Half a Lifelong Romance

A Novel

De: Eileen Chang

Narrado por: Emily Woo Zeller

From one of 20th-century China's greatest writers and the author of Lust, Caution comes an unforgettable story of a love affair set in 1930s Shanghai.

Manzhen is a young worker in a Shanghai factory where she meets Shijun, the son of wealthy merchants. Despite family complications, they fall in love and begin to dream of a shared life together - until circumstances force them apart. When they are reunited after many years, can they start their relationship again? Or is it destined to be the romance of only half a lifetime?

This affectionate and captivating novel tells the moving story of an enduring love affair and offers a fascinating window onto Chinese life in the first half of the 20th century.

©1969 Crown Publishing Co., Ltd. Translation © 2014 by Karen S. Kingsbury (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

A classic Chinese romance novel

The narrator is so professional and I almost forgot the narrator is a female when she was acting on the male character. I’m really impressed.
I have long heard about this classic novel. They even made it into a movie which is also popular. Eileen Chang is the role model of many contemporary Chinese romance novelists nowadays. They try to follow her style.
The author describe everything in very detail and it made the story’s pace seem a bit slow. But the good side is that the reader really get to experience the subtle change of the characters’ psychological state.
As for non-Chinese readers, it is also a good source from learning about how Chinese view about “love” in the second world-war era.

Great book! Eileen Chang is astounding!

My favorite novel by Eileen Chang. Well translated. Well read. Really enjoy it! Looking forward to more Eileen Chang novels/essays in Audible.

Engaging romance set in a very interesting context

Slightly too long but beautifully read story set in 1920s and 1930s Shanghai. Deals with relationships, family and romance entirely from the Chinese perspective. Describes the social hierarchy, from street vendors to lothario fat cats, and economic circumstances of families and especially women, with not a hint of anger or sarcasm. I loved this book but was sad at the ending.

super

wonderful book. rich psychological portraits. one of the best narrators I have ever heard. listen.

Great story. Even better reader!

Slow buildup but worth while. Great character development. Reader had a lot of energy and really brought the characters to life !

Often Long and Mundane

It’s neither a waste of time nor a terrible book; but most chapters left me wanting more depth from the characters or fewer details of their insipid actions.