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The DFZ, the metropolis formerly known as Detroit, is the world’s most magical city with a population of nine million and zero public safety laws. That’s a lot of mages, cybernetically enhanced chrome heads, and mythical beasties who die, get into debt, and otherwise fail to pay their rent. When they can’t pay their bills, their stuff gets sold to the highest bidder. That’s when they call me. I’m a Cleaner: a freelance mage employed by the DFZ to sort through the mountains of magical junk people leave behind. It’s not a pretty job, or a safe one....
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It is the turn of the 18th century in Frankfurt, Germany, and young Gutle and Meir Amschel Rothschild struggle to establish themselves in the cramped, restricted Judengasse. But when Meir’s talents as a novice banker catch the attention of a German prince, Meir is afforded entrée into the European world of finance and nobility, and the Rothschilds’ lives are changed forever. As proud as Gutle is of her husband’s success, she is also cautious - very much aware of the fact that her husband’s rise is tied to his patrons’ willingness to “see past” his Jewishness.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Finest Mrs. Rothschild
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 840
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Does your job make a meaningful contribution to the world? In the spring of 2013, David Graeber asked this question in a playful, provocative essay titled “On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs”. It went viral. After a million online views in 17 different languages, people all over the world are still debating the answer.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great perspective on how the world is really run
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Publisher's Summary
Lin Zhe is one of China’s foremost authors. In this gripping novel, Zhe incorporates the War of Resistance against Japan, New China's arduous journey from Liberation in 1949 through Mao's Cultural Revolution, and up to the present day to form a compelling backdrop for her portrayal of three generations of a Chinese family struggling to survive war, revolutionary politics, the demands of a timeless patriarchal social order, and the conflict between family obligations and individual aspirations.
With the smooth translation by George A. Fowler, listeners are immediately engrossed in this fast-paced story that covers a century of change in every aspect of life in China. Whether the book’s characters are in the far reaches of western China or small-town California, we share their loves and their hopes, their terrors and despair, and, finally, their survival and evolution. The author, who has published 14 novels, reminds us just how unbreakable the human spirit is.
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- David
- San Diego, CA, United States
- 09-01-15
Interesting if Confusing
Is there anything you would change about this book?
I don't know if I would have included the translators notes.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
I would, as it might be easier to keep track of the characters.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anna
- 11-11-13
Major family saga
Would you listen to Old Town again? Why?
Yes, it was excellently read and listening again would probably reveal cultural details missed at first listening.
Would you recommend Old Town to your friends? Why or why not?
Yes but they would need to be interested in the delightful small details of life within the broad politcal scope of the story.
Did Emily Woo Zeller do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?
Yes.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Both. This family saga pulls at the emotions by sharing the joys and sadness of all the lives involved. However the story had a detachment which at times has a documentary style.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful