惘然記

by Eileen Chang, 張愛玲

本書收錄張愛玲一九五○至八○年代的散文作品，比較起四○年代的那種華麗風格，這時期的題材多為回顧過往，筆法也顯得越來越清淡，自我的喜怒哀樂較為隱藏，更符合她追求的簡樸蒼涼美學。〈談讀書〉從聊齋談到契訶夫，看似讀書心得，其實在表達文學觀點；〈憶胡適之〉藉著書信描繪文壇前輩，不著痕跡地透著感懷與敬仰；〈重訪邊城〉觀察舊時台灣以及香港細微的日常生活；〈草爐餅〉用上海小吃遙念故鄉……隨著生命進入另一階段，張愛玲對世事人情的體會更加透徹，文字描繪的功力也轉變得更成熟，並時時透現出她對創作的無比熱忱！

Genres: Fiction, Classics, China, Short Stories

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Eileen Chang is the English name for Chinese author 張愛玲, who was born to a prominent family in Shanghai (one of her great-grandfathers was Li Hongzhang) in 1920.

She went to a prestigious girls' school in Shanghai, where she changed her name from Chang Ying to Chang Ai-ling to match her English name, Eileen. Afterwards, she attended the University of Hong Kong, but had to go back to Shanghai when Hong Kong fell to Japan during WWII. While in Shanghai, she was briefly married to Hu Lancheng, the notorious Japanese collaborator, but later got a divorce.

After WWII ended, she returned to Hong Kong and later immigrated to the United States in 1955. She married a scriptwriter in 1956 and worked as a screenwriter herself for a Hong Kong film studio for a number of years, before her husband's death in 1967. She moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1972 and became a hermit of sorts during her last years. She passed away alone in her apartment in 1995.

Reviews

[ahya | ahyascottage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jasmine Tea: 4.5⭐️
The Golden Cangue: DNF
Traces of Love: 3⭐️

[Linnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8⭐️
Before diving into it, I think one should have a basic grasp of the period it was written in—along with Chinese culture.

[风花 · Rating 5 out of 5]

看的是百岁诞辰纪念版那册《惘然记》，编的是张爱玲的散文，读的时候可以明显地发现，张爱玲并不是远走美国之后就对中国的事情“两眼一抹黑”，从此再也不管了，其实她依然在关注中国的新闻，就像是偶尔在散文中戏谑提到的批斗、武斗。张爱玲的“全球”视野自然不必再多提，无论是读书抑或是吃食，张爱玲都有自己独特的品评视角，同时，张从来也没有把自己的读书范围锁定在“文学”一隅，甚至她也同时是个人类学爱好者，还在散文中提到了马林诺夫斯基。书后最后一篇附的《年画风格的太平春》一文，以“梁京”的笔名发表于1950年上海《亦报》，评的电影《太平春》是当时的一部“试图向人性靠拢的主旋律革命左派电影”，张爱玲在写这篇影评的时候也写出来了“与群众合拍”这种话语，既可以视作张在那个时期中的真心实意（主动向“人民群众”靠拢（向党靠拢）），也反映了当时“主旋律”话语的霸权性质（不服从者不得食）。

[val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the three short stories nestled within this anthology, my favourite by far was Traces of Love (留情). Although Jasmine Tea and The Golden Cangue were both intriguing, I wasn't the biggest fan of the story that was told; both were about generational trauma and its repercussions, and I admired how Chang approached the narrative, but it just didn't pique my interest. Traces of Love, however, had just the right amount of longing; of denial; of grief, and the process of reconciling with one's grief. It's a perfect short story; it tells you nothing and everything all at once. Anyways, everything rounds down to a solid four-star rating :D

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jasmine Tea was probably the best of the trio of short stories in this, as well as the most dramatic. I did also enjoy Traces of Love. The Golden Cangue felt a little out of place maybe, I found the characters in it the most difficult to understand of the the three stories. I had never read any of Eileen Chang’s works before this and I’m not sure this was the best place to start. However, I did enjoy it overall.

[Zahrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent selection of short stories - The Golden Cangue was a marvellous story of a troubled, traditional multi-generational household, and a difficult read if you have difficult family members like the Third Mistress. Definitely want to pick up more Penguin Archive titles!

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite beautifully written, but the second (and longest) story was a bit of a struggle.

[Nuwan Dabare · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in this book found me when I needed them most.

I cried or felt a sense of familiarity with all three: Jasmine Tea, The Golden Cangue, and Traces of Love.

To be clear, much of the pleasure I derived from reading these short stories came from projecting my own struggles and identity onto them. Regardless, I am glad this book ended with Traces of Love. I read that piece as a story of two people finding an imperfect peace after difficult times. Its imperfection made the story feel human, and after reading the emotionally challenging Golden Cangue, I thought it was an excellent reward to the reader.

[Bhargavi.lawbookskettlebells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are the characters unlikable? Yes. Is the main novella (The Golden Canque) as filled with toxicity as Wuthering Heights, and then some? Yes. Are other other two stories equally full of flawed, dysfunctional people and relationships? Yes. Did I "enjoy" it? I don't know, I think so. Was I mesmerized? Hell, yes!

I think it would help if you look up the author's bio and have a vague idea of China's historical context during this period. Not mandatory, of course, but that layer adds a poignant undertone to all the on-pafe meanness.

[Filipa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting collection of stories. The first one got me really hooked, however the second one kinda lost me, especially in the middle. I liked how we were jumping from character to characters but I just couldn’t seem to be interested in them. At the end it kinda piqued my interest again. The last one was also very good, probably my favorite. The writing was absolutely beautiful in all of them and now I’m excited to read a full length novel from the author.

[苗苗 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jasmine Tea: 3.5 ⭐️ i wanted to read more of this story.
The Golden Cangue: 2 ⭐️ the translation wasnt great for this. Only sort of enjoyed the 2nd half of this story.
Traces of Love: 3 ⭐️ (In this world, all relationships are frayed and patched up. Still on their way home Dunfeng & Mr.Mi loved eachother.

[suse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chang explores the effects of a marriage devoid of love, revealing the deep psychological damage it inflicts on the child and how this trauma shapes—and skews—their relationships with the world around them.

[Jazzemaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

not my cup of tea :(
2. short story DNF, bin eifach nid dricho.
die ersti short story findi no am beste.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rated under Love in a Fallen City bindup

[Ry-Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the Penguin Archive version, which includes Jasmine Tea, the Golden Cangue, and Traces of Love by Eileen Chang. Really wanted to love it, but it just wasn't for me.

[Emily & daughter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A particularly dreary collection of short stories, but the last few pages sang.

Interested in reading more like Traces of Love!

[Kayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[Aarani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quietly sultry and tragic collection, Chang’s uniquely feminine observations and intimacies stand out in literary canon.

[Marcela · Rating 3 out of 5]

me gustó más the golden cangue y jasmine tea, traces of love not so much

[Devina Yuliarni · Rating 5 out of 5]

🫖 a beautifully written collection of three short stories that made me fall in love with Chinese literature

In Jasmine Tea, Eileen Chang curates three short stories set in 1940s China, portraying high-society family dynamics across Hong Kong and Shanghai. It begins with Nie Chuanqing, a young scholar trapped within his obsessions with his late mother’s past, and then moves into the bitter life of a young lady, Ch’i-ch’iao, whose suffering affects two generations of the Chiang family. The short story collection finally closes with a marital dynamic between Mr. Mi Raozheng and Mrs. Chunyu Dunfeng. Through the stories Jasmine Tea, The Golden Cangue, and Traces of Love, Eileen Chang explores the socioeconomic privileges of high society during the pre-evolutionary period, centering the delicacy of the human heart at the center of prominent family stories. It is a Chinese contemporary short story collection, rooted in fragile human emotions, inviting readers into the hidden lives of affluent families.

What stood out to me the most was its beautifully written narratives. The plot unfolds seamlessly, moving from one scene to another with deliberate precision. In one of the short stories, Jasmine Tea, Eileen begins the scene with the jasmine tea pouring activity, before expanding into a wider background of a moving bus scene, and later into a two-character conversation within the bus. It is exciting not to know where the scene is going, making readers anticipate what comes next. Besides the seamless shifting of scenes, another aspect that left a mark was the main character’s emotional depth. Eileen expresses the character’s inner voice with clarity and compassion at a precise level. This heartfelt approach encourages readers to feel more empathetic toward the character's life struggles and less judgmental of their actions. Though I don’t personally resonate with the Ch’i-ch’iao character, I do feel deep sympathy. I can only imagine how she felt, through marrying a disabled man, being taken advantage of by her family members, and losing her husband at a young age. What makes this short story collection even more intriguing is its balance between plot, characters’ interaction, and nuance, offering a glimpse into the lives of 1940’s Chinese high society. I was deeply moved by Eileen's storytelling in Jasmine Tea, which begins with detailed home interiors, the cultural context of opium use, and an unexpected turn when Nie Chuanqing finds one of her mother’s letters, leaving readers with the character’s reflections.

However, most of the story’s endings are left open-ended. It left readers questioning the after-ending scenario, whether good or bad for all characters. Furthermore, much of the nuance displays a blend of grief and despair. It is less suitable for readers who are seeking lighter emotional nuance. Overall, Jasmine Tea is a beautifully written collection of Chinese short stories that explores affluent family dynamics during China’s pre-revolutionary period. It captures the emotional depth of high-society life that is often overlooked. This is my first time reading Eileen Chang’s works, and I’m captivated by her storytelling. I highly recommend Jasmine Tea for readers who want to diversify their reading by exploring modern classics of Chinese literature.

[user061219 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Crying boy