Myself a Mandarin
Book description
Unexpectedly appointed magistrate in a country district in Hong Kong, the author found himself plunged into a Chinese world about which he knew next to nothing and had to learn as fast as possible. This he does, taking the reader with him through the errors, puzzles, and bafflements of sixteen…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Myself a Mandarin as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Austin Coates found himself appointed as a magistrate in the remote New Territories in colonial Hong Kong in the 1950s. As he knew little, if anything, about the society into which he was plunged, he had to learn quickly.
This is a wonderful book about how he dealt with cases from dealing with cows, watercress beds, squatters, dragons, quarreling wives, or a Buddhist abbot.
From Andy's list on memoirs and accounts of life in China.
This is a beautifully written and charming old book by a colonial administrator, who left government service young and turned to writing. It provides a vivid portrait of how a District Officer in the New Territories worked in the 1950s, when modernity was beginning to change the traditional way of life in old rural Hong Kong that was fast disappearing. It shows how a young dedicated colonial administrator being tasked to act as the ‘father and mother’ for the local Chinese community found his feet and try to do the best he could.
From Steve's list on Hong Kong’s history and politics.
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