Customer Reviews

Place and Memory in the Singing Crane Garden (Penn Studies in Landscape Architecture)

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

 

 

`Place and memory' came to me while conducting research on a related subject. Out of the pile of books about the history of late imperial China on my desk, it stands out as an unusually excellent read. Though under strict orders to `read just one chapter', I went on and am now deep into the whole book. I could not help myself, because it reads like a beautiful story, full of emotion. It is packed with knowledgeable insights, and right from the start appeals to the reader's heart and mind. Most importantly, the composition of this book transcends by far most standard research material about memory and place in China. Usually, this sort of material is interesting and full of facts, but going beyond dry facts is difficult. Piecing together a history of places in China is not trivial; I find that many times I give up on asking questions like `so, what was this before the road was built'? or `why is the neighborhood called `thousand lotus pagoda hill', because it is very plausible that there is no answer around.
This is why this book is so unique: the author, Prof. Vera Schwarcz, has avoided the fatigue and confusion of 'seeking truth from facts', and bravely delved into the clarity of history as the story of people. In this sense, the book is not only a great read and a very moving story about a garden long gone, but an inspiration not to give up on the search for the roots of change that surround us. I recommend it very warmly to anyone with an interest in memory and remembering in China and elsewhere.