Red Azalea
Ratings5
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings5
Average rating3.8
Born 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 in Madame Mao's burgeoning industry of propaganda movies, Red Azalea explores the secret sensuality of a repressive society with elegance and honesty.
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This started out as a heartbreaking look into a woman's life under Chairman Mao Tse-tung. Parts 1 and 2 were poignant, touching, and often very sad. Part 3 didn't quite have the same effect. In fact, I skimmed quite a bit in Part 3. I had a problem with the writing as well. Some of her passages were romantic and tearjerking, especially those dealing with her love for Yan. However, she doesn't use quotation marks, which made reading dialogue often confusing and awkward. I cried a couple times reading this book, and I think it will sit on my heart for a while. It could have been better written, though.
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