Nanjing 1937: A Love Story

by Ye Zhaoyan

A masterpiece by one of China’s bestselling contemporary novelists, Nanjing 1937 tells the epic story of a passionate courtship played out against the backdrop of one of the century’s most harrowing scenes of war.

Ding Wenyu is a philandering professor famous for storming out of class if there aren’t enough pretty girls to teach. When he attends the wedding of the beautiful Ren Yuyuan, he falls hopelessly in love with her. Embarking with single-minded resolve to win her heart, he writes daily love letters and makes unabashed overtures to no avail, all the while blissfully unaware of the mounting threat of the Japanese, whose siege of the historic capital city will result in the rape of thousands and murder on an unimaginable scale. A love story devastatingly linked to a nation’s inexorable fate, this swirling tempest of a novel moves us from antic heights to tragic depths while vividly evoking a prosperous China on the brink of political upheaval.

Genres: Fiction, China, Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, Romance, Historical

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Ye Zhaoyan was born in Nanjing in 1957. After graduating from high school in 1974, Ye worked as a fitter in a factory for four years. Afterwards, he was admitted to the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Nanjing University. He gained his master's degree there in 1986.

Ye Zhaoyan came to literary prominence in the early 1980s. He has written a total of some 5 million words. His major works include the seven-volume set of "Selections from Ye Zhaoyan (Ye Zhaoyan wenji)," "Ye Zhaoyan Collected Works (Ye Zhaoyan zuopin zixuanji)" and several other selections.

His full-length novels include "Nanjing 1937: A Love Story (Yijiusanqinian de aiqing)," "Flower Demon (Huasha)," "Other People's Love Stories (Bieren de aiqing)," "No glass greenhouse (Meiyou boli de huafang)" and "Our Stubborn Hearts (Women de xin duome wangu)."

Ye's prose collections include "Wandering the Night (Liulang zhi ye)," "Old Nanjing: Reflections of Scenes on the Qinhuai River (Jiuying qinghuai)," "Ye Zhaoyan's Wonderful Essays (Ye Zhaoyan juemiao xiaopinwen)," "Ye Zhaoyan Prose (Ye Zhaoyan sanwen)," and "Miscellaneous Peanut Tree (Za huashengshu)."

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book for the cover, more than anything. (Not the one pictured on Goodreads, but a very artistic colored-pencil looking yellow and red image)

Happily, I found the book as intriguing as the cover. It's an unusual love story, and the tale is tied around historical events which I'm not familiar with, but I was able to follow along both because of the notations, and because the love story takes place in spite of (not from dependence on) the events of the times.

The translation makes the writing seem like it leaves a little to be desired, but it's something I could get past.

The love story is less romantic or dramatic (or rather, it is dramatic without dwelling on itself) than I've come to expect, which is what makes it refreshing.

[Mircalla · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'ultimo anno della vecchia capitale...Nanchino 1937 una storia di dolore...

un storia di amore, di quelle travolgenti perchè mai consumate, di quelle ideali nello stile di Marquez, una storia che assume un connotato amaro nel momento in cui diventa l'ultima cosa che i nostri protagonisti faranno in vista della fine che incombe, una storia consumata negli ultimi istanti dell'ultimo anno di vita dell'antica capitale cinese...che si conclude con l'ingresso nel porto di una nave da guerra giapponese...
il romanzo è in se un canto funebre, sia per la città che per i protagonisti, ma soprattutto per l'idea stessa di antica Cina, una nazione che al tempo neanche era ancora una nazione, un luogo altro sospeso negli attimi prima della sua sanguinosa fine, un luogo profanato dall'esercito dell'Imperatore più sanguinario e criminale del Giappone moderno, un'antica capitale che ballava al suono del pifferaio Chiang Kai-shek e per questo finirà abbandonata e rasa al suolo, fu l'ultima capitale del Kuomintang nel passaggio che segnerà la fine del Partito e la prima era del neonato Partito Comunista...
un racconto che vale di sicuro la lettura sia per l'enorme lavoro di ricostruzione storica che per il fascino della capitale di un'epoca storica precedente alla nuova Cina di Mao, ma lascia l'amaro in bocca anche a chi della fine di Nanchino sa poco o nulla...

[Sephreadstoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il soggetto del libro è proprio la Nanchino del 1937. La storia d'amore è solo il pretesto per raccontare il clima politico, sociale e militare pre-invasione.
E proprio la storia d'amore è stata la zavorra per me, l'ho trovato davvero pesante, ai livelli di uno stalking.
Tutto il contrario è stato leggere i dettagli sulla città nei mesi appena precedenti il massacro: le discussioni, i tentativi di infiammare il patriottismo, persino i modi per sfuggire al caldo, tutto ha contribuito a creare una capsula del tempo prima della caduta della città e per questo è davvero un ottimo romanzo, che riprende molto bene il pre-invasione spiegato bene dal saggio de
The Rape Of Nanking di Iris Chang.

[Stephen Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique, unconventional, painful love story you can really feel. It actually reads like something written in the early 20th century, and the heavy dose of historical fact incorporated into the story is a delight for dorks like me. Well, considering the facts, "delight" is probably not the best word to use. It just makes it all the more compelling. This is one of the best Chinese novels I've ever read.

[Nik Morton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ding Wenyu, almost forty, is married and a womaniser; he’s a college professor proficient in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Romanian; his ‘legendary’ language abilities come in useful from time to time. When in his late teens he was banished to France as a result of a misguided pursuit of a young woman. In Paris he crossed paths with Ernest Hemingway, Vladimir Nabokov and Jorge Luis Borges, among others. Indeed, the book is deliberately scattered with name-dropping, notably the hierarchy of China at the time (there’s a helpful glossary of historical figures). Wenyu does not appear to be a likeable fellow, though he is amusing and his conceit in disavowing the mores of his times evokes sympathy.

Whether a fault of the translator, the editor (if any) or the author, the text is peppered with far too many clichés: ‘hold a candle’, ‘between a rock and a hard place’, ‘a piece of cake’, ‘the short end of the stick’ to list a few. As the book contains irony as well as humour, perhaps this is intentional.

Wenyu’s life is changed when he beholds the younger sister of the girl he’d pursued twenty years earlier: At her wedding to a popular fighter pilot, Yuyuan captures Wenyu’s heart. He is smitten with ‘a kind of adoration of the utmost purity’. Unlike his encounters with married women and prostitutes, he does not lust after her.

So, he becomes obsessed with Yuyuan. He writes love letters (not lewd or salacious, just full of praise) to her every day. Perhaps nowadays he would be arrested for stalking.

In parallel – deliberately – the author juxtaposes Wenyu’s pursuit of his love against the threat of Japanese invasion – both seeming leisurely in pace, though that same pace quickens towards the end. There are some interesting snippets about the military situation, for example: ‘According to intelligence reports at the time, the Japanese military’s primary future target was not China but Russia. Moreover, if the Japanese navy wanted to conquer the Pacific, a direct conflict with America would be inevitable….’

This is, just, a love story; the blurb calls it ‘epic’ but it isn’t. Its emotional punch is weakened by the omniscient point of view, so as a result the ending was disappointing.

Some critics have mentioned ‘explicit’ scenes and ‘raunchy sex scenes’; these are minor, and most of the sex (there isn’t much) is handled without graphic detail. There is one curious item regarding women without pubic hair being called ‘white tigers’; the legend has it that white tigers can harm men, so many superstitious Chinese men will not bed a ‘white tiger’. Another involves an acquaintance of Wenyu in necrophilia.

The book is enlightening about the culture and attitudes of the time in China. What comes across most forcefully is the universality of the human condition, irrespective of culture. In 1937 Nanjing there was a cult of personality; the rich and notable craved to be seen at events; divorce was considered a scandal but accepted; and young girls attempted to marry older rich men.

Hanging over the leisurely and sometimes farcical courting by Wenyu is the oppressive knowledge that Japanese forces would prevail and Nanjing would fall. The Chinese saying is perfectly apt: ‘If good fortune awaits there is no reason to hide – if disaster awaits there will be no place to hide.’

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the second time i tried reading this book and i liked it better this time round and managed to finish it. The main character Ding wasn't so easy to like, but i think there was a nice correlation between the rise in romantic intensity to the approach of the Nanjin massacre. The book did end a bit too abruptly, but at least the character was more likeable by that point than before.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great, a little long-winded, but i think it was supposed to capture the character of Ding. A superb read for infomation about the japanese advance in china.

[Jojie · Rating 3 out of 5]

story of China during the war portrayed through a love story

[Karsten Vandenrijt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Een verhaal over onmogelijke liefde dat zich afspeelt in een land dat met de dag dichter bij totale oorlog en catastrofe staat. Een ambitieus project van Ye Zhaoyan om de ontwikkelingen die zich voordoen in de (ietwat ongepaste) relatie tussen de protagonist Ding Wenyu en de liefde van zijn leven Ren Yuanyan te juxtaposeren tegen de achtergrond van een alsmaar agressiever Japan. Het doel van de roman is duidelijk om de romantische verhaallijn en de historische achtergrond als parallelle gebeurtenissen in één boek te versmelten. Daar heeft hij naar mijn mening zowel vormelijk als inhoudelijk in gefaald.
Niet alleen was de protagonist totaal ongeloofwaardig door zijn oppervlakkige onderbouw bestaande uit clichés, ook het romantische karakter van het verhaal drong niet door tot mij. Het hele boek lang lijken we eerder te maken te hebben met een extreem opdringerige en seksverslaafde predator die in moderne tijden zou worden aangehouden voor stalking, om op het einde toch te krijgen wat hij wilde. Misschien was het de bedoeling van Ye om een vrouwelijke tegenhanger te creëren zonder zelfrespect, maar dat betwijfel ik aangezien het gemiddelde personage maar 1 opvallende karaktertrek had.
Verder valt de tekst ontzettend veel in herhaling, op sommige plaatsen las ik twee keer dezelfde geparafraseerde zin na elkaar. Door de weinige diepgang in de personages herhaalden ook zij vaak dezelfde handelingen, gedachten en beschrijvingen. Dit boek van bijna 400 pagina's had gemakkelijk gehalveerd kunnen worden.
Elk hoofdstuk begon ook met een korte historische duiding waarna we teruggebracht werden naar het plot, wat de illusie van een perfecte versmelting van tijd, ruimte en verhaallijn die de auteur voor ogen had verbrak. In de plaats krijgen we eerder een soort oncomfortabele "romance" tussen een stalker en zijn prooi met van tijd tot tijd een schools intermezzo van historische feitjes.

[Anthony Caruso · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Torn on how I feel about this book. Ding Wenyu, the protagonist, is not very relatable and is consistently repulsive throughout the book. Ye attempts to conceal these pitfalls in the protagonist's personality with the theme of pure love, but it just doesn't work at times. IF you can push to the back of your mind how creepy he is, then I think it's a decent novel.

Not the typical love story and packed with historical insight. The many side-stories, whether it be in context of the brewing Sino-Japanese War or side characters, were all entertaining. The cast of characters is diverse and keep the book's pacing from dragging, despite Ding Wenyu's repetitive actions continued throughout.

Overall, I'd recommend it. Interested in Chinese history or literature? Read it keeping in mind it is still historical fiction. Want to try a new take on a love story? Read it. Feel the need to bond with or like the main character? Avoid.

[Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters in this story are living their daily lives with little to no concept of the disaster this is looming over their future. Our main character, Ding Wenyu, is a well renowned professor at the University in Nanjing. He comes from a very wealthy family and has lived a life of playboy. I found him to be quite quirky and yet endearing. The woman that he falls in love with (completely) is married and 20 years (at least) his junior.. and yet, he loves and adores her. Of course, we all know the story will end with Japan invading/destroying Nanjing. Ye Zhaoyan's story pulled me in and I had to read about Professor Ding and his life.

[Kathryn Price · Rating 2 out of 5]

I decided to read this book due to its setting against the Nanjing Massacre.

I was disappointed that the historical events didn't take a more prominant place than they did.

I found the love story quite tedious and at times almost unbelieveable with the main characters very unmatched.

I enjoyed the setting, learning more about China, and this general background of the story but in the end, found the story quite laborious and not quite 'right' as a love story per se.

[Li Zhiqiang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the novel in Chinese. A great novel. Loved it.

[Yii Kitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice

[Hannah Epstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully done-- captures the human heart and paints a great portrait of life in Nanjing leading up to the massacre.

[Melaslithos · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone with a small interest in the History of China, "Nankin 1937" are two strong words, harbinger of doom and one of the darkest parts of Chinese history. But in this novel's title, these words are associated with "a love story". It's on this antithetic note that I started reading this book. It is indeed a love story. A neurotic and obsessed romance, but a romance all the same. And with a huge sword of Damocles suspended above it.

Ding Wenyu, experienced playboy, falls madly in love with Yuyuan on the day of her marriage. Here he is, changed into a lovesick and clumsy man, trying to court relentlessly Yuyuan with a totally off-subject courtship. Off-subject in the face of Yuyuan's situation, just married, off-subject in the face of society and off-subject in the face of the terrible events in preparation. But not at all off-subject in the face of Ding Wenyu's passion.

The love story between Ding Wenyu and Yuyuan develops over a year, and evolves with the atmosphere in the city of Nanjing, in this famous year 1937. It is rather calm at the beginning, as is the city when it still doesn't believe in clashes, and becomes more and more frenetic as the pressure of war increases. And their story will reach it's pinnacle when the novel ends, with the entry of Japanese troops in Nanjing.

The characters Ding Wenyu and Yuyuan are both maddening and loathable, but also appealing because of their flaws. They also become all the more appealing as the fatality of History catches up with them.

In a way, this book is a bittersweet prelude to the horrors that will befall Nanjing in the end of 1937.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes place in Nanjing the year leading up to the infamous massacre by the Japanese in 1937. The story is about Ding Wenyu, a womanizing professor of foreign languages. He is a immensely popular professor who does not abide by any rule of either etiquette or common sense. He is invited to the wedding of one of his colleague's and falls head over heels in love with the bride, Ren Yuyuan. He starts by sending daily love letters to her. She at first is embarrassed and does not know how to handle the undeserved attention. Ren's marriage to a arrogant philandering pilot has problems from the start.

The urgency of the love because of the environment gets more and more tense at the invasion draws nearer.

There is a tremendous amount of detail in this book. The author describes this year in amazing attention to detail. The amount of research done was phenomenal. The Chinese politics and attitudes are described.

I found this book intriguing but difficult to read. First the romance was a little farcical. This may be the Chinese style. The book read like a history book at times instead of a historical fiction. I do not know whether this is because of the amount of detail in the book or because of the translation

[Shayla Truong · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was better then I expected. Though there were times when I found myself starring of into space, what kept me captivated was the ironic situations in the story. For example, Ding Wenyu's ability to capture the heart's of dozens of women, despite being in his late 30's!:-P Also, I dove into this book expecting one thing, but got something completely different in return! I thought the main focus would be a of a love story taken place during the Rape of Nanjing, and how this tragic event would have effected the relationship, but the only trace of the event that actually took place was in the last 90 pages! Nevertheless, the story and character development of the main characters, Ding Wenyu and Ren Yuyuan, remained smooth throughout the whole book! His persistence and determination to get his "lover" kept me throughly entertained and continuously anticipating what was going to happen next. Another positive from this book was Ding Wenyu's lifestyle as a professor. Ye Zhaoyan kept it stable and made sense form the beginning to end of this book. Nothing out of the ordinary came from his character, which was much appreciated because if that had happened, I would have lost focus from Ye Zhaoyan's book. I give this book a well deserved 3 stars!

[paperdust · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am left with a bland aftertaste. As with most novels I have read by Chinese authors, I find the beginnings well-written and promising, but the middle drags on for all eternity and the ending is left open. The novel's translator, Michael Berry helped me to understand the author's intention a little more when he wrote: "The year 1937 saw not only the fall of the ancient capital of Nanjing but also the pinnacle of its development; in his novel, Ye Zhaoyan captures both. And although the novel comes to an end...(on) the day the massacre begins, the reader knows all too well how the story ends. (The author) may not understand the history that historians call history, but in the end what he leaves us with is precisely the melancholic power and unbearable weight of History." The book does exactly that: it gives a fair account of the popular culture and life of the well to do in the year prior to the Japanese invasion. There is a fair bit name dropping - the main political and military players in the CCP and NP are given cameo roles. I would hardly call this a love story, it is more about one man's obsession with a stranger.

[Kathy Chung · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book would be tedious to read ..must be about suffering of two lovees in a war torn era. Why did I buy it? Well...coz it's just rm5 and a great bargain. I might like the book.

Anyway..just finished reading it last night. Was surprised. Its not about the war at all. Its about yhe lovesick Ding Wenyu. He is like
The chinese casanova , uncle oswald and Charlie Chaplin muxed together.

It was hilarious to read all the trouble he went through to win the heart of his beloved.

Would hv given it 4stars if its not because of the endling. Needless to say thst k didnt like yhe endling much.

Anyway...it was a good read for me

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ye Zhaoyan's sense of irony juxtaposed against the backdrop of one of China's most tragic periods in modern history brings laughter and tears to this touching love story. If you're well-versed in Chinese history, you'll love the references to all the heavy hitters in 20th century Chinese politics (with the exception of the Chairman himself). And if you're new to Chinese history, you'll enjoy the story while learning a little about the making of modern China. One of the best novels I've read about the dawn of WWII in China.

[Richard Huang · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has a lot of interesting events taking place. The author certainly has a vivid imagination. However, some parts of the book were translated poorly. I could make out a few Chinese idioms that were translated literally word for word which made it kind of odd to read. On the other hand the book mainly focuses on the main protagonist's chase for the love of his life and less on the Rape of Nanking. I would recommend this book to those who love a good romance novel set in the past.

[Stephen Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book; it had me laughing out loud from cover to cover. I simply couldn't put it down.

I picked it up because I wanted to know more about what it was like to have been in Nanjing during the massacre. What I got was a richly painted tapestry of the year leading up to the Japanese storming of the capital told through the hilarious lens of a lovesick lunatic.

I read Michael Berry's excellent English translation.

[Amanda Patterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though this novel is easy to read. It's not for everyone. You may like it if you're obsessed with Chinese history and literature. You may like it if you like armchair travel, and want to experience what Nanjing was really like in 1937. You'll like it if you like a quirky love story and raunchy sex scenes.

[Luisalex Delarosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though this novel is easy to read. It's not for everyone. You may like it if you're obsessed with Chinese history and literature. You may like it if you like armchair travel, and want to experience what Nanjing was really like in 1937. You'll like it if you like old history novels.

[Khai Pin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book though it shows some explicit descriptions!

[Paige White · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love how this novel draws parallels between the love story and what was happening politically between Japan and China.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tried hard to get into this but it focused too much on the politcal and historical aspects of China rather than the story.

[Eric Jiang · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was able to illustrate the chaos and horrific actions that took place during the Nanking Massacre. The book was alright. The action and chaos only begins in the end of the book.

[Kenny Chau · Rating 3 out of 5]

It starts out as a very slow book, and Ding Wenyu is very difficult to like, because his personality isn't enjoyable