138
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ranked #217,456 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★☆☆☆☆
This Classic Is Actually Pretty Racist
Wow, I hadn't realized as a kid how racist this book is. I bought it out of nostalgia and it occurred to me that this might be a Westerner's insulting take on Chinese custom and in fact, it is. The original tale is Japanese, not Chinese, and the adoration lavished on the older son to the detriment of the younger son (who is neglected) that is supposed to represent Chinese culture and practice is an invention.
Time to retire this one. Don't perpetuate negative stereotypes about Asians. There are much better books out there.
August 2020 · Books · verified purchase