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The World of Suzie Wong
The timeless story of the love affair between a British artist and a Chinese prostitute.
Robert is the only resident of the Nam Kok hotel not renting his room by the hour when he meets Suzie at the bar. She becomes his muse and they fall in love. But even in Hong Kong, where many white expatriates have Chinese mistresses, their romance could jeopardize the things they each hold dear. Set in the mid-1950s, The World of Suzie Wong is a beautifully written time capsule of a novel. First published more than fifty years ago, it resonated with readers worldwide, inspiring a film starring William H olden, a ballet, and even a reggae song. Now readers can experience the romance of this groundbreaking story anew.
Robert is the only resident of the Nam Kok hotel not renting his room by the hour when he meets Suzie at the bar. She becomes his muse and they fall in love. But even in Hong Kong, where many white expatriates have Chinese mistresses, their romance could jeopardize the things they each hold dear. Set in the mid-1950s, The World of Suzie Wong is a beautifully written time capsule of a novel. First published more than fifty years ago, it resonated with readers worldwide, inspiring a film starring William H olden, a ballet, and even a reggae song. Now readers can experience the romance of this groundbreaking story anew.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
98 people are currently reading
1355 people want to read
About the author
Richard Mason
4 books12 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Richard Mason was an English novelist. Born near Manchester, he was educated in Dorset, then worked first on a film magazine and later for the British Council. The Second World War gave him a chance to learn Japanese and he became an interrogator of prisoners of war.
Mason wrote The Wind Cannot Read which was finished during the Burma Campaign; The Shadow and the Peak (filmed as Passionate Summer, starring Dirk Bogarde); and The Fever Tree, a story of espionage set in India and Nepal.
His experiences while living in Hong Kong inspired him to write The World of Suzie Wong. This was adapted into a Broadway play in 1958 and a film in 1960.
Mason died of throat cancer in Rome, where he had lived for nearly 40 years.
Richard Mason was an English novelist. Born near Manchester, he was educated in Dorset, then worked first on a film magazine and later for the British Council. The Second World War gave him a chance to learn Japanese and he became an interrogator of prisoners of war.
Mason wrote The Wind Cannot Read which was finished during the Burma Campaign; The Shadow and the Peak (filmed as Passionate Summer, starring Dirk Bogarde); and The Fever Tree, a story of espionage set in India and Nepal.
His experiences while living in Hong Kong inspired him to write The World of Suzie Wong. This was adapted into a Broadway play in 1958 and a film in 1960.
Mason died of throat cancer in Rome, where he had lived for nearly 40 years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
February 26, 2012
What delight this book is.
I love HK. I wish the HK of today was like that of the one I first visited in 1988, let alone how wonderful it muust have been as portrayed in the late 50s of this book.
The world is not only Suzie's. It is that of HK. The "yum-yum" girls of the dance halls and the bars. The sailors who visit this huge port when their ships dock. And the ex-pat community.
Not only is Suzie a finely drawn character, so are her friends and along with Robert and his connections with the ex-pat community this becomes a terrific portrait of HK in the '50s.
Both Robert and Suzie see this world clearly but because they come at it from such different perspectives their reactions to that world and how they express them form the foundation of their relationship.
I love HK. I wish the HK of today was like that of the one I first visited in 1988, let alone how wonderful it muust have been as portrayed in the late 50s of this book.
The world is not only Suzie's. It is that of HK. The "yum-yum" girls of the dance halls and the bars. The sailors who visit this huge port when their ships dock. And the ex-pat community.
Not only is Suzie a finely drawn character, so are her friends and along with Robert and his connections with the ex-pat community this becomes a terrific portrait of HK in the '50s.
Both Robert and Suzie see this world clearly but because they come at it from such different perspectives their reactions to that world and how they express them form the foundation of their relationship.
February 17, 2009
i had never previously read about anyone that told my story so closely. the conflicts that robert lomax experienced about suzie wong working in a bar will be viewed very differently depending on whether the reader is male or female, young or old. richard mason couldn't pull that story from his imagination , he had to live it. i tried to read mason's other books and couldn't. i read that mason said he stopped writing because he had nothing else to say. thankfully he wrote suzie wong before he stopped writing. i've been with my "suzie wong' ten years now. thank you richard mason.
October 2, 2023
A second read through is rewarding. Many subtle touches on the atmosphere of Hong Kong emerge this time through. And it's interesting to see how the title is so appropriate, because the world of Suze Wong is Hong Kong's world. She is an expression of the chaos and the opportunity, the class/race divide and the ability to endure. At times, the book is comedic. At others, it is tragic. But it's never hopeless. I think that much translated into the film adaptation. The book/film are still considered by many to be racist. But that's built up on dated associations of Suzie with the likes of Madama Butterfly, which, ironically, the two works try to update and revise. Taken from their context of the late 50s, it may seem to American and Europeans to be filled with systemic stereotypes and "otherness." But that is to take them from their time. It's also to take them from their place. Much said about East Asia and the depiction of its women comes from those who do not live there. HK is much changed from the world Suzie inhabited 65 years ago. But it's a place that still exists in parts of HK and throughout of places in SE Asia. Worrying about stereotypes is often a First World concern that becomes insignificant in the light of reality of the lives of people who actually live in the region. For that reason, Mason's book continues and will continue in the future to resonate with life as it is among those who dwell on the edges.
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A blurb on the back cover of my copy of The World Suzie Wong compared it to the work of W. Somerset Maugham. This is a dreadful mistake. About the only similarity between Suzie Wong and the works of Maugham is that Suzie's protagonist, Robert Lomax, starts out on a Malayan rubber plantation. From that plantation he moves to Hong Kong to pursue an interest in painting. And, here, Mason creates a work of fiction that is of Hong Kong, not just set in Hong Kong. That is the difference. Maugham's work, often focused on British colonial administrators in the Far East, used his exotic settings as mere backdrops. They never intertwined into the nature of his characters. Suzie Wong does. It focuses on the world of non-expats, the world of bar girls, "coolies," shop owners, rickshaw drivers, and hotel clerks. As such, it separates itself from Maugham's universe in a fashion much more similar to Conrad's work on pieces such as Almayer's Folly or Lord Jim.
Finally, I have come to this novel late. It has been many, many, many years since I first saw the film version, with Nancy Kwan and William Holden. And the images from the film still are fresh in my mind. But so good is Mason's writing in Suzie Wong, that I soon had those images driven from my mind by the very real world of 1950s Hong Kong he creates in the novel's pages. As such, the novel maintains its own vitality and, in the end, somewhat desperate desire to see how Suzie and Robert's lives played out after the final page.
===============
A blurb on the back cover of my copy of The World Suzie Wong compared it to the work of W. Somerset Maugham. This is a dreadful mistake. About the only similarity between Suzie Wong and the works of Maugham is that Suzie's protagonist, Robert Lomax, starts out on a Malayan rubber plantation. From that plantation he moves to Hong Kong to pursue an interest in painting. And, here, Mason creates a work of fiction that is of Hong Kong, not just set in Hong Kong. That is the difference. Maugham's work, often focused on British colonial administrators in the Far East, used his exotic settings as mere backdrops. They never intertwined into the nature of his characters. Suzie Wong does. It focuses on the world of non-expats, the world of bar girls, "coolies," shop owners, rickshaw drivers, and hotel clerks. As such, it separates itself from Maugham's universe in a fashion much more similar to Conrad's work on pieces such as Almayer's Folly or Lord Jim.
Finally, I have come to this novel late. It has been many, many, many years since I first saw the film version, with Nancy Kwan and William Holden. And the images from the film still are fresh in my mind. But so good is Mason's writing in Suzie Wong, that I soon had those images driven from my mind by the very real world of 1950s Hong Kong he creates in the novel's pages. As such, the novel maintains its own vitality and, in the end, somewhat desperate desire to see how Suzie and Robert's lives played out after the final page.
June 29, 2012
I read this book 15 years ago and remembered enjoying it, but recently I re-watched the movie, so picked the book up again. It's amazing how much of the story the film cut out of the book. I thought Richard Mason did a great job of portraying a certain part of Hong Kong during the late 50s and the different people who inhabited--or simply visited--Wanchai. The end was downright thrilling and even sinister when they were in seedy Macau. It's too bad the film cut out that part. If you're going to watch the film and read the novel, I'd suggest watching the film first, then reading the book, which is usually something I don't do!
August 19, 2016
Of all the fictions written by Western authors about "mysterious Asians" this one is probably my favorite now. Im completely fascinated by the story. I don't know how Richard Mason did it, but all of those details put you back in time, alongside Suzie Wong and her lover and sisters, in Hong Kong. There is just the right amount of sorrow AND happiness to make it work. Great love story too.
July 10, 2014
I picked up an ancient copy of this book from a free bin without much hope that I would like it. But I could not have been more wrong in my assumptions. Instead of the prurient, racist plotline that I expected, I found this to be an extremely well written and thoughtful book. Richard Mason was unafraid to address head-on issues that would have been taboo to discuss at the time it was written, and he defines the character of Suzie Wong with honesty and compassion for who she is. She is not the "submissive Asian girl" of non-Asian fantasies, but simply herself in all her feisty glory with her own way of dealing with the grief and grit of her prostitute's life in post-War Hong Kong. There is an actual storyline, told simply and with an eye for detail that reads like a documentary film. I wondered if it grew out of Mason's own journals. So realistic and three-dimensional are the characters and situations. There is no "Yellow Fever" here, that I could detect. But a story that grew out of the authors' love for Hong Kong and its people.
October 9, 2022
What a sad and beautiful book. The whole time I was reading, it felt so honest and real, as though it was a part of the author’s real life experience. Suzie Wong, the Hong Kong prostitute and title character, although flawed, is a remarkably strong, sympathetic, and wise woman because of all the awful experiences in her life that made her who she is. Enter Robert, the British artist who befriends her at the Nam Kok Hotel, where Suzie works and he paints and lives. The road that Suzie and Robert travel is broken and unpredictable, and Mason gives readers such a rich sense of setting which makes this book so satisfying an escape, but it is not superficial and it is not without heartache and pain, the bosom buddies of all humanity. This book neither romanticizes nor makes light of prostitution. In fact, it reveals it in all of its ugliness and brutality, even if it is a love story. I highly recommend this one!
April 14, 2013
Very evocative and thoughtfully written novel that could have trodden a well-worn path into cheap exploitation but didn't. I was aware of this book as a child, mostly because of Tsai Chin's hit song from the Lionel Bart musical. I haven't seen the William Holden/Nancy Kwan movie, but I don't see how it could translate to the screen. It's a skilful example of British writing from the very end of the colonial period - which is why it's compared to Somerset Maugham, I suppose - and it's a classic of its type, so well worth a read.
September 25, 2021
Even for its time this book is mind numbingly horrid.
Humbert Humbert is a more sympathetic character than the self absorbed, hateful, arrogant, racist, arrested-development fuckwit character who narrates this story.
Just read the scenes with Suzie's baby.
Pretty much a huge waste of time and paper, and will make you feel slightly ill afterwards into the bargain.
Humbert Humbert is a more sympathetic character than the self absorbed, hateful, arrogant, racist, arrested-development fuckwit character who narrates this story.
Just read the scenes with Suzie's baby.
Pretty much a huge waste of time and paper, and will make you feel slightly ill afterwards into the bargain.
July 31, 2012
Found this on my father's bookshelf and thought I'd give it a try. Thoroughly enjoyed it, such lovely storytelling. I felt as though I was right there although I only know the new Hong Kong. Even though it was set in a different time, it still reminded me of my favorite places around the island. Wouldn't recommend the movie though.
July 4, 2007
Pretty much just as racist & misogynist as you'd expect it to be. Like a fucking biography of every dirty old cheek-toucher in Lan Kwai Fong.
September 18, 2021
‘Thinking “I’m somebody” because really, deep down, I was afraid of being nobody. Talking instead of doing. Criticising instead of creating.’
I absolutely loved this book. I’ve always loved reading novels set in Hong Kong but the premise of The World of Suzie Wong felt like it would be very “white saviour”. I am delighted to say it is much less ‘white saviour’ and more of a genuine appreciation of 1950s Hong Kong culture and people.
Our protagonist Robert immerses himself in the seedy red-light district of Wan Chai, befriending prostitutes of all origins and sizes. I liked how the author realistically portrays Robert’s assimilation – he doesn’t suddenly become a Cantonese expert nor does he lose his white privilege.
‘And I remember strap-hanging in a crowded tram and imagining God saying, “I will save Suzie, but only at the cost of an accident to this team after you leave it, with total loss of life – you can take your choice,” and then wondering what I would do, and then thinking how quickly illness and death scratched through our civilised veneer and found the primitive man – for like the savage I was imagining a God that must be propitiated with human lives.”
The characterisation of Robert and Suzie is brilliant – they were written in such detail and their thoughts and feelings were so relatable it felt like I’d become Robert. Whatever emotions he experienced, so did I. I sympathised with Robert and Suzie’s insecurities and jealousies (but it would be nice if I didn’t!)
The plot too blew my expectations out of the water. The premise seemed intriguing but I didn’t expect so much and so many plot twists to happen in the book. Unfortunately Letterboxd says the movie adaptation sucks ass which is such a shame because this is genuinely a great novel.
I absolutely loved this book. I’ve always loved reading novels set in Hong Kong but the premise of The World of Suzie Wong felt like it would be very “white saviour”. I am delighted to say it is much less ‘white saviour’ and more of a genuine appreciation of 1950s Hong Kong culture and people.
Our protagonist Robert immerses himself in the seedy red-light district of Wan Chai, befriending prostitutes of all origins and sizes. I liked how the author realistically portrays Robert’s assimilation – he doesn’t suddenly become a Cantonese expert nor does he lose his white privilege.
‘And I remember strap-hanging in a crowded tram and imagining God saying, “I will save Suzie, but only at the cost of an accident to this team after you leave it, with total loss of life – you can take your choice,” and then wondering what I would do, and then thinking how quickly illness and death scratched through our civilised veneer and found the primitive man – for like the savage I was imagining a God that must be propitiated with human lives.”
The characterisation of Robert and Suzie is brilliant – they were written in such detail and their thoughts and feelings were so relatable it felt like I’d become Robert. Whatever emotions he experienced, so did I. I sympathised with Robert and Suzie’s insecurities and jealousies (but it would be nice if I didn’t!)
The plot too blew my expectations out of the water. The premise seemed intriguing but I didn’t expect so much and so many plot twists to happen in the book. Unfortunately Letterboxd says the movie adaptation sucks ass which is such a shame because this is genuinely a great novel.
May 10, 2013
Another book I adored as a teen, and I'm so thrilled to see it has been rereleased. I'll be reading this again soon.
I first read this when I was about thirteen, and then at least another four times while I was still at school. I can remember the impact the setting had on me--Asia! The Far East... I was utterly obsessed by it. (I have since lived in various parts of Asia for many years, and my sons are Eurasian.)
I look forward to reading this again and seeing if it still holds a 5 star rating. I hope so. For now, it remains such a special book to me.
I first read this when I was about thirteen, and then at least another four times while I was still at school. I can remember the impact the setting had on me--Asia! The Far East... I was utterly obsessed by it. (I have since lived in various parts of Asia for many years, and my sons are Eurasian.)
I look forward to reading this again and seeing if it still holds a 5 star rating. I hope so. For now, it remains such a special book to me.
March 13, 2012
Such a simple story, and really simple dialogue too but Suzie Wong feels so real and their love felt so reasl. After I finished the book I had a hard time believing she didn't actually exist. Some people may find parts of the book rather culturally insensitive but let's remember folks that the book was written in the 50s.
March 1, 2022
This is yet another failure of the five-star rating system. I really wanted to give this five, but it's not quite that good. It's about a 4.4, so alas, I must round down.
The World of Suzie Wong is thought-provoking in two ways. As with any good novel, the author raises interesting issues. It's also noteworthy as a historical snapshot; I don't think it could have been written much earlier, and if it was written today, it would be justly criticized as woefully behind the times. As it is, though, it stands as a record of how people in the late 1950s thought about colonialism and multiculturalism, both to their credit and their shame.
Richard Mason has a keen eye for human nature. The minor characters are vividly drawn, each with unique and plausible idiosyncrasies and defects of character. Mason also seems interested in how unreliable people can be in talking about themselves, how capriciously they can change their minds, and how all of this can be rationalized after the fact.
The prose is clean and competent. There is a good sense of setting, and the action can be clearly pictured. The central issue of the novel involves a clash of different cultures and classes. On the most general level, The World of Suzie Wong follows a well-trodden path in this regard, with its focus on a middle-class Englishman and a poor Chinese woman struggling to make their relationship work. To a contemporary reader, there is excessive orientalism, as well as inclusion of unfavorable stereotypes and language. It does seem, however, that Mason is trying in good faith to be respectful and that his failures are a reflection of his era, rather than a deliberate attempt at a negative portrayal. As such, the novel provides valuable insight into midcentury views of race and culture.
On a closer level, one of Mason's key ideas is that people rarely understand one another--or even themselves--and that these misunderstandings are exacerbated when disparate cultures are involved. However, he also recognizes that the view of a single person, or even a single culture, is necessarily incomplete and that true understanding can only occur when people do the difficult work of forging joint understanding. This is the paradox in which lies the genius of The World of Suzie Wong.
The World of Suzie Wong is thought-provoking in two ways. As with any good novel, the author raises interesting issues. It's also noteworthy as a historical snapshot; I don't think it could have been written much earlier, and if it was written today, it would be justly criticized as woefully behind the times. As it is, though, it stands as a record of how people in the late 1950s thought about colonialism and multiculturalism, both to their credit and their shame.
Richard Mason has a keen eye for human nature. The minor characters are vividly drawn, each with unique and plausible idiosyncrasies and defects of character. Mason also seems interested in how unreliable people can be in talking about themselves, how capriciously they can change their minds, and how all of this can be rationalized after the fact.
The prose is clean and competent. There is a good sense of setting, and the action can be clearly pictured. The central issue of the novel involves a clash of different cultures and classes. On the most general level, The World of Suzie Wong follows a well-trodden path in this regard, with its focus on a middle-class Englishman and a poor Chinese woman struggling to make their relationship work. To a contemporary reader, there is excessive orientalism, as well as inclusion of unfavorable stereotypes and language. It does seem, however, that Mason is trying in good faith to be respectful and that his failures are a reflection of his era, rather than a deliberate attempt at a negative portrayal. As such, the novel provides valuable insight into midcentury views of race and culture.
On a closer level, one of Mason's key ideas is that people rarely understand one another--or even themselves--and that these misunderstandings are exacerbated when disparate cultures are involved. However, he also recognizes that the view of a single person, or even a single culture, is necessarily incomplete and that true understanding can only occur when people do the difficult work of forging joint understanding. This is the paradox in which lies the genius of The World of Suzie Wong.
October 18, 2019
The World of Suzie Wong is my first exposure to the work of English writer Richard Mason. Mason lived from 1919 - 1997 and over the course of his life he wrote six novels. Suzie Wong was his fifth novel and written in 1957. The book was converted to a movie in 1960, starring William Holden and Nancy Kwan. The book had that feel to it, in my mind, you know, a Sunday afternoon matinee on TCM.
Suzie Wong is a Chinese prostitute, a bar girl, who works in Hong Kong. Robert Lomax is an Englishman. The story starts in British Malaya, where Robert works on a plantation. The owner has strict rules about the men are not allowed to fraternize with the native Malaysian girls. So to keep himself occupied Robert begins painting. Eventually, he decides to move to Hong Kong and paint there. Being limited in his funds and wanting to live in the real Chinese part of Hong Kong, he rents room in a hotel in Wanchai. The hotel is frequented by bar girls, Chinese prostitutes, who stay in the bar and pick up British and American sailors who frequent the place. They then use the rooms in the hotel with their pickups.
Robert loves the atmosphere of the hotel, uses his balcony to paint. He loves the girls, becomes a confidante of theirs. He meets Suzie Wong and they develop a close friendship with her. He loves her personality, her attitudes, her humour, everything about her. Theirs is not a sexual relationship,, in fact, he has no sexual relationships with any of the girls. He just likes the atmosphere, is inspired by the area... and it does suit his limited finances.
The two, Suzie and Robert, are like best friends. Suzie has various relationships during the course of the story and Robert is still a close friend and becomes acquaintances with these other men. It's an interesting dynamic, this relationship, Suzie using Robert's room, as a place to hang out, to discuss her life and Robert's life and their attitudes and feelings.
Of course, the feelings between the two do progress and the development of a relationship between them is well-presented. All in all, the story is interesting, emotional, peopled with excellent characters; the other girls, while not crafted in great detail, are still presented as wonderful women and individuals. The story has great emotional content and rises and falls with the various incidents that occur over the course of this excellent story. One thing that struck me, and maybe it's because I'm a man, the somewhat misogynist attitude of Robert that becomes apparent when his relationship with Suzie becomes more and more personal. Suzie doesn't want to be a bar girl if she's going to have a relationship with Robert, but then how will she support her child. Robert's attitude to this is interesting. I won't get into it but I'd be interested to see what a woman would think of it. I think it's pretty clear without me describing it.
Anyway, that little bit does not detract from the excellent story that Mason tells. It's a satisfying character driven story that will leave you feeling excellent. (5 stars)
Suzie Wong is a Chinese prostitute, a bar girl, who works in Hong Kong. Robert Lomax is an Englishman. The story starts in British Malaya, where Robert works on a plantation. The owner has strict rules about the men are not allowed to fraternize with the native Malaysian girls. So to keep himself occupied Robert begins painting. Eventually, he decides to move to Hong Kong and paint there. Being limited in his funds and wanting to live in the real Chinese part of Hong Kong, he rents room in a hotel in Wanchai. The hotel is frequented by bar girls, Chinese prostitutes, who stay in the bar and pick up British and American sailors who frequent the place. They then use the rooms in the hotel with their pickups.
Robert loves the atmosphere of the hotel, uses his balcony to paint. He loves the girls, becomes a confidante of theirs. He meets Suzie Wong and they develop a close friendship with her. He loves her personality, her attitudes, her humour, everything about her. Theirs is not a sexual relationship,, in fact, he has no sexual relationships with any of the girls. He just likes the atmosphere, is inspired by the area... and it does suit his limited finances.
The two, Suzie and Robert, are like best friends. Suzie has various relationships during the course of the story and Robert is still a close friend and becomes acquaintances with these other men. It's an interesting dynamic, this relationship, Suzie using Robert's room, as a place to hang out, to discuss her life and Robert's life and their attitudes and feelings.
Of course, the feelings between the two do progress and the development of a relationship between them is well-presented. All in all, the story is interesting, emotional, peopled with excellent characters; the other girls, while not crafted in great detail, are still presented as wonderful women and individuals. The story has great emotional content and rises and falls with the various incidents that occur over the course of this excellent story. One thing that struck me, and maybe it's because I'm a man, the somewhat misogynist attitude of Robert that becomes apparent when his relationship with Suzie becomes more and more personal. Suzie doesn't want to be a bar girl if she's going to have a relationship with Robert, but then how will she support her child. Robert's attitude to this is interesting. I won't get into it but I'd be interested to see what a woman would think of it. I think it's pretty clear without me describing it.
Anyway, that little bit does not detract from the excellent story that Mason tells. It's a satisfying character driven story that will leave you feeling excellent. (5 stars)
August 2, 2019
imperialism in the name of love! suzie wong, or melee, or madam butterfly, or cho chang, whatever "duplicitous, hypersexual, yet childlike Asian woman in need of rescue from the vicissitudes of circumstance (typically: poverty, depravity, war). ... The story line is stock Hollywood: boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back-through-tragic-twist-of-fate. But, set in the "exotic Orient," it becomes an imperialist trope. Suzie is the native waif in need of rescue ... Brusque, headstrong Robert represents upstanding morality. Unlike his British counterparts in colonial Hong Kong, he sees and treats the Chinese as "real people." (popmatters)
thank God for mitski playing on the other tab as i realized i wouldn't spend another 2 hours sludging through 200 more pages of mr. self-satisfied Bridges of Kowloon. "I guess I couldn't help trying to be the best American girl" mitski, thank you, i do, i think i do
thank God for mitski playing on the other tab as i realized i wouldn't spend another 2 hours sludging through 200 more pages of mr. self-satisfied Bridges of Kowloon. "I guess I couldn't help trying to be the best American girl" mitski, thank you, i do, i think i do
March 2, 2012
MY FAVORITE FAIRY TALE.
“Reminiscent of Somerset Maugham at his storytelling best… Suzie Wong is enchanting.” [New York Herald Tribune]—page 2
The first time I read ‘The World of Suzie Wong’ telephones all had rotary dials and stayed mostly in one place, car windows had handles with knobs to roll them up and down, the latest electronic marvel was the transistor radio, and Hong Kong still had almost forty years remaining as a dirty, though romantic, British Crown Colony. A half-century later and Richard Mason’s classic is still a magical read.
Recommendation: If you like Maugham’s enchanting storytelling and incredibly well developed, though exceedingly flawed, characters—you’ll love Richard Mason’s ‘The World of Suzie Wong’.
A Barnes and Noble NOOKbook, 310 pages
“Reminiscent of Somerset Maugham at his storytelling best… Suzie Wong is enchanting.” [New York Herald Tribune]—page 2
The first time I read ‘The World of Suzie Wong’ telephones all had rotary dials and stayed mostly in one place, car windows had handles with knobs to roll them up and down, the latest electronic marvel was the transistor radio, and Hong Kong still had almost forty years remaining as a dirty, though romantic, British Crown Colony. A half-century later and Richard Mason’s classic is still a magical read.
Recommendation: If you like Maugham’s enchanting storytelling and incredibly well developed, though exceedingly flawed, characters—you’ll love Richard Mason’s ‘The World of Suzie Wong’.
A Barnes and Noble NOOKbook, 310 pages
September 16, 2013
A totally unexpected surprise. Recalling an old movie of the same name (which I've never seen), I picked it up from the library where a new paperback “cult classic” edition was on the “Did you miss these?” shelf. I was amazed to read a 1957 novel that captivated me from start to finish with the Hong Kong romance of expatriate artist Robert and local prostitute Suzie, an “exotic” setting and eccentric cast of characters, and a forthright, ahead-of-its-times portrayal of both a sexual underground and colonialism’s insidious, exploitative effects under the civilized British veneer. A fun, insightful, resonant read.
March 18, 2014
In spite of the setting, this is a well-written love story that crosses cultures and social strata. Suzie often keeps her thoughts hidden, which enhances the drama in certain portions because we never really know what she is thinking or how she will act. Far from being a callous, shallow individual, she is in fact a very complex and endearing woman.
I was sad when I reached the end of the book because I wish the story could have continued. Will definitely re-read this one in a few years' time.
I was sad when I reached the end of the book because I wish the story could have continued. Will definitely re-read this one in a few years' time.
February 6, 2017
Living in Hong Kong, i've wanted to read this for a long time. Finally got round to it. Was great to read about this city in the 1950s and the story was also very compelling.
April 10, 2023
Problematic but interesting.
July 2, 2022
The main reason that I started reading this book was mainly because of a random internet search online that accidentally opened up a new personal horizon: fictions about Hong Kong in English. This is not the first time I read something written about Hong Kong. In my teenage years, the publication of Lost on a Red Minibus to Taipo (《那夜凌晨，我坐上了旺角開往大埔的紅VAN》) first introduced me to a literary landscape that lacked a centrifigural force, as Lost was originally written and posted on online forums as a form of internet literature. While its themes, alongside with my more recent reads about Hong Kong, pay more attention to the dicussion of Hong Kong's complicated relationship with China, Suzie for me is actually a refreshing read. It gives me a glimpse of pre-2014 Hong Kong more pertained to my impression as a Macanese: a former British colony reek of cosmopolitan ideals and values.
While the previous paragraph might seem like a conscious, deliberate breakaway from dicussing geopolitics in the area, Suzie is no less of a political novel itself. Mason creates a world that is hugely personal: a British painter who gains his way to success in British colonies (Malaya, Hong Kong) by illustrating the East (Hong Kong, Japan), who later lands a patronage in the U.S., and ultimately lives happily ever after with a Chinese bar girl who was domestically abused and uneducated. It is very difficult not to see problematic colonial ideologies seeping through the power dynamics between the characters. While the characters traverse the streets of Hong Kong, the main stage of the novel, I would say, is Nam Kok, a small hotel that is frequented by sailors and man-of-wars from America and Britain. Descriptions like this might be self-evident:
"...that oriental women had a femininity that Western women had lost—that they were dedicated to building up masculinity, whereas Western women were dedicated to its destruction."
"And it was largely due to her compliments that he had overcome his impotence. He had been in dread of her ridicule—but so far from making fun of him, she had congratulated him on the virility that she had felt certain was latent in him, and had even pretended to dread its release, since it would undoubtedly overpower a little Chinese girl like herself. Such suggestions had been like the touch of a magic wand. His strength had risen to meet them."
People who seek the company of bargirls are mostly presented as morally laxed individuals that yearn for commerical sex. The function of these Eatern bargirls, apparently, is to restore the masulinity of these foreign men. The way that the bargirl "congratulates" the man that ultimately brings his "strength" back is nothing but a sexual innuendo that lays bare the power dynamics between the Western man and Eatern woman. The Eastern woman has enchanting power like that of a "magic wand" - mysterious, enchanting, fantastical, etc. The Western men - notice the plural here - broken, powerless, demanding, even pathetic, look for pleasure and affirmation from these exotic partners. Rodney, the American playboy, openly seeks sexual companionship from Suzie (despite his jealousy due to a failure of getting Suzie's true attention). The American is presented as someone who is on a mission to sexually conquer the world:
"He had also been enabled to see for himself in the process of analysis that he must cultivate to the maximum the company of the opposite sex, and let no inhibitions deter him from finding normal and regular sexual outlet. He had thus prescribed for himself a world tour, whose therapeutic advantages would include the breaking of the mother-bond, and the provision of sexual stimulation in every possible shade of skin."
However, Robert Lomax, the narrator and the protagonist of the novel, acts more like a benevolent figure who brings hope to the Eastern woman:
"Her lack of education and her illiteracy were one of her greatest charms for me, and I would not for the world have had her otherwise. And so it was that suddenly, in the midst of this discussion about spiders, I thought: I am happier with Suzie than I have been with anybody before. I would like to marry her."
Such are the dynamics between the main characters of the novel. It is not necessary to restate the obvious with poco terminologies. What is truly interesting in this novel goes a little beyond the very basic analysis of how white men have their existence trodden over powerless and weak oriental women. The character of Suzie Wong provides enough nuances for fruitful dicussion. Working as a bargirl to support her baby, she demonstrates a high level of agency that allows her to transgress different boundaries:
"And I was momentarily seized by the fantastic notion that another miracle had occurred; that Suzie, who had wanted to love as a virgin, had had her innocence restored, that she now stood there in perfect purity, miraculously cleansed of her uncle’s rape and the contamination of her trade as the leper had been cleansed of disease."
"“I am going to England.” She glowed. “In three years’ time.” “Good Lord, Suzie! Are you really?” “Yes, my fortuneteller just told me. Ben will take me. He will divorce his wife in Hong Kong, then take me to England.”"
It would be reductive to directly criticise virgin-worshipping without seeing how Suzie plays her cards. From Robert's perspectives, Suzie's dignity possesses an enchanting power that washes her traumatic past away from her. Her self-proclamation as a virgin, interestingly, plays alongside with virgin-worshipping while deconstructing it simutaneously (she works as a bargirl). She places and re-places herself in that stereotypical Eatern women figure whose femininity is "dedicated to building up masculinity" not only to earn a living, but to pursuit something more critical to individuality ("going to England"). For Suzie, the chance of leaving Hong Kong should act as a forward and upward leap of social status. To do so, she needs the assistance of a powerful figure (given her socioeconomical background). In the earlier parts of the novel, Ben (another British man) serves as that critical character. In the later parts, however, Robert has become the one character on whom Suzie relies, as he brings her away from Nam Kok to different places (Japan, Britain). Yet, towards the end of the novel, we can see how the green-eyed monster has caught Robert too:
"For the slicker had moved round the table and was now seated beside Suzie. They looked very happy together, and Suzie’s face was radiant. I turned and went back to the bar. I had drunk two more double brandies before Suzie appeared. She came in looking flushed and excited."
Set in then Portuguese colony Macao (surprisingly, though the main function of it is still gambling). Robert loses himself to a young man they meet in a casino, whose gambling skills brighten Suzie up in the midst of a losing streak. The carefree Suzie undermines Robert's possessiveness as he finds himself not able to dispose of Suzie as he wishes. In this way, a rather dialectical relationship is established between them: they cannot exist properly without each other. Though still very underdeveloped, the current review should suffice to explain how Suzie works as a political novel not only on a geographical but a personal level too.
While the previous paragraph might seem like a conscious, deliberate breakaway from dicussing geopolitics in the area, Suzie is no less of a political novel itself. Mason creates a world that is hugely personal: a British painter who gains his way to success in British colonies (Malaya, Hong Kong) by illustrating the East (Hong Kong, Japan), who later lands a patronage in the U.S., and ultimately lives happily ever after with a Chinese bar girl who was domestically abused and uneducated. It is very difficult not to see problematic colonial ideologies seeping through the power dynamics between the characters. While the characters traverse the streets of Hong Kong, the main stage of the novel, I would say, is Nam Kok, a small hotel that is frequented by sailors and man-of-wars from America and Britain. Descriptions like this might be self-evident:
"...that oriental women had a femininity that Western women had lost—that they were dedicated to building up masculinity, whereas Western women were dedicated to its destruction."
"And it was largely due to her compliments that he had overcome his impotence. He had been in dread of her ridicule—but so far from making fun of him, she had congratulated him on the virility that she had felt certain was latent in him, and had even pretended to dread its release, since it would undoubtedly overpower a little Chinese girl like herself. Such suggestions had been like the touch of a magic wand. His strength had risen to meet them."
People who seek the company of bargirls are mostly presented as morally laxed individuals that yearn for commerical sex. The function of these Eatern bargirls, apparently, is to restore the masulinity of these foreign men. The way that the bargirl "congratulates" the man that ultimately brings his "strength" back is nothing but a sexual innuendo that lays bare the power dynamics between the Western man and Eatern woman. The Eastern woman has enchanting power like that of a "magic wand" - mysterious, enchanting, fantastical, etc. The Western men - notice the plural here - broken, powerless, demanding, even pathetic, look for pleasure and affirmation from these exotic partners. Rodney, the American playboy, openly seeks sexual companionship from Suzie (despite his jealousy due to a failure of getting Suzie's true attention). The American is presented as someone who is on a mission to sexually conquer the world:
"He had also been enabled to see for himself in the process of analysis that he must cultivate to the maximum the company of the opposite sex, and let no inhibitions deter him from finding normal and regular sexual outlet. He had thus prescribed for himself a world tour, whose therapeutic advantages would include the breaking of the mother-bond, and the provision of sexual stimulation in every possible shade of skin."
However, Robert Lomax, the narrator and the protagonist of the novel, acts more like a benevolent figure who brings hope to the Eastern woman:
"Her lack of education and her illiteracy were one of her greatest charms for me, and I would not for the world have had her otherwise. And so it was that suddenly, in the midst of this discussion about spiders, I thought: I am happier with Suzie than I have been with anybody before. I would like to marry her."
Such are the dynamics between the main characters of the novel. It is not necessary to restate the obvious with poco terminologies. What is truly interesting in this novel goes a little beyond the very basic analysis of how white men have their existence trodden over powerless and weak oriental women. The character of Suzie Wong provides enough nuances for fruitful dicussion. Working as a bargirl to support her baby, she demonstrates a high level of agency that allows her to transgress different boundaries:
"And I was momentarily seized by the fantastic notion that another miracle had occurred; that Suzie, who had wanted to love as a virgin, had had her innocence restored, that she now stood there in perfect purity, miraculously cleansed of her uncle’s rape and the contamination of her trade as the leper had been cleansed of disease."
"“I am going to England.” She glowed. “In three years’ time.” “Good Lord, Suzie! Are you really?” “Yes, my fortuneteller just told me. Ben will take me. He will divorce his wife in Hong Kong, then take me to England.”"
It would be reductive to directly criticise virgin-worshipping without seeing how Suzie plays her cards. From Robert's perspectives, Suzie's dignity possesses an enchanting power that washes her traumatic past away from her. Her self-proclamation as a virgin, interestingly, plays alongside with virgin-worshipping while deconstructing it simutaneously (she works as a bargirl). She places and re-places herself in that stereotypical Eatern women figure whose femininity is "dedicated to building up masculinity" not only to earn a living, but to pursuit something more critical to individuality ("going to England"). For Suzie, the chance of leaving Hong Kong should act as a forward and upward leap of social status. To do so, she needs the assistance of a powerful figure (given her socioeconomical background). In the earlier parts of the novel, Ben (another British man) serves as that critical character. In the later parts, however, Robert has become the one character on whom Suzie relies, as he brings her away from Nam Kok to different places (Japan, Britain). Yet, towards the end of the novel, we can see how the green-eyed monster has caught Robert too:
"For the slicker had moved round the table and was now seated beside Suzie. They looked very happy together, and Suzie’s face was radiant. I turned and went back to the bar. I had drunk two more double brandies before Suzie appeared. She came in looking flushed and excited."
Set in then Portuguese colony Macao (surprisingly, though the main function of it is still gambling). Robert loses himself to a young man they meet in a casino, whose gambling skills brighten Suzie up in the midst of a losing streak. The carefree Suzie undermines Robert's possessiveness as he finds himself not able to dispose of Suzie as he wishes. In this way, a rather dialectical relationship is established between them: they cannot exist properly without each other. Though still very underdeveloped, the current review should suffice to explain how Suzie works as a political novel not only on a geographical but a personal level too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2022
There are many levels of appreciation for The World of Suzie Wong. It can be appreciated as a romance story between a poor Caucasian artist and an exotic Chinese prostitute. One cannot resist to talk of orientalism but this is rendered rather irrelevant for stating the obvious. The illiterate but good-natured Suzie Wong is, of course, also along the line of the “noble savage” tradition.
On a more personal level, I prefer to appreciate the novel from the world of Suzie Wong (no pun intended). The novel was set in 1950s of Hong Kong. This was the time when rickshaws still played a prominent transportation role alongside with taxis. Lands were not yet reclaimed and people travelled daily by ferries as the modern subway was not built until late 1970s. Tiger Palm, a Chinese ointment with Burmese origin, was mentioned and its owners, the Aw brothers, were regarded as equivalent to the modern-day billionaires Li Ka-shing or Bill Gates. The Aw family has long since declined in status and wealth and the Tiger Palm pagoda (also mentioned in the novel) was partly demolished and recently redeveloped by the Hong Kong government.
These historical details and Richard Mason’s fine description of Hong Kong evoke a nostalgic feeling and also the curious thought of how it might feel to live in Hong Kong during the 1950s. Second World War had just ended and due to its peculiar position as a British colony, Hong Kong reaped benefits for smuggling supplies during the Korean War. People were still abjectly poor and their belongings and lives could be wiped out in one night when their ramshackle wooden houses collapsed and were swept out of existence by a landslide. This was sadly what happened in the novel.
If a person is interested in the history of Hong Kong, I would also recommend the book Hong Kong Sweet & Sour which is a collection of cartoons by the French artist Zabo based on his experience living in Hong Kong during the 1960s.
On a more personal level, I prefer to appreciate the novel from the world of Suzie Wong (no pun intended). The novel was set in 1950s of Hong Kong. This was the time when rickshaws still played a prominent transportation role alongside with taxis. Lands were not yet reclaimed and people travelled daily by ferries as the modern subway was not built until late 1970s. Tiger Palm, a Chinese ointment with Burmese origin, was mentioned and its owners, the Aw brothers, were regarded as equivalent to the modern-day billionaires Li Ka-shing or Bill Gates. The Aw family has long since declined in status and wealth and the Tiger Palm pagoda (also mentioned in the novel) was partly demolished and recently redeveloped by the Hong Kong government.
These historical details and Richard Mason’s fine description of Hong Kong evoke a nostalgic feeling and also the curious thought of how it might feel to live in Hong Kong during the 1950s. Second World War had just ended and due to its peculiar position as a British colony, Hong Kong reaped benefits for smuggling supplies during the Korean War. People were still abjectly poor and their belongings and lives could be wiped out in one night when their ramshackle wooden houses collapsed and were swept out of existence by a landslide. This was sadly what happened in the novel.
If a person is interested in the history of Hong Kong, I would also recommend the book Hong Kong Sweet & Sour which is a collection of cartoons by the French artist Zabo based on his experience living in Hong Kong during the 1960s.
March 14, 2020
Robert, a young artist moves to Hong Kong to concentrate on his painting career. Looking for a cheap place to live and paint, he ends up in a “brothel” where the all occupants pay by the hour except him. Robert gets to know the “girls” as friends but ends up in an up and down relationship with the beautiful Suzie. Written in 1957, it was made into a film with William Holden and Nancy Kwan.
March 2, 2023
Una bella storia, che ti trasporta e ti assaporare l’atmosfera di Hong Kong. Un racconto piacevole, che scorre e si apprezza, forse un po’ lento o ripetitivo in qualche punto ma nel complesso buono.
May 26, 2018
This book takes you to an era and world that is no more. I have been fascinated with Asian culture since reading as a teenager all the books of Pearl S Buck. The main character Suzie is so vulnerable and yet of such strong backbone it makes you weep. She is all at once naive, wise, vulnerable and fierce. The ending gets a bit muddled otherwise I would have given it 5 stars. It gives you an insight into the culture of the time in Hong Kong. If you are tired of all the romance authors of the day, give The World of Suzie Wong a try. You will not be disappointed.
February 14, 2021
I came across this book in the bookstore and thought it would be a new read, a different reading experience. It is that in a lot of ways, it has a unique appeal, probably because the book was written so many years ago. In the first 100 or so pages, one would not have known that this was a book that was written before Malaya became Malaysia, in the 1950s. Apart from one or two instances, it felt so modern in those first few pages. I loved that he started with his experience in Malaya, as I almost never get to see Malaysia being represented in the books that I read, and although he wrote about "Malaya" and not Malaysia as it is now, I was instantly connected to the novel. There was a beauty to the ability of the writer to bring me into Hong Kong, in the 1950s, the streets, neon lights and midnight feasts were so vividly expressed, I could almost taste the Pekin food, and the melon seeds. For the most part, I lived vicariously through the protagonist. I visited places with him I would normally never know and never have known. This book has taught me some realities of life. Having said all that, there were some elements that I did not very much favour. I admire the realistically slow pace of Suzie and Richard's love story, but I felt there were just too many ups and downs in the plot for me to enjoy the novel to the fullest extent. It was like an emotional roller coaster a lot of times, and got a little childish. I understand that Suzie's personality is such, but some of the issues they faced felt so mundane and a lot of them completely unnecessary. One of the issues is the American character, who moves into Nam Kok and completely ruins the uniqueness of Robert's presence there. This new character was just an underdeveloped silly addition.
Robert's character is (I assume) supposed to be this far-sighted and open minded man, but he is not. He loves Suzie for whatever she is but hates her with sailors when with him. He never could love her "Eurasian" son. This character seems to contradict himself on this. He constantly feels that her son looks pathetic but dislikes the elitist behaviour of his fellow British acquaintances towards "half-castes". It feels very insincere. He seems to me to be a fake. He does not have any real principles, everything about him is contradictory. There is little personality in this character when one continues reading the novel.
Towards the end of the book, it became very obvious to me that this book is an old one, through the constant changes, heavy drama, and twists. Maybe this novel has reached its time and has become obsolete.
Robert's character is (I assume) supposed to be this far-sighted and open minded man, but he is not. He loves Suzie for whatever she is but hates her with sailors when with him. He never could love her "Eurasian" son. This character seems to contradict himself on this. He constantly feels that her son looks pathetic but dislikes the elitist behaviour of his fellow British acquaintances towards "half-castes". It feels very insincere. He seems to me to be a fake. He does not have any real principles, everything about him is contradictory. There is little personality in this character when one continues reading the novel.
Towards the end of the book, it became very obvious to me that this book is an old one, through the constant changes, heavy drama, and twists. Maybe this novel has reached its time and has become obsolete.
September 4, 2018
This is easily the best romantic novel, and one of the best books of any kind, that I have ever read. It is also sad, funny, perceptive and extremely unusual.
Based to a large extent on the author’s own travels and experiences, it is the story of the Briton Robert Lomax who (after trying and failing to make his way in various businesses such as rubber-planting) decides to jack it in for a while and use his savings to follow his dream, which is to be an artist.
So he moves into a small hotel in Hong Kong, the Nam Kok, which is all he can afford. Unknown to him, however, the hotel is a brothel in all but name, inhabited by girls who cater to the needs of the visiting sailors.
The greater part of the novel describes how the girls gradually become his friends (once they’ve realised he’s not a potential client), how he gradually falls in love with one of them (the eponymous Suzie), and how they deal with the problems that arise from this transracial romance (for this is in the 1950s).
Mason writes in the first person, with an easy flow that brings Suzie’s world effortlessly to life, almost in front of your eyes.
Never mind if you thought the film was rubbish — read the book. I can’t recommend it too highly. You may fall in love with Suzie yourself!
Based to a large extent on the author’s own travels and experiences, it is the story of the Briton Robert Lomax who (after trying and failing to make his way in various businesses such as rubber-planting) decides to jack it in for a while and use his savings to follow his dream, which is to be an artist.
So he moves into a small hotel in Hong Kong, the Nam Kok, which is all he can afford. Unknown to him, however, the hotel is a brothel in all but name, inhabited by girls who cater to the needs of the visiting sailors.
The greater part of the novel describes how the girls gradually become his friends (once they’ve realised he’s not a potential client), how he gradually falls in love with one of them (the eponymous Suzie), and how they deal with the problems that arise from this transracial romance (for this is in the 1950s).
Mason writes in the first person, with an easy flow that brings Suzie’s world effortlessly to life, almost in front of your eyes.
Never mind if you thought the film was rubbish — read the book. I can’t recommend it too highly. You may fall in love with Suzie yourself!
June 27, 2014
This book came up on a recommended list when I was searching for novels set in Hong Kong, and I'm glad I decided to read it. It bears no resemblance to modern day Hong Kong, of course - it's set in the 1950s, with all the attendant romance of a colony so very sure of itself, and told from the point of view of a man in love with the city and its people and disillusioned with the West. But as a story, a love story, it holds up surprisingly well, with lots of sharp little details like the prostitutes having to go to an STD clinic, and the clever observations of race and social class, that stop it becoming too mawkish.
The Suzie of the title is beautifully complex, the supporting characters interesting and varied, if only lightly sketched, and the story itself is compelling enough to draw you in and keep you there. Despite the premise of a Westerner living among Chinese people, there's surprisingly little fetishisation - the author manages to make observations about the people without othering them, except when he's making a point.
All in all, an enjoyable read, one steeped in nostalgia and hazy with romance, but enjoyable nonetheless.
The Suzie of the title is beautifully complex, the supporting characters interesting and varied, if only lightly sketched, and the story itself is compelling enough to draw you in and keep you there. Despite the premise of a Westerner living among Chinese people, there's surprisingly little fetishisation - the author manages to make observations about the people without othering them, except when he's making a point.
All in all, an enjoyable read, one steeped in nostalgia and hazy with romance, but enjoyable nonetheless.
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