Publication
Amsterdam De Bezige Bij 2011
ISBN
9789054923091
Language
Collections
Description
Presents the author's observations, in graphic novel format, of life in a cold city in southern China that is sealed off by electric fences and armed guards from the rest of the country.
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member dmcolon
Guy Delisle's Shenzhen is another of his chronicles of his travels in East Asia as an animator working with a production company that has outsourced a project. This time, he's in China, in a city not far from Hong Kong. As he did in Pyangyong, he does an amazing job of describing his feelings of
The book is pretty downbeat and the illustrations are very dark. Nonetheless, there are plenty of humorous moments in the Shenzhen -- from the student in Canton trying to practice his English to his trip out to celebrate Christmas in the middle of nowhere. While the people he portrays are clearly alien to Delisle, they are very very human and he always gives a sense that the disconnect between himself and the Chinese is entirely cultural. He holds no grudge against Chinese traditions and customs, but he just doesn't "get" China. Having been in similar situations in Spain, I think this is a very respectful and honest piece of travel literature.
Apparently some critics have compared Shenzhen unfavorably to Pyongyang. I don't think that assessment holds up, however. The two books are trying to communicate two very different places and Deslisle's sense of otherness as a Westerner in East Asia. It may be that the city of Pyongyang, a sort-of Stalinist living history museum, is more exotic than Shenzhen, which comes across as an industrial backwater. As such, Pyonhyang may be more inherently "exotic" than Shenzhen. If you read Shenzhen, please do so with an open mind and realize that the two places are different. In fact, I'd say that Shenzhen is a better piece of reflective literature.
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alienation in a different culture. He's clearly respectful of Chinese culture, but very much feels himself to be an outsider. He conveys the loneliness and longing for contact with other human beings. His connections with other westerners are pretty infrequent and when he does connect, he's inevitably disappointed and the contact in brief and unsatisfying.The book is pretty downbeat and the illustrations are very dark. Nonetheless, there are plenty of humorous moments in the Shenzhen -- from the student in Canton trying to practice his English to his trip out to celebrate Christmas in the middle of nowhere. While the people he portrays are clearly alien to Delisle, they are very very human and he always gives a sense that the disconnect between himself and the Chinese is entirely cultural. He holds no grudge against Chinese traditions and customs, but he just doesn't "get" China. Having been in similar situations in Spain, I think this is a very respectful and honest piece of travel literature.
Apparently some critics have compared Shenzhen unfavorably to Pyongyang. I don't think that assessment holds up, however. The two books are trying to communicate two very different places and Deslisle's sense of otherness as a Westerner in East Asia. It may be that the city of Pyongyang, a sort-of Stalinist living history museum, is more exotic than Shenzhen, which comes across as an industrial backwater. As such, Pyonhyang may be more inherently "exotic" than Shenzhen. If you read Shenzhen, please do so with an open mind and realize that the two places are different. In fact, I'd say that Shenzhen is a better piece of reflective literature.
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LibraryThing member Sharon.Sadansky
A humorous but realistic accounting of everyday life in the first "Special Economic Zone" developed in China
LibraryThing member questbird
An amusing fish-out-of-water tale about the author's stay in China. Guy Delisle found himself posted in various third world backwaters as part of his work overseeing animation production for a French company. One of these was the industrial Chinese city of Shenzen. In this graphic novel he
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documents his time there and his amusing cross-cultural encounters. I have read three similar works by Delisle: this one, Pyonyang and Chronicles of the Holy City (his best work I think). This one is mostly apolitically amusing. The author is as happy to make fun of himself as his Chinese hosts. It is a fun read which gave me quite a few chuckles. Show Less
LibraryThing member albertgoldfain
I enjoyed Delisle's earlier drawing style and this travelogue had a much deeper dive into the profession of animation. Even boredom and discomfort are made into art in this piece.
LibraryThing member dr_zirk
Shenzhen is very comparable (in terms of the artwork) to Guy Delisle's earlier volume Pyongyang. As always, his black-and-white, cartoony charcoal drawings are both entertaining and illuminating, and a real joy to look at.
That said, Shenzhen as a narrative is considerably less interesting than the
I suspect that part of the problem is Delisle's lack of affinity with the locals that he encountered in Shenzhen; his earlier visit to Pyongyang produced stronger sympathetic and empathetic reactions in the author, and this contributed to a much more engaging story. Shenzhen is still an enjoyable read, and the artwork is as rewarding as ever, but there is a distance between the creator and his subject in this volume that detracts from the overall reward for the reader.
That said, Shenzhen as a narrative is considerably less interesting than the
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previous volume on North Korea, largely because Delisle fails to evoke deeply felt reactions to this foreign environment. Perhaps this is only a consequence of the fact that the city of Shenzhen offered less of the raw materials that Delisle found in abundance in Pyongyang, but at the end of the day, Shenzhen comes across as a rather ordinary travelogue, not much different than any European or American visitor to this city might return with. I suspect that part of the problem is Delisle's lack of affinity with the locals that he encountered in Shenzhen; his earlier visit to Pyongyang produced stronger sympathetic and empathetic reactions in the author, and this contributed to a much more engaging story. Shenzhen is still an enjoyable read, and the artwork is as rewarding as ever, but there is a distance between the creator and his subject in this volume that detracts from the overall reward for the reader.
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LibraryThing member leboyfriend09
I liked this even more than Pyongyang - perhaps because I know China more - particularly Shenzhen.
LibraryThing member princessponti
The inside sleeve:
‘Guy Delisle’s work for a French animation studio requires him to oversee production at various Asian studios on the grim frontiers of free trade. His employer puts him up for months at a time in ‘cold and soulless’ hotel rooms where he suffers the usual deprivations of a
________________________________________
Guy Delisle finds himself in an unusual position to spend time in a relatively unknown corner of the world; Shenzhen, a city north of Hong Kong. He documents the three months he is there in striking sketches and many captivating insights held within the pages of Shenzhen, A travelogue from China. Delisle’s easy style brings you instantly into his world; in a mere six panels and three lines of text you are transported to China, experiencing the sights and the smells as though you had been there yourself.
Delisle’s time in China was not altogether happy; he went through great loneliness and times of boredom, predominately borne out of the lack of a common language with the populous. These experiences however are still interesting to read about. I found it quite intriguing how he chose to occupy his mind in the absence of companionship; from talking to himself to seeking company in language students who can barely put two English words together. Not to mention how he coped with navigating basic requirements such as what to eat, without the privilege of reading the menu or talking to the waiter. I’m not so sure how I would have survived in the same situation.
On top of his personal challenges, the book offers some wonderful insights into Chinese culture. It is the subtle differences between the people of the World that I am most interested in and he captures these beautifully. The differences in infrastructure, freedom of movement from place to place and of day to day living are also explored. Should I ever travel to China I now feel a little more prepared for the culture shock that awaits. His later novel, Pyongyang, offers more in the way of cultural and political insight, but I personally feel that this is predominately due to the unique obscurity of North Korea. Shenzhen is a lovely book to own, and I will dip into it often on my armchair travels.
‘Guy Delisle’s work for a French animation studio requires him to oversee production at various Asian studios on the grim frontiers of free trade. His employer puts him up for months at a time in ‘cold and soulless’ hotel rooms where he suffers the usual deprivations of a
Show More
man very far from home. After Pyongyang, his book about the strange society that is North Korea, Delisle has turned his attention to Shenzhen, the cold, urban city in Southern China that is sealed off with electric fences and armed guards from the rest of the country. The result is another brilliant graphic novel – funny, scary, utterly original and illuminating.’________________________________________
Guy Delisle finds himself in an unusual position to spend time in a relatively unknown corner of the world; Shenzhen, a city north of Hong Kong. He documents the three months he is there in striking sketches and many captivating insights held within the pages of Shenzhen, A travelogue from China. Delisle’s easy style brings you instantly into his world; in a mere six panels and three lines of text you are transported to China, experiencing the sights and the smells as though you had been there yourself.
Delisle’s time in China was not altogether happy; he went through great loneliness and times of boredom, predominately borne out of the lack of a common language with the populous. These experiences however are still interesting to read about. I found it quite intriguing how he chose to occupy his mind in the absence of companionship; from talking to himself to seeking company in language students who can barely put two English words together. Not to mention how he coped with navigating basic requirements such as what to eat, without the privilege of reading the menu or talking to the waiter. I’m not so sure how I would have survived in the same situation.
On top of his personal challenges, the book offers some wonderful insights into Chinese culture. It is the subtle differences between the people of the World that I am most interested in and he captures these beautifully. The differences in infrastructure, freedom of movement from place to place and of day to day living are also explored. Should I ever travel to China I now feel a little more prepared for the culture shock that awaits. His later novel, Pyongyang, offers more in the way of cultural and political insight, but I personally feel that this is predominately due to the unique obscurity of North Korea. Shenzhen is a lovely book to own, and I will dip into it often on my armchair travels.
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LibraryThing member andreablythe
Delisle shares described his time in Shenzen, where he worked as a director on an animated series. Most of his time is spent in boredom, because the city is geared toward straight business not tourists. There are only a few people who speak English in the city, so most of his time is spent in
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silence, too. But Delisle manages to make all of this apparent boredom and silence seem interesting an entertaining as he faces the day to day chaos and innefficiencies of his time spent in China. Show Less
LibraryThing member MeditationesMartini
Yeah, the anecdotes don't grab the attention. Delisle acknowledges this himself early on when he's all "damn guy who's writing HIS graphic novel about struggling to make it in New York while I write mine about living high on the hog in industrial-hellhole China." You don't have any brilliant
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experiences, you just don't have any brilliant experiences, and that's why not everyone should write a travelogue. Moderately banal. Show Less
LibraryThing member qgil
Chinese friends: don't be offended but I didn't know that a place called Shenzhen existed, and even less could I place it on a map. Sharing the autobiographic graphic novel of Guy Delisle during his stay in that city has been useful to get a hint of how a foreigner would live in that city.
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Entertaining. Unpretentious. I liked it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Claire5555
Really enjoyable book, well worth adding to your collection if you have an interest in China
LibraryThing member arewenotben
Another excellent graphic novel/travelogue from Guy Delisle. Very good at capturing the cultural differences when working in foreign countries, and making the mundanities of everyday life interesting.
LibraryThing member bdgamer
An excellent book that offers some "insight" into the Chinese mind from the POV of a foreigner. I find China and its people fascinating, and this book was a great read.
I need to read Delisle's Pyongyang now. That seems most interesting.
I need to read Delisle's Pyongyang now. That seems most interesting.
LibraryThing member reader1009
nonfiction/travel memoir - Shenzhen, China, 1997ish - Caucasian Canadian (who lives in France) moves to Shenzhen for a year of so to oversee an animation studio. He relates amusing anecdotes about cultural differences but doesn't make much of an attempt to learn more about the people or empathize
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with them (partly due to translation difficulties, as this is before smart phones and google translate). Show Less
LibraryThing member kencf0618
Engaging and trenchant.
Awards
Doug Wright Awards for Canadian Cartooning (Shortlist — Best Book — 2007)