Customer Reviews

Shenzhen: A Travelogue from China

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an absorbing traveller's tale which I began reading late at night and couldn't go to bed before finishing. Not only didn't I find it boring but I disagree with most of the criticisms in Thy Tran's review. Firstly, Delisle made it clear that he tried hard to converse with and get to know his translator but received no encouragement, which he found quite disheartening. The incident where they only begin to talk a short while before he leaves, when the formality and apparent awkwardness inherent in their situation fall away and parting is suddenly close at hand, is entirely true to life and happens to all sorts of people both within and across cultures. Also, Delisle obviously tried several places to eat and a variety of dishes with varying success and for him to settle on reliable favourites, as a semi-permanent resident, is quite natural. We all do it both at home and abroad while keeping our curiosity and options open. It seems to me that Delisle does all this in an understandably human way and I cannot see how this reflects badly on his attitude. He is obviously frustrated by many things and makes no bones about it, but he remains curious about the world he finds himself in and tries to find a way into it through the thing he knows and loves best, drawing - and by seeking out the work of Chinese artists that he has a powerful response to. I also fail to see any of the stereotyping that Thy Tran seems to infer from the book and on another flick through it I cannot readily see any of the "buckteeth" he finds so annoying. Like Delisle's "Pyongyang" this is a highly enjoyable and very human book and I recommend it.

Let me just indicate that I am an avid fan of artist Guy Delisle's graphic novels and short stories. I have since purchased his newest book "Burma Chronicles" after reading his wonderful, insightful and caustic "Pyongyang", which details the bizarre, communist "hermit" nation of North Korea.

"Shenzhen" by no means, was the author's first book of its kind, and the predecessor to "Pyongyang". In thisblack-and-white graphic novel, Delisle chronicles his stay in the province of Shenzhen, a region near other major cities in communist China, and the more liberal nations Hong Kong and Taiwan. Personally, I had high expectations for this book despite the somewhat mediocre reviews already up on Amazon. I bought it together with "Burma Chronicles" and read it as soon as it was shipped to me from America. As my first review on Amazon, it saddens me to give this book a 2 out of 5 stars.

First of all, I must compare "Shenzhen" to Delisle's "Pyongyang", because expectations precedes my opinion of the book here. Where "Pyongyang" succeeded as a highly-intelligent, witty, satirical and insightful graphic novel (which this comic genre rarely does) about the absurdities of North Korean life under the dictatorship of Kim Jong-Il, "Shenzhen" does little to inform, to humour, or to intrigue the readers much. Delisle's Shenzhen travelogue merely focuses on his personal boredom, alienated state of being as a foreigner whom knows nothing about the Chinese culture and way of life as he does his job as an animator consultant in an outsourced studio (which does animation series for TV). Through his drawings, narrative boxes and speech bubbles, we are brought into a totally new environment of China and the way of life of the Chinese people as Delisle interacts with his people from various businesses, from strangers, as well as fellow colleagues, along with translators helping and following his footsteps. However, this merely brings us a glimpse into the China culture through a foreigner's eyes, from how some Chinese food is revolting to him, to how a public toilet (arranged in 2 columns of squats with no form of barriers at all) ludicrously resembles an altar of sorts. Personally, most of these "glimpses" are interesting, though trivial. They aren't really superficial per se, but it all seems too spontaneous, and at times frivolous. At one moment in the book, Delisle himself even admits that "[he] keep[s] at [writing] without real conviction. Going in circles in a hotel room, even if it is in China, doesn't seem like the kind of trip anybody would want to read about." First of all, although he may be plain honest about his disparate connection with the Chinese' way of life here, but to admitting it would nonetheless be disengaging himself with the enticing readers. Secondly, Delisle deviates from the main setting of his story as he makes occasional trips to Canton (Guangzhou) and Hong Kong. Instead of making explicit, tangible comparisons between these supposedly more democratic and liberal nations with China, he bragged about how bored he was in Shenzhen and makes flippant comments and jokes about how he enjoyed his shopping spree in Hong Kong.

There are no specific chapter divides in "Shenzhen", except each segment begins with a full-page, realistically rendered drawing of some random building or skyscraper under construction, before moving on to his different sojourns and trips to various locales in Shenzhen. As compared to Delisle's follow-up "Pyongyang", which details much more about the draconian, authoritative control that is exerted on the North Korean people, from the robbing of their liberty, to the disparate class of wealth between the elites and peasants in the communist nation, "Shenzhen" does nothing significant of this sort. Like "Shenzhen", every chapter in "Pyongyang" begins with a full-paged drawing of places/monuments (such as the Juche Tower or the emblem of the Marxist-Communist party), but it further serves the purpose of revealing, one after another, interesting facets of the plight of the N. Korean people and its deplorable culture and practices. Again, "Shenzhen" does nothing of this sort.

The drawings in "Shenzhen" are mostly etched with charcoal, along with other varied styles such as ink or scanned pictures from real sources to represent different times and situations. Most of the charcoal drawings however appear somewhat skimpy and sparse, and often messy, which is inherently different from "Pyongyang", which is more clean, neat, consistent and candid. Perhaps, this adds to Delisle's treatment of the city as one that is blighted or heavily polluted.

As a Singaporean Chinese (not China-Chinese) who knows how to speak Mandarin, also, it is somewhat offensive for Chinese readers like me to detect the incongruity in the speech bubbles of the Chinese characters depicted in his book. Delisle, to his convenience, chose to inscribe nonsensically-pieced words picked from god-knows-what passages that absolutely make no meaning at all, at least to readers who knows Chinese. To English and other foreign readers, this is an otherwise trivial note, and one which adds to the obliviousness of Delisle's experience in China and his blatant disregard for the Chinese audience and language.

In short, "Shenzhen" offers a fresh but limited perspective of life as a foreigner in China. For this reason, along with an identical price tag to the successful book "Pyongyang", I had expected more from Delisle, and was highly disappointed in the end. I hope his latest work "Burma Chronicles" does more, like "Pyongyang", to reveal more interesting facets of life and culture under authoritative regimes, and not fall into the trap of bemoaning about his boredom or alienation, or detail flippant activities and non-enticing monologues.

SHENZHEN, animator Guy Delisle's follow-up to the wonderful PYONGYANG, is an enjoyable and quick read about a city probably quite unfamiliar to many in the West. Shenzhen China is one of a number of free enterprise zones set up by the Chinese government and Delisle's three month stint there provides us a glimpse into local customs, the Chinese mentality and, most noteworthy in this book, the culture shock and isolation that this can produce.

There is a big issue right off the bat with SHENZHEN. No doubt many were first introduced to Delisle through PYONGYANG and, the fact is, Shenzhen China simply is not as interesting a place. Pyongyang, after all, is the capital city of the most psychotic and paranoid regime on the planet, where propoganda about the country's leader is a constant companion. There is nothing similar in Shenzhen and, indeed, the single biggest feeling of the book is isolation and boredom. Although the reader can appreciate those feelings through Delisle's writing and drawings, it produces a far different, and less interesting book.

Let us keep in mind, though, that this is a graphic novel. It is not like one needs the same amount of time to get through it as, say, WAR AND PEACE. The book is light-hearted, interesting (even if less so than his previous book) and provides Westerners a quick snapshot into a foreign culture that most of us will not experience firsthand. Is SHENZHEN worth the time one will actually expend on the book? Sure.

I first came to Shenzhen a year or two after Delisle spent his three months in the city, and I have been here since. Mr. Delisle should have gotten out a bit more and tried to get to know more expats at least, although understandable because his time was limited. There's no reason for a dull moment here. Nevertheless, many of his observations were spot on and made me chuckle about how things were and how some are still the same. The physical city has changed and it is so much easier to live a life with the comforts expats expect. Likewise, the outlook of the people here is much more cosmopolitan than before--although there are still many moments of cultural disjunction.

The inherent story of Shenzhen isn't as compelling as his book on Pyongyang, but Delisle has found plenty of observations that keep the book flowing fast. It's great snapshot of a city in the midst of a huge transformation. (BTW, that 15 story windowless building you saw once, but never saw again. It's a parking structure that is still around.)

Guy Delisle's book is a great example of a graphic novel, though this being nonfiction is not really a novel, that is able, or rather requires, the drawings to capture the atmosphere of his life in China. Set in Shenzhen, a city that is primarily a mega-industrial park, Delisle is on a short term international assignment to oversee a company doing animation for a French tv show. Through a sparse, yet entertaining story line, and dark, almost smoggy illustrations, he is able to capture the alienation and isolation of a Westerner's expat life in this grim city. Furthermore, the lack of available distractions are highlighted by one weekend trip to Hong Kong. This book is an entertaining read, and for anyone who has lived abroad for even a short time, it is enough to make you give thanks you did not have to live/work in Shenzhen.

As someone who loves graphic novels and who has traveled widely in Asia, I wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, the vignettes lack feeling or meaning let alone structure to tie them together--I suppose a comment on Delisle's experience overall in the country--and so at one point, I was flipping the pages to figure out how much longer until the end.

I am giving him one star for the consistent tone of his stories. He certainly conveys well his isolation and the surreal (to him) experiences of an extended stay in an industrial city in China. Since it's an autobiographical travelogue, I won't attempt to separate the author's intentions from the character in the book. So, more stars would have gone to someone who tried to see the many encounters from his Chinese colleagues' points of view.

Another star goes to the soft shadings of his panels. There are some wonderful scenes, like the candles in the gym. To be honest, I wish I could give him only half of star for the drawings, since after a while, the slanted eyes and buckteeth do become tired, if not downright annoying.

Delisle is one of those travelers who eats at the same place over and over, and even orders the same dish over and over. Many of the stories reek of condescension, fear or that amusement that comes from thinking "they are so strange and different." It's sad, actually. For example, after three months in China, he admits that he only begins to get to know his translator half an hour before he leaves the country.

In a few stories, outright stereotypes fuel the images and the dialogue. If it's intentional, this depiction of an unhappy, displaced individual with seemingly no amount of curiosity or compassion could be taken as a statement on Westerners' attitudes about China and its workers.

If you prefer the company of expats when you travel, this book will resonate with you. If you at least attempt to make connections with people in your host country, then this book is a delightful guide that shows how NOT to travel.

I agree with reviewers who think there is a lot of stereotyping going on in this graphic novel. The book is more a demonstration of a serious clash of cultures and things not meeting the author's expectations (based on the things he is used to through living in France and Canada) rather than a story with any deep insights into life in Shenzhen or even broadly about Chinese culture. I can see how suddenly landing up in a foreign city, especially one that due to its language, food, and other constraints is difficult to adjust to, can be a rude introduction to a Westerner and can be shocking at times; especially when it comes to food, concept of individual space, cleanliness, etc.

That said...it gets 3 stars still as I think it is worth a read and worth even a chuckle or two... but definitely do not read this as an introduction to China or its culture! Note that I am not saying that anything Guy said is false. It might be a 100% perfect reflection of how life goes on in the city but the problem I had was with the sarcasm (covert mostly but sometimes not so tacit) inherent in the way he deals with these surprises. Also, not to say I wouldn't be pained or hassled by some of these aspects that trouble him myself -- in fact, he is quite enterprising in trying some of the more exotic foods, etc.

Deslisle spent three months in southern China working for an animation company. During that time, he ate at some of the same places over and over, didn't learn any Chinese, and took one sight-seeing trip to Hong Kong. While Shenzhen isn't the easiest place for a foreigner to fit in, Delisle doesn't make much effort to learn the culture and frequently laments that he's "bored." If you've been to China, though, you'll laugh with recognition at many of his observations. As the lead character in this autobiographical work, he's a bit too passive to be engaging unfortunately.

Guy Delisle is a gifted artist and animator, but the artwork in "Shenzhen" is not as clean as one would hope for. It's rendered with a chalk or pastel, and can sometimes be unclear. It works, though, because it reflects the confusion and uncertainty that he feels in China.

At the end of the day, three months (or 150 pages of a comic book) is a brief and unsatisfying look at a country as complex as China. I would recommend this to travelers who have been to China, but there are more in-depth looks at the country for those unfamiliar with it.

It's a little smaller and more roughly drawn but you'll still get the same "flavor" of Guy DeLisle's perspective. Obviously, he sees a China different from that of a farmer, laborer, or state bureaucrat so there's still insulation from all the human rights abuses but what you do get is a picture of life in a big up-and-coming industrial city.

If you want a little taste of life as a tourist or a business visitor, this is a good start especially considering the pictures. There is some of the usual analysis you've come to expect but not to the extent in his other works.

Its not bad, but not his best either

I'm no expert, but it feels hurried - the illustrations, narration was ok though