- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition edition (7 Oct 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007124503
- ISBN-13: 978-0007124503
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
48,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7 in Books > Biography > Social & Health Issues > Cultural History > Chinese
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"The journey she takes us on... is fascinating, proving that stories are everywhere, even in the humble proverb.'--Ireland on Sunday
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
The author of the international bestsellers Watching the Tree and Falling Leaves has always been fascinated by proverbs and their importance and use in China. Both her book titles are based on such proverbs.
The majority of Chinese proverbs are drawn from the 1st century, when the First Emperor of all China established his leadership over the whole country and its warring kingdoms. In ancient China, a scholar's conversation would be studded with appropriate sayings, and a man's status in society would be defined by his use and knowledge of proverbs. In modern China, much of this is still true, and proverbs are used daily.
Adeline Yen Mah introduces us to the whole rich picture of the first century BC when after the long wars between states, China was finally united and the richness of the literature and art could flourish. She portrays the leaders, the plots and the counter-revolutions with great vividness and liveliness so that even those ignorant of Chinese history become absorbed. And as in all her other books, she relates the historical episodes and the proverbs derived from these to experiences in her own life.
One of the major expressions of this age was of course the First Emperor's tomb with its terracotta soldiers, of horses and carriages and the stones of the building. The re-finding of this monument – now open to us all – and Adeline Yen Mah's own experiences there, are extraordinary.
A Thousand Pieces of Gold, following Watching the Tree and Falling Leaves, is a personal account by a much loved author, but it is also a lively history of the fascinating period of civilisation when Europe was barely out of the stone age.
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First Sentence
When I was thirteen years old, my parents told me that I was to leave school at fourteen and get a job because they no longer wished to pay for my education. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
When I was thirteen years old, my parents told me that I was to leave school at fourteen and get a job because they no longer wished to pay for my education. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Adeline Yen Mah, author of "Falling Leaves", has written this book primarily to teach people about the origin and meaning of Chinese proverbs and thus let us gain an insight into "the way the Chinese think". She does this through telling us the history of the first Emperor of China and the subsequent bloodletting and struggles of the Qin and Han dynasties from when many Chinese proverbs and life wisdom have their origins.
The text alternates between telling this history to then applying the proverbs to anecdotes and memories from her own childhood and family antagonisms, which readers of her first book will be familiar with.
Despite the historical focus of the book, in actual fact I found her personal stories much more accessible and interesting to read and felt that she did not have quite the same gift for telling Chinese history than she does have for telling her own personal story. Having said this, I think it is a book I will definitely need to read twice to properly understand the history but perhaps that is down to my own ignorance rather than the style.
The historical accounts were interesting but I did find it difficult to follow all the characters and to be aware of who was who.As an aid for newcomers to ancient Chinese history, the book could have included pictures of the people she was referring to so that readers could visualise them and gain a clearer understanding.
All in all a very interesting concept for a book and I praise Adeline Yen Mah for tackling Ancient Chinese history which I think more Westerners should know about. The proverbs she chose succeeded in giving me a good idea of how people think and use them in everyday life.
Chinese history is a fascinating area and she attempted to bring it alive in a very interesting way. I look forward to her next book.
The text alternates between telling this history to then applying the proverbs to anecdotes and memories from her own childhood and family antagonisms, which readers of her first book will be familiar with.
Despite the historical focus of the book, in actual fact I found her personal stories much more accessible and interesting to read and felt that she did not have quite the same gift for telling Chinese history than she does have for telling her own personal story. Having said this, I think it is a book I will definitely need to read twice to properly understand the history but perhaps that is down to my own ignorance rather than the style.
The historical accounts were interesting but I did find it difficult to follow all the characters and to be aware of who was who.As an aid for newcomers to ancient Chinese history, the book could have included pictures of the people she was referring to so that readers could visualise them and gain a clearer understanding.
All in all a very interesting concept for a book and I praise Adeline Yen Mah for tackling Ancient Chinese history which I think more Westerners should know about. The proverbs she chose succeeded in giving me a good idea of how people think and use them in everyday life.
Chinese history is a fascinating area and she attempted to bring it alive in a very interesting way. I look forward to her next book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The books really moved me. I cried with her and felt like I was sharing her sorrow. Adeline Yen Mah is a talented author and I love her books. She makes you feel like you are that unwanted girl. I recommened this book to everyone it is a book that you will cherish forever.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Adeline Yen Mah succeeds in weaving a fascinating period of history with her own, more modern personal experiences through the incorporation of ancient Chinese proverbs that are equally applicable to life now.
By using the time of the First Emperors of China as a backdrop to the events in her own life, the reader is introduced to a time long ago, whilst at the same time forever focussed on the present. This is perhaps one of the most important features of a book that could easily go unnoticed by many, throughout the reading the reader will find themselves stumbling across proverbs written over two thousand years ago that carry some meaning to their own lives. They will recognise character traits of long dead personalities that are still tied to basic human nature. Reflecting on the book after reading, I have to ask myself, if these proverbs are still applicable hundreds of years on from their inception, in a culture so very different from China BC, have we, as a race, really evolved or changed that much?
Aside from the bigger questions that the book may lead to, at the same time it provides a wonderful introduction to a period of history, that the western world is perhaps not as familiar with as it could be. With this in mind I would recommend it to anyone who may be interested in learning about ancient China.
The book is informative, whilst at the same time inspirational. We are, after all, at heart, "Little Sparrows with Dreams of Swans".
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Interesting historical perspective
As the student of Chinese is aware, the language is full of idioms and sayings drawn from history. Adeline Yen Mah weaves these into what would otherwise be an ordinary account of... Read more
Published on 9 April 2010 by Damob
History and personal account
This is a book worth reading if you do not much background to Chinese history. However the mixture of personal accounts with history seems not to have done much justice to the... Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2003 by Simone Collins
History is written by the winner
For one who has not much background on Chineses History, one would agree that this does give an insight into Chinese History. Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2003 by Simone Collins
A invaluable introduction to chinese history
Adeline yen mah, well known for her previous releases falling leaves and watching the tree, has within this book produced the best and most digestable introduction into acient... Read more
Published on 2 Aug 2003 by Mr. J. P. M. Wright
A wonderful read
This book is a wonderful mix of ancient chinese history and wonderful story telling, making it an incredibly interesting and easy book to read. Read more
Published on 24 April 2003 by K. Heafield
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