English

By Wang Gang

Book Overview

"I loved this book and can't stop talking about it. . . . Transcendent." --Carolyn See, The Washington Post

In the tradition of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Wang Gang's English is a captivating coming-of-age novel about the power of language to launch a journey of self-discovery. When a new teacher--a tall, elegantly dressed man from Shanghai carrying an English dictionary under his arm--comes to Urumqi, the capital of China's far west region of Xinjiang, twelve-year-old Love Liu turns away from Chairman Mao's little red book and toward the teacher's big blue book for answers to his most pressing questions about love and life. But as a whole new world begins to open up for him, Love Liu must face a test more challenging than any he'll take in the classroom.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143116541
• ISBN13: 9780143116547
• Release Date: March 2010
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A Must Read!

Do yourself a huge favor and buy this book. I finished it in two long sittings because it drew me in so thoroughly. Kids really are the same the world over. Great portrayal of the ever ambiguous family ties. Just read it and enjoy this wondrous writer's gift to us.

Charming Coming-of-Age Story

This book is a wonderful gem, and we're so lucky that "English" has been translated into English! Perhaps even more importantly, we're fortunate that the translators did a superb job of the translation. Chinese to English translation is a daunting task for even the most talented linguists. What I appreciated is how the writer's were able to do it so eloquently and also create a real feeling of suspense in the book. Although not a mystery, the book has that page turner quality. I think you won't be able to put it down! I generally only read non-fiction books about China. What steered me toward reading "English" was the fact that it was essentially the autobiography of its author, Wang Gang. It's a deep look at a young boy's experiences growing up in West China - an area that even most Chinese people don't really know enough about. Love Liu's obsession with the English language and his bond with his teacher and classmates is poignant. The book will take you back to your own childhood when learning something new made it feel electric and almost dangerous. Finally, "English" is an important book for China watchers because it's not the run of the mill "Cultural Revolution" tome. This book is about the experiences of a young boy who is growing up during that era and doesn't really understand what is happening around him. This ignorance creates a sense of what that experience must have been like for everyone - adult or child - who lived through it. I attended a book talk that the author gave in Beijing, and he's very charming and humorous. He confirmed that each character in the book was a real person and that these experiences were each his own. I guess that's why this "novel" is so richly crafted.