Katherine

Rating:
Summary: New Perspective
Review: I, as a person living in the unique city of Hong Kong, have only seen China and its interaction with the western world from afar. Anchee Min's Katherine offers us a close-up of such things as individuals fighting against collective interests and foreigners trying to open up this giant piece of land and culture that we have long been hearing and reading about, yet not thinking and feeling about, even as Chinese myself. The courage that both Zebra and Katherine exhibit in suspecting, confronting and accepting each other's culture enables a true union of the Chinese way and the American way, thus the East and the West. I don't see Zebra's final leaving of China as a victory of the West over the East, because her departure is motivated by her desire to seek her true self, which is lost in the Communist China. Communist China, or Mao China, is not the true China after all.

Rating:
Summary: An enlightening glimpse of life in post-communist China
Review: It is always so amazing to read a book which is written by someone of another culture. This was definitely the case with Anchee Min's "Katherine". Min, very easily, puts the reader in the shoes of a troubled chinese woman, Zebra, who is in conflict as she begins to question her lifelong opinions about China and herself. Zebra is led to this introspection because of her exposure to an American woman, Katherine. Katherine has come to China to teach English and get to know the culture. The reader is taken along on Katherine's journey from naive optimism about China and the Chinese people, to confusion, and eventually quiet resignation. This book was incredible and horrid at the same time. If you like to be touched by what you read, I definitely recommend "Katherine". -JoAnn Hawkins

Rating:
Summary: interesting and heart touching book
Review: Kathereine is one of the most lovely books I have read lately. written beautifully. The description of the life of young chineese people is deep without getting into politcs stuff. The sensitivity of the hidden love story is beautifull. I was sorry to finish the book.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Fiction I have ever Read (and a story).
Review: Katherine by Anchee Min is a wonderful book. I was browsing through my local library, (where I used to work until not to long ago) and I stumbled upon it. I had read Red Azalea previously and when I saw Katherine (and Becoming Madame Mao) my heart started to race. (I had not come in to looking for other books by Anchee Min.) I also picked up Becoming Madame Mao and on my way out in the new books display guess what I found? Wild Ginger.

God bless Anchee Min. She brings to America what we had long expected, the true horrors of Red China. Her characters evoke their emotions to an amazing extent (I am talking about Jasmine and Lion Head specifically in Katherine). She is truly an excellent writer.

Well, now I have all of the books she has ever written (I own Red Azalea). I can't wait for what she will come up with next.

...Thanks very much and I hope you enjoyed these wonderful books as much as I! Look for a biography review coming next from me

Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking emotions, a brilliant piece of work
Review: Never have I been so captured by a book as Katherine. The love, passion, desperation, it is not just words on a page. Anchee Min makes you part of the emotions of the characters.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Judge a Book by its Cover
Review: Our English professor at Hofstra University asigned the class to read the novel Katherine by Anchee Min. The title was to simple and it did not appeal to us, but after several reading assignments, we fell in love with the characters.The novel takes place in Shanghai,China. Min's novel deals with the concepts of pain, betrayal and new beginings. It depicts the lives of chinese men and women during the post-cultural revolution.Through vivid and descriptive images a reader can easily become lost in the street of China. We come to understand the hardships of women in China through the eyes of Zebra Wong. Gender oppression, arrranged marriages,abortion and adoption are examples of the hardships which are protayed throughout the novel. Katherine, an American english teacher, goes to China to record her findings on chinese women and to teach an English class. She has a great impact on her students especially Zebra. Katherine imposes her veiw on how the chinese government has brainwashed their people to believe that their opions do not matter.Katherine develops personal relationships with her students that some might veiw as inappropriate. Katherine has a significant impact on Zebra, her way of thinking has made a complete 360 degree turn.During this time, oppossal of government lead to being sent to labor camps and even death. Zebra is constantly out in the situation of chosing the government or Katherine friendship. This book hit home with a lot of current matters that we see on a day to day base. It help people realize that human being are the same all accross the globe. We highly recommend this book for histrorical fact and for pure enjoyment. At first look this book may not seem interesting but we guarantee you pick up the book and you will not let it downuntil you are done.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, troubling view of Americans and Chinese
Review: Reading "Katherine" is a painful experience, in many ways. The American reader (especially one who is teaching English in another country) might be disturbed by the recognition of himself/herself in the title character, a "freewheeling," independent, optimistic, "typical" (?) American woman who seems painfully incapable of the subtlety necessary for life in post-Cultural Revolutionary China. Katherine dresses strangely, seeming to flaunt her physical characteristics, speaks her mind without thinking about the political and cultural situation in which she finds herself, and even has an affair with one of her students--all the while claiming that she was probably Chinese in another life.

The Chinese reader might be disturbed by what could be interpreted as Zebra's (the main Chinese character's) hatred of her own people. Indeed, Zebra's statements about her fellow Chinese often reminded me of Bo Yang's _The Ugly Chinaman_ in their overwhelming negativity. China after the Cultural Revolution is portrayed as a place where no one trusts anyone else, and where selfishness has replaced politeness and concern for the welfare of others. Zebra, however, might be forgiven for overemphasizing China's problems to Katherine, who seems to wander through China with the illusion that, as an American, she is "above" any of the customs or protocols that have evolved as a result of both the 5000 years of Chinese history and everything that has happened after 1949.

Without giving away the ending, I might say that the book reminded me of _Life and Death in Shanghai_ by Nien Chung, whose author, in some ways, seems a combination of the characteristics of Katherine and Zebra, and who also shares the fates of those characters. _Katherine_ is an absorbing book (I read it in one night, something I rarely do), but also a sad experience.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment after Red Azalea
Review: Red Azalea is one of my favourite novels, and so I read Katherine with great anticipation. I was very disappointed--the story was weak, and the writing not as sharp as what I expected after the freshness of Red Azalea. I think it is common for writers to have difficulty with their "sophomore" book though, especially after such a smashing debut, as Min had with Red Azalea. Happily Becoming Madame Mao was very good, and I am looking forward to reading Wild Ginger.

Rating:
Summary: K Nimmo's evaluation
Review: The book Katherine was a very interesting read, it was very reminiscent of Helen Keller. The story of a very fascinating women living in post-mao China was very interesting. The main character Zebra was the symbol of everything that made up China at that time. Women were not allowed to speak their minds or act out their true feelings. But when Katherine enters her world Zebra's life changes. Katherines westernized views began to change Zebra, for the worst or better whatever way you see it.Zebra begins to realize things about herself with Katherine as well as with a character named Lion Head, a man Zebra feel in love with in the book and then in turn had her heart broken by him. The experience you get from reading Katherine is very good, but I see it as more of a story about a woman realizing her place in life, more then I see it as a story about post-mao China.

Rating:
Summary: K Nimmo's evaluation
Review: The book Katherine was a very interesting read, it was very reminiscent of Helen Keller. The story of a very fascinating women living in post-mao China was very interesting. The main character Zebra was the symbol of everything that made up China at that time. Women were not allowed to speak their minds or act out their true feelings. But when Katherine enters her world Zebra's life changes. Katherines westernized views began to change Zebra, for the worst or better whatever way you see it.Zebra begins to realize things about herself with Katherine as well as with a character named Lion Head, a man Zebra feel in love with in the book and then in turn had her heart broken by him. The experience you get from reading Katherine is very good, but I see it as more of a story about a woman realizing her place in life, more then I see it as a story about post-mao China.