I picked this up at the library on a whim and was happy I did.

Lust, Caution and Other Stories is a series of short stories set in 1940's Shanghai. A stark political backdrop, a time of turmoil where food rations are real and travel is limited.

And yet, Eileen Chang decides instead to focus precisely, intently on the minutiae of life for the characters in her stories. I found some of the stories difficult or slow because of how little plot there is, but then there were so many other things I enjoyed about her writing. I want to say that it reminds me a little of Raymond Carver -- his fascination with the mundane is similar to hers but that's where the similarities end. Chang is all about details, details, details.

I liked the dialogue, the gossipy old cooks and cleaning ladies and I loved some of the ways Chang described her characters. Her prose has its own delicate beauty like a fine, bitter tea. There's a part about a character's eyes being downcast, the beige colour of moth's wings -- I was completely swept up in that moment, in her prose. It was wonderful.

Also, Chang's photo on the back of this book is just great. She looks like such a powerhouse and someone I'd love to know but also be afraid of.

I liked this book. I'm really sad it took me as long to read as it did but I'm happy I read it. I do feel like I need a break between this book and the next one, though. ( )

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1953224.html

A short collection of short stories about people getting on with their lives, mostly in 1940s Shanghai, while the world changes around them. The title piece, a tale of espionage and seduction, is the most memorable but they are all interesting and well-observed. ( )