Zhang: Shanghai Express Paper - Hardcover

by Zhang Henshui (Author), William A. Lyell (Translator)

In this suspenseful tale of seduction and deception, a wealthy banker is smitten by an alluring young woman while traveling aboard the express train from Beijing to Shanghai. A consummate storyteller and one of the most popular novelists of his day, Zhang Henshui sweeps us on board with them and takes us through train stations and back and forth between first, second, and third class cars, evoking the smells of this microcosm of the urban world. We see what various travelers wear; we hear their conversations; we feel the chill or the warmth of each car; we detect a trace of perfume in one, pickled vegetables and greasy meats in another. Here is popular Chinese fiction at its best.

Shanghai Express was considered "entertainment" fiction and was enormously popular in the 1930s. William Lyell's sparkling translation at last allows an English-reading audience to share in the fun.

Back Jacket

In this suspenseful tale of seduction and deception, a wealthy banker is smitten by an alluring young woman while traveling aboard the express train from Beijing to Shanghai. A consummate storyteller and one of the most popular novelists of his day, Zhang Henshui sweeps us on board with them and takes us through train stations and back and forth between first-, second-, and third-class cars, evoking the sights and sounds and smells of this microcosm of the urban world. Here is popular Chinese fiction at its best. This socially and psychologically incisive portrait of modern China can be read with great return against issues of gender, class, and modernity. And if this is not enough, it is also a travelogue, providing a delightful read for anyone who has traveled or is simply curious about traveling by train in China. First serialized in Shanghai in 1935, Shanghai Express appears now in English for the first time.