Red Azalea
Books | Biography & Autobiography / General
3.7
Anchee Min
The acclaimed memoir from the bestselling author of Empress Orchid'Historically remarkable ... intensely moving' SUNDAY TIMES'The book sings. It is a small masterpiece' VOGUEBorn into a devoutly Maoist family in 1950s Shanghai and forced to work on a communal farm from the age of seventeen, Anchee Min found herself in an alienating and hostile political climate, where her only friendships were perilous and intense.Both candid and touching, this compelling memoir documents her isolation and illicit love against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution. From her coming of age in the Red Guard to her recruitment into Madame Mao's burgeoning industry of propaganda movies, Red Azalea explores the secret sensuality of a repressive society with elegance and honesty.
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
Anchee Min
Pages
320
Publisher
A&C Black
Published Date
2012-11-05
ISBN
1408840855 9781408840856
Community ReviewsSee all
"This taught me so much about China's history that I had never learned. This book was most spectacular, for me, because it really allowed me to step into the shoes of a person and a life and a culture that is so unlike my own. Really worth the read."
Reading into the Void
"Mean Girls and Mao.<br/><br/>While the harrowing torture of soulless communist ideology is aptly portrayed, there is an emotional void at the story’s center. Other characters, especially her courageous, stubborn mother and her squad leader Yan are more fully realized, but Min herself is an empty vessel seemingly drained of inner life. Perhaps that’s the point, but it made it hard to remain engaged."
Lesley Williams
Similar Books
3.7
4.5
3.9
4.1
3.7
3.8
3.7
3.6
4.5
4.2
4.1
4.7
3
4