To Live Audiobook by Yu Hua, Michael Berry

Title: To Live
Subtitle: A Novel
Author: Yu Hua, Michael Berry
Narrator: David Shih
Format: Unabridged
Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
Language: English
Release date: 08-29-17
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes
Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:
From the author of Brothers and China in Ten Words: this celebrated contemporary classic of Chinese literature was also adapted for film by Zhang Yimou.
This searing novel, originally banned in China but later named one of that nation's most influential books, portrays one man's transformation from the spoiled son of a landlord to a kindhearted peasant. After squandering his family's fortune in gambling dens and brothels, the young, deeply penitent Fugui settles down to do the honest work of a farmer. Forced by the Nationalist Army to leave behind his family, he witnesses the horrors and privations of the Civil War, only to return years later to face a string of hardships brought on by the ravages of the Cultural Revolution. Left with an ox as the companion of his final years, Fugui stands as a model of gritty authenticity, buoyed by his appreciation for life in this narrative of humbling power.

Critic Reviews:
"This engaging story is one that readers won't soon forget." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:
GREAT BOOK! I do not like to read novels
GREAT BOOK! I do not like to read novels, especially when I have to read one novel every 3 days for a class, but To Live was very easy to read and I sacrificed sleep to keep reading it. Wonderfully written with comedic reliefs throughout. Loved the little jabs at communism throughout

One man's hard yet resilient life
Almost unbelievable job of taking the reader into the life of a common man in China when the country was undergoing drastic change. Fugui begins life as a privileged son but his life evolves into one of hardship and sorrow interspersed with tiny drops of hope and joy. The ability of the author to depict the everyday life of the Chinese peasant in the countryside is extraordinary. Despite a different time period, there is some similarity to "The Good Earth" by Pearl Buck, but with Fugui as the narrator the story becomes even more personal.
I must admit I had a bit of trouble getting into the book and felt the wording or phrasing seemed awkward in places. The format of Fugui telling his life story to a man collecting popular folk songs seemed strained. Once into Fugui's story, I was totally immersed into his life. Only once or twice does the listener (the folk song collector) interfere and then it seems so appropriate allowing the reader to see Fugui as another would see him: "the old man's dark face smiling in the sunlight was quite moving. The wrinkles on his face moved about happily." The happiness on Fugui's face tells so much after the reader has heard his life story. In short, this is a look at a man who accepts the life that was handed him; there is no whining, no second guessing, none of our Western world's internal angst and second guessing. It's a good book and one that should be read.

Worth reading
This book gives a realistic portrayal of life during the establishment of the People's Republic of China, 1950's famine, and the Cultural Revolution. lt shows the unfairness of life for many people during this time. The book shows one man's determination to continue to live in spite of the devastating events that occur to him and his family. Although it is fiction, it is based on facts.