In peter hesslers country driving, hessler embarks on a voyage across china along the great wall. There is the gentle knock of the croquet ball in the morning when the court below his window comes to life. Two years on the yangtze new ed by peter hessler isbn. Two years on the yangtze is a 2001 book by peter hessler. Hessler won a national magazine award for instant cities, a twoyear study of a new factory town in chinas zhejiang province, which was published in national geographic, in 2007. Feb 22, 2019 peter hessler s the buried puts egypt s past in perspective. The first recounts hesslers experiences driving along the great wall from beijing toward the tibetan plateau, a trip of nearly 7,000 miles. River town is my favorite and then country driving is second. Penguin is printing many bound galleys for booksellers and the.
A new york times notable book winner of the kiriyama book prize in the heart of chinas sichuan province, amid the terraced hills of the yangtze river valley, lies the remote town of fuling. When peter hessler went to china in the late 1990s, he expected to spend a couple of peaceful years teaching english in the town of fuling on the yangtze river. I really like peter hesslers writing and find it a true reflection of my experiences in china an a accurate account of chinese attitudes. A journey from farm to factory 2010, is a record of hesslers journeys driving a rented car from rural northern chinese counties to the factory towns of southern china, and the significant economic and industrial growth taking place there. He is the author of river town, which won the kiriyama book prize, oracle bones, which was a finalist for the national book award, country driving, and strange stones. He began the series with river town, which explored the theme of geography in a fastchanging country, and then, with oracle bones, he examined the role of history in todays modern society. River town is the most honest and insightful portrayal i have read of china in the late 1990s. Like many other small cities in this everevolving country, fuling is heading. First, i read peter hesslers articles in the new yorker then, i encountered the author last month on one of his periodic visits to his alma mater finally, i got around to reading his first book. In 1996, at the age of twentyseven, peter hessler joined the third group of. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Amazing stories about driving in china along the great wall from east to west. Country driving is spot on and prepares the traveler, student of culture, or china dreamer for an authentic china experience from a savvy, yet humble, american writers perspective.
Country driving is spot on and prepares the traveler, student of culture, or china dreamer for an authentic china experience from a savvy, yet humble, american writer s perspective. Aug 05, 2018 river town is peter hesslers memoir of living and teaching in rural sichuan province as a peace corps volunteer in the 1990s. He won the 2008 national magazine award for excellence in reporting, and he was named a macarthur fellow in 2011. Jan 01, 2001 elizabeth i have only read two of peter hesslers books. River town was a great book and i enjoyed ithowever, country driving, although a well written book is narrated by peter berkrot. He also spends a significant amount of time living in various areas of china that reveal the culture and lifestyle of the people of china. Winner of the kiriyama book prize in the heart of chinas sichuan province, amid the terraced hills of the yangtze river valley, lies the remote town of fuling. Traditional chinese edition of national geographic s peter hessler s country driving. Hesslers account superbly captures the spirit of a country in which he is an invader, albeit welcomed, understanding rather than merely describing it and, with consummate skill and literary style, bringing it alive in all its mesmerising complexity. Peter hesslers the buried puts egypts past in perspective. Peter hessler went on book tour with zhang jiren, his chinese. Then, i encountered the author last month on one of his periodic visits to his alma mater.
Traditional chinese edition of national geographics peter hesslers country driving. Written with great clarity and affection, river town should be read by anyone with any interest in finding the chinese less inscrutable the timesif you read only one book about china, let it be this jonathan mirskyhesslers account superbly captures the spirit of a country in which he is an invader, albeit welcomed, understanding rather than merely describing it and, with. Youll find his pieces in the new yorker and the atlantic. Hessler, who spent two years as a peace corps volunteer in a city called fuling, a yangtze river town in southwestern china, taught english and american literature at fuling teachers college, and the classroom provides the. Hessler, who spent two years as a peace corps volunteer in a city called. Since writing this book, peter hessler has established himself as one of the premier journalists writing about life in china today. If you read only one book about china, let it be this jonathan mirsky. River town by peter hessler hachette uk john murray press.
Feb 28, 2010 hesslers account of life in sancha is the heart of his book, and when, in the final section, he takes to the road again exploring the industrial zones along a highway in the southeast. He began the series with river town, which explored the theme of geography in a fastchanging country, and then, with oracle bones, he examined the role of history in todays modern. In country driving, he turns his attention to development, capturing the human side of chinas economic transformation. Fuling becomes his home for the next two years and here we are treated to a feast of chinese life in a town where they are very unused to waiguorn foreigners. He is the author of four books about china and has contributed numerous articles to the new yorker and national geographic, among other publications. It is an introspective memoir of his first two years of living in somewhat rural china and is also very well written. River town is peter hesslers memoir of living and teaching in rural sichuan province as a peace corps volunteer in the 1990s. The book is a memoir of his experience in fuling, told in first person. River town is my favorite and then country driving ismore i have only read two of peter hesslers books. Country driving addresses the human side of the economic revolution in china.
Two years on the yangtze by peter hessler harpercollins, 2001. One of the economists best books of the yearfrom the bestselling author of oracle bones and river town comes the final book in his awardwinning trilogy on. In 1996, 26yearold peter hessler arrived in fuling, a town on chinas yangtze river, to begin a twoyear peace corps stint as a teacher at the local college. This is the story of peter hessler, an american student, who takes up an english teaching post in a remote town called fuling where the river wu meets the yangtze. Thats a little how i felt about peter hessler s river town. River town tells the story sometimes funny, sometimes sad, often inspiring. Like many other small cities in this everevolving country, fuling is heading down a new path of change and growth, which came.
Peter hessler, river town austin woerners memory palace. Hesslers writing is unselfconsciously mellow, a lazy pace that works admirably in conjuring up fuling as a place. Country driving a journey through china from farm to factory. He is also a contributing writer for national geographic. He is the author of river town, which won the kiriyama book prize, oracle bones, which was a finalist for the national book award, country driving and strange stones. Country driving a journey through china from farm to. Id taught in china for a year a decade before hessler taught there for two years.
From the bestselling author of oracle bones and river town comes the final book in his awardwinning trilogy on the human side of the economic revolution in china peter hessler, whom the wall street journal calls one of the western worlds most thoughtful writers on modern china, deftly illuminates the vast, shifting landscape of a. Thats a little how i felt about peter hesslers river town. Peter hesslers new book country driving is one of those mirrors. Peter hessler is a staff writer at the new yorker, where he served as beijing correspondent from 20002007, and is also a contributing writer for national geographic. A young american who spent two years teaching english literature in a small town on the yangtze, hessler observed these events through two sets of eyes. Have you ever read a book about something youve done that was by someone who did the same or close to it but better and that bothers you. Finally, i got around to reading his first book and discovered what id been missing all this time. The buried river town oracle bones country driving strange stones. It is one of the most widely read accounts in the englishspeaking world of living in china as a foreigner, and was published in chinese as. In 2001 peter hessler published his first book, river town, about the two years he spent teaching in a school in fuling, far up the yangtze river. Surrounded by the terraced hills of the yangtze river valley, fuling has long been a place of continuity, far from the bustling political centers of beijing and shanghai. Reviewin 1996, 26yearold peter hessler arrived in fuling, a town on chinas yangtze river, to begin a twoyear peace corps stint as a teacher at the local college. It documents his peace corps teaching assignment at fuling teachers college in fuling, sichuan, which started in 1996 and lasted for two years.
From the bestselling author of oracle bones and river town comes the final book in his awardwinning trilogy on the human side of the economic revolution in china. Like many other small cities in this vast and everevolving country, fuling is shifting gears and. Hessler set the bar impossibly high with river town, and its almost sad there is simply no way he can surpass it. There wasnt much of a market for books about china in the united states, either. Hessler has a marvelous sense of the intonations and gestures that give life to the moment. Two years on the yangtze 2001 by peter hessler is an evocative, sometimes disturbing portrayal of hesslers time spent as one of the first two americans in fifty years to live and work as a peace corps volunteer teaching literature at a university in fuling, china from 1996 to 1997. The book takes place during the boom of the automobile. Peter hessler is a staff writer at the new yorker, where he served as the beijing correspondent from 2000 to 2007, and is also a contributing writer for national geographic. Peter hessler is a staff writer at the new yorker, where he served as beijing correspondent from 20002007 and cairo correspondent from 20112016. Two years on the yangtze by peter hessler goodreads.
First, i read peter hesslers articles in the new yorker. Hessler joined the new yorker as a staff writer in 2000 and served as foreign correspondent for the same publication until 2007. River town peter hessler paperback harpercollins publishers. Like many other small cities in this everevolving country, fuling is heading down a ne.
This third book in peter hesslers trilogy, after river town and oracle bones, digs deeper into contemporary chinese culture. But now fuling is heading down a new path, and gradually, along with scores of other towns in this vast and everevolving country. In 1996, 26yearold peter hessler arrived in fuling, a town on china s yangtze river, to begin a twoyear peace corps stint as a teacher at the local college. Apr 04, 2010 hessler set the bar impossibly high with river town, and its almost sad there is simply no way he can surpass it. River town is my favorite and then country driving ismore i. This third book in peter hessler s trilogy, after river town and oracle bones, digs deeper into contemporary chinese culture. Hesslers account of life in sancha is the heart of his book, and when, in the final section, he takes to the road again exploring the industrial zones along a highway in the southeast. He is the author of river town, which won the kiriyama prize. The book is not so much a travelogue as a socialogue. I slightly preferred his other book, which i read first country driving as his style is more. In the heart of chinas sichuan province, amid the terraced hills of the yangtze river valley, lies the remote town of fuling. I really like peter hessler s writing and find it a true reflection of my experiences in china an a accurate account of chinese attitudes. An almost perfect blend of memoir, tour guide and history lesson, river town is by far the most personal and moving of the three books now including country driving and, significantly, its the most coherent.
Peter benjamin hessler born june 14, 1969 is an american writer and journalist. That s a little how i felt about peter hessler s river town. Two years on the yangtze new ed by hessler, peter isbn. With license in hand, hessler spent the next six years researching the final book in his china trilogy. A new york times notable bookwinner of the kiriyama book prizein the heart of chinas sichuan province, amid the terraced hills of the yangtze river valley. Along with fellow teacher adam meier, the two are the first foreigners to be in this part of the sichuan province for 50 years. Oracle bones, which was a finalist for the national book award. In china, the year 1997 was marked by two momentous events. He is best known for his first three books on china. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books. He won the 2008 national magazine award for excellence in. Two years on the yangtze 2001 is a kiriyama prizewinning book about his experiences in two years as a peace corps volunteer teaching english in china. This account is a chronicle of the authors days in fuling and of a brief summer interlude of travel farther afield.
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