letuanbinhgrd

I love Eileen Chang and was so excited to read the first installment of her two-part autobiographical novel written in English. The first 100 pages dragged for me. It seemed like she spent too much time describing the personal lives of the servants in her household. It's interesting stuff, but I think she wanted to replicate The Sing-Song Girls of Shanghai, which she spent years translating. Once the story got going, however, it was a fascinating look into her troubled childhood. I enjoyed reading about her mother and paternal aunt, who sailed off to Europe for several years. Her father and step-mother were other colorful characters. I'm always game for anything set in pre-WWII Shanghai and in that respect, this book doesn't disappoint.

2020-08-08 17:39