Few foreigners have the opportunity to witness life in fueling and the surrounding remote country side and i believe that peter hessler is almost unique in the level of. First, i read peter hessler s articles in the new yorker then, i encountered the author last month on one of his periodic visits to his alma mater finally, i got around to reading his first book and discovered what id been missing all this time. This book name is river town by peter hessler talk about the two years of peter came to china to teach. He is the author of river town, which won the kiriyama prize. Hessler joined the new yorker as a staff writer in 2000 and served as foreign correspondent for the same publication until 2007. See all books authored by peter hessler, including river town.
In the heart of chinas sichuan province, amid the terraced hills of the yangtze river valley. He is also a contributing writer for national geographic. Two years on the yangtze by peter hessler harpercollins, 2001. Buy this book in china, the year 1997 was marked by two momentous events. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
The town is old and dirty, the road is steep and there is no way to get around except by boat. The american author, peter hessler, shares his experiences as an outsider, trying to find his place amid the tumult of the cultural. Two years on the yangtze 2001 is a kiriyama prizewinning book about his experiences in two years as a peace corps volunteer teaching english in china. Over the next month or so, we kept in contact by email and i interviewed peter for our website. He is the author of river town, which won the kiriyama book prize, oracle bones, which was a finalist for the national book award, country driving, and strange stones. Like salzman, longtime new yorker writer peter hessler captured his time trying to shape young minds at a teachers college in chinas interior. In the fall of 2011, peter hessler arrived in egypt, with his family twin toddlers, and his wife, the writer leslie chang. Poignant, thoughtful, funny, and enormously compelling, river town is an unforgettable portrait of a city that is seeking.
Two years on the yangtze is a travel memoir by american writer and journalist peter hessler. In the heart of chinas sichuan province, amid the terraced hills of the yangtze river valley, lies the remote town of fuling. Hessler won a national magazine award for instant cities, a twoyear study of a new factory town in chinas zhejiang province, which was published in national geographic, in 2007. Synopsis when peter hessler went to china in the late 1990s, he expected to spend a couple of peaceful years teaching english in the town of fuling on the yangtze river. Hessler taught english and american literature at the local college, but it was his students who taught him about the complex processes of understanding that take place when one is immersed in a radically different society. Like many other small cities in this everevolving country, fuling is heading down a. Two years on the yangtze, details his two years teaching english. River town is a uniquely descriptive account of life in the chinese countryside during a time of change and evolution. At the beginning of the story, peter came to fuling, china to teach the student that is in college english. But what he experienced the natural beauty, cultural tension, and complex process of understanding that takes place when. Id taught in china for a year a decade before hessler taught there for two years.
Have you ever read a book about something youve done that was by someone who did the same or close to it but better and that bothers you. He won the 2008 national magazine award for excellence in. He is the author of six books, including a trilogy about the decadeplus that he spent in china. As a foreigner happening upon a historically remarkable year of 1997 deng xiaopings death and repatriation of. A new york times notable bookwinner of the kiriyama book prizein the heart of chinas sichuan province, amid the terraced hills of the yangtze river valley. Hessler read excerpts from his book and answered questions from members of the audience. River town hessler has written perhaps the best travel book on china that shares his story of teaching but also the story of many volunteer teachers worldwide. When peter hessler went to china in the late 1990s, he expected to spend a couple of peaceful years teaching english in the town of fuling on the yangtze river. Peter hessler books list of books by author peter hessler. As a foreigner happening upon a historically remarkable year of 1997 deng xiaopings death. Peter hessler is a staff writer at the new yorker, where he served as the beijing correspondent from 2000 to 2007, and is also a contributing writer for national geographic. Peter hessler is a staff writer at the new yorker, where he served as beijing correspondent from 20002007 and cairo correspondent from 20112016.
Hessler, who spent two years as a peace corps volunteer in a city called fuling, a yangtze river town in. Oracle bones, which was a finalist for the national book award. From peter hessler, the new york times bestselling author of oracle bones and river town, comes country driving, the third and final book in his awardwinning china trilogy. Two years on the yangtze is a 2001 book by peter hessler.
The two had met in china, where hessler first landed as a peace corps volunteer in 1996. It documents his peace corps teaching assignment at fuling teachers college in. With each book, hessler focused on a different theme. Buy peter hessler ebooks to read online or download in pdf or epub on your pc, tablet or mobile device. Recently i read river town and i recommend for any one planning to do business in china. Two years on the yangtze, set during the years 199698, has captured the imagination of hundreds of thousands of readers in both countries. Hessler has a marvelous sense of the intonations and gestures that give life to the moment.
River town, which is set entirely in fuling, examines geography and sense of place. But what he experienced the natural beauty, cultural tension, and complex process of understanding that takes place when one is thrust into a radically different society surpassed anything he could have imagined. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading river town. River town peter hessler paperback harpercollins publishers. River town, oracle bones,which was a national book award. Wed love you to buy this book, and hope you find this page convenient in locating a place of purchase. From the acclaimed author of river town and oracle bones, an intimate excavation of life in one of the worlds oldest civilizations at a time of convulsive change. Lets rewind back in time to 1996, peter hessler s river town is a graphic account of his experiences as a waiguoren foreigner in an ancient country. Two years on the yangtze by peter hessler goodreads. His book on his peace corps experience is entitled river town. Like many other small cities in this everevolving country, fuling is heading down a new path of change and growth, which came into. Thats a little how i felt about peter hessler s river town. He is best known for his first three books on china. Winner of the kiriyama book prize in the heart of chinas sichuan province, amid the terraced hills of the yangtze river valley, lies the remote town of fuling.
In the heart of chinas sichuan province lies the small city of fuling. It was published by harper in 2001 and won the kiriyama prize for nonfiction in the same. Li and i were told that this was part of a yearend special, and many of the questions were around that theme. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. River town, new yorker writer peter hessler s memoir of teaching in the remote yangtze town of fuling in the mid1990s, is coming to the big screen with chinese director lu chuan at the helm. A journey between chinas past and present, and more on. Its the first book in hessler s china trilogy and describes his journey through fuling, china and the changes this river town is going through. River town tells the story sometimes funny, sometimes sad, often inspiring of this contact between american teachers and chinese students and residents in a small city.
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