• 1-Patrick Nohrden
  • 2-The Crystal Monkey
  • 3-Min Li’s Pefect Place
  • Addicted to Google
  • Are We Doing What China Wants?
  • China’s Changing of the Guard
  • Chinese Fascinated by Our Politics
  • Chinese Freedom is an Illusion
  • Christmas in China
  • Death of a Student
  • Don’t Slander the Communists
  • Freedom Not Forgotten
  • From Hurricanes to Chickens, A Problem For The Teachers’ Union
  • Give Me Liberty or Give Me Health Care
  • Gun Control Works in China
  • In the Middle of a Hurricane Sandwich, Does Size Really Matter?
  • Is Clinton Holding the Reins to the Chinese Trojan Horse?
  • It’s a New Spring in China
  • Lie to Me
  • Modern Slavery
  • No Room to Breathe
  • Now that China Owns the Factories, It Wants Our Banks.
  • Please Do Not Squat on the Seat
  • Religious Freedom in China
  • Russian Collusion and the Rape of Tripoli
  • What About Kuwait?
  • When You Vote, When You Buy, Don’t Forget About China

Patrick Nohrden

~ Author of The Crystal Monkey

Patrick Nohrden

Monthly Archives: February 2014

Comments about The Crystal Monkey by a Canadian teacher in China

28 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by pnohrden in Uncategorized

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Crystal Monkey, Cultural Revolution, Larry Hyslop

WHY THIS BOOK IS GOOD.

First of all, it is well written and readable.  The main reason that it is a good read is because it is not overly-dramatic.  It forcefully and powerfully tells us the true story of the horrors of the Cultural Revolution.  Its effectiveness is enhanced because it humanizes and personalizes the reality of the horrors of that time period through the eyes and perspective of a small child.  A child’s development should always be in the form of a nurturing and loving environment, filled with considerate and loving adults that contribute to the psycho-social development and formation of a human being.

In this story, the child’s world is shattered by violence and cruelty of a type that is totally foreign to Canadians and Americans in particular.  This relatively typical, happy rural village is plunged into chaos and anarchy of a type that destroys the very foundations of a life of normal values in China.  And it is not the result of Japanese fascists raining war and terror on a hapless population.  It is something far more horrible than that.  It is an experience alien to the Western world of North America today – except for those who study history or through personal experience were in the European theatre of WW II.  The reader is thrown into a world where the Chinese people are brutalized and terrorized by other Chinese people.  This scenario is totally beyond the experience of the Western world as defined by Canada and America.  We are blissfully unaware of the horrors of state terrorism.  Even the darkest days of the struggle between the pro and anti groups in the Vietnam War years, cannot in any way come close to the horrific brutality of the Cultural Revolution.

The reader is mesmerized by the stark, awful reality of the life of this period.  And it is rendered even more effectual and poignant because the story is told through the eyes of a child.  A remarkably strong and resilient child who refuses to be destroyed by the horrors she sees on a daily basis.  This triumph of the human spirit over the savagery of the Cultural Revolution, and her refusal to lose hope in its face, takes us out of our personal cocoon of security and comfort, and gives the reader a much needed dose of ice cold reality.  Since 1945 we have really been sheltered from the cold stark reality of life in the rest of the world.  We take so very much for granted – forgetting the sacrifices our ancestors made to give us the warm, safe, secure world that most of us enjoy today, in spite of incidents like 9-11.  Those are usually brief, awful brushes with reality that are soon pushed to the back of our busy lives.  The book reminds us that the brutal savagery of the story was in reality an endless horror that the Chinese people had to endure for an entire decade. Ten years of state terrorism, daily madness and cruelty, that no one in power lifted a hand to stop.  And in spite of the madness, this little girl responded with tenacity and determined will that refused to be intimidated or destroyed by the horror of her childhood.  She adamantly refused to abandon HOPE, even when faced with a life of apparent hopelessness.  One is reminded of the Polish people, when faced with the might of Leninism, being bolstered by the quiet, strong voice of the Holy Father whispering – “Be Not Afraid.”

In 2014 some of us need to be reminded that the picture we see in the media of a modern Westernized China, living in the security of what we know of as a safe, secure middle class life, is a false picture – a non-existent reality.  The Chinese mainland still is in the grip of a brutal reality that gave them the Cultural Revolution.  The book really needs an addendum of some kind that  reminds the reader that those who created and permitted this decade of madness, are still in power, and that reality threatens us all.

 

Larry Hyslop, Qinghuangdao, China

 

Comments from a Teacher in China

05 Wednesday Feb 2014

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China, Crystal Monkey

I was very pleased to have read [The Crystal Monkey] for many reasons.  The first reason is that I enjoy learning about history in any and every way possible.  If I am learning about the history of a part of the world far from my homeland, it can teach me many things.  That is what The Crystal Monkey did.  I learned how life was during the years of the [Cultural] revolution in China. And it was much different than the life in American at that time.

Patrick Nohrden does an excellent job, with specific and detailed examples of the everyday life in China, showing me how different the two countries really were at the time the story took place.   I really enjoyed reading his detailed explanations of the life Min Li led, especially her daily routine and the living conditions she had to deal with as a child.

When I read about her family and the struggles they endured, it made me realize how fortunate I was to have the privilege of being raised in the US.  I could relate to Min Lin since I have several siblings, seven altogether, and we are all one year apart in age.  It was easy reading and offered a very introspective look into the ancient culture of this captivating country.

Since I am enjoy traveling and learning as much as possible about cultures around the world, Crystal Monkey was a great for me.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to any student, homemaker, or anyone who likes learning about the history and culture of a country such as China.

Cheryl St. Denny, Beijing, China

A Comment by Another High School Teacher

04 Tuesday Feb 2014

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Min Li, Patrick Nohrden

Patrick Nohrden’s novel The Crystal  Monkey begins with a melancholy yet lovely description of the landscape surveyed early one morning by the young protagonist, Min Li. As she looks toward the horizon along the empty winter  furrows, the scene echoes a hopeful, far off note.  This tone of sad hope resonates throughout this charming first novel set in China during the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath.   The strength of the story comes from its main character, Min Li, who represents the struggles of the Chinese people.  Min Li is both believable and likeable as she grows from a little girl into a young, independent woman in a world where women are expected to know their place.

Joseph W. Bell, Reno, NV

Comment by a high school teacher regarding The Crystal Monkey

04 Tuesday Feb 2014

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I loved the book because the characters rang true. I thought about the little girl from the moment I read the first pages. I think the style is captivating and holds the readers interest. I could not wait to find out what happens next. I grew to love Min Li and found myself rooting for her in all her escapades.
The historic aspect was illuminating. We read so little about that time period in China, especially how people endured it and all the erratic changes. How do you keep up with it all. Your story does a great job of opening a window into that life.
The other part I loved was the crystal monkey itself, how it became symbolic of more possibilities for Min LI. It is all very subtly interwoven into the narrative and keeps the reader wondering.
Stella Stewart, Reno, NV
 

Page Updates

03 Monday Feb 2014

Posted by pnohrden in Uncategorized

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I have been endeavoring to upload many of my articles to this blog (see above).  Most of my articles can still be found on http://www.nohrden.net.  To learn more about my novel, The Crystal Monkey, being published by Cedar Fort Publications, please to to  http://www.nohrden.com.

Thanks,

Pat Nohrden

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