River Town

Two Years on the Yangtze

By: Peter Hessler

Narrated by: Peter Berkrot

Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

In the heart of China's Sichuan province, amid the terraced hills of the Yangtze River valley, lies the remote town of Fuling. Like many other small cities in this ever-evolving country, Fuling is heading down a new path of change and growth, which came into remarkably sharp focus when Peter Hessler arrived as a Peace Corps volunteer, marking the first time in more than half a century that the city had an American resident. Hessler taught English and American literature at the local college, but it was his students who taught him about the complex processes of understanding that take place when one is immersed in a radically different society.

Poignant, thoughtful, funny, and enormously compelling, River Town is an unforgettable portrait of a city that is seeking to understand both what it was and what it someday will be.

©2006 Peter Hessler (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Hessler's writing is lovely. His observations are evocative, insightful, and often poignant--and just as often, funny. It's a pleasure to read of his (mis)adventures. Hessler returned to the U.S. with a new perspective on modern China and its people. After reading River Town, you'll have one, too." (Amazon.com review)

Wish the author had narrated it himself

great story but need a narrator who speaks Chinese. pronunciation of Chinese words was terrible. AND the narration of Chinese people speaking English was done in what sounds like a Boston/Brooklyn accent.

Transcendental

I was born and raised in China, and I read Chinese version when I was in a Chinese high school. I have been always a big fan of Peter Hessler. For me, listening to the stories in this audiobook felt strangely familiar, because I almost felt the same as Peter Hessler when I went back home. The book was written with a distinctly American perspective but also with “Chinese characteristics”, which made the book so authentic and so emotionally touching.

After thirty years of Reform and Opening, many things have changed, and many things haven’t. As a young Chinese, I was so familiar with propaganda that Hessler’s attitude to propaganda bothered me at the beginning. However, I also realized how much materials had been censored that the Chinese version wasn’t political at all comparing to the original version. It felt like reading an irrelevant book sometimes, with so many “extra” political jokes and comments. I laughed out loud so many times when I was driving on freeway, listening to the deleted narrative quietly.

Peter Hessler was an outsider, but he had made great efforts to understand China. He didn’t simply limit himself to criticize China and the political system endlessly. He could have easily done so, like so many people who wrote books on China. He didn’t. He looked deeply into the way of Chinese life. His comments on every aspect of Fuling’s life were profound, and yet funny.

After two years living in the US, I found his experience in Fuling so relevant. As I am still trying to get used to the “American way of life”, it’s very helpful to know that an American had struggled as me, trying to make sense of the world in front of us.

At the end of the book, he revealed his respect to the strengths and diligence of Chinese people after two years in a remote, underdeveloped city located in western China. I still remembered that in the epilogue of the Chinese version, he went back to Fuling again, and he couldn’t find his way to the college because the city had been sculptured by urbanization and economic development so profoundly, as well as the rest of China.

Time has changed, the city has changed, but the river is still the same as it has been.

I could listen to better Hessler's books incessant

this provides an at times comic, sometimes poignant portrait of modern day China in the from about 2005-10. I especially loved his tales from the small mountain village where he had a ramshackle weekend home.

Great inside look into China!

What did you like about this audiobook?

I liked this book because it made you really see Peter's life in Fuling.

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

I am currently living in Chengdu, China which is also in the Sichuan Province. I can relate to a lot Peter of what went through.

The Real China

Late '90s China through the eyes of an intelligent, thoughtful and disciplined Peace Corp volunteer who taught college English in Fu-Ling, China for 2 years. Never boring. Learned much about Chinese culture and the fears that keep it's people submissive and psychologically imprisoned.. We may all be a bit "imprisoned," but listening to this book made me grateful for our open society in its never ending search for solid truth.

True travels in China

very enjoyable, highly recommended, felt honest and sincere. same planet, different perspectives. mustard tuber

it was aight

twas aight.... i need 15 words in order to post a review for the book.

Excellent book let down by poor narration

I really enjoyed this book. Having spent a year in China at about the same time referred to in this book, it brought back many memories of the China of that period. The author is a keen observer of daily life and an excellent writer. I also admired his courage in getting out among the people and his persistence in learning the language.

The narration of the story is quite another matter. The book is sprinkled with Chinese words and while the narrator can be forgiven for not pronouncing them all correctly, no attempt has been made to find out the correct pronunciation for even the most commonly used words, some of which are repeated literally hundreds of times throughout the book, always incorrectly. In addition, whenever the book quotes a Chinese person the reader goes into some weird accent, a bit like a caricature of a Mexican accent. I was left thinking that the narrator had probably never met a Chinese person in his life.

Definitely recommend.

This book is great. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did I couldn't stop listening. Hessler does a great job making it interesting and sometimes funny while conveying a great deal of information. It is true that he presents his perspective and that it is sometimes biased, but he is clear and careful in acknowledging his biases. I think he does an amazing job tackling the Chinese culture and the challenges one has trying to understand it. I feel like I have learned a great deal from this book and look forward to listening to Oracle Bones which I've already bought on Audible.

Hidden gem

The description of this book does not do it justice. The diary of this young Peace Core volunteer captures so much that official books about China will miss. The culture and customs, the generosity and humour, the effects of years of indoctrination and the way a white person is viewed. His observations about everyday life and the country, coupled with his gift for vivid descriptions of places and situations make for a delightful and insightful listen. I loved the 'Home, home, safe, safe' sign. Peter Berkrot's narration is also wonderful and a joy to listen to. Five stars all around.