The way he said this made it seem that something like youthful wilfulness had passed; that he was more adult now, ready to follow the path laid out for him, fully accepting the habits and manners of his class.

This novel tells the story of three friends, Shijun, Manzhen and Shuhui, that meet working in a factory in Shanghai in the 1930s. It takes place mostly in Shanghai and Nanking, and expands over about fifteen years. In the beginning, the three characters are hardworking, job-focused, dreaming about their future and about love, this attitude changes for all of them. Half a Lifelong Romance is a classic Chinese novel written in 1950 and translated into English until 2014. 

In general, the novel is a story of young love and friendship unfolding in a very conservative environment, where just touching hands was prohibited. As Shijun and Manzhen fall in love, they are bounded by what their neighbors will say or think.  Chang is brilliant thoroughly describing Chinese culture through actions, behaviors and everyday routines (getting a pedicab, going out to lunch, taking the over-night train, learning how to ride a bike…). She also creates tensions between the characters just by describing what they do and leaves the reader to imagine what the characters really want. And reading between the lines, the feeling of despair extends through all dimensions. As the years pass, the characters grow and they face hardships and unfortunate events that lead them to unimaginable paths. They are inflicted by the pains of growing up and behaving within the lines of social norms, yet they maintain their original essence.

It is a heartbreaking read. Although women and Chinese women still have a long battle to fight, women in this novel have no rights, even those who work for a living and support their entires families.  And the most frustrating characters of all are the mothers and mother-figures, they seem bound to condemn their daughters to the same hardships they had to endure and even worse.

About Eileen Chang

Eileen Chang is a Shanghainese author born in 1920. She was brought up in the wealthy family and was force to emigrate to the United States in 1955 due to Communist tensions. She wrote novels, essays and screenplays. Although she died alone in LA in 1995, her works are still translated into English and is consider one of the great Chinese writers.

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