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The Rising Dragon #3
Am anderen Ende der Nacht
Eine bewegende Geschichte über die Macht der Liebe, die Angst des Verlustes und die Kraft der Menschlichkeit
Auf einer Chinareise erleben Paul und Christine einen Albtraum: Ihr vierjähriger Sohn wird entführt. Zwar gelangt David durch glückliche Umstände wieder zu ihnen, doch die Entführer geben nicht auf, sie wollen ihn zurück. Der einzig sichere Ort für die Familie ist die amerikanische Botschaft in Peking. Aber Bahnhöfe, Straßen und Flughäfen werden überwacht. Ohne Hilfe haben sie keine Chance, dorthin zu gelangen. Wer ist bereit, ihnen Unterschlupf zu gewähren und dabei sein Leben aufs Spiel zu setzen? Wem können sie trauen?
Am anderen Ende der Nacht erzählt von Menschen, die nicht mehr viel zu verlieren haben und sich gerade deshalb ihre Menschlichkeit bewahren.
Auf einer Chinareise erleben Paul und Christine einen Albtraum: Ihr vierjähriger Sohn wird entführt. Zwar gelangt David durch glückliche Umstände wieder zu ihnen, doch die Entführer geben nicht auf, sie wollen ihn zurück. Der einzig sichere Ort für die Familie ist die amerikanische Botschaft in Peking. Aber Bahnhöfe, Straßen und Flughäfen werden überwacht. Ohne Hilfe haben sie keine Chance, dorthin zu gelangen. Wer ist bereit, ihnen Unterschlupf zu gewähren und dabei sein Leben aufs Spiel zu setzen? Wem können sie trauen?
Am anderen Ende der Nacht erzählt von Menschen, die nicht mehr viel zu verlieren haben und sich gerade deshalb ihre Menschlichkeit bewahren.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
16 people are currently reading
323 people want to read
About the author
Jan-Philipp Sendker
19 books1,018 followersJan-Philipp Sendker, born in Hamburg in 1960, and, longing to travel the world, became the American correspondent for Stern from 1990 to 1995, and its Asian correspondent from 1995 to 1999. In 2000 he published Cracks in the Great Wall, a nonfiction book about China. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats is his first novel, and since then, he has written 3 further novels, including a sequel to "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats", "A Well-Tempered Heart". In 2013, he received The indies Choice Honor Award in the category Adult Fiction for "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. He lives in Potsdam with his family and is currently working on the third installment in his China-trilogy.
http://artofhearingheartbeats.com
http://artofhearingheartbeats.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 19, 2018
Oops, zu spät bemerkt, dass es zu einer Trilogie gehört.
September 1, 2024
Avvincente, profondo, essenziale.
February 14, 2019
Thriller set in CHINA... a rather dystopian view of the country
"It was always about guilt and punishment, not about justice"
Paul is moseying about in a panda park with his small son David, when he is approached by a group of extremely well attired locals who want their photo taken with his lovely-looking young son. Their demands for the photo opportunity feel rather menacing, as David is wrested from his father's arms. After what feels like a thoroughly scary stand-off, Paul grapples him back and they make their escape.
Shortly thereafter Paul pops to the loo, leaving four year old David parked outside in his buggy. Upon his return he finds David has disappeared. The mounting panic as Paul searches for his son is poignantly and grippingly portrayed, heightened by the disinterest shown by the local police officers in his disappearance. By the time mum Christine arrives on the scene to help look for David, he is suddenly returned to his parents by a god-fearing couple who cannot countenance the dastardly plan of kidnap formulated by their boss.
Paul enlists the help of his friend Zhang - former police officer (rather useful experience) and now Buddhist monk. Paul is alarmed to discover that in all likelihood one of the local mobsters (Chen, Xi or Wu - it turns out to be the Chen clan and their motley crew), who holds sway throughout the country and Chen will no doubt will hunt their trophy child down to give the little boy to his son's girlfriend (she expressed a desire to have him at the panda park, apparently).
The little family must escape and they start to zig zag their way across 2000 kms from fictional Shi to Beijing and to the American Embassy, where the influence of the gangsters ceases. They must run for their lives.
First pit stop and safe house is with grandfather Luo and his grandson Da Lin, in the middle of nowhere. A western family in the countryside is bound to provoke suspicion and inevitably they are soon outed. Murder and mayhem ensue as the family members do all the things they are advised not to do, like wandering off on a whim. The family acquires a new travelling companion which of course complicates matters. They also all seem to spend a lot of time hunkering down and going to sleep, which seems extraordinary given the circumstances. In general the characters' responses to trauma often seem a little off-key.
The author paints quite a dystopian view of modern China, with a traumatised populace and huge poverty set against huge wealth. In terms of TripFiction this thriller has a lurid and colourful setting, as the characters traverse mainland China and Hong Kong.
The Far Side of The Night is in many ways a very readable novel. However it also has elements that make it feel rather two dimensional. The prose can feel quite stilted but I am not sure if that reflects the original or whether this is an issue with the quality of translation. The narrative jumps about, dialogue can be quite wooden and there are smatterings of backstories that really don't add any depth to the plot (do we really need to know how bit-part-player Gao Goa satisfies herself sexually?). Events are created clearly to move things along that just feel too contrived, and the occasional non sequitur from one chapter to the next left me feeling a bit disorientated. Overall, not a book for me, but the author renders setting very well - he has been travelling to China for over 20 years.
"It was always about guilt and punishment, not about justice"
Paul is moseying about in a panda park with his small son David, when he is approached by a group of extremely well attired locals who want their photo taken with his lovely-looking young son. Their demands for the photo opportunity feel rather menacing, as David is wrested from his father's arms. After what feels like a thoroughly scary stand-off, Paul grapples him back and they make their escape.
Shortly thereafter Paul pops to the loo, leaving four year old David parked outside in his buggy. Upon his return he finds David has disappeared. The mounting panic as Paul searches for his son is poignantly and grippingly portrayed, heightened by the disinterest shown by the local police officers in his disappearance. By the time mum Christine arrives on the scene to help look for David, he is suddenly returned to his parents by a god-fearing couple who cannot countenance the dastardly plan of kidnap formulated by their boss.
Paul enlists the help of his friend Zhang - former police officer (rather useful experience) and now Buddhist monk. Paul is alarmed to discover that in all likelihood one of the local mobsters (Chen, Xi or Wu - it turns out to be the Chen clan and their motley crew), who holds sway throughout the country and Chen will no doubt will hunt their trophy child down to give the little boy to his son's girlfriend (she expressed a desire to have him at the panda park, apparently).
The little family must escape and they start to zig zag their way across 2000 kms from fictional Shi to Beijing and to the American Embassy, where the influence of the gangsters ceases. They must run for their lives.
First pit stop and safe house is with grandfather Luo and his grandson Da Lin, in the middle of nowhere. A western family in the countryside is bound to provoke suspicion and inevitably they are soon outed. Murder and mayhem ensue as the family members do all the things they are advised not to do, like wandering off on a whim. The family acquires a new travelling companion which of course complicates matters. They also all seem to spend a lot of time hunkering down and going to sleep, which seems extraordinary given the circumstances. In general the characters' responses to trauma often seem a little off-key.
The author paints quite a dystopian view of modern China, with a traumatised populace and huge poverty set against huge wealth. In terms of TripFiction this thriller has a lurid and colourful setting, as the characters traverse mainland China and Hong Kong.
The Far Side of The Night is in many ways a very readable novel. However it also has elements that make it feel rather two dimensional. The prose can feel quite stilted but I am not sure if that reflects the original or whether this is an issue with the quality of translation. The narrative jumps about, dialogue can be quite wooden and there are smatterings of backstories that really don't add any depth to the plot (do we really need to know how bit-part-player Gao Goa satisfies herself sexually?). Events are created clearly to move things along that just feel too contrived, and the occasional non sequitur from one chapter to the next left me feeling a bit disorientated. Overall, not a book for me, but the author renders setting very well - he has been travelling to China for over 20 years.
September 1, 2016
Für Sendkers Verhältnisse ist die Geschichte erstaunlich blutleer. Die Ausgangslage - mächtiger chinesischer Parteifunktionär will mit allen Mitteln süsses Kind klauen - wirkt etwas weit hergeholt, die anschliessende Flucht als einizige Story des Buches etwas dünn. Am besten gefallen haben mir noch der Teil "Das Dorf" und die Kapitel aus der Sicht von Da Lin.
October 4, 2016
Der Autor hat ein wunderschönes, berührendes und tief gehendes Buch geschaffen, das zum Nachdenken anregt. Über uns und die Gesellschaft. Über das ganze miteinander das wohl viel zu oft seine Grenze an zu viel Macht und Geld findet.
March 12, 2020
En väldigt spännande och gripande berättelse som utspelar sig i ett Kina som både är vackert, smutsigt och korrupt på samma gång. Verkligen läsvärd.
October 13, 2017
alla fine della giostra
Paul è un papà sbadato, di quelli di cui sono pieni i thriller, uno di quelli che lascia incustodito il suo bambino e poi passa gran parte del resto della storia a pentirsene, il tocco esotico dell'ambientazione serve solo a rendere più ostico il reperimento del pargolo in questione, oltretutto sarà anche vero che i cinesi di questi tempi non sono molto popolari all'estero, però che è un tantino esagerato...nel complesso si tratta di un romanzo ambientato interamente per la strada, in cui i due genitori cercano in tutti i modi di portare in salvo il figlio e nel mentre fanno in tempo a rovinare la vita a un paio di persone, a incontrare i peggiori mascalzoni possibili e a dare uno sguardo inorridito alla vita nelle campagne cinesi...
inutile e strumentale, oltre che scritto in maniera piuttosto banale, a mio modesto parere...
Paul è un papà sbadato, di quelli di cui sono pieni i thriller, uno di quelli che lascia incustodito il suo bambino e poi passa gran parte del resto della storia a pentirsene, il tocco esotico dell'ambientazione serve solo a rendere più ostico il reperimento del pargolo in questione, oltretutto sarà anche vero che i cinesi di questi tempi non sono molto popolari all'estero, però che è un tantino esagerato...nel complesso si tratta di un romanzo ambientato interamente per la strada, in cui i due genitori cercano in tutti i modi di portare in salvo il figlio e nel mentre fanno in tempo a rovinare la vita a un paio di persone, a incontrare i peggiori mascalzoni possibili e a dare uno sguardo inorridito alla vita nelle campagne cinesi...
inutile e strumentale, oltre che scritto in maniera piuttosto banale, a mio modesto parere...
June 29, 2023
Spännande och gripande
February 25, 2019
Una bella sorpresa.
Un inizio tranquillo, placido, vira rapidamente in tragedia, e in un incubo che non si risolverà, con non poche sofferenze, fino alla fine del libro.
Può essere letto come un giallo, non particolarmente sofisticato, ma la cosa più interessante sono i punti di vista dei vari protagonisti. L'autore riesce molto bene a rendere un senso opprimente di minaccia incombente, di claustrofobia, attraverso il punto di vista dei tre personaggi principali: il protagonista, la moglie e l'amico di lui, monaco buddista, ex poliziotto, più alcuni comprimari.
Si apprezza senza dubbio di più dopo un viaggio in Cina, la descrizione di vari ambienti, situazioni, dialoghi ecc. sarà molto più viva.
Un inizio tranquillo, placido, vira rapidamente in tragedia, e in un incubo che non si risolverà, con non poche sofferenze, fino alla fine del libro.
Può essere letto come un giallo, non particolarmente sofisticato, ma la cosa più interessante sono i punti di vista dei vari protagonisti. L'autore riesce molto bene a rendere un senso opprimente di minaccia incombente, di claustrofobia, attraverso il punto di vista dei tre personaggi principali: il protagonista, la moglie e l'amico di lui, monaco buddista, ex poliziotto, più alcuni comprimari.
Si apprezza senza dubbio di più dopo un viaggio in Cina, la descrizione di vari ambienti, situazioni, dialoghi ecc. sarà molto più viva.
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May 2, 2020Eine spannende Geschichte, die ibs. Hongkong- und China-Kenner in den Bann zieht. Ich kenne keinen - männlichen - Autor, der Gefühle und Gedanken dermaßen exakt und nachvollziehbar beschreiben kann, wie Sendker, und zwar ohne in Gefühlsduselei zu verfallen oder den Leser zu langweilen. Und bei all dem Menschlichen kommt noch eine gehörige Portion Spannung dazu - ein perfektes Buch, wie auch die Vorgänger, um abzuschalten und einzutauchen in eine andere Welt, denn in Asien ticken die Uhren anders.
July 26, 2022
sender's writing is excellent again,but, for me, there is too much pain in this story. If these events could possibly be taking place in China today, I feel so sad for the people living there, a world without trust or caring.
Certainly this was well written, I felt anxiety for for people in the
story and what they were experiencing, on my seat edge often. I' m not sure I will read a sequel to this. But I have enjoyed his first 5 books.
Certainly this was well written, I felt anxiety for for people in the
story and what they were experiencing, on my seat edge often. I' m not sure I will read a sequel to this. But I have enjoyed his first 5 books.
December 21, 2022
This is the first book I have read by Jan-Phillipe Sendker. An emotional roller-coaster,an people be treated like this! Or is this my ignorance of the wider world. The story is paced right, with emotive descriptions well placed. A book leaving me grateful for what I have and where I live. My favourite quote: “ You don’t know my story,” he said to her with no indication that he was going to tell her anything.
This book was supplied to me by Voracious Readers in return for an honest opinion
This book was supplied to me by Voracious Readers in return for an honest opinion
January 10, 2021
Så skildrande, intressant och otäck emellanåt så jag knappt vill läsa vidare. Men fängslar så jag måste få veta hur det går. Verklighetstroget och välskrivet om kulturkrockar, sorg, relationer och kärlek. Vad händer med oss människor när vi utsätts för situationer som drabbar de närmaste och andra i vår närhet?! Och hur mycket elakhet finns det i världen?!
June 6, 2021
Der letzte Teil der Chine-Trilogie hat mir persönlich am besten gefallen. Paul, der Hauptcharakter, hat eine enorme persönliche Entwicklung durchgemacht. Ein Charakter, der mir zunächst so fremd war, sich dann aber Seite für Seite, Buch für Buch, gewandelt hat. Auch wenn ich mir nach dem 2. Band unsicher war, ob ich weiter lesen soll, so bin ich jetzt sehr froh, es Guten zu haben. 4 🌟
March 26, 2023
Like Sendker's other novel "The language of solitude", this one tells the story of the same couple, living against the Chinese regime. Other than the story itself, the novel isn't vert different from the previously mentioned novel. What I actually like about both if these books is that you learn something new (about the Chinese regime) in addition to just reading a fictional thriller story.
October 5, 2019
Dystopisk roman som tegner et negativt bilde av Kina, og kanskje også av mennesker generelt?
Skulle gjerne gitt 3,5 stjerner, men hovedpersonen er skildret såpass bra (han oppfører seg så irriterende at jeg ofte fikk lyst til å kaste boka i veggen) at den får en 4'er.
Skulle gjerne gitt 3,5 stjerner, men hovedpersonen er skildret såpass bra (han oppfører seg så irriterende at jeg ofte fikk lyst til å kaste boka i veggen) at den får en 4'er.
April 10, 2020
Tyckte att den i stort var bra, lättläst men hade svårt att känna mig engagerad och bli berörd av personerna.
I thought it was fairly good, legible but i had difficult to feel engaged and touched by the persons in the book.
I thought it was fairly good, legible but i had difficult to feel engaged and touched by the persons in the book.
December 2, 2020
Ein bedrückendes Buch. Aber auch ein Funken Hoffnung. Es liest sich gut, dies ist eine Geschichte die dich hineinzieht und nicht mehr loslässt.. Trotzdem, krass und nix für schwache Nerven. (mehr Tod und Blut als ich es mir gewünscht hätte..)
June 23, 2019
Tolles Finale der China-Trilogie !
May 14, 2021
Jättebra flygplanslitteratur
February 3, 2026
Känns inte så trovärdig, men vad vet jag om Kina? Gripande och lättläst är boken i vart fall.
June 8, 2024
Ich liebe seinen Schreibstil einfach. SO berührend. Ich würde soo gerne wissen was mit Zhang geschehen ist und ob sie sich je wiedersehen. Das war mein Lieblingsbuch dieses Jahr bis jetzt!!!
July 3, 2019
Interesting story about corruption in China
Paul and Christine are on a trip to China from their home in Hong Kong. On a day out with their 4-year-old son David, they encounter a high ranking official and his girlfriend. The girlfriend decides that she wants to kidnap David and Party Chairman Chen Jian Guo accustomed to having everything he wants both for himself and his girlfriend tries to take him.
The only safe place for Paul and Christine to go is the British Embassy in Beijing but they are 2000 miles away. Such is the influence of the Party Chairman that he can command everyone to search for the little boy as well as putting surveillance on every major road, railway and airport.
Paul and Christine embark on a perilous journey not knowing who they can trust and how they are going to survive. The book is about their journey aided and abetted by various people who may or may not be trustworthy.
I did not realise that this was the third book in a series about Paul and Christine’s life so it is a compliment to the author that this story is able to be read on its own. The original book was also written in German and I think that due to this the language is sometimes quite simplified and not particularly descriptive.
However, it was an entertaining story and the main topic of interest for me relates to the complete corruption that is obviously still existing in modern day China. The idea that a little boy could be taken away forcibly from his parents just on the whim of the girlfriend of an important Party Official is quite horrendous but is almost taken for granted by everyone connected with this and gave me some food for thought.
Dexter
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
Paul and Christine are on a trip to China from their home in Hong Kong. On a day out with their 4-year-old son David, they encounter a high ranking official and his girlfriend. The girlfriend decides that she wants to kidnap David and Party Chairman Chen Jian Guo accustomed to having everything he wants both for himself and his girlfriend tries to take him.
The only safe place for Paul and Christine to go is the British Embassy in Beijing but they are 2000 miles away. Such is the influence of the Party Chairman that he can command everyone to search for the little boy as well as putting surveillance on every major road, railway and airport.
Paul and Christine embark on a perilous journey not knowing who they can trust and how they are going to survive. The book is about their journey aided and abetted by various people who may or may not be trustworthy.
I did not realise that this was the third book in a series about Paul and Christine’s life so it is a compliment to the author that this story is able to be read on its own. The original book was also written in German and I think that due to this the language is sometimes quite simplified and not particularly descriptive.
However, it was an entertaining story and the main topic of interest for me relates to the complete corruption that is obviously still existing in modern day China. The idea that a little boy could be taken away forcibly from his parents just on the whim of the girlfriend of an important Party Official is quite horrendous but is almost taken for granted by everyone connected with this and gave me some food for thought.
Dexter
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
January 12, 2022
This is an excellent book that I had trouble putting down….I was constantly anticipating the characters next move. I read it in two days. It is the third book in the series but it can be read without the previous two.
July 13, 2018
Jehmineh.
Die ganze Trilogie war mir zu simpel, zu platt. Und Teil 3 setzt dem Ganzen die Krone auf.
Voller Klischees und in weiten Teilen wirklich hahnebüchen. Jaja, im Lande der gelben Gefahr, da werden am helllichten Tag die blondgelockten Kinder geklaut, sind sämtliche Polizisten korrupt und sind alle außer ein paar Gutmenschen entweder durchgeknallt oder ein Bösewicht. (insert irres Lachen)
Ich habs trotzdem ausgelesen, sowie auch die beiden ersten Teile, weil China. Und ein bisschen spannend und irgendwie unterhaltsam. Aber nur ein bisschen und irgendwie. Mehr nicht.
Die ganze Trilogie war mir zu simpel, zu platt. Und Teil 3 setzt dem Ganzen die Krone auf.
Voller Klischees und in weiten Teilen wirklich hahnebüchen. Jaja, im Lande der gelben Gefahr, da werden am helllichten Tag die blondgelockten Kinder geklaut, sind sämtliche Polizisten korrupt und sind alle außer ein paar Gutmenschen entweder durchgeknallt oder ein Bösewicht. (insert irres Lachen)
Ich habs trotzdem ausgelesen, sowie auch die beiden ersten Teile, weil China. Und ein bisschen spannend und irgendwie unterhaltsam. Aber nur ein bisschen und irgendwie. Mehr nicht.
February 25, 2019
I really wanted to enjoy this book but I’ve got to be honest.
After a strong start by page 100 I was completely bored. Total disclaimer, I didn’t finish the book.
The characters are good and the plot line is solid too, but, I feel disappointed that I never really felt I was in China. I could easily have been in any other city in the world visiting a zoo.... major disappointment.
After a strong start by page 100 I was completely bored. Total disclaimer, I didn’t finish the book.
The characters are good and the plot line is solid too, but, I feel disappointed that I never really felt I was in China. I could easily have been in any other city in the world visiting a zoo.... major disappointment.
October 13, 2019
Dit deel is het duisterste van de serie. Af en toe vond ik het zo heftig, dat ik het boek weg moest leggen. Maar het was ook spannend en boeiend. Het is wederom mooi geschreven. Ik ben benieuwd naar nieuw werk van Sendker!
November 5, 2016
third part of the trilogy, novel with a good researched insight .thrilling
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews