Wonderful book and great audio-book!

This true account of the lives of the author, her mother, and her grandmother reads like a novel. The story takes the listener through many significant events in modern chinese history through the eyes of these amazing women. You won't be able to stop listening!

23 people found this helpful

Accurate, moving and chilling

I live in Beijing with my Chinese wife who was a high school student during the Cultural Revolution. I have many Chinese in-laws with first hand experience of the world which June Chang reveals to us. As I listened, I shared the book with them and they ratified its accuracy and approved the pitch perfect truth of the portrayal of the years before the "opening up" which came after the death of Mao. As a result, I experienced the book as an especially dynamic encounter with the personal histories of those around me, and this may be why I can give it five stars.

That said, it is true that the book is exceptionally detailed in its approach, and for some readers this may be excessive. There is, however, so much to recommend this in depth examination of the spiritual, emotional and ethical rape of an entire culture at the behest of one man that I am convinced that most listeners will find the book well worth the hard work. In addition, the narrative is so personal and so steeped in evocative description that it speaks to the heart as powerfully as to the intellect. And if you are willing to be challenged by the question, "What would you have done under these circumstances," you will find Wild Swans a particularly rewarding listen.

Afterwards you might want to find Chang's exhaustively researched "Mao--The Untold Story." A remarkable work.

45 people found this helpful

Fascinating book!

This book was interesting and educational. This is the best portrayal of events inside China before, during and after the cultural revolution that I have ever read. It gave me a great understanding for the culture of present day China.

22 people found this helpful

A real shocker!

Jung Chang reveals what it was like growing up in Mao's China. And she managed to escape with her life. Her sequel, "Mao: the untold story" is even more shocking!

21 people found this helpful

Eye opening

Where does Wild Swans rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

long...and very educational

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wild Swans?

cultural revolution

Have you listened to any of Joy Osmanski’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the tea room got to me with the od man

Any additional comments?

hard book to listen to for me. started out really interesting but i got a little bored with it. there was a little bit too much detail about some things. but overall i feel very educated now about communist china. it was a great book.

9 people found this helpful

Loved this when I read the book

I loved this when I read it back in the 90s. It is super informative - the Maoism period was really interesting and my friends from China felt that it was a good depiction of the times. In audio form it was a bit too dense for my easy-listening, multi-tasking habits.

14 people found this helpful

An odd piece of writing

What made the experience of listening to Wild Swans the most enjoyable?

The reader.

What about Joy Osmanski’s performance did you like?

A terrific reading voice, she was able to keep up interest even though there was little dialog.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A Chinese women's odyssey - from bound feet through communism to the present.

Any additional comments?

Information filled, and epic, I consider this tome an important contribution to history. Literature? Maybe not. This book has very little dialog. It is a long journey, most of it "told"; very little "shown".

5 people found this helpful

Eceptional Writer, historically informative

Would you listen to Wild Swans again? Why?

I would listen again because there is so much information regarding the three generations covered in the book. I just purchased the book

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author.

What does Joy Osmanski bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She has a pleasant voice and I found her easy to listen to. I don't think I can chose one over the other. I find listening when I have the time a good way to

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I think the death of the grandmother was tragic because in my mind it brought to the fore the terrible atrocities that were perpetuated when the communists were seeking power and doing all manner of evil to their own people under Mao.

Any additional comments?

I lived in China on and off for four years and taught English in an upper middle school and two universities. I knew something about Mao and actually tried to find some information on Lei feng but it is sparse. Mostly I heard he was a kind soldier who helped people. The book gave me a more complete history and I found it intriguing and informative. Having lived in China I know Mao is highly revered and with the revisionist history and the propaganda machine, the Chinese people seem unquestioning about their past. The author of this book did the one thing that frustrated me when I was talking to Chinese who did not do this and that is questioning.

I made friends in China and I spoke to her about Mao and the horrible things he did and her response was:

4 people found this helpful

Incredibly eye opening, truly wonderful.

What did you love best about Wild Swans?

This was a phenomenal read with every sentence leading you to the next with great anticipation. While the book continues to be banned in China, it's such a privilege to walk along with the author and learn with gasped breaths of new awareness at what was happening. I was stunned at the cultural hypnosis brought on by the time, by the

6 people found this helpful

An Indictment of Communist China under Mao

Where does Wild Swans rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've listened to two books so far with Audible, Unbroken and Wild Swans, and Wild Swans ranks second. But Unbroken is hard, very hard, for any audio book to beat.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wild Swans?

The real life depictions of the suffering and state of mind of the Chinese during the Cultural Revolution.

Which scene was your favorite?

Chang's father rejecting the Ting's and writing the letter to Mao.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Chang's mother running to Chang, trying to bring her some dumplings, before Chang left for her father's camp.

Any additional comments?

This book provides a description of communist China under Mao that is not only essential to understand China's history, but its present as well. And because China is such a major player in our world today, it should be a must-read for any educated person. At times the book drags on, and can, on occasion, be boring. But I'm not convinced that that is Chang's fault and not mine.

5 people found this helpful