My Enemy's Cherry Tree

by Ting-Kuo Wang, Howard Goldblatt (Translator), Sylvia Li-Chun Lin (Translator)

A man who has come from nothing, from poverty and loss, finds himself a beautiful wife, his dream love. When she vanishes without a trace, he sets up a small café in her favourite spot on the edge of the South China Sea, hoping she'll return.

Instead, he is confronted by the man he suspects may be responsible for everything he has suffered: Luo Yiming, a prominent businessman and philanthropist who holds the small town in his sway. In the few moments the two men spend together, Luo is driven mad.

So begins a story of desire and betrayal set against the tumultuous first decade of Taiwan's 21st Century. The recipient of all three of Taiwan's major literary prizes, My Enemy's Cherry Tree is a story of love, money and coercion, in which two men who have sought to acquire something unattainable, instead lose something irreplaceable.

Genres: Fiction, Asia, Chinese Literature, China, Translated Fiction, Literature

223 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2019

About the author

Ting-Kuo Wang 王定國

Born in Lukang in 1955, Wang now lives in Taichung. He started writing at the age of seventeen, and from eighteen his short stories began winning prizes all over the island, including the China Times and Unitas awards. He has worked in fields as diverse as building design, surveying and advertising.

His early writings were love songs to nature and youth, but in his twenties he took a distinctly more politically conscious turn, mixing reportage and commentary with novels about the downtrodden in society. He stopped writing for many years while he built up his own company, until 2013, when he returned to widespread acclaim with a series of books including So Hot, So Cold and Who Blinked in the Dark. His newest novel My Enemy's Cherry Tree won multiple awards.

Reviews

[Silvia Moreno-Garcia]

My favorite kind of read, a book that most people would complain is slow and nothing happens, but that is oddly propulsive. To be fair, nothing 'happens' in the traditional plot sense as this is really the bitter rumination of a man who has lost the love of his life, therefore there is plenty of introspection and thinking about the past rather than events in the present. Yet it is written in a way that makes it feel almost like a thriller. Who is this man? Why did his wife vanish? What was her connection to an older photographer? Sprinkle a rather poetic, lyrical prose and a sense of longing and you have one slim, tight little book. I love going to bookstores every time I travel and buying a random title. I bought this in London and it's a great find. A beautifully moody read.

[Kristina Dauksiene · Rating 4 out of 5]

LT/ ENG
Nepavadinčiau tai istorija. Man tai skambėjo kaip dienoraščiui skirti atsivėrimai, nereikalaujantys vienos linijos, bet pulsuojantys besikartojančiomis vienatvės, melancholijos, liūdesio, meilės, ilgesio eilutėmis. Nesuprantu Azijos kūrinių magijos, tiesiog paskęstu, būnu užliūliuota, išlipu apdujusi, suprasdama kad nieko nesupratau, o gal priešingai persisotinus to kas tarp eilučių. Ir kas keisčiausia ta būsena man patinka, aš jos ieškau, pasisotinu ir vėl ieškau...
🖋️Liūdesys gali pasireikšti ir tyla. Tyloje sutilpo ir mano tuometinis užsispyrimas, ir baimė, ir vienatvė.
🖋️Tu nesupranti koks malonus gali būti laukimas.
🖋️Paskui mes pradėjome.
🖋️Kaip vieną dieną ir aš galėsiu sau leisti įsigyti gabalą dangaus.
******************************************
I wouldn't describe it as a story. To me it sounded like unburdens for a diary, not requiring a continous line, but pulsating repeatedly by loneliness, melancholy, sadness, love, longing. I don't understand that effection of magic what Asian works do to me, I just feel drowned, lulled, I come out in a daze, realizing that I didn't understand anything, or maybe, on the contrary, after being saturated with what is between the lines. And the strangest thing is that I like that mode, I look for it, feel sated and look for it again...

[Viktorija| Laisvalaikis su knyga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kokia ta pradžia pačiai buvo keista. Skaičiau ir buvo iš pat pradžių painu, o ir taip lėtai skaitėsi. Kai vėliau pagrindinis veikėjas pradėjo pasakoti savo gyvenimo istoriją nuo pat pradžių - taip įsijaučiau, kad tik tos istorijos norėjau dar ir dar. Nelengvas gyvenimas, o kur dar jam kai kada gyvenimas suduodavo tikrai skaudžiai. Liūdna knyga, bet ir realus gyvenimas nevisada būna rožėmis klotas.

Vertinu: 3,5⭐️/ iš 5⭐️

[Như Goo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hãy đọc thật chậm.... để bạn có thể cảm nhận ý nghĩa của cuốn sách này.

[Zygintas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pirmas sakinys: Esu labai jautrus garsams.

Pirma pažintis su Taivano literatūra (ir šiaip Wang Ting-Kuo romanas "Mano priešo sakura" yra pirmoji į lietuvių kalbą išversta Taivano rašytojo knyga).

Romanas pristatomas kaip "vieno žanro rėmuose neišsitenkanti knyga, sujungianti paslapčių gaubiamą meilės istoriją ir keršto persmelktą veiksmo trilerį. Meilę ir santuoką, išdavystę ir ilgesį apdainuojanti knyga taip pat atskleidžia neramią XXI a. pradžios Taivano situaciją." (knygos nugarėlė).

Trilerio neradau, bent jau vakarietiška prasme, tačiau įtampos, kaip vystysis pagrindinio veikėjo ir jo priešo santykiai, netrūko (ypač, kai atsirado Luo Imingo dukra). Meilė šioje knygoje labai svarbi ir ši linija patiko ne vien egzotiškumu. O XXI a. pradžios Taivano realijos (būsto rinkos svyravimai, gamtinės katastrofos, pandemija) patenkino smalsumo poreikį apie šią šalį.

Knyga liūdna, melancholiška, daug kasdienybės ir kapstymosi savyje (vienatvė, ilgesys, tuštumos jausmas). Toks apibūdinimas tinka ir lietuvių literatūrai. Gal todėl skaityti buvo lengva. Ir nors skaičiau neskubėdamas, tačiau po pusmečio labai daug kas pasimiršo. Viena iš priežasčių – Taivanas vis dar per daug egzotiškas ir nėra inkaro, apie kurį lipdytųsi ilgiau išliekantys įspūdžiai.

Bet pirmoji pažintis nenuvylė.

[Ugnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poros vakarų skaitinys, begalvojant, kiek menkai tesu susipažinusi su Rytų ir Pietryčių Azijos literatūra ir todėl viską, ką skaitau, norisi lyginti su Murakamiu, nors turbūt nei jis koks etalonas, nei ką. Tada bandau lyginti su vakariečiais ir susigalvoju, kad ši knyga yra ne vakarietiškas romanas apie meilę, dėl kurios daug padarytum, o kažką vis tiek pražiūri.

Apskritai patiko, tačiau klausimas, kiek ilgam išliks

[Bên Phía Nhà Z]

thực ra đọc từ hồi hè mà nói thật là không thấy hay ở đâu một tẹo nào =)))

[Ringa Sruogienė · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

[An Lý · Rating 4 out of 5]

after reading it three and a half times over (!) guess I can safely say this is a good book.
review to come in the indeterminate future.

[Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Help. I am still stuck in the book though I have finished it already.

[Sonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Al mondo d'oggi è difficile essere una brava persona, le buoni intenzioni non bastano.

[Mila Beidin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Baixiu: “We don’t have to start if you’re not ready”
“I have to find a way to revive your soul”
Him: But what is soul? How are you going to revive mine?

He waits for his wife to return for years, searched for her yet it was like she just vanished into thin air. He opened a coffee shop at the place that he once promised to wait for her if she ever leaves him. One day, a man that he blames for the disappearance of his wife entered the shop. Though he never uttered a word of accuse to the man, it seemed like the man knew and he had lived with the feeling of guilt over the years. Then, our story of a man who had an unfortunate and sorrowful childhood and a beautiful wife who left without a trace, begins.

Somewhere in the middle of the book, I felt lost it became harder and harder to decipher the story and the protagonist’s thoughts. Still, I finished the book and still no resolutions or clues to where has Qiuzi gone or what was the cause (I could think of some) of her leaving so abruptly. Disappointed as I might be, yet one of the thrills of finishing a loose-end book, is you can somehow think of your own ending. And right now, I imagined Qiuzi is somewhere following her newfound passion, no longer tied to the mundane, lonely life or waiting for her husband to come back from pursuing his dream.

In the last paragraph of this book, the protagonist finally returned the lease of his shop and leaving the place. Though it doesn’t mention what direction he might step on, I’d like to think that he also had made peace with his suffering and ready to try and live again.

Anyone who reads Murakami’s would find similarity in the writing style of this book. The book is laden with meaningful quotes and incredible prose. Written so poetically, descriptive, and so melancholic that there’s heaviness lingered inside my heart even after two days finishing this book. This a story of love, loss, betrayals, broken childhood, and the quest of searching for a place to fit in the world.

4 Stars!!

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un romanzo che ho trovato molto orientale e, per questo, un po' incomprensibile, che parla di abbandono, di una vendetta che sa aspettare, ma anche di ambizione; il protagonista lavora infatti nella compravendita immobiliare, dove prima c'è la crisi per via del terremoto e poi della SARS, l'influenza aviaria, per cui vediamo un utilizzo delle mascherine che all'epoca avrebbe potuto sembrarci poco familiare...
Il suo capo fa affidamento su di lui e il protagonista inventa un progetto ispirato a Il vecchio e il mare di Hemingway.
Quando Luo Yiming, un noto benefattore, tenta il suicidio, sua figlia Luo Baixiu va a parlare con il protagonista, che sembra essere l'unica persona al mondo che ha un motivo per odiarlo. Luo Yiming è infatti l'ex-insegnante di fotografia e amante della moglie Qiuzi, il cui nome significa figlia dell’autunno (ecco perché, forse, nella descrizione del libro viene chiamata Autumn...).
Qiuzi ha abbandonato da tempo il protagonista, che continua a essere ossessionato da lei, tanto che ormai, messa da parte ogni ambizione (anche perché forse è stata proprio quella a spingere Qiuzi ad abbandonarlo), si è messo a gestire un caffè sulla spiaggia.
E insomma, all'inizio, dal momento che la narrazione non è lineare, ho trovato qualche difficoltà a ingranare; poi alla fine ho avuto l'impressione di essermi persa dei pezzi, forse perché, a causa della delicatezza del narratore nei confronti di Qiuzi, molte cose sono rimaste non dette.

[Huy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Đoạn đầu đọc được đến khúc sau cứ chán dần đều 😑. Giọng văn ban đầu cũng cảm giác hứa hẹn vì phản phất nét buồn nhưng một lúc sau lại cảm giác nó thiếu sự chân thật, đôi lúc phong hoa tuyết nguyệt hơi nhiều làm đọc thấy mệt.

[Ocean G · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, melancholic book, discussing loss, love, betrayal, poverty, etc. These are probably the reasons why it reminded me somewhat of contemporary Korean fiction.

Regardless, the story was excellent, although the parts about Baixiu were probably over my head. I read the author took a 25-year hiatus from writing because of his father-in-law. I look forward to more books by him.

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nói một câu ngắn gọn thì là quyển sách này hay hơn so với mong đợi của mình dành cho nó. Và điều ngạc nhiên lớn nhất không ngờ rằng lại nằm ở giọng văn của tác giả (ừ thì sau khi đã cộng hưởng cùng phong cách của dịch giả), nhưng thật sự, lời văn man mác buồn cũng những dòng suy nghĩ, hình ảnh liên tưởng chảy trôi bất cứ khi nào tác giả thích, đã giúp cho quyển này đọng lại trong lòng mình thay vì trôi đi tuốt tuột bởi phần nội dung không lấy gì làm mới mẻ của nó. Một câu chuyện ân oán vướng mắc giữa đôi vợ chồng trẻ giữa dòng đời mưu sinh tất bật nơi đô thị và hai cha con một gia đình thư hương vọng tộc.

Tác giả kể chuyện cũng rất tùy hứng, đâm ngang vào đoạn giữa, quay ngược về đoạn đầu, nhảy cóc đến đoạn sau, rồi lại quành về kể tiếp chuyện xưa, qua lại năm lần bảy lượt câu chuyện mới trở về đúng với thì hiện tại, tuân theo dòng chảy thời gian, dần dần trôi vào kết thúc. Nhưng đó có thật sự là kết thúc hay không? Người ra đi chưa về, công cuộc đổi đời chưa thực hiện được, lỗi lầm đã gây ra không thể bù đắp, chỉ là sau khi tất cả đã tỏ tường, người trong cuộc hay kẻ ngoài cuộc vẫn phải bước tiếp mà thôi. Một gian quán vắng, một cội anh đào. Mọi thứ đã khép lại như thế đó, như những đám mây vẫn bàng bạc bay ngang qua bầu trời của chúng ta, không một lời nói năng, trong một ngày nắng gắt.

[Viancqa · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an experience.

It's lukewarm and actually uninteresting,

yet I found myself gliding through every sentence and turning the pages with ease. I like how the core conflict became the centre of gravity of this novel, yet not demanding any resolution. It just became the character's point of reference- almost like a window to his life.

The narrator tiptoed on a lot of things, things were never explicit, except for one thing: very clearly, the love the narrator had towards his missing wife. It's a very unique "experience" to read this book - never encountered anything like this. It is at its own league for good reasons.

[David Frazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful novel. Not perfect, but very, very good––and if you're a Murakami fan, you'll tear right through it. I don't make the Murakami comparison lightly. It was just that while reading this novel, I couldn't help but feel that same sense of entering into a kind of enveloping Murakami world, which is to say the self-narrated tale of some plainspoken everyman, who is caught up in some highly relatable existential trauma. Then as the narrator leads us through his story, common life events take on mysterious and symbolic meanings.

The plot centers around a not-quite-good-enough assistant to a high rolling real estate developer, who first finds the love of his life and, while pouring his life into his career advancement, then loses her. We find him in the beginning of the novel, having retreated from his loss into a sort of middle-class, secular monkhood–-he's opened a tiny, two or three-table coffeeshop in the middle of nowhere and sleeps in a loft above the compact shop space. The shop is located two kilometers from the ocean, a location that none would consider a destination and where only a few oddballs ever stop. But he has his reasons.

The time frame of the novel is Taiwan's recent history, roughly the late 1990s to the mid 2010s. In Taiwan's frame, from the 921 Earthquake to SARS. I really enjoyed some of the Taiwan-specific context, especially the chronicle of a eight brothers plotting, despite their constant infighting, to develop a plot of family land in the Taipei suburb of Xindian. In the end, they decide that to market their apartment blocks, they need a narrative. And for this, they choose a cliche from Western literature, naming the development after the Hemingway novel, The Old Man and the Sea.

Why is it not perfect? There were a few crucial moments in the story that felt not quite fully rendered, where the descriptions were perhaps too hasty or too vague. And the translation exhibited just a couple of lapses, mainly in the first third of the novel. But these were just hiccups. The entire trajectory of the story, and its minimalist delivery, the wonderfully relatable voice, were all masterful. I'd certainly read Wang again.

[Nadira · Rating 3 out of 5]

“As you walk down the road of happiness or sorrow, it can take years to sort out what to remember and what to forget”...

➡️#NadirasPointOfReview: My Enemy’s Cherry Tree, by Wang Ting-Kuo – a story of a man who has come from nothing, from poverty and loss, finds himself a beautiful wife, his dream love. She vanishes without a trace, he sets up a small cafe in her favourite spot, hoping she'll return. He suspects Luo Yiming, a prominent businessman and philanthropist may be responsible for eveything he has suffered.
.
🎁Thank you @grantabooks - the mysterious cover and clue cards look amazing and adds to the intrigue.

📚The book started off SO well. The prose is melancholic, poetic and the quotes are reminiscent of Haruki Murakami. But somewhere along the line, the story got confusing and too difficult to get into. I attempted several times to restart my read, even tried skimming through the pages, googling more about it but nope jusy didnt get what actually happened and had to file it away as a DNF.

📕Here's the more intriguing thing about the author’s private life: He began writing fiction when he was 18 and quickly took the literary world by storm, only to disappear from the scene when his soon-to-be father-in-law gave him a devastating ultimatum: either give up the precarious life of a writer or give up my daughter. Having made his fortune, Wang returned back to writing with a vengeance after a 25-year absence. And with this book he won 3 of Taiwan's major literary prizes!...

[Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cherished novel once read.

[Kk Pham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Khúc đầu đọc hay quá trời. Giọng văn bùi ngùi phảng phất buồn buồn hứa hẹn ghê. Mà sao về sau cứ như ngôn tình hường phấn tụt mood dần.

[Fadillah · Rating 4 out of 5]

In any case, there was a message of mourning in the photos; it signalled that the source of the tragedy had been terminated. Even if I were willing to write captions for the photographs, I doubt that I would have been brave enough to look at his work. Hadn't Ojuzi been led astray, following him wherever he went? She'd have held her breath, her eye behind the viewfinder, as she waited for a perfect shot framed by the master. Filled with adulation, her face brimming with my sort of naivety, she was oblivious to the notion that in his loneliness, so timeworn, he could succumb to the power of youth. What a pity, those once brilliant blossoms, my enemy's cherry tree. The heartache hit me after I sobered up, and the disappearance of the tree triggered even greater sorrow. Miss Baixiu's hopes would surely be dashed. How could she think that I would be high-minded enough to forgive her father, for that would amount to inserting the word 'love' into 'hate'? I turned over the photo without the tree and wrote a brief soliloquy late that night: An enemy destroyed in a dream; a cherry tree blooming at the bead of the bed
- My Enemy’s Cherry Tree by Wang Ting Kuo
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I believe this is my first Taiwanese novel, and it was translated into English by Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin. Honestly, they did an admirable job with the translation. The book starts off incredibly well. The prose is melancholic and poetic, with quotes that remind me of contemporary Korean and Japanese fiction. I found myself effortlessly passing through each sentence and turning the pages with ease. The story follows a man who comes from a background of poverty and loss, starting with nothing and gradually building a life for himself. Along the way, he finds love and happiness with Qiuzi. They share the same dream and are committed to building a future together, but something changes along the way. One day, Qiuzi disappears without a trace or goodbye, leaving him brokenhearted and frustrated. We follow him as he retraces his steps, trying to understand why Qiuzi left. He blames his suffering on Luo Yiming, a wealthy businessman they both met and connected with. He then opens a small café in a place where they were once happy, hoping she'll return one day. I appreciate how the central conflict becomes the novel's focal point without demanding a resolution. It serves as the character's point of reference—like a window into his life. However, as the story progresses, it becomes confusing and difficult to follow. I enjoyed the beginning and the end, but the middle lost me, unfortunately. Despite this, I did enjoy the writing style. Even though we don't get a clear answer about Qiuzi’s whereabouts, I have a sense that she's somewhere pursuing her newfound passion, no longer tied to a mundane, lonely life or waiting for her husband to return from chasing his dream. I also suspect that Qiuzi left because she felt guilty about cheating on her husband with Luo Yiming, possibly doing so to secure funding for her husband's business proposal. I do believe that this book isn’t for everyone. If you’re looking for a strong plot, this might not be the right choice. But if you’re drawn to deep imagery and a poignant tale of waiting, longing, and loss, then this is a book you should consider.

[Ha Ha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Motif một chuyện tình lâm li bi đát không mấy mới mẻ, nhưng xây dựng nội tâm nhân vật thật sự rung động lòng người làm sao. Yêu mến quá đỗi người đàn ông trong cuốn sách này.

[Mircalla · Rating 4 out of 5]

il nemico e il dolore per il fatto di averne

storia di un amore interrotto e di una passione travisata, la scrittura è poetica e il racconto si srotola piano davanti all'occhio del lettore, è una storia antica, di quelle che avrebbe potuto scrivere Marquez, solo più lieve, c'è tutto il pudore cinese e un epilogo tragico, consigliatissimo a chi non ama lo strombazzare dei sentimenti, ma preferisce la lenta agonia del cuore perduto e senza speranza alcuna di ritrovarlo

[Sayantoni Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before getting into the review, I must share something. The author Wang Ting-Kuo was debarred by his father-in-law from continuing the precarious life of a writer given he wanted to marry his daughter. 25 years of long hiatus helped him earn enough fortune to come back with My Enemy’s Cherry Tree which became an immediate hit among the Taiwanese literature enthusiasts. This little piece of information has inspired me beyond words.
The protagonist (who is unnamed) has been suffering ever since his wife Qiuzi disappeared and he blames the famous businessman Luo Yiming. He sets up a cafe at her favourite place despite having a scanty business and waits for her. What started as an intriguing literary stunner soon turned into something that became harder and harder to decipher. Somewhere in the middle I became lost in the protagonist’s confusing state of mind because his hatred seemed a lot more like projection. What I absolutely loved though is the excellent prose and the deep and meaningful quotes.

“It was better to be slightly stupid than to be smart, for that allowed for the possibility of learning from others, unlike a clever mind that stagnate in its egotistical calculations.”

The cover lets off a mysterious feeling that suits well with the theme. The most important thing though was the cherry tree on Luo Yiming’s yard. It holds an important symbolic meaning to it which has a considerable indication on the estranged relationship between the protagonist and his nemesis. And I felt what he had for his wife Qiuzi was pure and innocent and I could sense his desperation and longing oozing off the pages. Would rate it 3.75 🌟 and recommend it to hardcore literature enthusiasts who need a crude taste of Taiwanese literature.
Also, quite a commendable job on the translation.

[Asta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Labai nepaprasta ir daugiasluoksnė knyga. Joje apstu įvairių metaforų ir simbolių, kurie skatina savotišką skaitytojo minčių mankštą. Be to, visa ta lėtaeigė dinamika netrukdo suprasti siužeto, kuris kartais vinguriuoja tarp detektyvo ir paslaptingos meilės istorijos. Šis kūrinys reikalauja, kad būtų skaitomas lėtai, neskubant, nes personažų charakteriai, siužeto vingrybės vis kviečia stabtelėti, pamąstyti, kai kurias kūrinio dalis net perskaityti dar kartą. Šeima, vaikystės patirtys, trauminiai išgyvenimai, vertybės… Viskas dvelkia neapsakoma Tolimųjų Rytų mistika.

[Huyền Trần · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chắc do truyện viết ở Đài Loan nên cảm giác nó hơi pha lẫn nét buồn của Nhật Bản cộng với nét hơi khó hiểu của Trung Quốc (hơi hơi có xu hướng của Thiếu nữ đánh cờ vây). Cốt truyện khiến cho người đọc có đôi lúc bị trượt khỏi đường ray của cảm xúc, buồn vui khó tả.
Cô Bạch Tú xuất hiện cũng không rõ là sự ân hận hay lại là vòng lặp của trả thù nữa. Nếu đang thấy buồn thì đây cũng là một truyện để tiêu sầu.

[Emma Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 rounded up to a 2 for the sake of Goodreads (and because my 1 star reviews are only for books I hated.) I didn't hate this, I just didn't get it. I preferred the start and the end, but the middle totally lost me unfortunately. I did enjoy the writing style, so would recommend to someone who is better at understanding imagery than I am.

[Ligita Dykumų Ugnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tale about broken people.
The book takes you on a very slow journey down the memory lane from a first-person perspective. With all its meanderings and details that may seem unrelated to the main storyline. Just how somebody would tell you their story.

This is not really my kind of book (first-person narratives aren't my favourite) but somehow I liked it. More than expected.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sad book with an insecure man trying to make sense of his life.

He is from a poor background: when he starts school he is proud because he will be attending the school his father works at. At one stage he thinks his father is the Principal of the school and then discovers he is the caretaker. This shatters his beliefs. In addition, his father looks after his disabled mother who was badly injured in a car accident. His father commits suicide and his mother dies soon afterwards. He has various jobs but ends up in sales in a construction company working for a strange character who is the seventh son of a wealthy father. He does not think twice about bribing officials etc to try and get what he wants. There is much story about the building projects and new towns.

He falls in love with Qiuzi who he meets in a chance encounter. She is equally insecure and troubled. They get married and for a time they are happy. “Many of humanity’s crises were still some way off the horizon; the 12th September 1999 earthquake had yet to strike; SARS, the killer of the century had not begun to cast its ghostly shadow; my dreams of the time, as well as the joys and sorrows I would later experience, were quietly fermenting away; and a relatively peaceful world continued to revolve in an orderly manner.”

Qiuzi wins a camera and has photography classes with Luo Yiming, a prominent businessman and philanthropist who has a large house with a cherry tree in the garden. Things start to unravel…” We nearly failed to make it through 1999, a dark year. A catastrophic earthquake struck late one night. Qiuzi went to pieces, even though, truthfully, it hadn’t disturbed a hair on her head.” They continue together but separate in many ways: the man is away during the week at the construction site working on the plans, advertising etc. coming home at weekends. Qiuzi gets a job in a florist but still continues with her photography. The writer thinks she somehow gets involved with Luo, her photography teacher.

“The World Health Organisation issued an abrupt warning that a rare respiratory epidemic was spreading in many parts of the world….But April brought a shock. Several cases of infection were found in Taipei’s Heping Hospital, which was immediately sealed off, and streets suspected of contamination were barricaded at both ends, as fear began to spread. People wore masks when they went out, sometimes even when they stayed home. They couldn’t turn on their TV sets without being blasted by news of the epidemic. Television stations parked their news-broadcasting vans outside the hospital and trained their cameras on the window of a special medical team. Capturing the staff’s eyes, the only parts that were not shielded by HazMat suits.”

Qiuzi walks out on the man…never to be seen again. The book really is about the writer trying to make sense of what has happened to him and seems to torture himself in the process. He hoped to do well for himself and certainly to do better than his father did…but fails to do so. The book is all about insecurities and self-worth. A sad story and certainly a strange one to read during Covid-19 with all the reference to disasters.