China is indeed currently undergoing the largest, fastest modernization and transformation of a major country in human history. The scale of change in all areas (buildings, infrastructure, geography, economics, social, cultural) is vast. Yet the current transformation is but one in a series of major historical changes in the past century, as China has gone from empirical rule through civil war to the expulsion of foreign colonial influences, to the excesses of communism including the Cultural Revolution, to the current transformation, officially called "Reform and Opening".

What does this change look like on the "ground level" of average Chinese citizens, and how do they feel about it? What tensions and conflicts arise as the Chinese people are forced to (again) change their attitudes, behaviors and values? What beliefs and practices persist through the change? What might all this change lead to for these people? These are the questions that interest Peter Hessler, and that he focuses on in "River Town".

After completing graduate studies, Hessler signs up for a two year stint in the Peace Corps, and is assigned to teach English literature to Chinese teachers-in-training at a college in a relatively small, out of the way Yangtze River city. "River Town" chronicles these two years of Hessler's life, as he explores the city, learns Mandarin, and tries to get to know as many different people as possible. I found "River Town" to be a fascinating book, as Hessler does a superb job of describing people's thoughts and actions, and putting them into the greater context of China's politics, culture and the ongoing transformation of the country. The stories Hessler includes are engaging and entertaining, and sometimes funny. Hessler has a real love for the Chinese people (although not for many aspects of the political system), and it shows in his writing.

I read Hessler's second China book ("Oracle Bones") first, and thoroughly enjoyed each. Although it is preferable to read the first book first, I don't feel I missed out on much by reading them in reverse order. If you only have the time or inclination to read one, I recommend "River Town" as the slightly better of the two, but both are highly enjoyable and educational.

I picked up this book whilst on a business trip in China. It tells the tale of a 26yr old American Graduate (Peter Hessler) heading to rural China for 2yrs to help teach English. His portrayal of China is beautiful, complex and fascinating. You learn a little of how the people are influenced by the communist regime, their lifestyles, attitudes to the western world and of course their inner beauty. You can almost inhale the Chinese environment as he navigates you from industrial China with it's bellowing smog to the natural beauty of the rugged landscapes. Where this book wins for me is it's portrayal of the Chinese people, warm, curious and captivating. If you have a passing interest in Chinese culture, then you should read this. A very easy and enjoyable read.

Reading this narrative, one feels a sense of both Mr. Hessler's sense of adverture and his eye for detail in all things. His sense of humor is crisp and dry. Having just returned from China myself, I can vouch for his extraordinarily accurate descriptions,even in spots where the armchair traveller would shake his head in disbelief. And I was immediately transported back to the Yangtze River--I could smell it, see it, and observe the uniquely Chinese character of everything around. His ability to capture the essence of Chinese personality and expression while avoiding stereotype is amazing. When I left, I thought that there was something, well, different about all Chinese, not a racial thing but a cultural and perhaps historical thing. But I could not really say what it was. Fortunately for me and for all readers who enjoy travel and cultural subjects, there is this book.

Peter Hessler is today a well known American correspondent and free lance journalist living in Beijing. He has written two books and many articles on modern China and can be defined ad an "Old China hand", an honorary title given to Chinese speaking foreigners who truly understand the country, which even in this era of globalization knows how to keep many of its secrets.
River Town was published in 2001, after a two year experience (1996-1998) as a Peace Corps English teacher in Sichuanese Fuling, a city on the Yangtze River that has since been transformed by the Three Gorges Dam activated in 2003.
The book is a Bildungsroman or better "Bildungsmemoir" centered on the relationship that builds up between a man and a country. Even though many other have lived through similar experiences, no one has attempted the same type of identification and empathic comprehension of the impacted culture or has shown the honesty of this Author. In some ways he reminds us of Hearn, the American who became Japanese in the Nineteenth Century.
Young Peter in over 400 pages goes through cultural shock, frustration of being seen as a "waigouren" (foreigner), true episodes of physical and verbal aggression, great satisfaction in his teaching experience of mostly peasant born college students, a moment of glory during a 4 km race and basically all his life experiences in two years. But the main characteristics that make this book such a joy to read are the Authors curiosity, honesty, irony, all signs of his great intelligence and the precise rendition of the sense of place and of the Chinese mentality in all its hues. The impression is that of living with a friend. However the book is also a travelogue and a socialogue because it goes into the geography, landscapes, historical sites and history of Sichuan, the Yangtze River and a few other places visited in China during the two years, together with the analysis of the rapidly transforming Chinese society. These aspects are very interesting and make the book especially valuable, since the Yangtze River region and population have changed from the activation of the Three Gorges Dam. This longstanding important landscape modifying project is explained and described in depth, evaluating the pro's and con's considering also the Fuling's inhabitants surprisingly calm and passive reaction to this epochal transformation. At one point Hessler visits the Water Crane Ridge an important Tang Dynasty monument and a landscape mark that today is completely underwater and in a few years will be destroyed by the river sediments.
Since other reviewers have inserted personal reasons for relating to the book. I want to communicate a very personal reason. Hessler tells of how his grandfather, then a Benedictine monk, went to Rome to study in the S. Anselm Abbey and he met a monk returning from China who inflamed his spirit with the wish of working there. Well I live right next to the Abbey and daily see monks from all over the world that carry stories of other countries.
Another episode that remains in my memory is when Hessler's visiting father speaks Latin (the last Century's pass partout language) with the Chinese priest and he is excluded from the conversation. There is a similar beautiful episode in Primo Levi's "The Truce" were the Author liberated from concentration camp after WWII, not knowing the language of the country he is traveling through can only communicate with a priest in Latin asking for something to eat.
Communication is a guideline of this beautiful book: English/Chinese, Chinese/English, Latin/Chinese, through the teaching of literature (do the Chinese identify or understand Hamlet? They don't. What if Robin Hood came to China? Redistribution of riches and justice is rather complicated.) and theatre (Shakespeare's plays re-enacted in China). The endless conversations, sitting in parks and in restaurants, striking up a discussion in trains and during trekking in the hills, relating life stories of the many people he met all build up the texture of the book. What comes through as we get to know Hessler is his determination, honesty and the satisfaction of his success in mastering the language.
I really loved this book and I recommend reading Hessler's other book "Oracle Bones" and his many articles that can be found on line (one of them on China's perspective on Tibet is really mind opening).

Hessler writes candidly about his experiences in China as if he were writing to a friend back home. His accounts of conversations between himself and the locals are priceless, both funny and sad. This book really brings to light the hardships of Chinese farmers and their children, who seek to escape their rural lives by getting an education and joining the Communist Party.

Hessler's self-deprecating tone and funny anecdotes about his cultural mishaps make this book entertaining and touching. I strongly recommend it for anyone who wants to visit China or is interested in learning more about what makes this complex society tick.

Interesting peek into Chinese life. Four stars because I left wishing for something a bit deeper. Highly recommended.

Hessler's writing is a joy to read. His dry wit reminded me, somehow, of Joseph Heller's Catch-22. Except that Hessler's irony is friendly and warm whereas Heller's brilliance was cynical and ruthless.

Hessler does an excellent job of providing details to a story that get you to feel what he was feeling, rather than trying to tell you how he was feeling. And his stories about having the same conversations over and over reminded me of my own travels abroad, and the split personality that one does develop as a not unpleasant coping mechanism.

In addition to superb, reflective writing, Hessler conveys the peculiarities of Sichuan life with an affectionate tone. I look forward to reading his "Oracle Bones".

If you're a fan of visual travel writing, in the style of Peter Mathiessen (The Snow Leopard), you'll probably enjoy this book very much, although the ground it covers is semi-urban China, rather than the wilds of Nepal. Hessler has an exceptional eye for detail and a strong ability to bring the reader into the sensory experience of China.

Others have already provided in-depth reasons as to why they rated this book five stars, but these are mine:

1. Hessler's work reads like a suspenseful novel; I couldn't put it down for several days and learned a good deal.
2. Hessler never comes off as remotely condescending toward the people of Fuling, which is unfortunately more than I can say about most authors of travelogues.
3. Hessler includes excerpts from his students' essays, letters, and newspapers that communicate more about Chinese culture than could any formal history book.

I am currently reading another of Hessler's books, Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present and recommend it to anyone who enjoys River Town or any historic nonfiction.

For anyone who's been tempted to respond to one of those ads to "teach English abroad," River Town offers an insightful window into the world of expat instructors--in this case to Chinese students. Peace Corp volunteer Peter Hessler trades his life as a Princeton grad, Oxford M.A., and disillusioned potential Ph.D. candidate, for a new life as "He Wei," an English language and literature teacher at Fuling Teachers' College in Sichuan province. For two years, between 1996 and 1998, Hessler lived and taught in Fuling, a city of 200,000, where locals could not recall having seen an American ever before and remembered seeing only one other foreigner since 1949. The vignettes Hessler creates from his encounters with a fascinating cast of characters were so evocative and enjoyable that I forced myself to read only two chapters a day in an effort to savor each moment with this tome.

Living in China presents challenges for all expats, but during his first year, Hessler felt the additional pressure of being held under a microscope by both his students and the town folk, to whom he seemed such a novelty. As a result, the author devises some interesting and effective strategies for both coping with the strains of his life in Fuling and for absorbing as many cultural nuances as possible. Through the sketches he presents, Hessler tries to answer the questions "what experiences lead up to one's ability to cope and succeed in a foreign environment," and "at what point do the benefits start to outweigh the challenges?"

One of the author's key strategies for both fitting in and for learning about local culture was to become fluent in Mandarin as quickly as possible. He also tried to pick up as much local dialect as possible. Mastering the language helped to ingratiate "He Wei"with his students, colleagues, and the town folk, but also unlocked the mysteries of Sichuan. As Ernest Hemingway lingered in bars, Hessler hung out in tea houses, soaking up local culture. He experienced some challenges from locals who either did not appreciate his presence or wanted to take advantage of him, but he never gave up trying to be accepted. Eventually, persistence paid off, and he developed a rapport with the local people and won the trust of many students.

One of the strategies that led to his success was Hessler's ability to laugh at himself and find humor in almost any situation--essential as an expat. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this book is Hessler's ability to look determinedly at the bright side. Hessler's observations on the differences between Americans and Chinese culture are also a highlight. Some of the most interesting parts of the book are when he presents student reactions to writing assignments and their adaptations and dramatizations of English literary texts. As a result, the book provides fascinating insights on many topics, such as history, money, jobs, family values, youth culture, education, and the economy. It is clear that this teacher learned as much from his students as they learned from him--or possibly more.

Even if you have no desire to teach or live in China, you will likely enjoy hearing about Hessler's "river town." This teacher deserves an A for the effort he made to truly experience and learn about the average Chinese life and for documenting his sharp observations in such entertaining detail.

I read very few books, but I just could not put this one down...I have studied Chinese - Mandarin for two years and I will be moving to China in May of this year for work...so with all of that in mind, I was anxious to learn more about the culture of China and to experience how an American was accepted into a smaller town in China. The humor and detail that he puts into his writing makes it very enjoyable to read...I would recommend this book to anyone interested in everyday life in China and how the history of the country plays into this.

Excerpts from this book first appeared in "The New Yorker". Their charm prompted me to buy the entire book (in hardback, yet!), and I was not disappointed. Hessler writes fluidly and charmingly about his experience in China, teaching English as a foreign language to Chinese students. An altogether beguiling book.

In similar vein, I highly recommend Mark Salzman's "Iron and Silk", a more idiosyncratic, but equally charming memoir.

Also Brad Leithauser's novel "Equal Distance", fictional, and set in Japan, rather than China, but equally evocative in its own way.

Here are a few of the many reasons to like River Town, Peter Hessler's account of the two years he spent as a Peace Corps volunteer in the city of Fuling, in Sichuan province in China. First, it's so honest. Hessler includes the good and the bad, including all of his mistakes and misunderstandings. In particular, I admire Hessler's unsparing account of the hostile crowd incident, which occurs just before he is about to leave Fuling. Then there's the artful way he interweaves observations about history, particularly the effects of the past (in particular, the Cultural Revolution) and the future (the construction of the Three Gorges dam). If you've ever spent any time living in a society very different from your own, you'll appreciate the way Hessler depicts the things that make him uncomfortable in Fuling (even though he becomes used to many of them): the constant honking of cars, the pollution, the way people stared at him or screamed "hah--looo" in his face, the obligatory drinking bouts. Most of all, however, there is his skill at characterizing the many people he meets; he has an eye for the detail that makes the people of Fuling seem as if you've met them too, even though you never will.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book that guides you through the experiences of life in a remote village in China from a American who is the first white person to live in their community.

Having lived in China and learned the language, I found this an engaging account with many insights. I was grateful not to find the exaggerations and distortions one often finds in China books jazzed up for Western readers. Well done.

This is probably the best nonfiction book that I have ever read. It is an excellent story about one man's time in China with the Peace Corps. I would highly advise anyone to read this.

Comments - This book was recommended reading prior to our joining a Tour
Group to Middle China. Very readable! A lot of information about Chinese
culture. We passsed Fuling on our Yangtze River Cruise. Hessler is a good
writer.

I had a personal reason for reading Peter Hessler's book as I had visited Fuling in 2005 to see the orphanage where my daughter had came from. With the completion of the super highway from Chongqing, Fuling was no longer the isolated town as Hessler experienced. As most of Fuling is to sink below the waters of the rising Yangtse, I appreciated reading about the town where my daughter was born and will put the book in her momento box.

Almost nine years to the day after young Peter Hessler first set foot in Fuling, I floated by that remote city on the first night of a three-day Yangtze river cruise. I stayed up until 2:30 a.m. in order to catch a glimpse of the place I had been reading about for the past two weeks; so involved had I become in Peter Hessler's story. Finally, a vague assemblage of lights appeared upon the shore and I gazed silently at the town as it gazed silently back. Then, as quickly as it had emerged, it melted into and inky and airless night. In China, as anywhere, you often pass by these middle-of-nowhere towns and think, "I wonder what goes on there." After reading RIVER TOWN - TWO YEARS ON THE YANGTZE, I had my answer.

Hessler's tale is a compelling one, and - it must be said - told from the heart. Essentially, he fell in love with living in Fuling, a rustic town in the equally rustic province of Sichuan. He found college teaching, learning Mandarin (and slurry Sichuanese), and exploring the city, the hilly terrain around it, and the country beyond, to be nothing short of exhilarating and his zest for discovery is infectious. Although Hessler elaborates on much of the oddness that is China, he seldom does so in a disparaging tone. Except for some obtuse administrators and the occasional hostile bumpkin he encounters, the author treats virtually everyone he meets with respect and empathy. He's even tolerant of his assigned Chinese teacher in spite of her rather obvious intolerance and borderline disdain for foreigners and their deparaved ways. On occasion, Hessler can be cutting, but it is subtle; tactful.

RIVER TOWN is a good read. Having taught ESL to Chinese students for nearly a decade I found the subject matter to be highly relatable. Many critics have commented favorably on the writing style, but to be candid I found it somewhat stilted. I would posit that it's the story itself along with the enthusiasm in which it is conveyed that make this a quality book. There are many books on China, but for anyone thinking of teaching there this is certainly a good one to start with.

Troy Parfitt, author of NOTES FROM THE OTHER CHINA - ADVENTURES IN ASIA

Notes from the Other China - Adventures in Asia

This is truly a classic. A wonderfully detailed close-up look at the real China. Peter Hessler is a master writer This is a book to be recommended to everyone.

"River Town" is not only an entertaining read but an educational one as well. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in China, travel, Peace Corps, or biographies. I was very impressed with Hessler's writing and I can't wait to read his new book "Oracle Bones"

I have been to China twice, the first being in 1989 -- right at the beginning of the era when Americans could visit most parts of China without being part of an organized tour. My wife made arrangements for us to fly to Guangzhou for two days, thence to Wuhan for two days, and from there a 1000-mile Yangtze river trip to Chongqing for two days (where there were already student demonstrations), ending up in Beijing for a week, our hotel being only a couple of blocks from the Tien An Men Square demonstrations, during which we were confined to our hotel. On that Yangtze trip, our river boat stopped at the little village of Fuling, allowing the passengers to roam there for a short while. Thus, when I happened across this book about that village, written by a Peace Corps volunteer, I could hardly wait to read it.

Author Peter Kessler, son of professors, is from my home State of Missouri. Being a writer was his High School dream, and he joined the Peace Corps in 1996 probably for the usual humanitarian and idealistic motives, having behind him a degree in English from Princeton followed by a Rhodes scholarship. So he was certainly well prepared to teach English literature in a small, out-of-the-way rural Teachers College for two years. The book relates his varied and extremely interesting experiences over the course of a year.

The Peace Corps gave Peter the basics of conversational Chinese, and he assiduously studies that language while teaching, assisted of course by his social intercourse with his students and with his Chinese colleagues. And his students were evidently equipped with about that same level of expertise with English. The stories that arise from the resulting linguistic "near-blind leading the near-blind" are very humorous, as you can imagine. The vignettes of life in China are insightful, humorous, credulous, and filled with his clear sense that he was doing what he wanted and thought useful. Accounts of his relationships with students and faculty are delicious.

I give this a rating of 5 despite the inability of the author to practice what he surely must have warned his students against in his assigned writing assignments: grammatical improprieties such as, "he can run faster than me" and "(they) speak better Chinese than me." There are English professors who label this comment picky and an impediment to creativity, and to them I plead guilty, though I think they are just plain wrong. Never mind, for otherwise the writing is fine.

The author has published a sequel to this book, Oracle Bones, and I will read it as soon as I can, partly because I want to learn what the title really means, but also because I want to read more by Peter Kessler, especially material about China.

Very well written. Enjoyable reading. Interesting look inside the small town feelings of the Chinese people. Looking forward to reading Peter Heller's next book Oracle Bones.

I originally purchased this book because of my interest in the Peace Corps. It is more than just an account of life as a Peace Corps volunteer, it is an account of life in modern rural China. I did find it a little slow moving but such is the life of a Peace Corps volunteer and it is a good read nonetheless. This is a great book for anyone interested in China or in travel writing.

This unique book is funny, meditative, and an easy read. Hessler loves China, and shares his frustration, concerns, and rewards as he teaches and lives among the everyday Chinese.

I find China very interesting, and am compelled to read about how the country is faring now that they have opened up and are becoming part of the international community. This book should be read by anyone interested in modern China.

China has not allowed companies such as Amazon, Yahoo, Google, Intel, and others, to do business inside China without conforming to certain guidelines. People inside China have been arrested as a result of info divulged over the Internet, and people outside China are censored for similar reasons.

I am trying to alert people to this phenomena, this started on Jung Chang's biography of Mao. I have been partially censored. I am no longer able to comment, and have had my rating taken away. Amazon, when I questioned them why, had nothing but a form letter reply. For some reason, though, I can still write reviews. Thus I am now saving all my reviews and keeping them on a Word Document, as I imagine it's only a matter of time before my reviews are eliminated.

Anyway, China lives under censorship, it's just too bad the global community does not make a stand.

Peter Hessler's memoir, "River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze" chronicled his stay in Fuling, a small area in the Sichuan province, as an English Literature teacher for the Peace Corp. He wrote about his students, his fellow teachers, the Chinese education system, and the political atmosphere in rural China in 1999. It was interesting to read about his Chinese students' perception of the United States, Shakespeare, and about him in general. Mostly, he wrote about his experience as a "waiguoren" (foreigner) in Fuling as it was rare for the locals to meet foreigners in the area.

This was a delightful read for me as Hessler's observations of rural China and the people were vividly described. It almost made me feel like I was there in Fuling with him. This was a part memoir, part travelogue and it was fascinating to read about the culture and the environment. It helped too that Hessler was in Fuling for a whole two years and he was able to see Fuling not just from the viewpoint of a foreigner but sort of a "local foreigner." This was certainly one of the best books I have read on China in a long time. I am looking forward to read his next book. Highly recommended!

I am in the process of planning a trip to China right now and am so thankful to have found this book. I feel a little more prepared for what I might face, and certainly more inspired to go and observe.

I am in the process of planning a trip to China right now and am so thankful to have found this book. I feel a little more prepared for what I might face, and certainly more inspired to go and observe.

One of the very best "creative non-fiction" books I've ever read. The author has an incredible grasp of language and story-telling. I would highly recommend this book as a way to explore a whole other culture through the eyes of a young person.

One of the very best "creative non-fiction" books I've ever read. The author has an incredible grasp of language and story-telling. I would highly recommend this book as a way to explore a whole other culture through the eyes of a young person.

A wonderful book that is unlike other books I've read about Chinese culture. This book is based on factual experiences that Peter went through during his 2 years in Fuling. There is a lot to gain by experiencing, through Peter's chapters, about the Chinese people, their past, and their future. This is not a fictional story, but a true life experience of what it is like for an American to move to China, overcome the language barriers, the culture barries, and learn to live with, work with, and and understand the Chinese.

A wonderful book that is unlike other books I've read about Chinese culture. This book is based on factual experiences that Peter went through during his 2 years in Fuling. There is a lot to gain by experiencing, through Peter's chapters, about the Chinese people, their past, and their future. This is not a fictional story, but a true life experience of what it is like for an American to move to China, overcome the language barriers, the culture barries, and learn to live with, work with, and and understand the Chinese.

Having lived in China myself, I found this account to be both accurate and touching. I have had some of the exact same conversations with Chinese people! This is a fantastic read for those who have either experienced China, or who probably will never have a chance to experience it and would like to know what it's like! Beautiful!

Having lived in China myself, I found this account to be both accurate and touching. I have had some of the exact same conversations with Chinese people! This is a fantastic read for those who have either experienced China, or who probably will never have a chance to experience it and would like to know what it's like! Beautiful!

As a college student currently studying Chinese culture and Mandarin Chinese, I found this book extremely interesting and well-written. It wasn't dry like many books I've attempted to read about China. Hessler writes very well: he does a good job engaging the reader and bringing emotion into his story. I have visited China once before, and I thought that Peter Hessler's view and description of it was very accurate. He admits his own biases, and really tries to see China and its culture from a fair point of view.

I am attempting to read another book by a different author about life in China as a "waiguoren," and, though interesting, it is not nearly as well-written. I am looking foward to reading Hessler's next book, Oracle Bones.

As a college student currently studying Chinese culture and Mandarin Chinese, I found this book extremely interesting and well-written. It wasn't dry like many books I've attempted to read about China. Hessler writes very well: he does a good job engaging the reader and bringing emotion into his story. I have visited China once before, and I thought that Peter Hessler's view and description of it was very accurate. He admits his own biases, and really tries to see China and its culture from a fair point of view.

I am attempting to read another book by a different author about life in China as a "waiguoren," and, though interesting, it is not nearly as well-written. I am looking foward to reading Hessler's next book, Oracle Bones.

Excellent and intertaining story of town in the way of being inundated by water behind the Three Gorges Dam. And, the experience of an American who volunteered to teach Chinese in a small college for teachers and their lives after graduation.

Whether you are an arm chair traveler, or you are actually planning a Yangtze River cruise, you will want to read this book. Peter Hessler makes sights and sounds and people come alive in his book about his two year Peace Corps assignment as an English teacher in the Yangtze River town of Fuling. On a recent cruise on the Yangtze River, we, who had read the book, gathered excitedly at the bow of the ship to catch a glimpse of the city we felt we had come to know. The river has begun rising in The Three Gorges since Hessler was there in the mid nineties. New buildings on higher ground have replaced old buildings. But because Hessler vividly communicates the intimate feeling of the back streets, stick soldiers, and noodle cafes, we realize that fundamentally little has changed.

Hessler is exceptionally good at reflecting on his social faux pas, his feelings of being different (in this backward area, they had barely seen a Caucasian before) and his efforts to teach English and learn Chinese in a politically and socially complex environment. We glean a richness and texture of life in China from his insights.

Enjoy this memoir as it mirrors to us a changing China.

I first stumbled across Peter Hessler's River Town about a year ago. At the time, a busy schedule prevented me from reading more than the first chapter or so. But I resolved to get through the book once I had the chance. Fortunately, this is one resolution I managed to keep. I enjoyed River Town and believe it achieves exactly what it aspires to do: record the life of an outsider living in a specific place in China during a specific, albeit brief, period of time.

More precisely, River Town is a two year record of the (often humorous) experiences and the insight of a Peace Corps volunteer in Sichuan province, central China from 1996-1998. It alternates between subjective chapters about Hessler and his experiences as one of the first foreigners to live in Fuling, a city on the Yangtze River, and self-contained, descriptive chapters about the Sichuan province and its people (including peasant farmers living outside Fuling, the city's Catholic priest, and detailed description of prominent natural landmarks). This format works well in defining time and place, but the chapters about Hessler's personal experiences are more interesting and form a majority of the book.

His narrative proceeds chronologically, beginning with the culture shock he experiences teaching ever-obedient students shaped by years of communist propaganda and "political meetings," to being mobbed by curious onlookers who have never seen Westerner in person, to dealing with chronic pollution-induced sickness, to embarking on his study of the Mandarin and Sichuanese dialects. Once he learns how to adapt to these obstacles and becomes proficient with the language, Hessler carves out a fascinating existence in Fuling. He befriends unlikely locals and begins to ponder his dual personalities: that of Peter Hessler, the Ivy-educated Westerner, and that of "Ho Wei" (Hessler's Sichuanese name), an often unaware outsider that has trouble speaking Chinese and earns a low salary. The opportunity to stride around Fuling as the clueless Ho Wei is one Hessler clearly relishes.

Occasionally I felt Hessler was being somewhat aloof in his descriptions of certain individuals and even Chinese/Sichuan mannerisms in general. And occasionally I felt like the things he said, while likely true, were extremely blunt and could have been written more sensitively (such as anecdotes about less studious or unpopular students). Then I realized almost no one he describes in the book will ever read it. Hessler is free to write candidly about first impressions, describe one of his students as a "loser," and generally comment on his life in Fuling without censoring his thoughts. This contributes enormously to the honesty of the book.

As I read the final pages of River Town, I realized just how engrossing Hessler's story had become. He describes his departure from Fuling after two years of nearly uninterrupted residency, and I realized he was leaving a life and friends he valued immensely. I have heard often readjustment after the Peace Corps is always more difficult than acclimation at the beginning of service. Now I feel I can better understand why. I couldn't help but feel a poignant sense of loss as the existence of Ho Wei drifted away from Fuling on the same boat as Hessler. In two short years he had lived a lifetime.

If you want to get an understanding of what life in China is like this is the perfect book. A very detailed book nicely written Would have given 5 stars if there had been pictures!

I started reading this book for my book club and before I started it, I was sure it would be one of those books I would struggle with and never finish. China has never been high on my list of interests, I've always been fairly apathetic about Asian history. But Peter Hesslers storytelling swept me up and managed to keep me engrossed enough not to want to put the book down. It also peaked an interest for me in the culture of another huge country on the other side of the world from me. I think it is a huge gift for a writer to open a reader's eyes to a new interest.

Wow, I lived and taught English in Sichuan for four years(2002-2006). If I had any talent as a writer this is the book I would have written about my experiences. After reading the book, I am able to much more clearly see the Chinese people and my life in China.Get this book if you have any interest in modern China. Great!

As a Chinese American, I was born in the remote city of Kunming,China and grew up my whole life in the West but have visited China every couple years or so. I absolutly LOVED reading this book because it was the most engaging and honest portrayal of life in that period. The stories he tells of the people are inseperable from the same people I know. Their ideas and stories were my families. It was such a revelation reading this from a waigoren who recounted ideas and mannerisms so dead on. I found myself many times shaking my head thinking, " I can't believe he caught that..."

Hilarious yet sensitive, I doubt I'll find another book about everyday life in China with this much insight. 5/5!!!

Perceptive, well written, funny. After living in China for over two years, I found Peter's book to be very insightful to the "Chinese Characteristics" of the Chinese people. Great story!

For anyone who wants to gain an understanding of the Chinese people, this is a good place to start. With unusual candor and insight (especially for someone in his twenties), Mr. Hessler uses anecdotes to relay his observations of Chinese life and perspective. An enjoyable read, both because it is well-written and because it is very interesting (and even humorous).

Romantic and poetic, Hessler sets the mood, and the book reveals itself slowly, so by the end the reader yearns for something that they can't quite grasp.

Set up with interlacing chapters about Hessler's day-to-day life and little vignettes about observations of Chinese life the book lays out an eyes-wide-open style of prose. For the most part this works except sometimes it seems like the author is putting together stories that he used to practice writing.

Although Hessler tries to be the humble Peace Corps volunteer his book smacks of elitism. It got a little pretentious when he said his parents sent him a travel article he wrote for The New York Times... And obviously his connections there with raving reviews let his book get much more exposure than should have been warranted.

The most incredulous thing actually was his adamant stance of not dating for the two years he spent there... that seems the most unbelievable since he is so poetic one would think that women would fawn over his love letters!

OAH (Old Asia Hand, 1968-date) says this is one of the best books on Asia and China ever written. Author does not intrude on the story, but we see and experience his personal development as he grows to understand the language, people and society and gains in personal maturity. It takes more than a 7-day package tour to know a country as the author conclusively proves. Well-written and thought-provoking; highest possible recommendation.

This book by Peter is far better than his other one. Very charming story indeed, and has a nice setting as well. But his knowledge of China is rather limited, especially in history, economy, and politics. He should just focus on telling stories, which would charm the readers even more. For more serious readers on current Chinese politics, society and eoconmy, I recommend: China's Global Reach: Markets, Multinationals, and Globalization by a brilliant Chinese commentator George Zhibin Gu, which offers vast insights on current China issues plus 40 case studies on Chinese and global multinationals.

I am reading Hessler's new Oracle Bones now, which could be an informative book about China for readers who are not yet well-acquainted with the country. However, I feel that River Town is the much more compelling book, in which the people and place of Fuling come alive much more than the people and place of Beijing do in Oracle Bones. I read an interview with Hessler where he says he wrote River Town in just a few months. It must have been a few really inspired months.

I have to say that River Town by Peter Hessler was one of the best travel books I have read in years. While doing research for our book, Travelers' Tales China, I also found Jasper Becker's The Chinese to be a remarkable work of scholarship and research. Grass Soup by Zhang Xianliang is a moving testament to the extraordinary suffering that the human race has endured due to the stupidity and cupidity of others. The present bounty of food and produce that is available in China now is an eloquent testimony to the radical failure of the kind of Communism espoused by Mao.