Shanghai Baby

by Wei Hui Zhou

Publicly burned in China for its sensual nature and irreverent style, this novel is the semi-autobiographical story of Coco, a café waitress, who is full of enthusiasm and impatience for life. She meets a young man, Tian Tian, for whom she feels tenderness and love, but he is reclusive, impotent and an increasing user of drugs. Despite parental objections, Coco moves in with him, leaves her job and throws herself into writing.

Shortly afterwards she meets Mark, a married Westerner. The two are uncontrollably attracted and begin a highly charged, physical affair. Torn between her two lovers, and tormented by her deceit, her unfinished novel and the conflicting feelings involved in love and betrayal, Coco begins to find out who she really is.

Here is a beautifully written novel with a distinct voice that describes China on the brink of its own social and sexual revolution.

• ISBN10: 1780337566
• ISBN13: 9781780337562
• Publish Date: 1 March 2012 (first published 28 June 2001)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Constable
• Edition: Digital original
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[mayavswords]

I would say 2.5 but meh, I don't care. The book and storyline was intriguing at first but then it got more and more dull. I guess what I hated the most is the fact that Coco kept going back to Mark, even though she claimed she loved Tian Tian so much. She's indeed a foolish character in my opinion in all confused about her own self. I guess that's what made me rating pretty low, I really didn't like the main character so much as to the fact that she would betray her lover like that. Hm, I just think it's a pet peeve of mine and to read about it is a turn off. In all, it was alright I guess. I had quite high expectations for this book but they weren't met.