The Blue House

by Cheng Naishan

From the Contemporary Chinese Women Writers series, Cheng Naishan’s collection of stories, The Blue House, depicts the life and paradoxes present in contemporary Shanghai, China’s largest metropolis. These stories concern the lives of one sector of Shanghai’s present-day residents, the “Shanghai capitalists” who have weathered 30 years of political vicissitudes, as well as the lives and thinking of their children.

313 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[LouiseMcHugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a subtly very important book. It's a collection of stories about normal people doing normal things, very much like you would expect people to do in the UK, however it's set in 1980's Shanghai. Each story of daily life is effected by China's awful history. The characters have all lived through the Cultural Revolution (some more affected than others but all I think, are looking forward to the future now that China has 'opened up' and working out what that means! Who's the best husband to pick? Maybe a woman may want to be single? Money or love? It's not dramatic but completely believable, these characters could easily be the people you meet in China. Everyone has a story. The book gives an insight about where China's people are coming from and how the huge generation gap began to take place/hold. I enjoyed this book as I really took to the characters, the characters were portrayed in a positive light (which in my reading in 4 years in China doesn't always seem the case), and for the images the book conjured up in my mind when reading the many place/road descriptions.

[Ian McHugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. The stories it contains - "The Blue House", "The Poor Street", "Daughter's Tribulations", "Hong Taitai", and "Mountains Green And The Shining Stream" - each in their own way give an insight into modern China and Shanghai life. Chang Naishan's writing is beautiful and the stories are timeless and vivid. The title story is the best - a wonderful evocation of the longing for love and the desire for social status.

[Syd ⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories centering Chinese characters living their everyday life. This book is a commentary on their culture, history, and ways of living. I really enjoyed it.