The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai

by Ruiyan Xu, Angela Dawe (Narrator)

Li Jing, a high-flying financier, has just joined his father for dinner at the grand Swan Hotel in central Shanghai when, without warning, the ground begins to rumble, shifts, then explodes in a roar of hot, unfurling air. As Li Jing drags his unconscious father out of the collapsing building, a single shard of glass whistles through the air and neatly pierces his forehead. In an instant, Li Jing's ability to speak Chinese is obliterated. After weeks in a hospital, all that emerge from Li Jing's mouth are unsteady phrases of the English he spoke as a child growing up in Virginia. His wife, Zhou Meiling, whom he courted with beautiful words, finds herself on the other side of an abyss, unable to communicate with her husband and struggling to put on a brave face for the sake of Li Jing's floundering company and for their son, Pang Pang. Rosalyn Neal, a neurologist who specializes in Li Jing's condition-bilingual aphasia-arrives from the United States to work with Li Jing, to coax language back onto his tongue. Rosalyn is red-haired, open-hearted, recently divorced, and as lost as Li Jing in this bewitching, bewildering city. As doctor and patient sit together, sharing their loneliness along with their faltering words, feelings neither of them anticipated begin to take hold-feelings Meiling does not need a translator to understand.

Genres: Fiction, China, Asia, Romance, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Linguistics

Audio CD

First published February 6, 2010

About the author

Ruiyan Xu was born in Shanghai and moved to the U.S. at the age of ten. She grew up in Virginia and New Jersey, and graduated from Brown University. The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai is her first novel.
Ruiyan won the the 2004 Hochstadt Award from Hedgebrook and a 2005 Jerome Foundation Fellowship for Emerging Artists; she has been awarded residencies by the Anderson Center, the Espy Foundation, Jentel, Millay, Ragdale, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Her writing has been published by The New York Times, among other publications. She has mentored young women writers through Girls Write Now and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Things this story could have used:
* Discussion of aphasia besides basic psych 101 definitions
* Discussion of bilingual aphasia beside basic psych 101 definitions
* Discussion of treatment for bilingual aphasia
* Descriptive incites into differences between Chinese and English and how language shapes perceptions, attitudes and reality besides basic statements that such differences exist
* More quick wit and barbs from Meiling, especially toward the Americans
* Americans who aren't contemptible boors.

Things this story could have done without:
* Attempts to be sympathetic to incompetent and obnoxious characters
* Promises of interesting story featuring fascinating neurology as a cover for a story about a marriage.
* The notion that there are approximately 7 people in all of Shanghai who speak English, and only 2 that speak both English and Chinese
* The misguided idea that when a powerful and talented person must leave their career the most appropriate person to take over is their spouse despite having no relevant skill or training, rather than their presumably highly trained and qualified coworkers.
* Using mental illness and disability as an excuse for infidelity.

[The Blog Lady · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an attempt at this growing genre of female travel-adventure writing (i.e. Under the Tuscan Sun and Eat Pray Love), only this time, the female protagonist is supposed to be a neurologist with a patient and a career to consider. This is the story of a red-headed American woman who goes to Shanghai. She shops, goes dancing, drinks a lot, contemplates her failed marriage, contemplates her shallow romance with an ex-pat and, in the end, decides it's totally cool to start an affair with her patient. I read this book because 1. NPR recommended it and 2. it was supposed to be about speech pathology. I was duped.

[Dini · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book really moved me. The writing style is beautiful and lyrical. But in the end I went from sympathizing and rooting for the characters to being frustrated and annoyed by all of them. The author did a good job of portraying the point of view of each main character, though.

I'm not sure if the type of language loss suffered by Li Jing is an actual, real-life condition, but it seems a bit weird that he can understand Chinese and can even translate it to English, but he can't speak any Chinese at all. Then again, I'm no neurologist. But what I find even stranger is how Meiling, a smart, college-educated, city-living career woman in 1999 does not understand a single word of English in order to communicate with her husband. I do not expect fluency, but seriously, do urban dwellers in modern-day China really don't understand simple English words like 'please' or 'sorry'?

As I got closer to the ending I started dreading how the story would conclude. I knew how I didn't want it to end, but I didn't know what a good ending would be either. The only certain thing is that nothing good comes out of infidelity, for any party involved.

[Mark Zieg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should say upfront that if I were reviewing this book for my normal circle of friends, I should give it 1-star, as it contains little of personal interest; however, I am willing to believe that there are other people who probably would enjoy this book, and for that speculative audience it is probably quite well done. I picked this book (I already count too many "I"s in this review, but in this case I really need to distinguish between my own preferences and that of the author, for they differ) because the cover blurb promised a spirited dive into the interface between Chinese and English languages, a thought-provoking jaunt into the subtle mechanisms by which language can influence culture and thought.

Perhaps this could take a long historical view on how the silkily sibilant languages of the orient indirectly led to those cultures' uniquely non-dualogical viewpoint. Or it could have been an intensely personal experience of the ontological shift between ideogrammatic and alphabetical written tongues, of the dichotomy between word-as-image of the thing itself, the referent behind the name, and word-as-abstraction, an occasionally unique permutation of arbitrary and increasingly dehumanitized character bytes. Or best of all, it could have painted an entirely new and unexpected perspective on the many different ways in which East meets West in philosophy, paternal obligation, self-image, notions of achievement, and love.

But this was none of these, not really. This was a romance, and a depressingly tragic one at that. In the end, everyone ends up unhappy. Everyone makes poor decisions throughout, which bring predictable grief and trauma to their loved ones. Maybe this is real life, but I don't need to read a book to find tales of misery -- I can get that on any page of the Metro I find crumpled in the trash-bins of workaday city life.

I will not go so far as to say there is no room in literature for tragedy: for instance, I admit a fondness for King Lear, especially Kurosawa's oriental adaptation Ran. But this novel did not engage me in any sense of universal suffering, other than reaffirming the tired aphorisms that men are insensitive, workaholic, violent, selfish pigs; women are downtrodden, self-sacrificing, unappreciated martyrs; and white women, even ones with PhD's, are closet succubi who use their unwholesome curves to bewitch and corrupt Asian men proud and true. I've heard that before, and didn't really need to hear it again.

So: two stars, for an admittedly well-written and evocative story of romance, tragedy, and betrayal set amidst the hospitals, tea rooms, and boardrooms of bustling, ancient Shanghai; if you're into that sort of thing. Nothing higher, because while I'm far from expert in this type of novel, I didn't see anything that struck me as exceptional (unless the bar for this genre is even lower than I'd guessed).

[Vontel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captivating book, just started it last evening and had to make myself put it down. I was drawn into the story, fascinated by the experience of traumatic aphasia in an adult man whose first language was English until the age of 10, when his father returned to Shanghai, when he had to learn Chinese. How could he relearn his new language while being able to speak English. I was also drawn to the book, having been to Shanghai, albeit for a relatively short time a number of years ago. However, I was ultimately disappointed in the trajectory of the ending, and the all around train wreck, maybe with a hint of possible renewal, even though it was a drama.

The author has not yet had a second book published.

[Natalia Sylvester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being bilingual, I've often felt that there are parts of me that only come out in one language, parts of me that are only reserved for the other, but I'd never been able to understand that phenomena as much as when I read this book. Xu did a beautiful job of capturing the untranslatable. The idea that a language is more than just words--it's an entire worldview through which we filter our relationship with those closest to us--gave me a lot to think about.

I gave the book three stars though because as much as I enjoyed the ideas it explored I wasn't always happy with the plot. There were parts where I felt completely let down by the characters, and I ended up truly disliking one of the characters (whom I suspect I was meant to sympathize with). Then again, perhaps this was Xu's intention, and either way, I'd recommend this to anyone intrigued by languages and the meanings hidden within them.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

4/9/12 through chapter 14 - I was tempted to give up on this, still am, sort of, it is just starting to get to the point where I want to know what happens next.

4/13/12 finished. I don't know if I liked this tragic romance or not. It was very well written and the story grabbed me. I don't know who I was supposed to feel sorry for. Aren't you supposed to feel sorry for the spouse of the betrayer? I did feel sorry for the spouse I thought was betrayed by the lack of compassion and love following a life altering accident. That was NOT the spouse the dear reader was supposed to feel sorry for. It did take me on mini side trips to my visits to Shanghai and the China countryside; I enjoyed them! Worth a whirl, we all get and need something different from books.

[shanghao · Rating 2 out of 5]

First thoughts: well-written slice-of-life story but the characters felt a tad too stereotypical and predictable. I like the tiny details describing the city and its people, although on occasions they were superfluous and bordering on purple - ok not purple, maybe cobalt blue. In the end, it felt like watching a Chinese arthouse film with a coherent plot (pretty slow burning though) and somewhat interesting characters but not ones that imprint themselves on you or leave you with something new or stimulating to chew on.

Book swap with Dini :)

[Margo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of personal interest to my as I, like Li Jing, suffered aphasia as a result of acquired brain injury. Otherwise however I found this book hard going. Plot was slow and actions of characters at times incomprehensible. But then, people are strange!

[Sherri F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did like it enough & enjoy some but it was was hit & miss. I really liked the overall concept from the summaries: In Shanghai, China, after an explosion (I think, caused by an aftershock) at an upscale hotel restaurant, Li Jing (successul financier) rescues is elderly professor father but then as building collapses Jing is pierced in the head/forehead w/ a thick shard of glass leaving him w/a rare condition (called Bilingual Aphasia) which causes him to only be able to speak English (his early language b/c he lived in U.S. until he was 10 yrs old). He returned to China at 10 with his father, after his mother's death, and spoke Chinese for last 20+ years. He is able to understand a little Chinese, but not able Chinese w/his wife, son and business partners and clients. It causes turmoil, stress, drama, embarrassment, etc. for Jing and his wife, Meiling, their son, and Jing's father. They bring in a aphasia specialist (from U.S.), Dr. Rosalyn Neal, to help Jing recover his English, Chinese and adjusting in general. They develop a special relationship and the (self-center, spoiled) frustrated, stressed out wife becomes jealous. This is told in 3 POVs: Li Jing (male patient), Zhou Meiling (wife) and Dr. Rosalyn Neal's.

Again, I really liked the overall concept, but I was disappointed several times in execution and delivery of it. Early on the Dr.'s POV was more enjoyable and not so much the wife's w/not much of patients POV early on. Then it changed a little a few times. The ending was just flat and anti-climatic. In such a crazy event & trauma, a family in that situation would need counseling and this family DEFINITELY needed. The wife seemed to have not sympathy, empathy, compassion, understanding or whatever even at almost the basic level other than ... oh he stood by me when we didn't know how I would be w/back injury, needing surgery, maybe not being able to have kids, etc. & he's been so good to me so I'll stick w/him & help his company BUT damn it, just get over it and speak Chinese already; stop being a baby. I mean, of course, I was NOT quoting but that's what it basically came down to so when he found someone who not only he could comiserated with (esp. since dr. didn't speak Chinese & was relocated there long term & struggled w/adjusting) him, but was using medical training to help in addition to being patient, caring, supportive, etc. (some of the stuff he should have been getting from his wife), she needed to get off her whiny little high horse & stop being jealous & nagging (& pushing him into the arms of another woman). Oh, in addition, they had the wife emasculating him at his own company & in a country like China, just thought there were some poor choices by the author. It's a shame b/c there part I liked to and wanted to like it soo much more.

[DawnEllen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Lost and Languages of Shanghai" is a hauntingly beautiful tale through which author Ruiyan Xu explores the subtle nuances of language and the role it plays in culture, identity, and relationships. When an accident severs Li Jing from his ability to speak Chinese, he is forced to communicate only in his nearly forgotten childhood English. Although physically able to recover, Li Jing's ability to interact with those around him is irreparably damaged. Li Jing and his beloved wife Meiling are trapped in their separate prison houses of language, to use Fredric Jamison's metaphor, unable to break through the walls of silence that now engulf them. The magic of this remarkable work lies in Xu's ability to capture the interior monologues of the characters in ways that engage the reader in their painful struggle to communicate that which they feel deeply but have no words to express.
The reader feels the anguish of Li Jing and Meiling because she, too, longs to cry out to them both and communicate what the other is feeling; but she too is mute, separated as she is from them by the construct of the reader/character relationship. Xu skillfully weaves flashbacks of the couple's relationship into the ongoing story of the way in which their inability to communicate with one another bifurcates their relationship and forces them to follow separate paths in search of new identities. More insidiously dangerous than the English-speaking doctor who threatens to come between them, is language, which inserts itself as a character in its own right. Language is vividly portrayed through the sensory imagery of an author who fully understands the power of the medium with which she works, but who also understands the power of love to overcome the insurmountable.

[Andrea Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received for review from Bookbrowse First Impressions Program.

This is a beautifully written novel exploring the intricacies and dependency humans have on language and how their limitations can project into daily choices. The characters are well developed and layered with subtlety, and the story proceeds at a comfortable pace. Xu's style is lyrical and full of imagery and symbolism.

Unable to return to life as he knew it, Li Jing, turns to the most welcoming option available to him after a freak accident robs him of his ability to speak Chinese. Rediscovering his life through the English language he knew as a child alienates him from his wife and child, and cripples his ability to function in his city and his formerly successful life.

Unable to express himself with the nuance and subtlety that is integral to the Chinese language, Li Jing is attracted to the unsubtle but comprehensible American doctor who has been brought over to treat his Aphasia. She is the antithesis of his wife Meiling, fire to ice. And as he is drawn to her nurturing warmth, he becomes more and more alien to his former life.

Li Jing must make a choice: to live in utter isolation while his frighteningly competent wife charges ahead; or escape to a situation where he can communicate his needs in English and leave his family, language, and culture.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

[Lisa Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were things I loved about this book and things I didn't. I got it free from Library Things Early Reviewer program and I always like to support new writers.

I love the unusual plot and design of the book. It is a fascinating concept to me, as a therapist, that our love for other people is somewhat born out of our ability to communicate with them -- that if we could no longer communicate ourselves to our loved ones, we might find ourselves loving them less. I think the author does a remarkable job fleshing out this concept in this tale of a man who loses his ability to speak Chinese after a brain injury, and is left speaking only his childhood English. Since he lives in Shanghai, is married to a Chinese woman and owns a successful business, this is a problem.

My problem with the book, and why I struggled reading it, is that I hated almost all the characters. I thought that Li Jing, the main character, was a self-pitying depressed mess. Not that he didn't have a right to be, but the wallowing in self pity didn't dispose sympathy on my part. The American Dr. Neal just drove me CRAZY -- I'm afraid this is how many of us Americans are in a foreign culture, just like a bull in a china shop. Even if true, it's SO unattractive. And, on the other side of that coin, I wanted Meiling to stop being so darn stoic Chinese, and talk about her feelings for crying out loud!!

Great writing, annoying characters. Of course, their annoying-ness was also part of the plot, but still.....

[Janie · Rating 3 out of 5]

have just begun reading this novel and wonder at the timing of it. I am also currently listening to the audio book, Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok which also deals with language and the customs of China and the United States. While Kwok's book deals with someone learning and perfecting English meaning and culture in America, Xu's novel is set in China with the misunderstanding that also comes from the English spoken word. As I am just a few chapters in I am wishing that I could hear the audio version as I am sure to gain much by the richness of the language.
I want to like this book, but find myself impatient. It is like watching a person falling from a plane in slow motion. You know what's going to happen and keep waiting, and waiting for the inevitable splat. The premise of the book is a good one with bright spots but the characters are just so flat and stereotypical it is sometimes painful to read. The garish "red" room of the Westerner, the Americans who do nothing but party and drink vapidly wasting away night after night, the long suffering wife who gives up everything. What kept me reading was the strength of pieces here and there that Xu brought to life, these impressed me. She captured the moment so brilliantly at the end, the beauty of the calligraphy, the language, dissipating in the air. I'd definitely like to read her next book, to watch her grow as an author.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise, delivery a little weak. The plot focuses on Li Jing who has lost command of Chinese after an accident and can only speak in English, his second language. The only one he now can communicate with is the American neurologist who is brought in to help him recover his lost language.

The POV moves between Li Jing, his wife Meiling and Dr. Rosalyn Neal as all of them face challenges in communication and try to navigate relationships.

I did enjoy the book, especially Dr. Neal's life as an ex-pat in Shanghai as she leaves her old, troubled life behind and tries, unsuccessfully, to create a different one. I found the character of Meiling unsympathetic as she doesn't seem to try very hard to reconnect with her husband but then she is portrayed as burdened with trying to maintain the couple's whole life.

I think my biggest disappointment was the ending. It's not that I expected everything to be neatly wrapped up but it does seem to end a little abruptly.

Still, I would tell friends about the book and I can see it as a good book club choice as there is plenty to discuss.

[Mawgojzeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. Mark Zeig reviewed this on June 19, 2010 on Goodreads. A very well thought out review. But, I would disagree with him on the classification of this as a romance. This book is filled with love certainly, but not limited to romantic love. And, the love stories of husbands and wives, of children and parents, of potential romantic love are great vehicles for showing the way in which language affects people.

I think it successful on several levels. First, I was not overwhelmed with technical information regarding aphasia. I was given enough to be comfortable with as a layman and to able to sympathize with all of the characters. Second, I also was not overwhelmed with a lesson in the Chinese language. I again was given enough to understand the major difference in not only pronunciation but also how different languages affect the whole way a group of people think/behave. Third, China itself was very well described. Finally, the ending was realistic.

[Bette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. I picked it up after hearing a rave review of it by Alan Cheuse on NPR. It sounded interesting, but the main problem for me was that I didn't like any of the characters. The American was supposed to be an intelligent doctor, yet she ended up seeming pretty empty-headed. Xu moves the point of view around from character to character, but I didn't feel like I really knew any of them very well; nor did I really care about them. While the ending is, as they say, guardedly optimistic, it felt forced. After all Meiling & Li Jing went through, the likelihood of them ever re-establishing a good relationship seems remote. I did find the setting very interesting. Xu describes modern-day Shanghai beautifully. And it certainly reads fast. But the book did not live up to Cheuse's review.

[Rebecca Moll · Rating 5 out of 5]

The idea that loss is not understood until you have gained, what you had is not appreciated until you have not, what now divides us is what once united us, runs deep throughout this novel about the beauty and emotional ties of language, love and betrayal, culture and in the end hope. How important is our spoken language in our relationships? How to explain misunderstandings, regret, guilt, love, loss? How do you move beyond the barrier and find new ways to connect?
I enjoyed the story and liked the analogy of Dr Neal's difficulty with language and culture paralleling Li Jing's.
A nice easy read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and sad novel about a guy whose language facility in Chinese, his second language, was severely damaged in an explosion in Shanghai, in a hotel across from his apartment. Ruiyan Xu gives a sympathetic and personalized exposition on Broca's syndrome and the effects it has on the patient, his family, and his doctors, as well as rich details about Shanghai's bar scene, restaurants, markets, fashion, and financial industry. The Lost Forgotten Languages of Shanghai will haunt people who love words and are interested in how adults learn to communicate in a foreign country.

[Kristin R · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story of a Chinese husband and wife in Shanghai. When tragedy strikes, the Ji Ling is left unable to speak Chinese - he is only able to speak English -that he learned as a child. This leads to a difficult home situation and they are unable to communicate with each other. Meiling is picking up the pieces of his business and the trying to keep the family running. He is struggling with his frustrations and a feeling of being useless and a failure.

[Patty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starting the book, I thought it very interesting and the author was very descriptive. Then, halfway through the book I realized I did not like the characters and where this was headed.
This is a story that in basic terms, families live through all the time (not the aphasia part) and trying to write with beautiful prose just seemed to make it feel dirtier.

[Amy Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited about this book bc love story with a linguistics twist?? Heck yeah!!!

I liked it up until the point where Li Jing and Rosalyn started having an affair… the author did a really good job of describing all of the characters’ feelings and internal dialogues so it was hard to root for a home wrecking couple when you know how nuanced both Li Jing and Meiling’s feelings are. And poor Pang Pang. He will def need therapy.

[Erin L · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was ok, but not great.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first saw this book on the Bloomsbury website and thought that it had an unusual premise that promised to be touching as well as different. I was also drawn to a modern story set in China.
A happily married business man is badly injured in an explosion at a hotel when a shard of glass hits him in the head. Following emergency brain surgery he eventually regains consciousness but can only speak rudimentary English, a language he left behind in America when he was 10 years old and has never spoken since. He can understand Chinese but no longer has the ability to form the words in order to speak them. His wife throws herself into taking care of their house, their son and his business. Unable to help him the hospital sends for a neurologist from America who specialises in such cases, to rehabilitate Li Jing to speak Chinese again. Dr Rosalyn Neal has her own reasons for wanting a break from back home and is battling her own demons. It is not long before doctor and patient become closer, sharing more than just a common language.
The chapters are told to us from each of the main protagonists point of view, with some shorter sections from Li Jing's son, Pang Pang, so that we are given a very rounded view and understand how each person is feeling during this complicated situation. The language is descriptive but straight forward to read, with a lot of exploration paid to how central language is to our communication as humans, not only the words said, but the pitch and expression of those words. How we use our language for courtship, or how it becomes part of our character, our own personal speech characteristics that others notice and like about us. Also there is the ease and speed of being understood. When this ability is taken away how much of us, and our relationships, can still be the same?
There were some very interesting themes in this book, a lot to consider when a skill many of us take for granted, is lost. However, as a novel, I wish I had liked it more. It took me ages to find a footing with the story to keep me going, and I did almost give up on it more than once. It seemed bogged down in endless description that had me willing it to get on with the job. I felt that the amount of detail at times was unnecessary and caused the book to plod significantly.
I also had issues with the characters, mainly Meiling, the wife. Her screaming reaction to her husband speaking English was akin to his eyeballs having fallen out and resting on the pillow beside him. She continually views him with disgust and disappointment, pulling her hand away if his brushes hers, not wanting to share the same room with him. He is clearly distressed and retreats within himself because of her reaction and lack of sympathy or support. Granted she is consumed by keeping their life together, but it is clear that the reason she spends so much time at his job, at the expense of time with her son, is because she loves it, the power and position, she gets off on it. When Doctor Neal arrives Meiling uses her to avoid contact with her husband, forcing them together. It is no wonder, in the absence of any loving care or affection, that he turns to Rosalyn Neal. Meiling is more than willing to learn about stock markets and shares, but makes no effort at all to learn to communicate with Li Jing, in English, sign language or anything. In fact she is unwilling to stay in his presence long enough to try. Her stoic emotionless face, and tailored black suits, are her whole personality, and here lies my other problem with the book...stereotypes.
Both of the women are heavily stereotyped, to represent the stiff and clinical Chinese, exact and proud, as opposed to the loud, bohemian American, who wears her heart on her sleeve, every thought and emotion expressed on her face. Rosalyn is free spirited, wears bright colours from ethnic markets, and laughs and cries in equal measures. Differences in national identity can be interesting, but not when it becomes so characatured as I found it here. People are so much more complicated than that, and Meiling especially I found difficult to accept. At least Rosalyn is quite likeable. It was hard to sympathise with Meiling, and yet the picture on the cover and the blurb on the back led me to believe she was the one to feel sorry for. I also found the ending wanting, but do not want to reveal too much here.
It is quite a shame that this book did not hit the mark with me. Book groups would find a lot to discuss and not everyone will agree with my view I am sure. Indeed I have read good and not so good reviews about it. Some of the exploration of the importance of language has provided thinking material, but sadly I do not feel this one will stay with me.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the plot interesting, but otherwise wasn't exactly my cup of tea.

[Deana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won't lie -- I chose this book merely because it was the only book in the fiction sections of any of the THREE libraries I visit whose author's surname begins with X. There are probably non-fiction books out there, but with today's computerized library card systems you can't FIND them. They don't let you run a search with just a single letter. So there -is- a use for the physical card systems! Anyway, in one of the groups I am we have a challenge to read one book for every letter of the alphabet for the author's family names. So here's my X book.

But I was pleasantly surprised! I -will- immediately say, though, that I think I am probably somewhat unique in this. Not that it's a bad book -- it isn't! But, especially at the beginning, it gets kind of scientific sounding with all the terms related to his bilingual aphasia, Broca's area, computational models, etc, etc. And it JUST so happens that these are all things I've had to study during the course of my PhD! So I was fascinated by the thought of the affliction this poor man had. I was really excited by how much work the author had done to learn about these things and how much research she must have done and how many times she must have re-written this to make it seem realistic. Sometimes I think authors have the most difficult job in the world. They have to have degrees in EVERYTHING!

That said, I found the story beautiful even though I didn't really care for most of the characters. I had very strong reactions to them. I found them all very realistic seeming and believable, though unlikeable (but that's realistic!). The wife was horribly self-centered and bitchy. I SO could not believe that, after she ADMITTED to Alan about her almost affair in the past, she could never find it in herself to understand her husband's mistake. ESPECIALLY since she was treating him like crap after the accident. No wonder he wanted to get away! And THEN to basically insinuate to Alan that she wants an affair with HIM at the end? Oh man. The kid didn't seem very smart and kind of annoyed me, going around muttering all the time (though I felt AWFUL for him -- what a horrible situation for a boy under 10 to have to go through with his family). Dr. Neal was the worst of all. I understand that she was still hurt and upset from the divorce with her husband (speaking of assholes, wow!) but her behavior was terribly unprofessional. And she treated Danny like crap (one of the few characters I actually liked) as well as making things bad for Li Jing and his wife. And I couldn't BELIEVE she was willing to put moves on Li Jing while his son was around. If she could have kept control of herself all that stuff at the end wouldn't have happened. I was very, very glad that the author allowed them to find Pang Pang alive, though. In so many books he would have died, adding even more tragedy to an already bad situation.

I did like Professor Li. And I mostly liked Li Jing. I completely felt his frustration through the author's writing and understood why he made some of the decisions that he did and even didn't so much mind him smashing the laptop or putting his fist through the wall, having wanted to do those things myself on occasion even while still having full control of my speech!

Overall a really interesting read.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alas, I misjudged a book by its cover. I thought the cover was so beautiful that surely the book inside would be spectacular. Instead, I only felt luke-warm to it, and even a little disappointed.

Li-Jing, after having been in an accident, has aphasia. But his aphasia is special, it has rendered his speaking of Chinese completely useless, and instead, only the limited English he learned as a child is his only means of communication. With a stoic wife and young son, things become rough on his family as he struggles to communicate. So Dr. Neal is brought in and he can finally feel at ease with someone he can communicate with. A specialist in aphasia, she is there to try to help him regain his lost language.

I couldn't really find any of these characters compelling. They were all kind of selfish and superficial. I know the author was probably trying to show the difference is culture, but surprisingly I found all the characters the same. They put themselves first. Sure Meiling is taking care of her family in the best way that she knows how, but she doesn't even try to show some warmth or understanding of her husband's predicament. Li-Jing, while struggling with his language issues is certainly somewhat sympathetic in that regard, but otherwise as a person I found him lazy and insincere. And Dr. Neal, I don't even know where to start with her. She was the typical not so great American that seems to screw things up. I'm not insulted by this portrayal of Americans, even though several others in the book were not so kindly describe either, but rather saddened that this is the image of us.

The plot was kind of slow moving. I was intrigued by the language aspects of the book and the presentation of the aphasia, but since this book was more about its characters than that, my curiosity wasn't entirely satisfied. I can't say I enjoyed the interactions between the characters, they were somewhat painful to watch unfold. But in a way they were brilliantly written as someone describing some non-perfect people with drama in their lives. I could certainly envision this scenario playing out in real life to some extent. I just couldn't get myself fully immersed in the book though to really take anything from it.

This book just wasn't for me. Someone who likes characters (but not necessarily development towards bettering themselves) might enjoy it a bit better than I did. I won't avoid Xu's books from this point on, but I won't make a habit of seeking them out either.

The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai
Copyright 2010
340 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2012

More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com

[Ursula · Rating 3 out of 5]

My copy is a paperback ARC.

The premise is interesting - a Chinese man (Li Jing) suffers a freak head injury that leaves him unable to speak Chinese. He did, however, live in America as a child and is able to speak some English. A specialist is brought in from the US to try to help him regain his language skills.

However, in the absence of communication, his marriage and relationship with his son suffer. His wife, Meiling, is stoic in even the best of times, so she carries on but is suddenly enigmatic to Li Jing. Meanwhile, something more than medical seems to be happening between Li Jing and his American doctor, who of course happens to be a redheaded woman.

I liked the middle of the book the best, I think. I found the choppy writing style of the beginning (probably a stylistic choice to depict the confusion of Li Jing's accident) more distracting than effective. The end felt like it ran out of steam before the book ran out of pages. But in the middle, there are some very interesting ideas about how a common language can create intimacy, and the lack of one enforces distance.

I found myself thinking about how well I think I'd be able to do at only using non-verbal clues to understand other people's intentions. I agree that, like the characters in the book, I'd be prone to misinterpretation and frustration.

...

Two somewhat nitpicky notes that completely took me out of the story, though (and will hopefully be corrected before the final printing). Early on in the story when a doctor is trying to get Li Jing to pronounce his own name, his name is written in pinyin with each word having the symbol for a third tone (falling, then rising). However, the doctor tells him that he should be pronouncing it with the fourth tone - coming down at the end of the syllable. And at the end, there is a sentence written in pinyin that uses the word "shou" when it should be "shuo." The latter means "talk," which is what is given in the English translation and although I have no idea what the former means, I'm pretty sure "shuo" is what should have been there.

[Book Concierge · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5**

Ji Ling is a prominent businessman. Born in America while his father was a student, he has lived in Shanghai since he was 10 years old and no longer speaks English. When he suffers a brain injury as a result of an explosion in the hotel where he has met his father for dinner, the result is loss of language … except for a few English phrases. Frustrated and frightened, his family brings in an American doctor, a neurologist specializing in bilingual aphasia (loss of speech), to help him recover his speech. Months later the physical wreckage of the explosion has been cleared away, leaving no evidence of the rubble through which Ji Ling crawled to safety. But there is plenty of evidence of the wreckage in the emotional scars Ji Ling and his family bear.

In her debut novel, Xu explores the most intimate of human interactions – communication. The loneliness and isolation of not being able to communicate our wants, desires, feelings, and hopes are evident in all the characters. Of course there is the obvious injury to Ji Ling, but the American doctor – Rosalyn Neal – is no more able to communicate than her patient (and not only because she does not speak Chinese). Meiling, Ji’s wife, is locked in a pattern of not communicating. His father, Professor Ji, is silenced by the conventions of society and his fear of interfering in his son’s marriage. Alan, the interpreter, manages to convey words without any feeling or meaning.

It’s the kind of story and the kind of novel that I should have loved. I like character-based novels that explore the intricacies of human interaction. But somehow Xu’s writing went too far in giving us the sense of isolation that comes from the inability to communicate. This reader could not connect with any of the characters. I felt their frustration, because I felt frustrated. But rather than empathizing and caring about their predicament, I felt so removed from them as to not care at all what would happen to them.

[Connie N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really understand this type of book and its need to focus on the bad rather than the good. It all begins with a tragedy, which leads to problems in the family dynamic, leaving a negative aftertaste, despite how the story actually ends. It's well written, though, with some lovely imagery and a very interesting premise. Li Jing, a Chinese businessman suffers a head injury in an explosion, causing him to lose the power of speech. Oddly enough, however, he can think and speak in the English that he learned as a young child living in America. His Chinese language skills are gone (although eventually he can understand what he hears, just not speak it). A young female American doctor, who is an expert in this condition, travels to Shanghai to live for a few weeks and help him recover. The gist of the story, I believe, is the loneliness of each of the characters, for different reasons, but represented by the language barriers. Li Jing is isolated because he lives in China and can't communicate in Chinese, thus preventing him from interacting with everyone in a normal manner, like at a restaurant, the bank, his job, etc. His wife Meiling can't, of course, communicate with him since she doesn't speak English at all. The same goes for their young son, although he is learning English and they develop a sort of short-hand and mime language to stay in touch. And because he speaks English, he and the doctor develop more of a personal relationship than is appropriate since she is lonely because she's visiting a country where she doesn't understand the language. Another character, Alan the interpreter, also seems lonely because of his Chinese need to be formal and proper despite his caring for Meiling. There's a lot of push-and-pull of all the relationships, mostly in a negative manner. It seems that everyone makes things more complicated than they need to be, and this major tragedy in their lives pulls them apart rather than bringing them closer.