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Little Reunions
Little Reunions | Eileen Chang
6 posts | 5 read | 8 to read
A best-selling, autobiographical depiction of class privilege, bad romance, and political intrigue during World War II in China. Now available in English for the first time, Eileen Changs dark romance opens with Julie, living at a convent school in Hong Kong on the eve of the Japanese invasion. Her mother, Rachel, long divorced from Julies opium-addict father, saunters around the world with various lovers. Recollections of Julies horrifying but privileged childhood in Shanghai clash with a flamboyant, sometimes incestuous cast of relations that crowd her life. Eventually, back in Shanghai, she meets the magnetic Chih-yung, a traitor who collaborates with the Japanese puppet regime. Soon theyre in the throes of an impassioned love affair that swings back and forth between ardor and anxiety, secrecy and ruin. Like Julies relationship with her mother, her marriage to Chih-yung is marked by long stretches of separation interspersed with unexpected little reunions. Changs emotionally fraught, bitterly humorous novel holds a fractured mirror directly in front of her own heart.
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review
Addison_Reads
Little Reunions | Eileen Chang
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Mehso-so

#DoubleSpin #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I'm very thankful that this book came with a character list otherwise I would have given up on it. There are a lot of characters and dynamic, complex relationship and family structures in this read.

It's a slow read, but you will definitely learn a lot about Chinese culture. Julie's character was well-developed, but I was just left feeling sad for her throughout most of this book.

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 2y
37 likes1 comment
review
squirrelbrain
Little Reunions | Eileen Chang
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Pickpick

This took me a while to get into, due to the style of writing. It felt very distanced and remote, plus there are so many odd relationships that I kept having to refer to the character list at the back of the book. (And then I still didn‘t understand… how can your Mum also be your third Auntie?! 🤣)

I‘m giving it a soft pick as I did find it fascinating learning about a different culture. Thank you for sending it to me @BarbaraBB 😘

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review
CindyE09
Little Reunions | Eileen Chang
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Mehso-so

A #nyrb classic #translated from Chinese. I didn‘t enjoy this one very much. It was interesting learning about the culture and society in China in the 1940s and 50s, but the book jumped around in time a lot and was rather slow. I didn‘t realize this was #publishedposthumously till I read the introduction, but I am happy to be able to count it for the #readharder challenge. #nyrbclassics

review
DrexEdit
Little Reunions | Eileen Chang
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Pickpick

between a pick & a so-so for me. It was a slow read, but I ended up enjoying it. I was convinced I was missing important cultural information. If I knew more about chinese culture, I would have understood the book better, I think. The perils of literature in translation, I guess. I had a hard time keeping all the relationships straight and that was with a cheat sheet! Not so much a war story as about family and relationships. 3.5 🌟 🌟🌟

blurb
DrexEdit
Little Reunions | Eileen Chang
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1. A "dark romance" set against the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong.
2. Almost anything with chocolate.
3. As I get older, people try to tell me I'm the very very last tail end of the boomers. I feel more gen-x though.
4. Bottle of germ-x. Colds & more colds season at my house.
5. Headed to a friend's house to watch the super bowl. Her 2 young boys are football cra-azy and wanted to invite my husband and I over for a party. ? ???

MinDea Would you recommend Little Reunions? 7y
erzascarletbookgasm The tagged book sounds good. Look forward to your review 7y
See All 7 Comments
kamoorephoto Oh I might have to read this! My primary school in Hong Kong was used by the Japanese during WW2 to hold POWs in the music annex!!! It was an old colonial building.... 7y
DrexEdit @MinDea @erzascarletbookgasm I'm only about 2.5 chapters in but I do like it so far. There are a lot of characters and it's a challenge keeping them all straight. That's saying a lot from someone who just finished Tolstoy and didn't have that problem with him! 7y
DrexEdit @kamoorephoto very cool. I'm very much an armchair tourist in Asian countries. Never been there; love reading about them. This one appealed for a new-to-me point of view on WWII. 7y
kamoorephoto @DrexEdit Maybe, just maybe one day you will have to visit... We moved to HK from England when I was 4, and I grew up there and saw much of Asia growing up. I loved Hong Kong so much, it was hard to leave. Anyway, I‘ll have to let my mum know about this book too!!! 👍🏼💓 7y
43 likes7 comments
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ReadingEnvy
Little Reunions | Eileen Chang
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Mehso-so

The translator for Little Reunions had quite the task, because it isn't just the words but a complex family structure and intricate layers of meaning behind gestures and comments. But to read a "romance" of sorts set in Shanghai right before the Communist Revolution is a very specific capture of a moment in time. First time in English, comes out January 16 from NYRB ... (eARC from publisher) #litsypartyofone

ReadingEnvy It's good but it takes WORK to get through and understand. Kind of like a 19th century manners novel with a different set of rules and roles. 7y
ReadingEnvy Also I'm counting this for the @thereadingwomen challenge for a novel in translation BY a woman and TRANSLATED BY a woman. Also the main character is a woman! It's the trifecta! 7y
Christine11 It sounds pretty complicated but very interesting! 7y
DrexEdit I just finished this book this week and posted my review. Then I looked up previous reviews this morning. Yep. I agree with what you said! 😊 7y
ReadingEnvy @DrexEdit it was more challenging to read than I expected!! 7y
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