Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language Kindle Edition

For me, who expected, according to the marketing PR, much more, this was a shallow, useless book that is about this rich woman's idea that the cuteness she found in China is, in fact, Chinese culture. It is not. Not by a long shot. All one learns from this book is how very shallow the author is, from the get-go: Wo ai ni. Chapter One. The Chinese do NOT say this, even though the translation is "I love you." The Chinese say something different. Chapter two, bu yao, furthers her misconceptions. I expected far more from the PR/marketing. What a disappointment.

This is the kind of book I want to read right now! It's a perfect accompaniment to living in China and trying to learn Chinese.

The author Deborah Fallows -A PhD in Linguistics- spends 3 years in China learning Chinese. It is a series of stories about her experiences connected to different words and concepts of the Chinese people and their language. She does not write like a PhD in this book. She writes like a normal person (who you can tell is quite knowledgeable) in a very accessible manner. I look forward to reading it again, or at least glancing over it again. There are many things I related with and many 'aha' moments reading this book.

One frustrating thing that is so common in China is when you can't understand something they are saying, a lot of times the chinese will pull out a pen and paper and write the characters down for you. As if I was even close to being able to read those characters! ...But! that is the great strength of the Chinese language! it is like our roman numbers, if you go to israel they will see "1" and say "ehad" and in Spain they will say "uno" the US says "one" but we all understand it's written meaning. The same is true with Chinese and the myriad of languages found in China. You can write anything down and if they can read they should be able to understand- this even extends to a certain extent into Japanese (correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I understood). I had this suspicion about the language but Fallows confirmed it!

I gave it 4 stars because for some reason it didn't quite absolutely grab me in a compelling manner. Still though, I would highly recommend this over the previous book I read on China (Lost on Planet China). I am looking forward to reading another like it. Or even reading this one again. I'm sure as I spend more time with the language and the people more of these stories will become real to me!

As I am writing this, I am aware that at least 48 folks reviewed this before me...well covering the various features, themes, problems, and / or points of contention for Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language by Deborah Fallows. Their words and the book's own title inspired me to try it! :) I am so glad that I did. So, now I'll add my own voice to the mix. I encourage others to examine the book's Amazon page and reviews to see if this book appeals to them too! For me, this book provides a satisfying, unique insight into Chinese culture through the eyes of someone who actually put feet on ground in the country and observed the everyday people with keen, penetrating eyes...the eyes of someone who looks beyond the normal Western tourist views into something far deeper. lasting, and important. The content structure of the book is part of its charm. Progressing through each chapter, the reader encounters bits of Chinese language (Characters and Pinyin) which are connected to larger concepts and themes. Pictures are sprinkled throughout the book to add a bit of flavor to topics being discussed. The book includes a Pronunciation Guide for the Chinese words in each chapter, which is helpful, giving the reader an approximate sense of how the language sounds. There is also a quick question and answer section with Deborah Fallows at the back of the book--allowing the reader to explore the author's inspirations and thoughts about the book and China. (I wish this part had been longer and more detailed!)

What I Like-->Favorite Passages & Concepts from the Book:

The Beijing expression "Walk Slowly" / màn z'u offered as a "goodbye" (Pages 32-33). / I was not aware of this bit of culture before this book, and I enjoyed learning about it. Item note: IMdb lists a cultural exploration movie called Man Zou: Beijing to Shanghai, and I am interested in watching it as a result of reading this book. The DVD appears to be available for purchase on Amazon! :)

Quotable Quote: "It is difficult to avoid a crowd in a country of 1.3 billion people" (Page 63). I just found that to be an amusing comment. Of course, I know the country has a huge population, but I never thought about what it might be like to live, to study, to survive there on a day to day basis.

Quotable Quote: "With the one-child policy, which began in 1980, Wang Ming Yuan's will be the last generation where it is normal to have siblings. Her children will have cousins, but her children's children probably won't" (Page 81). / I knew about this policy, but I had never thought what it might mean beyond a simple family unit...for the country and people as a whole.

Quotable Quote: "...my language teachers all taught us to think of Chinese as moving the focus from big to small: addresses telescope in from country, to city, to street, to number, to apartment. Personal names are ordered to start big with the family name and end small with the personal name. Dates are referenced from year to month to day" (Page 93)./ I find this to be a true, defining statement of China's culture, history, philosophy, etc as I've studied it to date from my beginner's point of view. I also believe that this will help me with my own learning of the Chinese language.

The Chinese concept of balance / opposing forces--yin yang--is expanded in this book to introduce useful compound words from Chinese (Pages 119-122). / Language shapes people's thinking and expression, so this chapter offers some insights into the Chinese mind.

For some readers, especially those who have in-depth knowledge of Chinese or Mandarin, this book will seem simple, light on content, perhaps, even stating what is obvious. For beginners like me, though, this is a great collection of thought-provoking experiences, even if the author may use poetic license in certain areas as some have suggested. Deborah Fallows is the storyteller, and this is HER personal narrative. The reader is looking at Chinese and China through her lens. I accept her story, her narrative as is. The book, in my opinion, is actually more about observation and appreciation rather than a hard and fast Mandarin 101. It's an appetizer that prepares one for the main dishes. :) The book prompts me to search out other personal narratives about China...to travel more paths in this fascinating genre.

If you want a personal, beginning commentary of Chinese culture, read this book. If you plan to travel to China, read this book. If you enjoy personal narratives that offer cultural nuggets and insights, read this book. If, however, you are looking for a strict, academic analysis of the language or people, look for another book. If you are wanting a formal beginning in Mandarin, look for another book or other materials.

Overall, I am well-pleased with this book, and I find myself re-reading parts of it, especially where Chinese vocabulary words are introduced and discussed. I believe it would make an interesting supplemental text to a Chinese culture and / or informal language class.