Peter Hessler

So, I got this book as the May 2019 Book of the Month. I chose this book because I've always been interested in Egyptian history. When I received this book, I was honestly surprised because it's thick as fuck, so it was really intimidating with its 430 pages over 27 chapters - the acknowledgments and such at the back amount to 480 total pages.

Now, I'm interested in History, but I find it very hard for me to read history. Most history books are honestly just so boring to me and it's a struggle for me to make it through the text. Most people just lay down the facts and that's it, they don't add their own personal flair or personality to it so it's hella boring.

Peter is different, though. He doesn't just write down history and leave it be, he writes down what happened but he puts emotion into it - it feels like you were there with him, experiencing what he did. Maybe it's because he was there experiencing it, so he can tell the story from his own perspective and personal experience. Which is another thing, it's history but it isn't ancient history, it's recent history that happened throughout the 2000s.

I honestly admire him and his wife. They went there to observe and document, but they can control themselves, even in the presence of something that seems wrong. I can honestly respect that because I don't think I would be able to hold my tongue with the way most of the men treat women but I also understand that that's their culture, it's how it's always been and even though I think it's wrong, it would also be wrong for me to go and disrespect them for doing what their culture deems to be right.

Even if they disagree, Peter and his wife are there to observe. There are a few occasions where they give advice to their friends but overall, they keep their opinions to themself.

I also admire the women in Egypt. Not only do they have to deal with some serious oppression by the men, but they also have to dress conservatively even in the blazing sun. It's 110 degrees in the summer and these women are dressed head to toe in thick clothing. Like, I get that it's their culture and all, but... how?? It's only like 85 here, I'm sitting in the shade with shorts and a t-shirt and I'm nearly dead okay

"He explained that in detention one of the tramadol dealers had told him about an American chemical product with special powers. If a man sprayed himself with this special American product, he became sexually irresistible."

I fucking read that paragraph in the book and nearly DIED. Was he talking about axe body spray?? Like those ads for the chocolate body spray where he sprays himself and then all of the women are all over him. I literally died laughing.

When I finally finished this book, it left me feeling speechless. Honestly, it was such a relief when I only had two chapters left because of how damn long this book is. I usually avoid nonfiction and history because of their length and how boring they are, but Peter has something special in the way he retells everyone's story.

I feel like I experienced a small part of what he went through and I'm so thankful that he was willing to record the story of their everyday lives. I've never met them, and probably never will, but I feel impacted by these amazing people.

Manu. Sayyid, Wahiba, and their beautiful children. Rifaat and his brother Raafat.

I feel connected to them and their story, and I only want the best for them. I'm so happy that Manu was able to accept himself, and that Sayyid and Wahiba were able to find middle ground. I feel so sorry for Raafat and what happened to his brother. They're all such wonderful people who have all gone through so much hell, as has the country that they call home.

This is my first real experience with Egyptian history, despite my interest, so I'm honestly a bit shocked by it all - learning that such oppression of women and homosexuals is so strong in such recent years. I really hope that things change for the better. I hope that women can more rights and that gays can live without fear of being beaten or arrested.

I hope they can work through their issues and come out stronger as a country. Egypt is rich with history, and I'd hate to see it collapse.

I feel like I learned a lot while reading this book, about the history of the recent revolution and the people that live there. I'm glad I took a chance on this book, and I encourage others to do the same.… (más)

I’ve never been to China. After reading the first book in Peter Hessler’s trilogy that chronicles his experiences as an American living in China on the cusp of the 21st century, I now understand that China is so massive geographically that there is no one China. A common history binds the culture, but the social conventions and language can differ depending on where you are.

River Town is about the two years Hessler taught English in Fuling, a remote city in Sichuan in the mountainous center of the nation. As part of the earliest cadre of Peace Corps volunteers to enter China in the 1990s, Hessler was assigned to a small teacher’s college. Most of his students were peasants’ children, and the opportunity to teach school was an honorable advancement for them.

The students were diligent and well-behaved, but Hessler and his fellow volunteer, Adam, made plenty of missteps inside and outside the classroom. The pair learn the local Chinese dialect, make friends in town, and feel like they belong there. But unfolding events prove their confidence and comfort are premature.

I enjoyed this peek into Chinese society in the 1990s. With the newly opened economy, the country only recently allowed outside influences in, and the clash between the cultures was very real. But so was the humanity both sides displayed.

Hessler covers too much ground to examine in a short review. He was there while the nation built the Three Gorges Dam and lamented the imminent loss of the area’s beautiful landscapes. But he celebrates the kindnesses and honesty of the residents while denigrating the government propaganda that kept them under control. River Town is a wonderful book for anyone who genuinely enjoys a “slice of life” look at a particular place and time.… (más)