When I entered the Early Reviewer for this book I was tempted by the text on the back cover.
Of course I was interested in the average life of the average Chinese.

The first time I started reading this book, I was put off by the first chaper and decided to put it aside for (much) later reading.
Well, that 'later' has now come.

Still the same dislike of the first chapter and of the general contents of the book. I was expecting an account of every day life in China, but what I read ware rephrased interviews with high(er) ranking Chinese, accounts of bridge games. I have no idea how to play, so I even skipped a few pages in these chapters.

The chapter I liked best was The Re-Taking of Hong Kong, where photographs finally showed some ordinary people and made comparispn possible between old and new, then and now.

I had expected more of this book. ( )

The blurb on the back of My Private China started by asking the question ‘What do normal people in China look forward to when they get up in the morning?’ and finished by describing the book as providing ‘indispensable cultural information for anyone interested in the People’s Republic in the 21st century.’ Having seen that, which I think was the same blurb used on LT’s Early Reviewers, I was hoping for a book that would talk about everyday life in China in the last few years.

However, most of the chapters, which amount to essays and letters by the author, who in his 70 plus years has lived in Hong Kong, Shanghai and the USA, seem to be set in the 1990s. There are also quite a few chapters that relate to playing bridge, which although interesting for his interactions with his fellow players were rather boring overall for someone with no interest in the game.

Having said that, the pieces were well written and I found a few of the chapters (e.g. the ones concerning missionaries in China and on the Great Wall) rather more interesting. It was also fascinating, in the chapter The Re-taking of Hong Kong’, to see photos of the city in the 1950s and 1990s from more or less the same viewpoint. ( )

A collection of articles and musings about China and Hong Kong written over a number of years. I was born in HK and later worked in China, so the book had particular resonance for me. It does jump about, but for people with knowledge of China or Hong Kong and their history would not be put off by this. I liked the mix of topics- history to literature, racism to politics, well-written and informative.

It's a while since I have played Bridge, so the sections with detailed Bridge notes didn't grab my attention. ( )

There are some interesting bits in here, interspersed with accounts of bridge tournaments and a few poems. My main complaint about this book is that it collects disparate writings - but without any real theme to pull them together or introductions to provide some context. So you read through a story about a news anchor -- and only afterwards get a note that details had been changed to protect the anchor's identity. Other arguments -- such as a rant about racism against Chinese-Americans-- seem dated. But without the context of the date, they can't be appreciated as points in an evolving identity. A few of the sections, such as an account of the lack of Hong Kong support for literature are interesting -- but again, so many years after the return of Hong Kong to China, seem dated. ( )

The blurb for this book gave me high expectations but in truth these were largely unfulfilled. I found the writing style often difficult to read, sometimes needing a second reading of passages, and although a collection of essays, political and social commentaries, I found little warmth or personality emanating from the pages.

Perhaps the most enduring insight comes from descriptions of American evangelists residing in China for whom a blissful chaos blights their existence, being 'used' by both American and Chinese interests.
Another worthwhile segment is in describing outings to the Great Wall and observing tourists oblivious to the true meaning of the edifice being a means of separation and difference which to a large extent still exists.

The bulk of the book deals with the passing of Hong Kong from Britain to China, from pre and post event perspectives, and the emergence of the Chinese nouveau riche, with some over the top yet familiar characterisation.
Too many pages of the book are taken up with blow by blow descriptions of many bridge matches in which the author was a passionate and sometimes dispassionate participant, which left me cold and trying but failing to have a clue what was going on, though it is necessary to read them as there are occasional gems of wry observation in the gamesmanship, one-upmanship and even deferential behaviour.

Most disappointing, though perhaps understandable given the author's ongoing activities being welcome and at home in both USA and China, is whilst describing the changing political affiliations and being in or out of favour, he does not nail his own colours to any mast and appears reticent to criticise the government's repressive and murderous 1989 actions and especially cynical in his apparent willingness to believe in a 'tank man' conspiracy theory. Perhaps though I misread, misunderstood, or missed some subtleties, some reverse psychology.

Overall I was a little underwhelmed with My Private China, though very grateful to receive it as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer win and it is a beautifully bound book. ( )