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| Plot Summary of The Drink and Dream Teahouse |
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"THE DRINK AND DREAM TEAHOUSE
Little Brown, Oct 2001, 23.95, 360 pp.
ISBN: 0316824003
In Shaoyang, China the generation gaps between family members is as wide as the Great Wall. Differences between the outlooks of three age groups can be seen everywhere in the city as heritage and custom war with the encroachment of modernization. The geriatric set still dreams of a return to the "glory" days of Chiang. The “baby boomers" cherish the memories of the ideals of Maoism. While the Gen X and Y crowd employ western style economics.
Da Shan renounced his parents beliefs in communism as he adopts quite nicely to the free market before returning home a wealthy businessman even as his hometown's factory closes. His deserted girlfriend Liu Bei supports their son through another western economic system, prostitution. Meanwhile another young woman Peach sees Da Shan as a means of escape even as she spends time with a peasant. The future is confusing for everyone as seniors, middle age, and the young skirmish for control of twenty-first century China.
THE DRINK AND DREAM TEAHOUSE is an insightful look at modern day China through three generations of several families. The story line uses wit and humor to ease the austere outlook that each age group feels betrayed by what they most cherish. The characters are the key to this novel as the ensemble cast brings home a vivid disparity within a complex story line worth reading by those interested in an engaging look at an awakening giant.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Drink and Dream Teahouse |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story
- 1980's-1999
Romance/Romance Problems
Yes
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Inside culture (main char)
- Chinese
Other aspects:
- story of the poor
- story of "the rich"
Internal struggle/realization?
Yes
Struggle over
- vague finding self/purpose in life (i.e. no plot to book)
Culture clash?
- family young v. old guard
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Outside culture (society)
- Chinese
Ethnic/regional/gender life
Yes
Parents/lack of parents problem?
- rebelling against parent's expectations
Woman's story?
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- business executive
Age:
- 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Chinese
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- none
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 4 (a fair amount)
Asia/Pacific
Yes
Asian country:
- China
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Unusual Style:
- a lot of stream of consciousness
- No single main character?
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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