About the Author

Eileen Chang is now recognized as one of the greatest modern Chinese writers, though she was completely erased from official histories in mainland China at one time. She was the most popular writer in Japanese-occupied Shanghai during World War II, with English and Chinese stories focusing on human frailties rather than nationalist propaganda. For her non-committal politics and idiosyncrasies, she was boycotted by fellow writers after the war and forced to the margins of literary respectability.

Reviews

"Chang is quick to tell us she is one of those people she sets out to satirize: first shocked by the disorder of war, yet becoming accustomed to the new order of life in a short time what concerns her most is food. She calls attention to people's grotesque behavior and 'bizarre wisdom' inspired by the instinct to survive. Physical intimacy, like food, becomes a poignant index to convey the primordial needs of humanity." From the Introduction by David Der-wei Wang, Harvard University