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The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai by Ruiyan Xu

The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai

A Novel

by Ruiyan Xu

  • Critics' Consensus (16):
  • Readers' Rating (33):
  • Published:
  • Oct 2011, 352 pages
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There are currently 33 reader reviews for The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai
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Mary O. (Boston, MA)

the haunting way language taunts us
This is a debut novel that paints a very haunting picture of loneliness, love and pain. The sing song lyrical quality of the prose reads almost like poetry. It evokes emotional isolation from page one and captures you until you finish the last page - I couldn't put this book down! It truly shows how silent and verbal communication, language and culture bond people together and painfully break them apart. A great debut for a highly talented author -
Therese X. (CALERA, AL)

The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai
Communication is taken for granted in modern life, but what if a person suddenly loses the ability to respond in their own language, despite understanding the conversation? In the grand Swan Hotel in Shanghai, workaholic businessman, Li Jing and his father, Professor Li are drinking tea when a gas explosion rips the place--and their lives--apart. A shard of glass enters Li Jing’s forehead and when doctors try to communicate with him, he can only utter syllables in a strange language: English, Jing's first language, learned during childhood in Virginia before the family moved to Shanghai. Li Jing has spokenmore
DawnEllen J. (Riverside, CA)

Lost and Forgotten - hardly!
"The Lost and Languages of Shanghai" is a hauntingly beautiful tale through which author Ruiyan Xu explores the subtle nuances of language and the role it plays in culture, identity, and relationships. When an accident severs Li Jing from his ability to speak Chinese, he is forced to communicate only in his nearly forgotten childhood English. Although physically able to recover, Li Jing's ability to interact with those around him is irreparably damaged. Li Jing and his beloved wife Meiling are trapped in their separate prison houses of language, to use Fredric Jamison's metaphor, unable to break through themore
Marci G. (Southern New Jersey)

Loss of Language... Loss of Self ?
As a nurse working on an acute rehabilitation unit, I was very drawn to the book. I cared for a stroke patient who lost her ability to speak English but could communicate in her primary language. Fascinating!!! To read this beautifully written book that merges science and the heart so well. The frustration of all parties involved is palpable. I was also drawn by the parallel between Rosalyn's sense of isolation and Li Jing's. Who are we if we are taken out of the context of our daily lives ? Successful business man, father, son, husband...
Mary B. (St Paul, MN)

Lost ad Forgotten Languages
I enjoyed the book very much. The characters came to life through the narrative. Ms Xu' writing is very descriptive and involving. One can feel the rain and humidity as she writes about it. One can feel the emotions the characters are experiencing. I was sorry when the book ended as I wanted to know what else would be happening to the characters, as they had become people I cared about. On a side note, the jacket cover is beautiful!
Barbara S. (Glen Ellyn, Illinois)

The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai
In the Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai, author Ruiyan Xu weaves and unforgettable drama that begins with a critical accident resulting in bilingual aphasia causing communication complications between all touched--family, doctors and friends. An intense read of a never-to-be-forgotten tale. I highly recommend this novel.
Samantha H. (Golden, CO)

Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai
This is a fascinating story, that showcases how our lives and culture are completely dependent on a common language. I started this book on an airplane, and became so absorbed in the narrative that I nearly missed the beverage cart. The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai is very well written, and the characters are well developed. I became completely wrapped up in Li Jing's struggle to rejoin his family, having lost the one thing he needs to succeed -- the ability to joke, fight, and express his love. I highly recommend this book. I think it would be a great title for a book club to open up discussions onmore
Susan P. (Boston, MA)

Disordered Lives from Disordered Language
Aphasia literally means "no speech," but neurologists define it as a "language disorder." This nicely conveys the disorder to some lives that bilingual aphasia creates for several people.

From a traumatic brain injury, a successful young Shanghai businessman loses his ability to speak/write in his dominant, but second, language (Chinese) while being able to speak his first language, English (bilingual aphasia). Truculent at first to work on his rehabilitation, he improbably changes toward those who speak English and those who don't. His relationship with his wife was confounding but fascinating, and I wondered:more

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