Gang of One by Fan Shen
In 1966, twelve-year-old Fan Shen, a newly minted Red Guard, plunged happily into China's Cultural Revolution. A story of coming of age in the midst of monumental historical upheaval, this work is a memoir of a young man's harrowing experience during a time of terror. It recounts how Shen escaped, again and again, from his appointed fate.
"Anyone wishing to be the architect of his or her own fortune would do well to study this amazing memoir, a testament to the human spirit"—ForeWord
“[A] compulsively readable memoir. . . . Shen’s wry, anecdotal storytelling style spurs one on, as does the desire to see him through to his eventual triumph.”—Booklist
“Teens will strongly identify with Shen's maneuverings around repressive regulations."—Booklist, 2004 Editors' Choice
"While the general outlines of this account of growing up in Communist China will be familiar to readers of recent Chinese memoir, the details can still shock and astound. . . . [Shen] offers a snapshot of the political wiles needed to rebel against the fate one was assigned by the party: in order to both leave the abominable and oppressive conditions and to avoid persecution, Shen learned to feign political ardor, fabricate spy stories to confound the watchful authorities, pull strings with highly placed friends and falsify health tests. Though he might seem to overly relish these clever maneuvers, Shen's portrait of the social and political climate in China is unambiguous: power rested in the hands of a few and professed loyalty to party ideologies made it unsafe to trust anyone; the only way to win was to use the party's rules to one's own ends."—Publishers Weekly
"[A] book of stunning power. . . . This book is full of death, and worse, as mass sadism took hold of an entire country (the world's biggest). But it is also full of humanity, and, at times, funny as hell. . . . There is even, shockingly, a love story toward the end of the book. It is as shocking and beautiful as that in 1984. Hypnotically rendered, Gang of One is a high literary achievement, documenting an even greater achievement. . . . the life of this awe-inspiring man, Fan Shen."—Jay Nordlinger, National Review
"[A] masterpiece . . . a book that should be read 1,000 years from now. It is startling, gripping, and wise. An altogether extraordinary book about an extraordinary life—and yet, a life that speaks for the experience of an entire nation, in its worst period."—National Review Online's 2004 Gift Guide
“[A] compulsively readable memoir. . . . Shen’s wry, anecdotal storytelling style spurs one on, as does the desire to see him through to his eventual triumph.”—Booklist
“Teens will strongly identify with Shen's maneuverings around repressive regulations."—Booklist, 2004 Editors' Choice
"While the general outlines of this account of growing up in Communist China will be familiar to readers of recent Chinese memoir, the details can still shock and astound. . . . [Shen] offers a snapshot of the political wiles needed to rebel against the fate one was assigned by the party: in order to both leave the abominable and oppressive conditions and to avoid persecution, Shen learned to feign political ardor, fabricate spy stories to confound the watchful authorities, pull strings with highly placed friends and falsify health tests. Though he might seem to overly relish these clever maneuvers, Shen's portrait of the social and political climate in China is unambiguous: power rested in the hands of a few and professed loyalty to party ideologies made it unsafe to trust anyone; the only way to win was to use the party's rules to one's own ends."—Publishers Weekly
"[A] book of stunning power. . . . This book is full of death, and worse, as mass sadism took hold of an entire country (the world's biggest). But it is also full of humanity, and, at times, funny as hell. . . . There is even, shockingly, a love story toward the end of the book. It is as shocking and beautiful as that in 1984. Hypnotically rendered, Gang of One is a high literary achievement, documenting an even greater achievement. . . . the life of this awe-inspiring man, Fan Shen."—Jay Nordlinger, National Review
"[A] masterpiece . . . a book that should be read 1,000 years from now. It is startling, gripping, and wise. An altogether extraordinary book about an extraordinary life—and yet, a life that speaks for the experience of an entire nation, in its worst period."—National Review Online's 2004 Gift Guide
Hailing from the People's Republic of China, Fan Shen is a professor at Rochester Community and Technical College in Minnesota. He has published three translated books and numerous articles in both Chinese and English.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780803293366 |
| ISBN 10 | 0803293364 |
| Title | Gang of One |
| Author | Fan Shen |
| Series | American Lives |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | University of Nebraska Press |
| Year published | 2006-03-01 |
| Number of pages | 298 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |