by Ye Zhaoyan

Selected quotes and extracts

Without exception, all of the Chinese students in Europe at the time had some dealings with pawnbrokers --a Chinese foreign student who didn't have to borrow money to get by wasn't a true foreign student. Study under adversity created a group of rare talents. Some of these students, who at the time couldn't have been less prominent, took like fish to water to their professions upon returning to China. One after another they distinguished themselves in the political arena and embarked on glorious official careers.

A couplet best captures the mind-set of wealthy Nanjing people at the time; the entire notion of "wine and women" was contained within. The first line reads, "Those who live near the Temple of Confucius tire not of delicacies and fine meats." The second lines goes, "Nearing the left shore of the Qinhuai River, the flowers are in bloom and the moon is full."

When the reader first learns of Monk's foiled marital plans, (page 99 paperback edition), the

I love the passege starting in chapeter 3 part v (page 105) through to page 110. It's just brilliant! The author breaks from ch 3 part iv's narration of Wenyu's thoughts by hopping into futur Yuyuan's mind. He then smoothly transitions into a bit of character development of the Kexias and Yuyuan, before jumping back into the presant, but from Yuyuan's perspective with the line "Yuyuan couldn't help but raise her head to look at the clock, hoping that Yu Kexia and his wife would return soon."

The following is perhaps my favourite line in the whole book

He had never been a very clever man, but under the presant circumstances he had no choice but to use a bit of cunning.

This sentence describes Yu Kerun as he is caught, stuck between a rock and a hard place, in the cross-fire of a confrontation between his wife Yuyuan and his lover Qu Manli. Qu had arranged for the three of them to meet behind his back. The purpose of the meeting was for Yu Kerun to annouce his intention to divorce Yuyuan, but he gets cold feet and starts beating around the bush.

When people complain about how busy they are, it is often a sign of arrogance --complaining is really just another way to brag about your ability, as if the world couldn't get on without you.

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12/13/2021, 3:18:37 AM Some slightly sleepless thoughts I had overnight:

• gift Nanjing 1937 to Rxxxx and Jxxxx, I think they would like it
• write a review of nanjing when you're done
  • penetrating insight into the human condition
  • uses human misery (& suffering) as the bedrock of comedy, "life's a laugh, a death's a joke"
  • turns a trajedy into a hillarious and dark comedy
  • the city of Nanjing comes alive, Yu masterfully shows us what was lost in december 1937 by showing us what Nanjing was like before the rape
  • somehow this absurd courtship is even more serious because of the circumstance that it's in... one might expect the historical circumstances to overshadow this absurd courtship, but Yu masterfully uses the historical context to magnify the importance of these ridiculous love affairs
  • the plot is worthy of Shakespeare, although Shakespear would never have made such a dark comedy (?)
  • simultaneously whimsical and deep
  • casts tragedy into the brightening light of love
  • description of wartime violence is very matter of fact, but everything to do with love is told through the distored emmotional lens of the ennamoured actors.
  • Ding Wenyu and Yuyuan's love affair reaches it's climax as Nanjing falls, it glimmers like a pearl as it is ingulfed in a black cloud of smokey death

Note on novel as gift

Dear R and J,

With love from S

Nanjing 1937, A Love Story is a novel that offers pene

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Vocab

Brazen. guess I think it means harsh. Google says

bold and without shame. It comes from brass. verb To endure an embarrassing or difficult situation by behaving with apparent confidence and lack of shame.

Brazen. Bold and without shame. Brazen. Bold and without shame. Brazen. Bold and without shame. Brazen. Bold and without shame. Brazen. Bold and without shame.

A pulled rickshaw (or ricksha, 力車, りきしゃ) is a mode of human-powered transport by which a runner draws a two-wheeled cart which seats one or two people.

A pulled rickshaw is a mode of human-powered transport by which a runner draws a two-wheeled cart which seats one or two people.

A pulled rickshaw is a mode of human-powered transport by which a runner draws a two-wheeled cart which seats one or two people.

A comprador is a person within a country who acts as an agent for foreign organizations engaged in investment, trade, or economic or political exploitation.

A comprador is a person within a country who acts as an agent for foreign organizations engaged in investment, trade, or economic or political exploitation.

A comprador is a person within a country who acts as an agent for foreign organizations engaged in investment, trade, or economic or political exploitation.

A specter is a ghost. A specter is a ghost. A specter is a ghost.

thick-skinned means insensitive to criticism or insults

thick-skinned means insensitive to criticism or insults

thick-skinned means insensitive to criticism or insults

Gall is bold and impudent behaviour

Gall is bold and impudent behaviour

Gall is bold and impudent behaviour

Sottish, resmbelling a sot. Being drunken or stupid / doltish.

Sottish, resembelling a sot. Being drunken or stupid / doltish

Anticipating Yuyuan's dissatisfaction, Ding affected nonchalance, even though deep down he felt quite guilty for going in.

Affected: artificial, pretencious, and designed to impress

Affected: artificial, pretencious, and designed to impress

Affected: artificial, pretencious, and designed to impress

Inane is silly or stupid. Inane is silly or stupid. Inane = silly; stupid.

Nuptial, relating to marriage or weddings. Nuptial, relating to marriage or weddings. Nuptial, relating to marriage or weddings.