Leonard Pratt

...Our souls became smoke and mist ... it was as if my body ceased to exist...

I would advise all the husbands and wives in the world not to hate each other, certainly,but also not to love too deeply.

The narrator of Shen Fu’s "The Old Man of the Moon" is a widower who wistfully recounts the joys and trials of his marriage to his cousin Yun. Written in 1809 and rediscovered in the 1870s, this tale of a man who “loved his wife too deeply” is not far removed from the novels of lost or show more thwarted love which were a staple of the European Romantic movement. The prose is generally formal, simple and matter-of-fact and, frankly, rather at odds with the passion seething underneath. Although I suspect that this might be something of a culture-specific issue, the style might also be meant to reflect the character of the narrator whose “purpose is merely to record true feelings and actual events”. Newly published in the “Penguin Little Black Classics” series, this is a novella worth exploring. show less

The story of the author's marriage from 18th century China sometimes seems as if it should be from much longer ago. He and his wife clearly loved each other deeply, but their lives were often difficult and included a lot of suffering. Sometimes the causes for that suffering were difficult to understand, as this slim novella focuses so narrowly on his relationship to his wife that their changes in fortune often come out of nowhere. Still, the depth of his love for her can hardly help but make show more Yun interesting to our eyes. Plus, she endeared herself to me every time she chafed against something she was not allowed to do because she wasn't a man. Especially when she did it anyway.

Often beautiful, often sad. Sometimes both at once. A little gem. show less

...Our souls became smoke and mist ... it was as if my body ceased to exist...

I would advise all the husbands and wives in the world not to hate each other, certainly,but also not to love too deeply.

The narrator of Shen Fu’s "The Old Man of the Moon" is a widower who wistfully recounts the joys and trials of his marriage to his cousin Yun. Written in 1809 and rediscovered in the 1870s, this tale of a man who “loved his wife too deeply” is not far removed from the novels of lost or show more thwarted love which were a staple of the European Romantic movement. The prose is generally formal, simple and matter-of-fact and, frankly, rather at odds with the passion seething underneath. Although I suspect that this might be something of a culture-specific issue, the style might also be meant to reflect the character of the narrator whose “purpose is merely to record true feelings and actual events”. Newly published in the “Penguin Little Black Classics” series, this is a novella worth exploring. show less

I found this fascinating. Most historical narratives don't really talk about the author's poverty. I guess because most people educated enough to write either had rich relatives or enough education to support themselves. This was interesting as it was the very personal story of the author's love for his wife and a look into home life in 18th century China.
It has surprised me how interesting most of the Chinese writers in this collection have been. I have, in general, found that they are show more very easy to read and not as dry as some of the european writers of the same era. show less