Mao's Last Dancer
10 journalers for this copy...
From a desperately poor village in northeast China, at age eleven, Li Cunxin was chosen by Madame Mao's cultural delegates to be taken from his rural home and brought to Beijing, where he would study ballet. In 1979, the young dancer arrived in Texas as part of a cultural exchange, only to fall in love with America-and with an American woman. Two years later, through a series of events worthy of the most exciting cloak-and-dagger fiction, he defected to the United States, where he quickly became known as one of the greatest ballet dancers in the world. This is his story, told in his own inimitable voice.
This is an amazing story - READ IT!
This is an amazing story - READ IT!
I'm offering this one as an ARC bookring. PM me if you'd like to join. As of 12th April, I've only had one response from an ARC participant, so feel free to ask to be added to the list even if you're not doing the ARC, but let me know so that I can prioritise ARC participants.PARTICIPANTS:-
Calissa (ACT)
amberC (NT)
michyj (QLD)
Teacher-Trudy (QLD)
bookfairy65 (NSW) <----- arrived here 22/11
xoddam (NSW)
BookFrog (NSW)
alice2623663 (NSW)
Wirigerie (SA)
gabbysmum (QLD)
VonnieG (NSW)
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Back to Feryl
Will put in the mail to Calissa today.
Journal Entry 4 by Calissa from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Arrived safe and sound today, much to my delight. A friend of mine highly recommended this and combined with Feryl's enthusiastic praise, it has me itching to open the cover. It may have to wait just a little though, while I get through some uni reading.
And thank you, Feryl, for the bookmark. It's lovely!
And thank you, Feryl, for the bookmark. It's lovely!
Journal Entry 5 by Calissa from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Saturday, April 29, 2006
I found this story had a very authentic voice- in fact it reminded me a lot of my Chinese Tai Chi teacher, with the snippits of Chinese, the folk tales and the difficulty with English when speaking. I also found it full of emotion and very sweet. The characters really came alive and came to mean a lot.
It was also a fascinating insight into Chinese culture and desperate poverty. It really made me realise how fortunate I am.
I can also see what my friend liked about it- it's a story about hard work and how nothing is impossible. I found it inspiring.
It was also a fascinating insight into Chinese culture and desperate poverty. It really made me realise how fortunate I am.
I can also see what my friend liked about it- it's a story about hard work and how nothing is impossible. I found it inspiring.
Journal Entry 6 by Calissa from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Tuesday, May 2, 2006
Sent on to amberC today.
Arrived safely today. It looks interesting and i can't wait to read it, i will have to tho as i have a few other bookrings before it.
An interesting glimpse of a fascinating life. The early years in China I found the most interesting. What an amazing life Cunxin has had.
Thanks for sharing this book, Feryl.
posting to michyj tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing this book, Feryl.
posting to michyj tomorrow.
Just received this one in the mail. I have a small book to finish up before I get started on this one.
I loved this book, what an amazing story. I was immediately drawn in and didn't want the book to finish. I always love reading about other cultures and this was so well told that you could just imagine being right there with Li because his well written descriptions.
Will pass this on as soon as I get Teacher-Trudy's address. Thanks for sharing this wonderful book feryl!
MAILED JULY 10, 2006
Will pass this on as soon as I get Teacher-Trudy's address. Thanks for sharing this wonderful book feryl!
MAILED JULY 10, 2006
Arrived in the mail last week from michyj. With many thanks. This was one of the originals on my wish list. I will put it to the top of the TBR pile.
Journal Entry 12 by Teacher-Trudy from Rockhampton, Queensland Australia on Saturday, November 4, 2006
Firstly I apologise for taking so long to read this. However I have now finished and thoroughly enjoyed the journey. It was a remarkable story. I'm glad Li Cunxin wrote it and it's all the more enjoyable due to being true. If others have read this and enjoyed it, they may also like "Wild Swans : Three Daughters of China" by Jung Chang.
Thank you Feryl for a wonderful opportunity. I'm about to PM the next in the list and will get it in he mail as soon as I have an address.
Thank you Feryl for a wonderful opportunity. I'm about to PM the next in the list and will get it in he mail as soon as I have an address.
Journal Entry 13 by bookfairy65 from Yass, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Received in this morning's mail. I am very much looking forward to reading this book. Thank you to Feryl for sharing - and to everyone else who has since read this book for sending it on.
Absolutely loved this book - one of best reads for the year. I found the descriptions of growing up in Communist China really interesting. It's hard to imagine how a nation as a whole can be so brain-washed. It was fascinating to read of Li's reaction to his first impressions of the western world and interesting to note how suspicious he initially was of westerners.
Of course I found the dancing side of the story also highly interesting. Li's training was so harsh - yet I suppose it got results. I just love the photograph of Li's leap in Tetley's 'Rite of Spring'. That is what I would call dancing perfection.
With Feryl's permission, I have given this book to my daughter to read before sending on to the next reader. She has a great passion for dancing and is currently very interested in Chinese culture, so it is the perfect book for her to read. She should be finished with it in about a week and I wiil then send it on it's way again.
Thanks again to Feryl for sharing.
Of course I found the dancing side of the story also highly interesting. Li's training was so harsh - yet I suppose it got results. I just love the photograph of Li's leap in Tetley's 'Rite of Spring'. That is what I would call dancing perfection.
With Feryl's permission, I have given this book to my daughter to read before sending on to the next reader. She has a great passion for dancing and is currently very interested in Chinese culture, so it is the perfect book for her to read. She should be finished with it in about a week and I wiil then send it on it's way again.
Thanks again to Feryl for sharing.
Journal Entry 15 by upsidedowngirl from Yass, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Thank you to Feryl for letting me butt in on this bookring. I really loved this book. I would have loved to see Cunxin dance (it's a pity he has retired now). I also loved reading about China and I can't believe how little money Dia (the father) earned to raise a whole family on. I felt really sorry for the family being hungry alot of the time, and yet they still wanted to give the best food to someone else in the family rather than themselves.
My dance teacher also teaches a fifteen year old male dancer who kind of reminds me of Cunxin a bit. He is also an excellent dancer, maybe one day he will be a famous dancer too!
I will give this book back to Mum (bookfairy65) now so that she can send it on to it's next reader.
My dance teacher also teaches a fifteen year old male dancer who kind of reminds me of Cunxin a bit. He is also an excellent dancer, maybe one day he will be a famous dancer too!
I will give this book back to Mum (bookfairy65) now so that she can send it on to it's next reader.
The book is back with me now and is packaged up and ready to post to xoddam. It will be posted this afternoon.
Journal Entry 17 by xoddam from Springwood, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, December 20, 2006
And he's under it ... a good mark from xoddam, but watch those staples! When he's read it we can expect he'll pass Mao's Last Dancer up the line towards the goal.
Many thanks! Adding to the list, which is now down to a mere four and a half unread bookrings, add one makes five and a half. I've read a lot of books on China lately, I look forward to this one.
Many thanks! Adding to the list, which is now down to a mere four and a half unread bookrings, add one makes five and a half. I've read a lot of books on China lately, I look forward to this one.
Journal Entry 18 by xoddam from Springwood, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, November 21, 2007
I got this book at my work address on the 20th of December, 2006, and it joined the stacks of non-work-related books on and under my desk. A few days after that (boxing day, appropriately enough) I packed up everything at my flat into storage (staying with in-laws for a little while), and shortly thereafter headed off on an overseas holiday for three weeks. When I returned to work I was made redundant and had to pack all the books up and put the boxes in storage with the flat effects ... we did move into another flat about a month after that, and I'm employed again, but since the new flat was quite a bit smaller we never unpacked all the boxes.
Well, until yesterday. I am now reading Mao's Last Dancer (great book, much appreciated) and the bookring can continue at long last.
Many apologies to the book, its owner, and everyone who has been waiting for it, for this long incarceration.
Well, until yesterday. I am now reading Mao's Last Dancer (great book, much appreciated) and the bookring can continue at long last.
Many apologies to the book, its owner, and everyone who has been waiting for it, for this long incarceration.
This is an impressive memoir of the unlikely good fortune and tremendous personal tenacity of Li Cunxin.
I have now posted this to BookFrog. Do enjoy it; sorry it has been hiding for so long!
I have now posted this to BookFrog. Do enjoy it; sorry it has been hiding for so long!
Journal Entry 20 by BookFrog from Albion Park, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, December 6, 2007
Sorry just journalling now, received a couple of days ago smelling lovely of different tea bags.
Have read a page or two - can't wait to read more!
Have read a page or two - can't wait to read more!
Journal Entry 21 by BookFrog from Albion Park, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, January 23, 2008
LOVED THIS BOOK!
SOrry taken so long to journal what with Christmas, New Year, going away on holidays and just generally life.
literally loved this book and wondered how I missed all this controversy - I think he moved to Australia after I stopped following the ballet scene and his flee to America happened while I was politically unaware (though I still try to stay politically naive).
Anyway this is a great recount of a boy learning to dance and also the political struggles faced by ordinary people in China.
I could hardly put it down which is hard when you are trying to look after a baby but I managed.
SOrry taken so long to journal what with Christmas, New Year, going away on holidays and just generally life.
literally loved this book and wondered how I missed all this controversy - I think he moved to Australia after I stopped following the ballet scene and his flee to America happened while I was politically unaware (though I still try to stay politically naive).
Anyway this is a great recount of a boy learning to dance and also the political struggles faced by ordinary people in China.
I could hardly put it down which is hard when you are trying to look after a baby but I managed.
Arrived safe and sound in this morning's mail... actually was delivered before we got up!
What I liked best about this book is that it really felt like Li Cunxin was telling the story.
It was amazing the povety he lived in as a young boy. And to believe all the propoganda that China was the most advanced place in the world. I wonder how he thought people elsewhere lived.
When he was 16 and first went to America he was slow to believe that the lifestyle he was shown wasn't just the American's tricking him.
He was extremely brave to defect and I am surprised that the Chinese government let him out of the embassy once they had him back.
And to think that such a wonderful dancer was almost not chosen at all.
The whole story is mind blowing.
I was disappointed though that he is still called Li in the west. I understand the initial confusion of Chinese family names being put first but I can't imagine me letting people call me by my surname and not trying to correct them. Even if I let it go at the school as my proficeincy in the local language got better I would insist on being called by my firstname.
It was amazing the povety he lived in as a young boy. And to believe all the propoganda that China was the most advanced place in the world. I wonder how he thought people elsewhere lived.
When he was 16 and first went to America he was slow to believe that the lifestyle he was shown wasn't just the American's tricking him.
He was extremely brave to defect and I am surprised that the Chinese government let him out of the embassy once they had him back.
And to think that such a wonderful dancer was almost not chosen at all.
The whole story is mind blowing.
I was disappointed though that he is still called Li in the west. I understand the initial confusion of Chinese family names being put first but I can't imagine me letting people call me by my surname and not trying to correct them. Even if I let it go at the school as my proficeincy in the local language got better I would insist on being called by my firstname.
