A review by catlislibrary
Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

As someone with a Chinese heritage, I am ashamed to have not read Eileen Chang’s works earlier. I found her stories to be an eye-opening (even if fictitious) recollection of the preoccupations and circumstances that governed the lives of “Chinese” people in the 20th century. Especially interesting were her insights and commentary on the effects of colonialism on a foreign occupied China and Hong Kong. 

Side Note: Read this collection of short stories and novellas on my flight to Shanghai - the timing couldn’t have been better except for maybe reading it while I explored the city. 

Individual ratings:

Aloeswood incense - 4

Jasmine tea - 3.5

Love in a Fallen City - 5

The Golden Cague - DNF (my problem tho, don’t have enough cultural understanding to truly grasp the story)

Sealed Off - 3 

Red rose, white rose 3.75

Short story collection score: 3.75