Forbidden City: A Novel of Modern China

by William Bell

Book Overview

Seventeen-year-old Alex Jackson comes home from school to find that his father, a CBC news cameraman, wants to take him to China's capital, Beijing. Once there, Alex finds himself on his own in Tian... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440226791
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf
• Length: 199 Pages
• Weight: 0.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.9" x 0.6" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

A great and gripping read!!!!

When my english teacher gave out this book, i thought it would be a boring read (by looking at the title) and put the book away for 2 weeks. One night i started reading it and could not stop!!! i just kept reading till it ended.!! what a sad ended... Buy this book, if you want to have a great time.

Here is a GREAT BOOK REVIEW FOR CLASS (it may be boring)

The book, Forbidden City, by author William Bell, takes place in Beijing, China in Tiananmen Square around the time of the Beijing massacre on June 4th 1989 and is about a young boy, Alexander, age 17, who is very interested in ancient war, traveling to Beijing, China with his dad, who works for CBC to cover a news story. But while they are there, a student protest group interferes with Alexander's' vacation and everything goes wrong. Alexander gets lost within the group and finds himself in a strange part of Beijing, not knowing where his hotel is. Because of this protest, Beijing brings out the heavy artillery (armored personnel, army tanks, armored jeeps, etc.). One sight that Alexander saw that was very disturbing to him was when one of the students from the protest stood out in front of an army tank yelling "Stop! Stop!" The driver didn't hear him and drove right over the student, killing him. Later on in the book, Alexander gets back to his hotel safely by using his map of the area that he drew the first day he got to Beijing. After the protest finished, and Alexander's dad finished making the story, Alexander and his dad traveled a little outside of Beijing to a farmers field. Alexander was very interested in ancient war heroes. And in this farmer's field there was thousands of life-size army men that have been carved from stone and buried for thousands of years. Alexander has many war heroes at his house that he has moulded and painted himself. He always wanted to see just where those war heroes lay now. And he found out on this very interesting journey to Beijing, China. This book very well illustrates the theme, The Adolescence Experience, about a boy wandering off in the streets of Beijing and getting lost and having to take care of himself for a few days. Watching what Beijing is like during a protest and him hoping that he would never have to go through something like that. Plus learning a little more about ancient war heroes along the way. This is a great book for teenagers who like to read about action and adventure. For those who are interested in ancient war and history. I would recommend this book to everyone. There is nothing wrong with this book; it is the best I have read so far. I wouldn't change a thing. The author, William Bell, really brings out what it was like in Beijing during this time. While I was reading, it felt just like is was there. He isn't one of those authors who just explains the point and that's it, he adds a little laughter here and there. With comedy mixed in with the history of the Beijing Massacre, he made learning fun. To make the funny parts up, he made Alexander's' father a "comedian". He would make jokes up every no and then and he created a couple others the same way. This is just what life is like growing up. Learning and having fun are the main, key-points of being a teenager. Another way that William Bell expresses the Adolescence Experience is the student protest. Th

Thought-provoking and fantastic!

Both as a teacher and as a literary critic, I rate this book at 5 stars! Thought-provoking and wonderfully insightful, the reader shares a horrific experiece with Alex and watches him come to the realization of what war, conflict, revolution, and death really mean.

I will give this book 10 stars if I could!

This book is one of the novels that we have to read in English class and I finished reading it in 3 days! All teenagers, students, people who want to know more (or the truth) of what had happened in Tian Men Square in 1989 MUST READ!!!! I think all schools must give this book to their students. I've learnt alot after reading this book, and what had happened are unforgotable, I cried while reading it.....it's definitely a loss if you don't read it!

A very graphic and personal account of a Chinese tragedy.

"Forbidden City" was a powerful and dramatically graphic book which described the personal account of the Chinese tragedy which took place in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in 1989. The story centres around the struggle for freedom which young revolutionaries had during a time when the Chinese government was unstable. Horrifying details illustrate the horrors that the Chinese people coped with. Surprisingly, these horrors were the result of the martial law handed down by the Chinese government to stop the Chinese citizen's cries for freedom and democracy. This book truly portrayed the horrific and uncivilized side of mankind. Images of bodies being crushed by looming Chinese tanks in the streets of Beijing and the careless bloodshed of innocent people in the centre of Tiananmen Square paint a picture of true brutality and coldness which we as humans take for granted in such times of chaos, not only in China but around the world. This book portrays the delicacy of life and how we all take for granted not only life itself, but our God-given freedom which we as humans consider as a right, which in reality, is a priviledge which we fight for each and every day of our lives. The central theme in "Forbidden City" is similar to the themes in "The Holy Bible" in that struggles for freedom take place throughout the book and involve all cultures. In contrast, "Forbidden City" was a much more personalized account of the tragedy which took place. I was able to explore the mind of a visitor to China who witnessed the brutal images in Tiananmen Square and was deeply affected by what was seen. "The Holy Bible", similar to "Forbidden City", provided a sense of hope for those in their stuggles for freedom and the oppressors, which, through over whelming strength and perseverence, broke free of their dictators and retained their identity, living with pride and ostentation. I recommend this book for people who feel as though they are oppressed by others whether it be parents, bosses or teachers who feel the need to break loose of what is holding them back. This truly dramatic and thought-prevoking book will provide you with the inspiration you need to continue on in your own lives having pride in your culture, family, and most importantly, yourself.