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Dreaming in Chinese
- Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language
- Narrated by: Catherine Byers
- Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
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Publisher's summary
Deborah Fallows has spent a lot of her life learning languages and traveling around the world. But nothing prepared her for the surprises of learning Mandarin - China's most common language - or the intensity of living in Shanghai and Beijing. Over time, she realized that her struggles and triumphs in studying learning the language of her adopted home provided small clues to deciphering behavior and habits of its people, and its culture's conundrums. As her skill with Mandarin increased, bits of the language - a word, a phrase, an oddity of grammar - became windows into understanding romance, humor, protocol, relationships, and the overflowing humanity of modern China.
Fallows learned, for example, that the abrupt, blunt way of speaking which Chinese people sometimes use isn't rudeness, but is, in fact a way to acknowledge and honor the closeness between two friends. She learned that English speakers' trouble with hearing or saying tones - the variations in inflection that can change a word's meaning - is matched by Chinese speakers' inability not to hear tones, or to even take a guess at understanding what might have been meant when foreigners misuse them.
Dreaming in Chinese is the story of what Deborah Fallows discovered about the Chinese language, and how that helped her make sense of what had at first seemed like the chaos and contradiction of everyday life in China.
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A deeply personal and shocking look at how China is coming to terms with its conflicted past as it emerges into a modern, cutting-edge superpower.
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An intimate view of real life in China
- By Lonnie G. Hardy, Jr. on 08-15-19
By: Karoline Kan
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Almost French
- By: Sarah Turnbull
- Narrated by: Caroline Lee
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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After backpacking her way around Europe journalist Sarah Turnbull is ready to embark on one last adventure before heading home to Sydney. A chance meeting with a charming Frenchman in Bucharest changes her travel plans forever. Acting on impulse, she agrees to visit Fredric in Paris for a week. Put a very French Frenchman together with a strong-willed Australian girl and the result is some spectacular - and often hilarious - cultural clashes.
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Almost Terrific
- By Elizabeth on 02-05-13
By: Sarah Turnbull
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Factory Girls
- From Village to City in a Changing China
- By: Leslie T. Chang
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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A book of global significance that provides new insight into China, Factory Girls demonstrates how the mass movement from rural villages to cities is remaking individual lives and transforming Chinese society, much as immigration to America's shores remade our own country a century ago.
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Living in Shenzhen - and What A Disappointment
- By Abstraction on 03-01-10
By: Leslie T. Chang
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A Backpack, a Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka: A Memoir
- By: Lev Golinkin
- Narrated by: Daniel Gamburg
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Lev Golinkin's memoir is the vivid, darkly comic, and poignant story of a young boy in the confusing and often chilling final decade of the Soviet Union. It's also the story of Lev Golinkin, the American man who finally confronts his buried past by returning to Austria and Eastern Europe to track down the strangers who made his escape possible…. and thank them.
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Touching, moving Memoir
- By Daryl on 04-13-15
By: Lev Golinkin
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Oracle Bones
- A Journey Through Time in China
- By: Peter Hessler
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 18 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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A century ago, outsiders saw China as a place where nothing ever changes. Today, the country has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. In Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler explores the human side of China's transformation, viewing modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world through the lives of a handful of ordinary people.
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Great Book, except for the narration.
- By DMH on 11-09-10
By: Peter Hessler
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Lost on Planet China
- By: J. Maarten Troost
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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When the travel bug bit, J. Maarten Troost took on the world's most populous and intriguing nation. As Troost relates his gonzo adventure - dodging deadly drivers in Shanghai, eating yak in Tibet, deciphering restaurant menus (offering local favorites such as cattle penis with garlic), and visiting with Chairman Mao (still dead) - he reveals a vast, complex country on the brink of transformation that will soon shape the way we all work, live, and think.
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I love Troost but...
- By Abigail on 02-25-09
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China in Ten Words
- By: Yu Hua, Allan H. Barr - translator
- Narrated by: Don Hagen
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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From one of China’s most acclaimed writers, his first work of nonfiction to appear in English: a unique, intimate look at the Chinese experience over the last several decades, told through personal stories and astute analysis that sharply illuminate the country’s meteoric economic and social transformation. Characterized by Yu Hua’s trademark wit, insight, and courage, China in Ten Words is a refreshingly candid vision of the “Chinese miracle” and all its consequences, from the singularly invaluable perspective of a writer living in China today.
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Best Popular Book on China
- By taylor storey on 09-21-14
By: Yu Hua, and others
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Midnight in Siberia
- A Train Journey into the Heart of Russia
- By: David Greene
- Narrated by: David Greene
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Through the stories of fellow travelers, Greene explores the challenges and opportunities facing the new Russia: a nation that boasts open elections and newfound prosperity yet still continues to endure oppression, corruption, and stark inequality. Set against the wintery landscape of Siberia, Greene’s lively travel narrative offers a glimpse into the soul of 20th century Russia: how its people remember their history and look forward to the future.
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Long String of NPR Short Reports
- By Sara on 04-13-15
By: David Greene
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See You Again in Pyongyang
- By: Travis Jeppesen
- Narrated by: Will Collyer
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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From terrifying missile tests, its unmissable Olympic cheering squad, and the war of words between President Trump and Kim Jong Un - not to mention stranger-than-fiction stories of purges and assassinations - news from North Korea has dominated global headlines. But what is life there actually like? In See You Again in Pyongyang, Travis Jeppesen, the first American to complete a university program in North Korea, culls from his experiences living, traveling, and studying in the country to create a multifaceted portrait of the country and its idiosyncratic capital city.
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Save me from the hippie millennials with a PhD
- By Verified purchaser on 06-21-18
By: Travis Jeppesen
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Nothing to Envy
- Ordinary Lives in North Korea
- By: Barbara Demick
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Barbara Demick's Nothing to Envy follows the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen years - a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung and the unchallenged rise to power of his son, Kim Jong-il, and the devastation of a far-ranging famine that killed one-fifth of the population. Taking us into a landscape never before seen, Demick brings to life what it means to be an average Korean citizen, living under the most repressive totalitarian regime today.
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The man who wants to be GOD
- By Gohar on 05-08-10
By: Barbara Demick
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Strength in What Remains
- A Journey of Remembrance and Forgetting
- By: Tracy Kidder
- Narrated by: Tracy Kidder
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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In this new book, Kidder gives us the superb story of a hero for our time. Strength in What Remains is a wonderfully written, inspiring account of one man’s remarkable American journey and of the ordinary people who helped him–a brilliant testament to the power of will and of second chances.
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My Favorite of Kidder's Books
- By Roy on 08-31-09
By: Tracy Kidder
What listeners say about Dreaming in Chinese
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lisa Beeman
- 09-16-18
Interesting.
athis is a worthwhile listen if you are interested in China, the Chinese language, or visiting China.
only gripe: within 5 minutes of lstening are 2 pronounciation errors: the narrator pronounces 'grovel' like "grove-el". Ach...my ears. I'm surprised, actually disappointed, that these got by the publisher before release.
Despite this, I'll not decrease my rating, as the content is 4-Star worthy.
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- Jay Ellis
- 04-16-16
A good book deserves a good narrator
A great storyline, enlightening. The narrator sucked. She has never spoken Chinese before. Terrible pronunciations.
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- Catherine
- 04-24-13
Interesting examination of Chinese culture
I enjoyed the perspective on Chinese culture from someone who lived there and studied the language. It is probably more interesting for someone who has studied the language, even briefly as I did, than for someone who hasn't studied foreign languages, and particularly Mandarin.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Aaron
- 09-09-13
brought back memories of my time in China
Would you try another book from Deborah Fallows and/or Catherine Byers?
Maybe. I enjoyed the book. I lived in China approximately the same time that Ms Fallows was there, and also studied Chinese. It was entertaining, and brought back memories of my time there.
As others have noted, the fact that the narrator doesn't speak Chinese was surprisingly annoying. Perhaps it's difficult to find bilingual person to narrate a book, but if there were ever a book that called for it, it's this one.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
The story was good, again entertaining. It did leave me wanting more, perhaps bringing more of her scholarly background into the story, or more personal reflections. And, perhaps I'm an atypical reader, having spent about the same time as she did in China, and obtaining some level of proficiency in Chinese, and of course being curious about living in a foreign place. I often thought that it was a book that I could have written (and maybe I could have!)
Would you be willing to try another one of Catherine Byers’s performances?
Yes, but not if she needs foreign language knowledge. I think she was a good pick in the sense she sounds like I envision Ms Fallows.
Do you think Dreaming in Chinese needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
Perhaps if Ms Fallows travels to another country, another book would be appropriate.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Victoria Smith
- 02-08-13
Fascinating book
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I would absolutely recommend the book to anyone who has any interest in China or the Chinese language. It is a deeply insightful book, examining a complex and easily misunderstood culture.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
It was extremely helpful to know that others have struggled as much as I have with Mandarin. And after reading so many China-bashing travelogues, it was lovely to read something from someone who seems to have a genuine affection for the people, the culture and the language. The chapter about the earthquake was genuinely moving, allowing Ms. Fallows' neighbors to emerge as truly, independently human.
Any additional comments?
I have only one real complaint. The narrator is perfectly competent -- the enunciates very clearly, and emotes very subtly, which works well for non-fiction. However, given the nature of the book, it is jarring that the narrator makes no effort to pronounce the Chinese phrases correctly. Or perhaps she has made a little effort,but doesn't recognize that even pronunciation in this language requires *great* effort. I'm not being nitpicky or snobbish -- it's not that her Chinese is heavily accented, but that it would be almost incomprehensible to a native speaker. I recognize that it would be difficult to find a reader who has studied any Mandarin. However, she reads the Chinese words as if they were English, which tends to nullify the point of getting this on audiobook rather than in print.
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7 people found this helpful
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- lay
- 07-15-17
Grating to listen to - better to read the book
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
No, it was not. This should be read by someone that can sound out pinyin well. The narrator did not make any effort to pronounce the Chinese phrases.
This book is better in print if you cannot find someone to read it that understands how to sound out pinyin.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Catherine Byers?
Someone who at least can read the Mandarin phrases with more accurate enunciation. Catherine Byers reading was extremely grating to listen to when you understand Mandarin.
Was Dreaming in Chinese worth the listening time?
No, because Catherine Byers did not understand how to pronounce the pinyin at all. Her reading of the Mandarin phrases was so poorly done that it makes me want to stop listening, which I did so I never finish the book.
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- rabbitrabbit
- 02-27-15
Wrong choice of narrator
What did you like best about Dreaming in Chinese? What did you like least?
I cannot understand why the narration was performed by someone who has no chinese language experience. Although I enjoyed the story, the nuances of the different tones in the Chinese language were completely trampled by the narrators inability to verbalize the tones.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Jayson
- 06-25-17
A fantastic first glimpse
Elegantly written and we'll narrated - if you are also a language buff this is a great intro to China.
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- Carina Rahn
- 05-16-20
Learn culture but not pronunciation from this
What is there is terrific and I very much appreciate that she doesn't try to come to a full conclusion about China or Chinese people on any of these topics, because it's tempting but really not fitting. it could use an update since China is always changing but what is true then is still true today. The biggest negative however is that it's not narrated by the author or someone who actually knows how to pronounce Chinese, and while it's not the worst I've heard, I wouldn't copy anything the narrator says.
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- Jay H Sorensen
- 12-27-16
Great insights for Chinese learners and expats
As a native English speaker and long-time resident of Shanghai who has spent alot of time trying to get to a point of being able to carry on a simple conversation in Mandarin, this book really hit home, articulting many of my experiences and provided insights l had not encountered before. Only criticism is her Chinese pronunciation was not very accomplished; but then realized it was not the author`s voice.
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1 person found this helpful