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Go Ask the River
Here is the haunting story of the great female poet Hung Tu, who flourished in the ninth century during one of the great periods of Chinese literature. The daughter of a Government official far from the capital, on the Silk River, she was, most unusually, brought up with her brothers whom she far outshone. Falling on evil times, her father sells her to the best Blue House on the Silk River. Hung Tu's poetry and calligraphy bring her great renown, and the story traces her rise from Flower-in-the-Mist to Official Hostess at the court of the governors of the Silk City, and her love affair with the poet Yuan Chen. Set against the backdrop of the scholars, poets, officials, and warring factions of ninth century China, this wonderful story reconstructs one of the great periods of China - turbulent, cruel, yet with a sense of beauty remarkable by any standards and in any age. Go Ask the River is a tale not only of historical China, but of the human struggle to discover how to be alive.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 17, 2022
I got to know this book through book club recommendation and through not just reading itself also researching around the period also the central characters I have to admit this ends up being the most thorough read and learning I ever had.
****Spoiler Alert****
The book flows just like the river, other than the opening chapter, which may have borrowed from the Story of the Stone (Dream of Red Mansion), introducing the central character, a talented female Tang poet and courtesan/hostess, Hung Tu, via a magical encounter of a young scholar more than 200 years later. All subsequent chapters are organized chronologically with some timeline jumps at certain plot points. The writing is punctuated with many beautifully written poetry pieces either by lines via harmonization or as standalone pieces, which is a common format of classic Chinese novel.
Hung’s story started at House of Hsueh in the silk city of Shu right by river Min (Cheng Du), followed by Blue House, at times Cloud Touching Temple where her troubled mother thought asylum in her last years, Governor’s Villa (initially under Governor Wei Bao), her own residence Pi-Chi-Fang.
Several people played a hand or major roles in her formative years including her father low ranking official Hsueh Yun, her mother 2nd lady of the house/Harmonizing Reed, Honorable Tutor at House of Hsueh, Lady Tall Bamboo at Blue House, Old Scholar/famous poet Meng Chiao at Blue House, and much later friendly official Lu Yuan-Wei for real estate advice. There is Dao element threaded throughout the story though I didn’t quite pick on that in this reading. Late Tang suffered from social upheavals and bandits, which also provided a backdrop of the story and served as plot devises at times.
Hung had 2.5 love interests or romantic encounters, face-from-the-river as her first and failed love, Yuan Chen (famous poet, government censor) in her early 40s who eventually betrayed her, and briefly yet near fatally a very young governor Liu P’i from another generation (son of Spring Breeze & former Governor Wei) when she was still reeling from fallout with Yuan.
I was quite troubled by the tumultuous turn of events for Hung in the book until realizing reality is stranger than fiction.
From what I gathered, the entire book and story is modeled from the real life story of famous Tang female poet/courtesan/hostess, Xue Tao, and her love story with another mega poetry marvel of the time, the much younger Yuan Zhen. Unfortunately just like in the book their story took on a rather tragic turn with Yuan’s short stay and prompt departure from Shu. Hung’s romantic rival young dancer Misty Grass possibly is modeled after another famous and next generation female poet/singer of the time, Liu Caichun, Yuan Zhen’s later love conquest, who was known for her superb singing talents and beauty. Though in real life Liu Caichun was a freelance entertainer for the troops in a band with her husband and his brother, and didn’t come from entertainment house as in the book. One version may have her becoming Yuan’s concubine for a few years yet she mostly disappeared in the written history since their initial encounter and poetry exchange.
Xue subsequently took on a seclusive Dao’ist nun life style in her later years. Already separated for years, she died one year after hearing Yuan’s death in her 60s. That aside, Xue/Hung’s poetic talents, officiating skills as a government hostess, and achievements in creation of her own paper etc stood on its own. It is said that the theme and scope as well as style of her poetry is not limited to common female concerns yet rather broad, eg observation of hardship of frontier life during her exile, showing the breath of her interests and intellect. More than 100 pieces of her works are collected in Collection of Tang Poems. Tang Dynasty featured many poetry giants, almost all of them being men. Xue Tao is one of the four most recognized and celebrated female poets of the time. The other three being Li Zhi, Yu Xianji, and last Liu Caichun.
The poetry of the book seems to be the author’s own writing or based on, either closely and loosely, known Xue Tao’s poems. I didn’t recognize any word by word translation but recognize some familiar themes. I could be missing things though.
It should be noted places like Blue house in Tang Dynasty is common but differently organized/sponsored from a regular brothel. Women there had to go through various trainings to serve some capacities of entertainment and government functions. They normally enjoyed a better life style and status and possibly more freedom. It is very common in Tang Dynasty for government officials to visit places like this and mingle with courtesans there, and it’s possibly not uncommon for such interaction to be limited to offerings of dancing and singing or non-physical companionship.
In essence Tang people seem to have very sophisticated life style. Women enjoyed much more freedom than later dynasties. They can join men in horse riding among other things. Hung was shown doing that to the governor’s house by herself before finding out about Yuan and Misty Grass.
While the book is very in tune with Chinese culture, there are also major differences in literary style. One thing is that the book mostly resorts to generic descriptive terms often rather than providing the substance. For example the aesthetics of beauty in woman is very different in Tang Dynasty vs another time period. Reading something like pretty face, a singing tower, a robe, jade, etc, I am left with very little concrete ideas of the appearance, jewelry, furniture, dress code, dishes, interior, architecture, for all of which Tang had superb achievements and distinct styles. Classic Chinese literature would spend pages describing those, which could be dragging in moving plots but would be much more informative.
The most disappointed aspect of the book is Tung’s reaction upon catching Yuan and Misty Grass in the act. She is a woman of letters, at least among Tang ladies, cultivated and learned refraining herself given years of official hostess duties. Yet the portrait of her action following and the whole thing stooped to soapy TV realm, not most redeemed. Certainly she is entitled to feel betrayed and deeply disappointed and screams as much as she likes, maybe more in private? Yuan was also a man of letters. I think the readers can expect some more insightful exchanges and conversations between those two to give this whole tired trope some fresh perspectives. Later Yuan revealed some of his thoughts. Disappointing yet honest. I haven’t read Tung’s ‘apologizing’ poems. Of note, the real Yuan’s later famed work on romance (Story of Cui Yingying) may not give much confidence that there would be more enlightening thoughts having such conversation with him. Even men were disappointed in his excuses by blaming woman for his tasteless conduct. Yet the writer could take some creative liberty rather than another repeat of female victim angle. That’s documentary not writing.
All facts referenced were based on or pieced together via loose search on internet, both English and Chinese sources, not confirmed, with some from Wikipedia.
The fiction titled from a famous line from a poem by the most known Tang poet, Li Bai: Farewell in a Jingling Tavern.
The entire translation below from a different source as quoted in the book: but it is more explicit in explaining what Li tried to convey:
Willow catkins scatter in the wind and into the tavern breezes a flowery scent,
A charming Wu lady calls out to customers to taste wine just fermented;
My Jingling friends have arrived to bid me farewell,
About to go yet cannot bear to break away I drink up with them goblet after goblet.
Consider this, my friends, the endlessly eastbound waters
And parting sorrow in comparison, which persists for a greater length?
****Spoiler Alert****
The book flows just like the river, other than the opening chapter, which may have borrowed from the Story of the Stone (Dream of Red Mansion), introducing the central character, a talented female Tang poet and courtesan/hostess, Hung Tu, via a magical encounter of a young scholar more than 200 years later. All subsequent chapters are organized chronologically with some timeline jumps at certain plot points. The writing is punctuated with many beautifully written poetry pieces either by lines via harmonization or as standalone pieces, which is a common format of classic Chinese novel.
Hung’s story started at House of Hsueh in the silk city of Shu right by river Min (Cheng Du), followed by Blue House, at times Cloud Touching Temple where her troubled mother thought asylum in her last years, Governor’s Villa (initially under Governor Wei Bao), her own residence Pi-Chi-Fang.
Several people played a hand or major roles in her formative years including her father low ranking official Hsueh Yun, her mother 2nd lady of the house/Harmonizing Reed, Honorable Tutor at House of Hsueh, Lady Tall Bamboo at Blue House, Old Scholar/famous poet Meng Chiao at Blue House, and much later friendly official Lu Yuan-Wei for real estate advice. There is Dao element threaded throughout the story though I didn’t quite pick on that in this reading. Late Tang suffered from social upheavals and bandits, which also provided a backdrop of the story and served as plot devises at times.
Hung had 2.5 love interests or romantic encounters, face-from-the-river as her first and failed love, Yuan Chen (famous poet, government censor) in her early 40s who eventually betrayed her, and briefly yet near fatally a very young governor Liu P’i from another generation (son of Spring Breeze & former Governor Wei) when she was still reeling from fallout with Yuan.
I was quite troubled by the tumultuous turn of events for Hung in the book until realizing reality is stranger than fiction.
From what I gathered, the entire book and story is modeled from the real life story of famous Tang female poet/courtesan/hostess, Xue Tao, and her love story with another mega poetry marvel of the time, the much younger Yuan Zhen. Unfortunately just like in the book their story took on a rather tragic turn with Yuan’s short stay and prompt departure from Shu. Hung’s romantic rival young dancer Misty Grass possibly is modeled after another famous and next generation female poet/singer of the time, Liu Caichun, Yuan Zhen’s later love conquest, who was known for her superb singing talents and beauty. Though in real life Liu Caichun was a freelance entertainer for the troops in a band with her husband and his brother, and didn’t come from entertainment house as in the book. One version may have her becoming Yuan’s concubine for a few years yet she mostly disappeared in the written history since their initial encounter and poetry exchange.
Xue subsequently took on a seclusive Dao’ist nun life style in her later years. Already separated for years, she died one year after hearing Yuan’s death in her 60s. That aside, Xue/Hung’s poetic talents, officiating skills as a government hostess, and achievements in creation of her own paper etc stood on its own. It is said that the theme and scope as well as style of her poetry is not limited to common female concerns yet rather broad, eg observation of hardship of frontier life during her exile, showing the breath of her interests and intellect. More than 100 pieces of her works are collected in Collection of Tang Poems. Tang Dynasty featured many poetry giants, almost all of them being men. Xue Tao is one of the four most recognized and celebrated female poets of the time. The other three being Li Zhi, Yu Xianji, and last Liu Caichun.
The poetry of the book seems to be the author’s own writing or based on, either closely and loosely, known Xue Tao’s poems. I didn’t recognize any word by word translation but recognize some familiar themes. I could be missing things though.
It should be noted places like Blue house in Tang Dynasty is common but differently organized/sponsored from a regular brothel. Women there had to go through various trainings to serve some capacities of entertainment and government functions. They normally enjoyed a better life style and status and possibly more freedom. It is very common in Tang Dynasty for government officials to visit places like this and mingle with courtesans there, and it’s possibly not uncommon for such interaction to be limited to offerings of dancing and singing or non-physical companionship.
In essence Tang people seem to have very sophisticated life style. Women enjoyed much more freedom than later dynasties. They can join men in horse riding among other things. Hung was shown doing that to the governor’s house by herself before finding out about Yuan and Misty Grass.
While the book is very in tune with Chinese culture, there are also major differences in literary style. One thing is that the book mostly resorts to generic descriptive terms often rather than providing the substance. For example the aesthetics of beauty in woman is very different in Tang Dynasty vs another time period. Reading something like pretty face, a singing tower, a robe, jade, etc, I am left with very little concrete ideas of the appearance, jewelry, furniture, dress code, dishes, interior, architecture, for all of which Tang had superb achievements and distinct styles. Classic Chinese literature would spend pages describing those, which could be dragging in moving plots but would be much more informative.
The most disappointed aspect of the book is Tung’s reaction upon catching Yuan and Misty Grass in the act. She is a woman of letters, at least among Tang ladies, cultivated and learned refraining herself given years of official hostess duties. Yet the portrait of her action following and the whole thing stooped to soapy TV realm, not most redeemed. Certainly she is entitled to feel betrayed and deeply disappointed and screams as much as she likes, maybe more in private? Yuan was also a man of letters. I think the readers can expect some more insightful exchanges and conversations between those two to give this whole tired trope some fresh perspectives. Later Yuan revealed some of his thoughts. Disappointing yet honest. I haven’t read Tung’s ‘apologizing’ poems. Of note, the real Yuan’s later famed work on romance (Story of Cui Yingying) may not give much confidence that there would be more enlightening thoughts having such conversation with him. Even men were disappointed in his excuses by blaming woman for his tasteless conduct. Yet the writer could take some creative liberty rather than another repeat of female victim angle. That’s documentary not writing.
All facts referenced were based on or pieced together via loose search on internet, both English and Chinese sources, not confirmed, with some from Wikipedia.
The fiction titled from a famous line from a poem by the most known Tang poet, Li Bai: Farewell in a Jingling Tavern.
The entire translation below from a different source as quoted in the book: but it is more explicit in explaining what Li tried to convey:
Willow catkins scatter in the wind and into the tavern breezes a flowery scent,
A charming Wu lady calls out to customers to taste wine just fermented;
My Jingling friends have arrived to bid me farewell,
About to go yet cannot bear to break away I drink up with them goblet after goblet.
Consider this, my friends, the endlessly eastbound waters
And parting sorrow in comparison, which persists for a greater length?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2022
Overview:
This is a fictionalized account of the life of the poet Hung Tu who lived during the Tang Dynasty. Containing many of Hung Tu’s poems. Bearing the heart, soul, and intellect of the poet. For poets like Hung Tu, are very observant, and cunning in their words. This is more than just a story as it uses the culture and social organization of China during the time. The story itself is about the whole turbulent life of Hung Tu. From how and why the family moved from the capital to the calamity of bandits. From being sold to a Blue House, to working for governors. But rewards of the struggles endured are tenuous, with calamity striking again and again. A poetic portrait of the vicissitude and complexity of life. The uncertainty of potential outcomes in a variety of decisions. Hung Tu was brilliant with words, but that was hard to show in a patriarchal society. But many of the lessons learned facilitated in refining skills in observation and judgement that would be greatly valued in time.
Caveats?
The transitions between the different times of Hung Tu’s life have poor narrative transitions, making it a bit difficult to read and prevents flow within the narrative. As this book contains cultural aspects and traditions, many of the cultural traits can be missed without their prior knowledge. This info would help readers understand the background ideology and decision making.
This is a fictionalized account of the life of the poet Hung Tu who lived during the Tang Dynasty. Containing many of Hung Tu’s poems. Bearing the heart, soul, and intellect of the poet. For poets like Hung Tu, are very observant, and cunning in their words. This is more than just a story as it uses the culture and social organization of China during the time. The story itself is about the whole turbulent life of Hung Tu. From how and why the family moved from the capital to the calamity of bandits. From being sold to a Blue House, to working for governors. But rewards of the struggles endured are tenuous, with calamity striking again and again. A poetic portrait of the vicissitude and complexity of life. The uncertainty of potential outcomes in a variety of decisions. Hung Tu was brilliant with words, but that was hard to show in a patriarchal society. But many of the lessons learned facilitated in refining skills in observation and judgement that would be greatly valued in time.
Caveats?
The transitions between the different times of Hung Tu’s life have poor narrative transitions, making it a bit difficult to read and prevents flow within the narrative. As this book contains cultural aspects and traditions, many of the cultural traits can be missed without their prior knowledge. This info would help readers understand the background ideology and decision making.
August 9, 2025
I wish I could give this book 5 stars! It’s a beautiful story however I had to grasp at understanding it all. The style of writing was fitting and as difficult as it was to understand at times, I fell in love with the characters and the storyline. It’s an amazing book,
July 6, 2011
This is a wonderful book, the fictional account of the Daoist poet Hung Tu, who lived in ninth century China. The author captures the culture and the way in which women were treated in a way that Chinese friends tell me is authentic to the culture. The thread of Daoist thought is central to the book and beautifully done - mostly implied, not expressed, but gets across a strong sense of what this is all about. Really enjoyed it and will definitely reread it
July 25, 2008
I found this book in a used book store - absolutely great writing.
Read
April 13, 2014Not going to rate this, as I couldn't finish. I got halfway through, very slowly, as I could never seem to find myself in the right "mood". Perhaps will try again one day.
May 13, 2013
***Goodreads First Reads Giveaway Winner.*** Thank you so much!! I really enjoyed the story and I thought it was beautifully written.
May 2, 2013
Beautiful imagery, an effortless flowing writing style, subtle characterization. Eaton does an amazing job of setting a mood and bringing Hung Tu's poetry to life.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews