伤残的树

by Han Suyin, 韩素音, 董乐山 (Translator)

中国第一代留学归来的铁路工程师的女儿
比利时前国防大臣的外甥女
中国驻英武官的妻子
铁幕时期穿行于东西方世界的国际友好人士
毛泽东和周恩来传记的作者
《伤残的树》是韩素音自传的第一部，首次出版中文全译本。
作者父亲周映彤是中国第一代庚款留学生，母亲玛格丽特出身比利时贵族家庭。他们的相遇本应是东西方文化的一次惊艳碰撞，但在20世纪初期，这种交融却充满了苦涩与迷茫：玛格丽特对东方古国的浪漫幻想被乞丐、蝗虫、饥馑所取代，而心目中的“东方王子”，也成了无力保护妻子免受乡邻好奇目光及族间繁缛习俗纠缠的乡绅……韩素音和她的兄妹一出生就面临着血缘和文化的双重矛盾：他们在家讲中文，出外学英语；吃欧式早餐，中式午餐，混合式晚餐；上午穿着中式服装、带着毛笔和铜墨盒上中国学校，下午又去法国修道院学校……文学家韩素音为记忆奉献了许多鲜活的细节和独有的观点，使得历史有了情感，有了温度。
全书通过作者父母对异国恋情的回述，比利时援华铁路协会代理人赫斯的自述，辛亥革命亲历者李劼人的讲述，作者三叔、四川美丰银行经理周见三的旁述，以及作者童年记忆的影像回放，为19世纪末、20世纪初动荡的中国历史留下了一道道生动的侧影……
我花一小时读韩素音作品所获得的对中国的认识，比我在那个国家住上一年还要多。
——伯特兰•罗素
我曾在南特和巴黎询问十名受过高等教育、职业不同的法国人，问他们读过哪位中国当代作家的作品，其中九人都肯定地回答：韩素音。
——刘心武
作为一个接受过高等教育的英国青年，我看到英文版的韩素音自传感到很震撼，其形容词、名词的千变万化令我感佩不已。我特别想再重拍一遍她的自传体小说， 书里的人物那么有意思，我想我这样的80后对这段历史都很感兴趣。
——大牛（中央电视台“同乐五洲”英籍主持人）
一头浪漫灰发的韩素音很迷人。她是个著名的中国通，执着的中国迷，忠诚的爱国者。
——马瑞芳
韩素音热爱父亲的祖国，也热爱母亲的故乡。西方知识阶层的读者非常喜欢她的作品。她写的关于中国的回忆录，已成为研究中国的必读书之一，而这一切都源自于她心中的那份中国情结。
——乔松都（《乔冠华与龚澎：我的父亲母亲》的作者

Genres: China, Biography, History, Nonfiction, Memoir, Asia, Chinese Literature

466 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Han Suyin (Pinyin: Hán Sùyīn) is the pen name of Elizabeth Comber, born Rosalie Elisabeth Kuanghu Chow (Pinyin: Zhōu Guānghú). She was a Chinese-born Eurasian author of several books on modern China, novels set in East Asia, and autobiographical works, as well as a physician. She wrote in English and French. She died in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2012.

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author writes of her life growing up in early twentieth century China. It is one of the earlier reminiscences of Chinese history, along the lines of "Wild Swans", published twenty years or so later. I think this is valuable source material for people wanting to know first-hand how life was in China prior to communism. These were tumultuous times for China. I have not gone on to read the subsequent volumes ... but I may someday!

[Perry Whitford · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Chinese have always been history-minded, the one people with a continuous recorded chronicle of their own for two thousand five hundred years ... No peoples escape history, but they are more aware of it than some other nations'.

Han Suyin (real name Rosalie Matilda Kuanghu Chou) was a Eurasian writer born of a Chinese father of Szechuan stock a and Belgium mother, raised in China but educated abroad later, where she married and divorced a British army officer.

In this wonderful book, the first part in a series of autobiographies, she states that her purpose was 'to understand, through one family, the long feudal millenniums of China', a history that she saw as ripe for replacement by the Communist revolution.

Her father's Chou family were descended from Hakkas, the Guest People, refugees who moved in times of flood, drought and war. It was important for the women to work also, therefore 'Hakka women went chest and foot-free, and consequently tongue-free'.

She begins from the year 1885 - the birth of her father - and his experiences, alongside those of his military brother, Suyin's 'Third Uncle' in the Chinese phrase, guide us through the turbulent early years of the 20th century China, which included The Boxer Rebellion (or the Uprising of the Righteous Fists) in 1900.

As impressive as Suyin's writing is throughout, the extracts from her father's memoir that she includes are even more so. Chou Yentung proves to have had the sensitivity and penetration of a true poet, and his contributions provide real insight into the millennia long feudal society of ancestor worship, Confucianism, continuity and imitation that were becoming increasingly inadequate to deal with a modern China harassed by external enemies, such as in this extract:

'All, the mountains, the clouds, the fields, the river going its long journey to the sea, all the matter for literature, all had been matter for history. Every spot had its actual event and also its legend, its appropriate verse, its place in the knowledge of the generations past and those to come. All had been done, commemorated, commented on. Hence at times the real was the calligraphy, and not what really happened; the maxims on the wall were alive, not the revolts and the humiliations'.

In the second half of the book, the young Suyin starts to emerge as the focus for her own story as the centuries old Manchu dynasty comes unstuck in 1928, and the funny thing is, as overwhelmed as I was by her narrative dexterity, I was not even sure if I much liked the author herself.

Admittedly arrogant and full of herself, she really sticks it to mother, who she paints as a selfish, whining racist and an awful parent. Maybe she was, but there is certainly something uncomfortably vindictive in her daughter's portrayal of her, especially when held up alongside the saintly picture she paints of her father.

Nonetheless, The Crippled Tree is a perceptive and fascinating insight into the China of the first half of the 20th century, a China starting to feel the effects of letting the outside world in; as told by someone born into the right circumstances and with the questing, inquisitive nature required to study and consider it.

[Missy J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally done with this book. I have many conflicting thoughts about this book, so I will try my best to put them out in a coherent manner. First of all, this book has 461 pages. Goodreads may want to take note of that. Secondly, the reader should keep in mind that this book was published in 1965, just when the Cultural Revolution started. I wonder if the author would've written this book in a different tone if she had, let's say instead written this book in the eighties. But the communists don't really play a major role in this book - it traces the events of the author's life and China in general from 1885 to 1928.

This leads me to my third point, which is a critique. Did the author aim to write an autobiography or a history book? I wished that the author was clearer on this or that she hired an editor (no one is credited in the book for editing) for suggestions on the book. Because this was very confusing to me. The parts about her life were well written. I applaud the author for bringing to light the dark side of interracial marriages and the problems faced in her family. I also do not mind when some political and historical facts are provided for the background story. However, I cannot accept that a character out of NOWHERE pops up, who has no relationship with the family or the story whatsoever, and that a whole chapter of almost 50 pages (it felt like 100 pages) is dedicated to just add more historical information to the background. It was so boring and dreadful to read chapter 16, that I have to remove two stars at least out of five. The balance wasn't good. Because of that lackluster chapter, I'm not interested to read the second book. To finish off this review, I would like to share some interesting quotes from "The Crippled Tree":

"If today China is Communist, it is the Western Powers which forced her into it; and if the peoples of Asia are beginning to believe that nothing can be achieved except by the power of the gun, it is because that was proven by decades of violence. Everyone is conditioned by experience; our future made before we are born. Today the same lesson is being taught to future generations, the lesson that the gun is sole arbiter in the end, and it is still the West which teaches this lesson."

"In Rosalie the necessity of knowing mutually contradictory truths without assuming any one of them to be the whole truth, became in childhood the only way to live on, to live and to remain substantial. And she was astonished that others were unwilling to accept the discomfort of always being partly wrong, of never knowing a total answer; they became so sure, believing one thing only, preferring a cosy semi-blindness to the pricking clarity of doubt."

[Steven Langdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the first of a five-volume autobiography/history of her background and life in China by noted author (and medical doctor) Han Suyin. I have been an admirer of Dr. Han ever since I heard her speak at a Teach-In on the Vietnam War, and read her passionate novel, "A Many-Spendoured Thing."

This volume tells a remarkable and in many ways tragic story, recounting in detail the struggles of Han's father's Chinese family in the turmoil of 1850-1900 China -- and then the striking shift from there to study abroad in Belgium for her father, marked by his even more unusual marriage to a well-educated Belgian woman. Their romantic pairing takes the couple confidently back to China, only to confront harsh conflicts and prejudices on all sides -- ultimately undermining their love, and shaping resentments that cripple their life together, and the future of their children.

Despite this dramatic core, I found this volume a very slow read -- mainly because Han Suyin recounts not just her own life, but that of her various family members, using detailed excerpts from diaries and letters that probe many experiences exhaustively. It was easy to get bogged down in specifics, and become diverted from the overall relationships being traced. The author is also anxious to incorporate many aspects of 1885-1928 Chinese history in this book -- including documentation of various regional uprisings and careful probing of railway financing.

Nevertheless, this is a powerful and compelling book, because it presents such a vivid and comprehensive picture of parts of China, and how they were devastated by the years of foreign intervention that marked this period. To understand the nationalism of current China, and the sense of confidence that has grown in the country, one must absorb the depths of distrust and deprivation created in past years and subsequently transcended.

[Kallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was just thinking this a.m. that I would like to re-read this book. The early story, of how Han's mother and father met in Europe when he was a student there and her adjustment to life in a traditional Chinese family, was fascinating. And painfully difficult for her mother as I recall. In my memory, that overshadows the rest of the story and it would be so interesting to see what stands out for me this time. As I recall, the whole book was maybe a bit melodramatic, in the manner of women's stories back then, but well-written and a great story. Update: I am now re-reading and find that my memory deleted the most interesting parts of all, the history of the Hakka people -- their migrations and the social upheavals that caused their migrations. Perhaps now I have a greater interest in the big, social pictures surrounding individual human lives. Han Suyin does a wonderful job of fascinating the reader re ancestor veneration, feudal China, revolution, economics, how those affected families like hers. I'm only 50 pages into the re-read and see that there will be a lot more to come.

[Yeo_heng_hau YEO · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this autobiography which covers the tumultous period of China's history in the years 1885 to 1928, Han Suyin, in her lucid and engaging writing, evokes in the reader a close to real sense her family and the country has to go through. Appropriately titled, "The Crippled Tree", she described how the Western powers had taken advantage of the country's weakness due to the corruption prevalent during the Manchu's reign, and the shame and humiliation inflicted on the country and its people. The book is an excellent and worthwhile read because she is able to weave the happenings of the lives of her family, right from her great grandfather to herself and her siblings, and that of China during that period.

Being the child of a Chinese railway engineer and a Belgian housewife, Suyin shared the damning discrimination a child from a mixed marriage had to endure in the company of Europeans who partitioned the country as concessions among themselves.

Through the thorough and intense research put in by the author "The Crippled Tree" not only gives a good account of the history of China during this period but also superbly bring out the living and culture of the people then.

[Nava · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The author is a Eurasian - Belgian mother, Chinese father.
I recognize the story the story of any third culture kid, but it's by far more than.
It's the manuscripts and letters of family members before she born, it is the story of her family. But it is also the history of China from about 1900 to 1930. It made me realize just how big an influence and how many hopes were placed on the railroad at the time. And just how violent and brutal the take over by European countries was -- in the name of making a profit. It doesn't flow as a read, but is so human and so full of history which still makes it an amazing read.
I look forward to reading the next two books...

[Camelia Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book of Han's autobiographies. It contains:
- History of Han's Chinese ancestors
- Life of a mixed-race family in China in the first half of 20th century.
- Poignant love story between Han's parents
- Life of Europeans who lived in China before WWII
- Being Eurasian in China

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sad story beautifully told.

[dbszane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Han Suyin had one foot in each world in terms of cultural comprehension: China and Europe. I read this and other of her books while living in China in the 80's. What incredible insight.

[Jordan Nelson]

The book, "The Crippled Tree", told the story of Han Suyin and her parents during the turmoil of early China. The story begins with Han Suyin's father, Chou Wei. Beginning with his life from the home of a middle class family, he was the son of an engineer of Hakka descent and then the story progresses up until he meets Han Suyin's mother, Marguerite, who was Flemish. The two would meet in Belgium while Chou Wei was studying, Marguerite would fall in love with Chou Wei and follow him to China. The story of the two continues until the birth of Han Suyin, and because of her mother's European background and her father's Chinese background, Han Suyin is born Eurasian. In "The Crippled Tree" she describes the experiences that come with being Eurasian in China as well as living during the rise of Chiang Kai-Shek. Han Suyin was able to describe the events during the time, such as famine, war, and revolution with such painstakingly real emotions, it was a beautiful story.

"The Crippled Tree" was written by 'Han Suyin' which was the pen name for Rosalie Matilda Kuanghu Chou. The story is based on the real events of her and her family during the revolutions in China and the rise of Chiang Kai-Shek. The event of Han Suyin were actual events as well as the stories of her parents. As a historical biography/autobiography what is told is left to the discretion of the author, but from the people that I have researched, all were present during the time period.

I enjoyed the book "The Crippled Tree", it was a different twist on looking at these awful events. I liked the view that she wrote from, it was a younger view than what I'm used to when I read war or revolution novels. I enjoyed how passionate she was about everything she wrote, she showed how fragile the human spirit was and that no matter how strong, it is susceptible it was to breakage. "Indeed it is suffering, to go on growing, to hold what is, to try to understand, to knock down one's own preconceptions. To find one's memories ravaged by time and revolution, one's intimate illusions ripped up, laughter for one''s own private desolation the only answer; to realize how difficult, agonizing, is the process of understanding, and how long it takes." I really loved how much emotion was put into her words, there was a lot of passion and love and hate as well as fear mixed up into every sentence, it just gave you chills. "I could see now clearly how terrible it was, so narrow, famed in: my life, which I could not leap away from."

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes stories of war or revolution or likes to read biographies or autobiographies where you can create a connection with the author. This book is also extremely honest and takes you directly to China during the revolution. At times, it can be a difficult book to read, but in the end it weaves a beautiful story.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read years ago - finding copies today is difficult. Serious history both familial and cultural/political.

[Frances White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so heart-touching and I am so happy to have experienced it.
This book is slightly genealogical in the beginning as you follow the author back to her homeland in China. She tells the story of the family from ancient times to the present. You learn so much about China the people and it's land. Such a beautiful country in so many ways.
Mainly, she starts out by sharing about her mother, who is European, and her father, who is Chinese, and the struggles they experience within their marriage, with the hope of finding a happy place between both worlds. At the beginning of the early century, the struggles of cultural differences between the parents reached down to the children, who are now affected by it. She shares how they deal with those differences, to come to a place of acceptance, to find peace.
She shares some of her father's artful and skillful writings that reveal the beauty of China and her own painful struggles growing up not accepted by her mother and the beauty of The Crippled Tree, and how it becomes its own beautiful self even by pain.

[taro · Rating 5 out of 5]

the love and suffering of my china--

426 "they dont want revolution, they only want money and food"

[Pamela Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first of Han Suyin's books on the History of China but features her own family and the record of their history. It is thoroughly engrossing and humbles this reader who knows so little about the history of Asia.
I have learned that the recent era (since 1949) is just one act in a series of many acts in the great drama that is China. The ongoing dilemma of how to rule a country with many traditions and dialects so far removed from each other is ongoing, -- perpetual, if you will. The significance of the establishment of railroads was huge and lightly documented in the book, especially the Belgian role and the domination of European and American interests over the Chinese, even those well-trained in such matters by the Europeans themselves. Han Suyin's father was a railroad engineer trained and educated by the Belgians; her mother was Belgian. The problems of those with mixed parentage in both countries beggars description here but is a theme of the book.

[Antonella Moretti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro che è sia biografia familiare che trattato di storia. I capitoli iniziali sono stati un po' pesanti da leggere, zeppi di nomi e avvenimenti (che la mia scarsa memoria dimentica dopo poche pagine) ma probabilmente necessari per capire il contesto storico delle vicende familiari. Mi sono piaciute molto di più le parti scritte dal padre, nel quale racconta della sua famiglia feudale e dell'incontro con la sua moglie straniera. Molto bella anche l'ultima parte, nella quale l'autrice racconta di se stessa in terza persona, chiamandosi Rosalie (suo vero nome, che ha sempre odiato) e nella quale racconta il rapporto conflittuale con sua madre. Questo libro racconta la biografia familiare fino al 1928 e ci sono ancora quattro successivi libri nei quali tratta la sua storia personale (che naturalmente mi è venuta voglia di leggere!).

[Kelv · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to some Chinese history with regards to the 1911 revolution and the interest/interference by Britain/France/USA/Japan/Belgium/Russia. When you join the dots this book tells you much, especially on the back of knowledge of the Opium wars, Sino Japanese wars, WW1. I received a good feel for the railway building (which this book is really about) as well as all the factions vying for control. I got a good introduction to ethnicities with regards to the Hans, Hakka, Hui, Manchus etc.

Now the problem - I did not follow the early changing narrative perspective and time jumps - it was not clear enough who was narrating early in the book... occasionally it felt like a female's (which could have been Rosalie) perspective but this would not align with the dates of an 11 year old girl, occasionally it was male, perhaps it was dialogue between Third Uncle and Yentung.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was difficult to get involved in. Parts of it were uninteresting. It was also difficult to follow who was speaking; it changed too frequently. The book is full of history and in that sense, is quite interesting, but not an easy read. The latter part of the book had more personal details and was more interesting. Probably wouldn't recommend this book unless you want to know more about the history of China in this time period.

[Jwt Jan50 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an exceptional work. Long a fan of A Many Splendored Thing as well as the movie and the song. Wanted to get some background before rereading the book. Exceptional as it is, it is not an easy read. My original intent was to read all volumes, but so far I have not had the temerity.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one that I must read again!

[Francesca Lorenzini · Rating 1 out of 5]

E' troppo lento e dispersivo... Mi sono trascinata fino a metà ma ora mi arrendo.

[Pippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. Gave a huge amount of insight into her life in China. I went on and read every volume of her autobiography.

[Gianluca C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un'autobiografia di un Paese attraverso le Vite dei membri di una famiglia.