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This book describes how a girl gets up the courage to go outside home, which is undoubtedly taken by many young people to rebel.
438 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1955
4 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
巴金
107 books4 followers巴金（1904年11月25日－2005年10月17日），原名李堯棠，字芾甘，中國四川成都人，祖籍浙江嘉興。現代文学家、出版家、翻譯家。同時也被譽為是「五四」新文化運動以來最有影響力的作家之一，是20世紀中國傑出的文學大師、中國當代文壇的巨匠。
除了魯迅，巴金也是當時中國大陸知識分子的重要代表人物。他的著作有《激流三部曲》(《家》、《春》和《秋》）、《寒夜》等，也創作了多個中篇小說、短篇小說、散文集以及譯著 。
除了魯迅，巴金也是當時中國大陸知識分子的重要代表人物。他的著作有《激流三部曲》(《家》、《春》和《秋》）、《寒夜》等，也創作了多個中篇小說、短篇小說、散文集以及譯著 。
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 31, 2019
春 - spring
This is the third book I have read in the "Abridged Chinese Classics" series. The first book "the besieged city", which was a stand-alone story, whereas the remaining three - 家，春，秋 (family, spring, autumn) form a trilogy. They are an abridged form of the "torrents" trilogy described in this article.
https://www.youlinmagazine.com/story/...
The books are about the conflict between the old China of traditional Confucian virtues and the "new" radical China (in particular the younger generation) that is beginning to rebel against these ideals. I have put "new" in quotation marks because the book is set sometime around 1920. While these conflicts are going on within Chinese society as a whole, the author focuses on the specific conflicts between the old traditional generation and the young radicals within a single powerful family.
The young female members of the family suffer because they are forced into marriages that they don't want. Whenever this happens, they either commit suicide or die of sadness. So far, four young female characters have died in this way - three in book one, and one in book two. This book starts with two young females in the family learning that they were to be married to men known as being bad apples. Although their fathers knew of the prospective husband's poor character, because they found out after agreeing to the marriage, they didn't want to back out because it would mean losing face. One of the females goes through with the marriage, is unhappy and then dies.
Most of the book focuses on the growth of the other girl, who learns English against her fathers will, sneaks out of the house to go to student demonstrations, and eventually works up the courage to flee to Shanghai rather than suffer the fate of her cousin (the other girl who died). Her older brother - who normally goes along with everything the older generation asks him to do, regardless of his personal feelings - helps her to escape. Another significant theme in the book is the older brother's growing sense of responsibility for the deaths of the other girls, culminating in him ultimately rebelling against his parent's wishes and helping his sister to escape.
Although the books are reasonably interesting, and the biography of the author suggests that much of what he wrote was based on personal experience, I would enjoy them more if I had a better sense of whether or not they accurately depict life among the privileged classes in China at that time.
This is the third book I have read in the "Abridged Chinese Classics" series. The first book "the besieged city", which was a stand-alone story, whereas the remaining three - 家，春，秋 (family, spring, autumn) form a trilogy. They are an abridged form of the "torrents" trilogy described in this article.
https://www.youlinmagazine.com/story/...
The books are about the conflict between the old China of traditional Confucian virtues and the "new" radical China (in particular the younger generation) that is beginning to rebel against these ideals. I have put "new" in quotation marks because the book is set sometime around 1920. While these conflicts are going on within Chinese society as a whole, the author focuses on the specific conflicts between the old traditional generation and the young radicals within a single powerful family.
The young female members of the family suffer because they are forced into marriages that they don't want. Whenever this happens, they either commit suicide or die of sadness. So far, four young female characters have died in this way - three in book one, and one in book two. This book starts with two young females in the family learning that they were to be married to men known as being bad apples. Although their fathers knew of the prospective husband's poor character, because they found out after agreeing to the marriage, they didn't want to back out because it would mean losing face. One of the females goes through with the marriage, is unhappy and then dies.
Most of the book focuses on the growth of the other girl, who learns English against her fathers will, sneaks out of the house to go to student demonstrations, and eventually works up the courage to flee to Shanghai rather than suffer the fate of her cousin (the other girl who died). Her older brother - who normally goes along with everything the older generation asks him to do, regardless of his personal feelings - helps her to escape. Another significant theme in the book is the older brother's growing sense of responsibility for the deaths of the other girls, culminating in him ultimately rebelling against his parent's wishes and helping his sister to escape.
Although the books are reasonably interesting, and the biography of the author suggests that much of what he wrote was based on personal experience, I would enjoy them more if I had a better sense of whether or not they accurately depict life among the privileged classes in China at that time.
January 28, 2021
I find that this collection is really good to practice extensive reading, and usually just makes me want to read the original even more. I feel at times to not get the whole picture behind characters' motivations and actions, but that is to be expected in an abridged version. I didn't read Family before, but I still felt I could keep up with the story. I thought the story would be happier from the name, but only in the ending does it become "Spring".
May 1, 2020
"Corrents turbulents" és el nom amb què es coneix una de les obres cabdals de la literatura xinesa. Formada per tres volums clarament diferenciats, ens narra la història de la família Gao al llarg de l’inici del segle XX i com els canvis socials i culturals que va viure la societat afecten l’entorn familiar.
En "Primavera", centra la història en els personatges femenins. Els homes van prendre decisions en el primer volum que han acabat afectant les seves vides i obligant-les a prendre partit, sigui per la tradició o pels nous corrents.
Novament, l’autor ens conduirà als sentiments i a les accions dels personatges mitjançant els diàlegs. Les múltiples veus ens acostaran a una postura o una altra enfront del que suposava la vida per les dones: matrimonis de conveniència, maltractaments dins de l’entorn familiar, submissió al pare, al marit i al fill gran, etc.
L’autor posa en la veu de la senyora Zhou, madrastra dels joves de la primera branca familiar, el que millor defineix la vida de totes elles:
"—Les coses moltes vegades no són com voldríem. No es pot anar en contra del fat. Sigui com sigui, ésser dona és una desgràcia. Si la majoria de nosaltres hem tingut aquest destí, per què el de la cosina Hui ha de ser diferent? No recordes el de la cosina Mei? Què hi podem fer? Només vull no ser dona si torno a néixer."
En "Primavera", centra la història en els personatges femenins. Els homes van prendre decisions en el primer volum que han acabat afectant les seves vides i obligant-les a prendre partit, sigui per la tradició o pels nous corrents.
Novament, l’autor ens conduirà als sentiments i a les accions dels personatges mitjançant els diàlegs. Les múltiples veus ens acostaran a una postura o una altra enfront del que suposava la vida per les dones: matrimonis de conveniència, maltractaments dins de l’entorn familiar, submissió al pare, al marit i al fill gran, etc.
L’autor posa en la veu de la senyora Zhou, madrastra dels joves de la primera branca familiar, el que millor defineix la vida de totes elles:
"—Les coses moltes vegades no són com voldríem. No es pot anar en contra del fat. Sigui com sigui, ésser dona és una desgràcia. Si la majoria de nosaltres hem tingut aquest destí, per què el de la cosina Hui ha de ser diferent? No recordes el de la cosina Mei? Què hi podem fer? Només vull no ser dona si torno a néixer."
June 12, 2007
The book strikes me as a kind of Jane Austen novel with a liberal dose of May Fourth indignation tossed in. The main tension of the novel comes from the impending marriages of the young female protagonists. All are arranged marriages, most are bound to be unhappy, and the girls don't seem to have the wherewithal to do anything about it. You get the same feeling you get from watching "Raise the Red Lantern," viz. "Bring on the revolution!"
The characters seem awfully restrained to an American reader, but -Spring- is a very good study of the social mores of a different time and culture. If you are learning Chinese, it's a good way to practice your reading and increase your speed--compared to some other modern fiction (e.g. Lu Xun), this is a breeze to read. The vocabulary is simple and repetitive.
I got interested in Ba Jin when he died a couple of years ago, and the Chinese press was full of effusive praise for him. This book, Spring (Chun), is the middle book of the "Torrents" trilogy. Why start in the middle, you may ask? Well, I happened upon this book at a second-hand book sale in Beijing the same week Ba Jin died. So that's what I bought. I didn't have the time to crack it open until about a month ago, though.
The characters seem awfully restrained to an American reader, but -Spring- is a very good study of the social mores of a different time and culture. If you are learning Chinese, it's a good way to practice your reading and increase your speed--compared to some other modern fiction (e.g. Lu Xun), this is a breeze to read. The vocabulary is simple and repetitive.
I got interested in Ba Jin when he died a couple of years ago, and the Chinese press was full of effusive praise for him. This book, Spring (Chun), is the middle book of the "Torrents" trilogy. Why start in the middle, you may ask? Well, I happened upon this book at a second-hand book sale in Beijing the same week Ba Jin died. So that's what I bought. I didn't have the time to crack it open until about a month ago, though.
June 10, 2013
Like the first book of the "Torrents" trilogy, this book was full of unfortunate events with the repression that comes in a traditional society. In short, there was another arranged marriage and a few other deaths...
Whilst in "Family" more focus was given to the three brothers of the Gao family - I understand that English editions tend to spell it as Kao but I read the Chinese edition so my transliterations might be different - this novel focuses on the young woman Shu Ying,and her attempts to escape an arranged marriage and gain some education,so there are more feminist aspects this time. At some point in the novel the girl gets really depressed, but things turn out better in the end. As she says "springtide belongs to us"...
This novel builds up on previous details of traditional familial repression, however the storyline was more or less along the same vein.But then, if you enjoyed reading "Family" this shouldn't be too big a deal.The tone is still quite bleak sometimes although the ending was hopeful, but it suits the story. How can anything be harmonious in a family like that? Also if you experience some crisis in your life this book might inspire you to keep going.
Whilst in "Family" more focus was given to the three brothers of the Gao family - I understand that English editions tend to spell it as Kao but I read the Chinese edition so my transliterations might be different - this novel focuses on the young woman Shu Ying,and her attempts to escape an arranged marriage and gain some education,so there are more feminist aspects this time. At some point in the novel the girl gets really depressed, but things turn out better in the end. As she says "springtide belongs to us"...
This novel builds up on previous details of traditional familial repression, however the storyline was more or less along the same vein.But then, if you enjoyed reading "Family" this shouldn't be too big a deal.The tone is still quite bleak sometimes although the ending was hopeful, but it suits the story. How can anything be harmonious in a family like that? Also if you experience some crisis in your life this book might inspire you to keep going.
August 15, 2018
主线应该是淑英的离开和大哥的挣扎，但是感觉不如家好看，可能是因为连看两本内容相似的吧
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews