River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze

Having lived in China for 16 years, I am an avid fan of Hessler's work, and have hard copies of all three books as well as the audiobooks. However, I prefer Audiobooks, because of my lifestyle. What I don't understand is why Hessler would allow Berkrot to read his books. The books are all 5-Star, but Berkrot is a lousy choice for books filled with Chinese characters and Chinese words. I recognize that I am biased because I live in China and know when Chinese is being butchered, and I recognize that the cringes I have to deal with at every other word are partially my problem. I guess my collection of Audible books with Chinese topics and themes would probably rival any other collector's, so I consider myself a knowledgeable critic on this subject. The pity of it is, while Hessler's hardbacks are on my top shelf, Berkrot is, hands down, the "worst" narrator for Chinese-themed books that I have listened to - nobody butchers like Berkrot. Hessler has spent so much time in China - why would he want someone to read his book that does such a poor job with Chinese names and words? I hope Hessler is reading these, as I'm sure he'll keep writing about China, and I hope he can find someone who can at least get, say 5% of the pronunciations in the realm of acceptable. If Berkrot "must" read your work, tell him its "Bei "J"ing. It has a "J" because it sounds the same as John or Jeff. Would Berkrot say Zhohn and Zheff??

Though this narrative is almost 15 years old (Hessler worked for the Peace Corps in the late 1990's), and that seems a long time ago at the frantic pace of change in present day China, most of the observations seem relevant today, especially those addressing the human dimension. The narrator has a young 20s male voice, a bit on the nasal side, but reading at a lively and varied rhythm. He is great at making distinct voices for different characters. As is often the case with books on China, this reader mispronounces many Chinese names, but it's a minor issue. He has a good sense for dramatic pauses and for getting "in character." It's easy to mistakenly think that you're listening to the author himself.

Loved the book. More than one of my friends that live in China told me that their interest in the country and the language was inspired by this book. I can see why. In the reviews of the Hessler Trilogy the narrator is getting a lot of hassle for his voice and his butchery of the Chinese. It can be painful initially for someone that speaks Chinese to listen to the mispronunciations and I would recommend that books that contain a lot of dialogue in a foreign language be read by someone that has a basic knowledge of that language. However, I did enjoy the accents the narrator provided. He has an amazing faculty for mimicking Chinese prostitutes and old ladies.

Hessler's writing is good, but it was difficult for me to keep with it because I did not care for
Berkrot's voice.

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

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.

I picked this up on a whim, it was on sale. It started out a bit slowly, but really sucked me in. I really enjoyed it, especially the last 1/2. What a fascinating couple of years he spent in China.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the people and the culture from the perspective of an American living several years in China.

If you have never been to China, get ready! Peter will take you there! After reading Oracle Bones I quickly grabbed the other two. The performance was just the best also!

I thought this was a good book--well written, well read--but it was written back in the 90s. So much has changed in China in that time, as well as world politics, that I found it very outdated. Also, there's really very little about the Yangtze itself.

If I were doing over, I'd skip it and look for something more current.

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.