The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai (Weatherhead Books on Asia)

Foreword :: David Der-wei Wang; Translator's Note :: Eileen Chang; Cast of Major Characters :: Compiled by Eva Hung; The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai; Chapter 1 :: Simplicity Zhao visits his uncle on Salt Melon Street, and Benevolence Hong makes a match at the Hall of Beauties; Chapter 2 :: A callow youth trying a pipe is just good for a laugh, and a virgin courtesan attending a party is unscathed by a gibe; Chapter 3 :: A professional name links the new girl to the belles of the family, and etiquette places a young man in the seat of honor.;Considered one of the great works of Chinese fiction, The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai is a story of desire and virtue set in the pleasure quarters of nineteenth-century Shanghai. Han Bangqing, himself a frequent habitué of the city's notorious brothels, reveals a world populated by lonely souls who seek consolation amid the pleasures and decadence of Shanghai's demimonde. From beautiful sirens to lower-class prostitutes, from well-respected patrons to repugnant criminals, The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai brings the romantic games of the sing-song girls to vivid life, as well as the tragic con. Foreword :: David Der-wei Wang Translator's Note :: Eileen Chang Cast of Major Characters :: Compiled by Eva Hung The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai Chapter 1 :: Simplicity Zhao visits his uncle on Salt Melon Street, and Benevolence Hong makes a match at the Hall of Beauties Chapter 2 :: A callow youth trying a pipe is just good for a laugh, and a virgin courtesan attending a party is unscathed by a gibe Chapter 3 :: A professional name links the new girl to the belles of the family, and etiquette places a young man in the seat of honor. Chapter 4 :: Benevolence acts as comprador to help a friend, and Pearlie signals to her girl to curb her jealousyChapter 5 :: An empty slot is speedily filled by a new love, and a new arrangement is kept from an old flame Chapter 6 :: A playful belle calls her client her son, and a phenomenal girl dominates her madam Chapter 7 :: One girl casts a spell and lays a vicious trap, and another meets a good mate but can't escape her fate Chapter 8 :: Second Sister retains a treasure box with dark designs, and Green Phoenix refuses a carriage ride with ready wit. Chapter 9 :: Little Rouge fells Constance with her fist, and Green Phoenix engages Prosperity in a battle of wordsChapter 10 :: A new girl is given strict instructions at her toilet, and old debts are lightly dismissed by a hanger-on Chapter 11 :: The fire bell ringing at night causes a false alarm, and abrother-in-law on a family visit gets a warm welcome Chapter 12 :: A peacemaker is dispatched behind the beloved's back, and trickery provides cover for an adulterous woman. Chapter 13 :: At the deflowering of Jewel, someone waits in the wings, and on the mah-jongg table, a trap is set for Crane LiChapter 14 :: A lone whoremonger meets rough company, and a gang of conspirators runs a crooked game Chapter 15 :: Bright Pearl attends a party at Civic Peace Alley, and Pragmatic Li smokes opium at the House of Floral Rain Chapter 16 :: A bargain for a rich patron carries hidden consequences, and a game of dominoes serves as a pastime Chapter 17 :: Twin Pearl secretly criticizes her mother, and Benevolence Hong severely reprimands his nephew. Chapter 18 :: A lined jacket conveys Jade Tao's deep love, and an expensive banquet allays White Fragrance's wrathChapter 19 :: Deceived by love, Modesty Zhu misreads a hidden motive plagued by illness, Water Blossom puts on a brave face Chapter 20 :: Water Blossom, aggrieved, rages at the mirror, and JadeTao, deeply in love, shares her nightmare Chapter 21 :: A prostitute lies about consulting the gods to find a missing article, and a henpecked husband throws a party behind his wife's back.

Desire, virtue, courtesans (also known as sing-song girls), and the denizens of Shanghai's pleasure quarters are just some of the elements that constitute Han Bangqing's extraordinary novel of late imperial China. Han's richly textured, panoramic view of late-nineteenth-century Shanghai follows a range of characters from beautiful sing-song girls to lower-class prostitutes and from men in positions of social authority to criminals and ambitious young men recently arrived from the country. Considered one of the greatest works of Chinese fiction, The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai is now available for the first time in English.

Neither sentimental nor sensationalistic in its portrayal of courtesans and their male patrons, Han's work inquires into the moral and psychological consequences of desire. Han, himself a frequent habitué of Shanghai brothels, reveals a world populated by lonely souls who seek consolation amid the pleasures and decadence of Shanghai's demimonde. He describes the romantic games played by sing-song girls to lure men, as well as the tragic consequences faced by those who unexpectedly fall in love with their customers. Han also tells the stories of male patrons who find themselves emotionally trapped between desire and their sense of propriety.

First published in 1892, and made into a film by Hou Hsiao-hsien in 1998, The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai is recognized as a pioneering work of Chinese fiction in its use of psychological realism and its infusion of modernist sensibilities into the traditional genre of courtesan fiction. The novel's stature has grown with the recent discovery of Eileen Chang's previously unknown translation, which was unearthed among her papers at the University of Southern California. Chang, who lived in Shanghai until 1956 when she moved to California and began to write in English, is one of the most acclaimed Chinese writers of the twentieth century.

Columbia University Press

Annotation Desire, virtue, courtesans (also known as sing-song girls), and the denizens of Shanghai's pleasure quarters are just some of the elements that constitute Han Bangqing's extraordinary novel of late imperial China. Han's richly textured, panoramic view of late-nineteenth-century Shanghai follows a range of characters from beautiful sing-song girls to lower-class prostitutes and from men in positions of social authority to criminals and ambitious young men recently arrived from the country. Considered one of the greatest works of Chinese fiction, The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai is now available for the first time in English. Neither sentimental nor sensationalistic in its portrayal of courtesans and their male patrons, Han's work inquires into the moral and psychological consequences of desire. Han, himself a frequent habitué of Shanghai brothels, reveals a world populated by lonely souls who seek consolation amid the pleasures and decadence of Shanghai's demimonde. He describes the romantic games played by sing-song girls to lure men, as well as the tragic consequences faced by those who unexpectedly fall in love with their customers. Han also tells the stories of male patrons who find themselves emotionally trapped between desire and their sense of propriety. First published in 1892, and made into a film by Hou Hsiao-hsien in 1998, The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai is recognized as a pioneering work of Chinese fiction in its use of psychological realism and its infusion of modernist sensibilities into the traditional genre of courtesan fiction. The novel's stature has grown with the recent discovery of Eileen Chang's previously unknown translation, which was unearthed among her papers at the University of Southern California. Chang, who lived in Shanghai until 1956 when she moved to California and began to write in English, is one of the most acclaimed Chinese writers of the twentieth century Considered One Of The Great Works Of Chinese Fiction, The Sing-song Girls Of Shanghai Is A Story Of Desire And Virtue Set In The Pleasure Quarters Of Nineteenth-century Shanghai. Han Bangqing, Himself A Frequent Habitué Of The City's Notorious Brothels, Reveals A World Populated By Lonely Souls Who Seek Consolation Amid The Pleasures And Decadence Of Shanghai's Demimonde. From Beautiful Sirens To Lower-class Prostitutes, From Well-respected Patrons To Repugnant Criminals, The Sing-song Girls Of Shanghai Brings The Romantic Games Of The Sing-song Girls To Vivid Life, As Well As The Tragic Consequences Faced By Those Who Unexpectedly Fall In Love With Their Customers. Han Bangqing Also Tells His Story From A Male Point Of View, Revealing The Danger Of Becoming Trapped Between Desire And Propriety. First Translated In Draft By The Legendary Chinese Writer Eileen Chang, And Later Revised By Eva Hung, The Sing-song Girls Of Shanghai Combines Psychological Realism With Modernist Sensibilities And Is A Pioneering Work Of Chinese Fiction.--book Cover. Han Bangqing ; First Translated By Eileen Chang ; Revised And Edited By Eva Hung. Includes Bibliographical References. Translated From The Chinese. Han Bangqing (1856-1894) founded China's first literary magazine and is considered one of the most important writers of modern China.Eileen Chang (1920-1995) was a legendary figure in Chinese literature and the author of the essay collection Written on Water (Columbia, 2005) and the novels The Rogue of the North and The Rice-Sprout Song: A Novel of Modern China.Eva Hung is the editor of the journal Renditions and the translator, editor, and author of more than two dozen books, including Contemporary Women Writers: Hong Kong and Taiwan. LIT008000,Literary Criticism/Asian/General,FIC019000,Fiction/Literary Courtesans, desire & the denizens of the Shanghai underworld are just some of the elements in Han Bangqing's novel of late imperial China, published in 1892 & now available in English for the first time