The Woman Warrior : Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts

Rating:
Summary: Missing Quite a Bit
Review: It has been interesting reading these other reviews about The Woman Warrior. People have no problems in stating the obvious about how beautifully written it is and how it a new and fluid style of prose. However, not a single person has taken the time to talk about the signifigace of the ideographs, or the doubleness that the narrator exists in. She is either writing about being Chinese, or being American, thus eluding to the dichotomous structure of the novel. She is talking or she is silent. One of the most amazing aspects about this book is Kingston's ability to show how silence is a form of communication and how it shaped and molded her being. He rmother tells her to be silent, yet she goes against her cultural standards by talking about her aunt, which is an act of will on Kingston's part by offering us her ancestry. The ideograms that she tells us about are the connection between image and meaning, and the ideogram is a silent token of meaning. The notion of silence can be simplified into a sign of oppression where someone isn't allowed to speak. But silence can also be seen as a sign of respect, such as prayer or rememberance. Kingston mobilizes silence through themetizing subordination, will and semiotic silence. The silent birth from her no-named aunt furthers this idea, in the respect that both Kingston is speaking about her aunt when she is not supposed to, and her aunt is having a child that is banished by society.

Rating:
Summary: in one word POWERFUL
Review: Maxine Hong Kingston gets to the truth of matter. Her writing is powerful and honest. When I read _Woman Warrior_ six years ago as an adolescent, it changed my life. When I read in less than a year ago after having hear Kingston speak, I understood why. Back then, I had thought her book was about being a woman, being an asian, and being an american but what I found out now was that this book is about having the courage to be a human being. Excellent use of interweaving myth and reality. Non-fiction at its best.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book about growing up hyphenated
Review: When I first read Maxine Hong Kingston's WOMAN WARRIOR, I inhaled the pages. I couldn't believe I had actually found someone who took my soul and explained it. WOMAN WARRIOR is a multi-layered and rich story about growing up hyphenated, growing up between worlds. Although some readers may complain about Kingston's innovative use of time (the story doesn't follow chronological order) and style, Kingston's book itself is an experiment in storytelling. As a Chinese-American daughter of two Chinese immigrants, Kingston is exploring what is true and what is myth in a new society where her parents' way of living may be obsolete but where she is also an outsider. Caught between different worlds, Kingston's retelling of ancient Chinese myths and the interspersing of her own story creates a strong, anti-nostalgic piece about her life.

Rating:
Summary: The book is a must-read, innovational autobiography.
Review: With all of the literature that has been written, you would be hard-pressed to find many innovations in the past few decades. This book is the exception: a clear innovation of the basic, chronological autobiography and a clever mix of fact and fiction. I recommend that this book be included on the syllabus of any course on autobiography, modern american literature, women's literature, or multi-cultural literature. It is a must-read!

Rating:
Summary: Perfect for Senior Year High School English
Review: I must admit that when I was first handed this book, all I could think was that I wasn't going to like this--there was no way I was going to be able to relate to what Kingston talks about! But as I read, Kingston enveloped me into her world, into her life, and into her stories. I was the little girl who didn't talk in kindergarten. I was the aunt who was forgotten. I was the Woman Warrior on the White Tiger mountain, conversing with the old people, saving my village, and getting my direction from nature. Kingston's ability to tell a great story is something that we don't see often in today's world of self help books and surface novels. Kingston's characters aren't flat--they are the roundest I've ever seen. I read this as a high school senior last year, and most of my friends loved the book. We were on the brink of leaving our childhood and our familiar surroundings, and it was time for us to make sense of the stories that had been passed down to us through our parents. I highly reccommend that any 12th grade English teacher (especially honors courses) put this on their reading list for the year. ----->Allegra J. Lingo

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Autobiography in a 3rd Person Way
Review: In this, her autobiography, Kingston uses detailed imagery and rich language to tell her life story without directly telling it at all. Through a series of five distinct "talk-stories," Kingston reveals seemingly fragmented aspects of her life and of the lives of other women. However, an endless number of connections link all five stories and form one coherent text. In the end, Kingston allows the reader to infer her life through the autobiography. On this literary and symbolic level, Kingston's autobiography is a wonderfully impressive display of skill and should be considered by book fans of all backgrounds.

Rating:
Summary: A Poetic Chinese Culture Survey
Review: Having heard the author read at the University of Virginia, I find the "talk-story" rich in music and poetry. In the end, however, I am left with a couple questions. First, why these particular stories? Second, could we have some more author commentary in parentheses? If the book was written to raise questions, great. If not, maybe we need another book to offer explanations. - Mr. Lem, BDHS English 12 Teacher

Rating:
Summary: Cofusing yet shows the importance of an ethnic background
Review: After reading this book, I found that it was quite confusing because it was not chronological and skipped around a lot. This book also got its point across about immigrants and the need for a person to have an ethnic background. As a 9th grade student, I found this book to be challenging since there were so many metaphors and images that were hard to grasp

Rating:
Summary: Rich, diverse simplicity and incredible
Review: Woman Warrior reveals many facets to growing up Chinese American. The author uses imagery and folklore to create spaces outside of her confined role in society. The mother in this story is a paradox, always pushing silence on Maxine, while talking story with her. It explores a lot of basic emotion and human understanding, and gets richer everytime you read it. I enthusiastically recommend this novel to anyone. It appeals to something in everyone, and is something you must read cover to cover time and time again

Rating:
Summary: This book is a combination of a woman warrior.
Review: I have read this book in high school and I find it very amazing and self motivation for Asian American women's reader. As an Chinese American, I find this book have an interesting point the author is trying to make than telling the four stories of the women warrior or adventurous. Personally, I think the author is implying and changing the stereotype of Asian women in America. Instead of using the daily speaking and writing language, she is writng stories and combining the characters (forgot the names)of this book and to form into one new woman warrior. People who have not read this book should think about picking it up in the book store. When reading the book, try thinking of the message the author is implying than her stories.