[.ca] A Single Pebble (ISBN 0394756975)

Revisiting A Single Pebble:
Although published almost 50 years ago, this book deserves another look using a modern, critical lens. Overshadowed by Hersey's other works, specifically Hiroshima and A Bell for Adano, A Single Pebble offers a great deal to the reader. The book is far more than a fictionalized travelogue of a trip up the Yangtse River. It is a work that documents exposure to the acts and ideas of another culture by an American used to thinking of himself as representative of all that is modern and educated, and therefore all that is to be considered as desireable or superior. As a reader, I came away from the book with the idea that all that I think glitters may not be gold. It should be noted, however, that this is not an American-bashing book; both sides--the narrator and the Chinese people he meets--are guilty of a type of national myopia when viewing the "Other" in their midst. Those interested in Postcolonial and Cultural studies will find plenty to occupy them, whichever side of the debate they fall on.

Not Among Hersey's Greatest Works:
Many of Hersey's other books are moving, memorable stories. A Bell for Adano and Hiroshima are among Hersey's best, and these books should be read by any well-rounded individual. A Single Pebble, however, is more forgetable. Hersey does do a good job presenting the clash between traditional Chinese culture and modern Western culture in the early twentieth century. However, the clash between the main character, an engineer representing Western culture, and another leading character, a boatsman representing traditional Chinese culture, is so artificially strong that the reader can sympathize with neither character or position. The book anticlimaxes and concludes with some overly abstract thoughts on the future of China. Ultimately, it is not a book of the same quality as many of Hersey's other works, nor is it a story of the same quality as other stories (in multiple media) that probe the differences between East Asian and Eurpoean culture.

A Surprise:
First of all, I was surprised to see this title on lists of recommended reading for high school students. I had read Hersey's A Bell for Adano and loved it; so I thought A Single Pebble would be about as good as it was. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much. The novel is pretty good. It is about an engineer who is traveling down the Yangtze River looking for a place to build a dam. Along the way, the engineer faces a cultural shock especially when he discovers the people on the boat he is traveling on do not want a dam to be built. They don't want their lives to change. The author did a nice job conveying the clash of cultures and the need to try to bridge the gap between cultures. I think the problem I had with the novel was its style, and the fact that it isn't as good as A Bell for Adano. The prose the author uses consists of many simple sentences. Hersey was obviously influenced by Hemingway even though the tone was a little lighter than Hemingway's is. Unfortunately for me, I'm not a big fan of Hemingway's style; so the novel came across as pretty boring. The book isn't as good as A Bell for Adano. A Bell for Adano is also very much about a clash of cultures as it is set in Italy during World War II after the Americans' takeover. It explores the clash of cultures better, and it is a much better read. Overall, A Single Pebble is a pretty good novel, just not a great one.

A Single Pebble:
I was required to read the book "A Single Pebble," for summer reading. I thought it would be terrible, but I loved it. The book is a symbolic novel, about a boy that goes to china looking for a place to build a dam. He went there thinking he would be superior to all the others on the boat, but shortly realized he was looked down upon. The engineer experiences a culture shock, and is upset to find out the trackers, owner, and old pebble are upset that he wants to build a dam, even if it will help them. He later decides whether to blame himself for the death of a crew member- believing he killed himself as fear for change in the ways of the river. As he rides the junk, he learns of chinese tradition, fear, and superstitions, and faces the mighty power of the great Yangzee River

A Single Pebble:
A single pebble is probably one of the few books in my life that I would read more than once. I like the clash between cultures because it is something we could all relate to if we have traveled to another country. The story is about a young engineer who goes on a journey up the Yangtze River trying to find a good spot to build a dam to make the river safer for boats. The young engineer is faced with many challenges such as the language barrier between himself and the boats crew and the fact that no one else on the boat wants him there because they think he is bad luck. He also starts to think that he is bad luck because on the trip their lead tracker falls into the river to his death, and he blammed the the trackers death on himself. Over all, the book was good with a mix of a little bit of action and some suspence to make you want to keep reading.