Customer Reviews

Forbidden City: A Novel of Modern China

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Forbidden City" was a powerful and dramatically graphic book which described the personal account of the Chinese tragedy which took place in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in 1989. The story centres around the struggle for freedom which young revolutionaries had during a time when the Chinese government was unstable. Horrifying details illustrate the horrors that the Chinese people coped with. Surprisingly, these horrors were the result of the martial law handed down by the Chinese government to stop the Chinese citizen's cries for freedom and democracy. This book truly portrayed the horrific and uncivilized side of mankind. Images of bodies being crushed by looming Chinese tanks in the streets of Beijing and the careless bloodshed of innocent people in the centre of Tiananmen Square paint a picture of true brutality and coldness which we as humans take for granted in such times of chaos, not only in China but around the world. This book portrays the delicacy of life and how we all take for granted not only life itself, but our God-given freedom which we as humans consider as a right, which in reality, is a priviledge which we fight for each and every day of our lives. The central theme in "Forbidden City" is similar to the themes in "The Holy Bible" in that struggles for freedom take place throughout the book and involve all cultures. In contrast, "Forbidden City" was a much more personalized account of the tragedy which took place. I was able to explore the mind of a visitor to China who witnessed the brutal images in Tiananmen Square and was deeply affected by what was seen. "The Holy Bible", similar to "Forbidden City", provided a sense of hope for those in their stuggles for freedom and the oppressors, which, through over whelming strength and perseverence, broke free of their dictators and retained their identity, living with pride and ostentation. I recommend this book for people who feel as though they are oppressed by others whether it be parents, bosses or teachers who feel the need to break loose of what is holding them back. This truly dramatic and thought-prevoking book will provide you with the inspiration you need to continue on in your own lives having pride in your culture, family, and most importantly, yourself.

This book is a vivid description of the "events" at Tian An Men Square that fateful spring in 1989. This novel is about a seventeen year old boy named Alex who travels with his cameraman father to China, and witnesses the Tian An Men Square massacre.
In this book the author pays good attention to the facts while weaving a story around them. He used a journal format; from the point of view of the protagonist, Alex. William Bell (the author) paints a vivid picture of the horrendous tragedy in Beijing, and brings a realistic quality to his fiction. The characters develop well during the story, but the secondary characters are very one-dimensional.
The author brings a real and personal quality that to many of us is simply a far-off event that happened to a bunch of people we don't know. Although it is realistic, it is not a historian's account. Overall, it is a good, compelling, and vividly detailed novel.

Overall, William S. Bell does a good job putting a human face on the tragedies that took place in Tiananmen Square. He is refreshingly accurate with regard to factual information. The diary format is easy to read yet leaves the book open to interpretation and discussion. The story of the fictional characters Alex, Ted, Lao Xu, Eddie and Xin hua was created as a way to explain what happened to all sides involved in this tragic event. Bell combines a mixture of powerful emotions and dynamic characters to create a true must read for all highschool students. If highschoolers get anything out of this book at all, it will be that there are people out there who will stand up for what they believe in and that violence shouldn't be used as the answer to every problem our world faces.

I think this book was really good. It was also really sad. Through the fictional diary of a Canadian boy, I learned a lot about Communist China. He comes with his father, who works for CBC, to tape the Forbidden City. But, they are both not prepared for what is to come...

When my english teacher gave out this book, i thought it would be a boring read (by looking at the title) and put the book away for 2 weeks. One night i started reading it and could not stop!!! i just kept reading till it ended.!! what a sad ended... Buy this book, if you want to have a great time.

One of the first books written by William Bell Forbidden City is also one of his best. Recognized for its suspense, drama, and mayhem this novel will become a classic.
Alex Jackson, a seventeen year old boy interested in his one and only hobby, the history of military combat in China, is thrilled when his father is asked to cover a meeting in Beijing, China for the news back home in Toronto, Canada.
After being in China for almost a week, protest begins when a famous man dies. Even worse the protest is right outside his hotel! At first the PLA (Beijing Military/police) try to remove the protesters, but after a while the PLA go back to their station. As each day progresses the violence gets worse and worse, and one thing leads to another. The army comes back and starts shooting at any protesters within range of the gun including a friend of Alex's and Alex himself. Will he live to see his dad again?
A book full of perfectly described scenes and information about the Beijing protest in 1989. This book is meant for adolescents ages 11-16 years old but will also be enjoyed by adults.

Forbidden City is a novel based on the events that swept Beijing in 1989 and the impact of this on one person's life.
The main character, a 17-year-old war history fanatic, Alex Jackson, traveled to the Chinese capital with his father, a CBC cameraman, to cover the Russian premier Gorbachev's visit. During this event, Alex experienced the excitement of being a reporter and of recording the events of the protest, but was apprehensive as the protest became more violent. When martial law was declared in Beijing, soldiers swept in, completely surrounding Tianamen Square with the help of AK47s and even tanks. The students and civilians who were part of the demonstrations were shot down without mercy.
Alex lived out this horror as he was shot by a soldier while carrying illegal videotapes of the demonstrations. At this point, his future was bleak until university student, Xinhua rescued him, and tried to help him smuggle the tapes out of China. Alex managed to get to the airport with the tapes and escaped with his father. Sadly, Xinhua was not so lucky, gunned down by a soldier as she tried to help Alex. After the massacre and finally back in his comfy home in Toronto, Alex destroyed all his military models, realizing war wasn't a game to him anymore.
Young people interested in modern Chinese history or modern international political events will be captivated by this book. Even those with no particular interest in modern Chinese history will find the pace and excitement of this novel quite compelling. This book shares same idea as The Red Scarf by Ji Li Jiang and The Power of Tianamen by Dingxin Zhao.
I personally chose this book for this assignment because it was short but punchy. I read reviews, which recommended this book as exciting to read, and I certainly found it so. The best parts of the book were when his best friend Lao Xu was shot down while trying to stop the killings and when Alex finally gets back home to Toronto with the smuggled tapes. These were the highlights for me because they were particularly thrilling but also moving because they showed much bravery and sacrifice.
I would definitely recommend this book. If you want a fast moving and gripping story, you too will enjoy this novel.

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This story is really well written because it is from the view point of Alex so you get a lot of additional input, which puts it into better words because he too is a high school student. The only thing I had a problem with was because a great deal of the names people and places are Chinese, name get confusing and you start to mix them up. The relationship between Alex and Lau Xu is really unique because he finds out Lau Xu is a spy but still he really looks up to him and thinks of him of a friend. When he died Alex was just so hysterical he fell face first on the street a few times. This is a really good story to read for some good information on the infamous student rebellion and it is a lot of fun to read as well.

I would really recommend this book to others because it is a really good story that gives you a first-rate point of view from some one who was there and lived through it.

Both as a teacher and as a literary critic, I rate this book at 5 stars! Thought-provoking and wonderfully insightful, the reader shares a horrific experiece with Alex and watches him come to the realization of what war, conflict, revolution, and death really mean.

When I frist started to read Forbidden City, It didn't seem that all interesting. It seemed lame and slow. But since we had to read it, I read ahead. I ended up finishing the book when the rest of the class was on pg. 60. The book really develops and is a great way to show teenagers what happened then, since it's through the eyes of a teen. You should definietly read this book, I have, and liked it a lot.