Okay so I just watched the movie and I read the book like a year ago, and for some reason I remember it being very different. Didn't they live on a farm and Youqing had some farm animal he visited and Fengxia helped them work in the fields, etc etc? Or am I thinking of a completely different book? Can someone who's read the book list the differences between the novel and the film? Thanks.
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the book is very different. They live in the country instead of the city, Youqing dies differently, Erxi has a crooked neck instead of leg, everybody dies except for Fugui and he lives with the oxen. and the chick story goes differently, and the shadow puppet metaphor was made up for the movie. you really need to read the book yourself to compare to the movie. things were changed to emphasize political happenings in the movie.
both are equally good. it's easy to reread that book to better see the differences. my favorite part that's not in the movie is the beginning about Fugui's dad taking craps at the manure vat. he dies differntly too.