Of course, once Hong Kong is conquered by the Imperial Japanese Army in December of 1941, romance of any sort takes on quite different trappings. All these went through her mind, but she didn’t say a word. “Why is anyone with anyone?”ĭesire, proximity, habit, chance. Of course, romance can manifest itself in many ways, and in demonstration of this point, take, for example, the following dialogue from the novel and between two lovers: It is within this setting that the story’s complex characters navigate romances, intrigues, and the general trials and tribulations of life. Lee effectively recreates pre- and post- WWII Hong Kong, a city teeming with drama of every sort and serving as a nexus between East and West. Set in the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong and alternating between the years 952, the reader is provided prose of the highest caliber with which Ms. In reducing history to mere facts and figures, much is lost, and the novel is capable of preventing such a reduction. Experiencing history through the narrative of fictional characters personalizes history and brings it to the level of the individual. While they all have their particular advantages and strengths, I find the written word most powerful, especially when put forth in the form of fiction. There are numerous means by which history can be recorded: oral history, paintings, poems, monuments, and, of course, the written word.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |