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Rating: 
Summary: Be sure to watch the film, as well.
Review: Compared to the film, the book lacks punch. While it is certainly emotional and tragic, there are many moments where the sad events are related as matter-of-fact rather than as painful memories. That, and by the end of the book I was wondering, "Okay, which character is going to die next?" It's tragedy on top of tragedy by story's end. But there are some genuinely touching moments throughout the book, some very human moments. Also, the translation is stellar! I tried reading "Woman in the Dunes" and the translation was mediocre. But here, it often reads as if it was originally written in English. So, for that, I was pleased. However, this is a rare case in which I prefer the film to the book. The film had haunting music and superb acting; and the hisorical, epic feel that it has is rarely present in the book. Not to mention, the photography is exceptional. All in all, this was a fast and moving novel worth every cent I spent. Just be sure to watch the film, as well. Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: Be sure to watch the film, as well.
Review: Compared to the film, the book lacks punch. While it is certainly emotional and tragic, there are many moments where the sad events are related as matter-of-fact rather than as painful memories. That, and by the end of the book I was wondering, "Okay, which character is going to die next?" It's tragedy on top of tragedy by story's end. But there are some genuinely touching moments throughout the book, some very human moments. Also, the translation is stellar! I tried reading "Woman in the Dunes" and the translation was mediocre. But here, it often reads as if it was originally written in English. So, for that, I was pleased. However, this is a rare case in which I prefer the film to the book. The film had haunting music and superb acting; and the hisorical, epic feel that it has is rarely present in the book. Not to mention, the photography is exceptional. All in all, this was a fast and moving novel worth every cent I spent. Just be sure to watch the film, as well. Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful and Cathartic Book
Review: Having decided to make a conscious effort to read modern Chinese literature, this is the first novel I picked up because I had liked the movie. I was not disappointed. Yu Hua tells the story of a Chinese peasant, Fugui, and his struggles beginning during the Chinese Civil War and ending sometime after the Cultural Revolution. The horror and tragedy that Fugui and his family endures is horrific, and through it all, Fugui knows he has one goal...To Live. I am not sure if it is Yu Hua's writing style or the translation, but the text can be choppy, which is both a positive and a negative. On one hand, it allows passages, thoughts, and emotions to sneak up on you, completely surprising you. One sentence you feel everything is okay, and the next Yu knocks the breath out of you with a blithe mention of tragedy. On the other hand, it seems at times the Chinese should not have been translated so literally, and it can be a hindrance on the rhythm of the novel. For example, where Chinese says "kids", we would say "children", and vice versa. This happens throughout the novel enough to make it clear that this is not written in the language it is intended to be...hence the fifth star is missing. Before I scare you away from this book with all the talk of tragedy, this story in the end is a hopeful and optimistic one. Fugui's indomitable spirit carries through this theme. I also found it interesting from a political and hisotorical point of view, as the reader gets to witness, albeit peripherally, a peasants reactions to the chaos surrounding him. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful Story
Review: I have not read this book but I have seen the movie. I would highly recommend seeing it. It's one of my all time favorite movies. I'm very excited to read his new book because the story of "To Live" is so remarkable.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the movie
Review: If you only saw the movie you missed half of it. The book is heads and tails better and more powerful. Yu Hua writes a book filled with tragedy but never without hope. My Chinese friends say if you want to know how the Cultural Revolution affected the common people read this. It is an easy fast read that even teens will like. Yu Hua writes it in the first person so that one can feel the emotions of Fugui all the more. If you have yet to start reading modern Chinese literature this is a good starting point and may lead to others as it has done for me. "To Live" has a power of the importaance of life in life itself and deserves wide readership.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Story
Review: In Yu Hua's (the only Chinese to win the James Joyce Foundation Award) "To Live" his postscript says that "he had once heard an American folk song entitled 'Old Black Joe.' The song was about an elderly black slave who had expericienced a life's worth of hardships--yet he still looked upon the world with eyes of kindness...." Since there are so many boring and repetitive books about China and its history, I did not expect to learn anything new while reading this slim volume. Nor did I expect to read "To Live" in one sitting. And I certainly did not expect to cry or identify with Fugui, the main character. Yet I did. "To Live" is not just about the Chinese people and its history (four decades of modern Chinese history) but about each and Everyman. Yu Hua is a writer with a masterful voice and a generous spirit. Thank you Yu Hua!
Rating:
Summary: incredible
Review: Read through it in about 2 days. The simple story-telling technique of the author is refreshing and the novel moves along at a fast pace. The details are not sparred, as we get an excellent idea of what Fugui went through in his full and amazing life. I'm going to read "Chronicles of a Blood Merchant" next. Don't miss this one. Really hits home in this material world we all live in.
Rating:
Summary: incredible
Review: Read through it in about 2 days. The simple story-telling technique of the author is refreshing and the novel moves along at a fast pace. The details are not sparred, as we get an excellent idea of what Fugui went through in his full and amazing life. I'm going to read "Chronicles of a Blood Merchant" next. Don't miss this one. Really hits home in this material world we all live in.
Rating:
Summary: A book that deserves a worldwide readership
Review: This marvelous and touching novel is a timeless family epic that, while written originally for a Chinese-reading audience, is slowly reaching out around the world to readers in English, French and German. It's a book about life, love, family, dreams, the very stuff of what propels all of us, and Yu Hua's magic touch with words is something to behold. You won't forget this kind of book for a long, long time, once you've finished and the publisher deserves some nice kudos for bringing it out in English, finally.
You will see yourself in Fugui and his family, since they are
familiar to all of us in their own way, and it just goes to show how it really is a Global Village after all. All in all, a book for the ages, and especially, for now!
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