Slow Boat to China · Chen Dan Yan

Author: Chen Danyan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: A classic English song that was wildly popular in old Shanghai. The author, Chen Danyan, known for her sophisticated and stylish writing, was captivated by the mixed-blood charm of Shanghai. After eight years of effort, she finally presented this first edition of 100,000 copies of her new novel. The protagonist, Fan, a Shanghai girl, hails from a declining comprador family. She embarks on a tortuous journey to New York, living in the same her grandfather once resided in, only to find herself surrounded by a pervasive sense of failure and disorientation. In a typical Shanghai comprador family, three generations share the same American dream. But what did America give them? The novel, set against the backdrop of the decline of a prominent Shanghai family, interweaves nostalgia with the harsh realities of contemporary life. Through the fate of the girl Fan, it tells a heart-wrenching tragedy.
Fan's ancestors rose to prominence as compradors, engaging in disgraceful trades like opium and human trafficking with foreigners. At their peak, they were the talk of Shanghai, but the changing tides of the times led to their gradual decline. Even in their adversity, they maintained a semblance of elegance and arrogance. Yet, with the inevitable passing of time, they placed their last hope on Fan, going to great lengths to send her abroad. Fan leaves the country with the family's expectation of reviving their fortunes, carrying a proud and lonely heart as she pursues her American dream. Her academic life in America is fraught with hardships, and a profound sense of emptiness leads her into an unexpected romance, followed by an unplanned pregnancy. This accident shatters the fragile heart beneath Fan's proud exterior. She loses her mind in a foreign land, overwhelmed by the unbearable burden placed upon her frail shoulders and the fruitless, ethereal love that hangs like a feather.
Fan's story concludes, but the family's saga continues. Her sister, Jane, takes up her mission and heads to America again. Several years later, she achieves success. Her role is as an agent for a multinational company in China. In the new era, she seems to effortlessly yet stubbornly revisit her family's ancient dream. As if history itself conspires, there is a touch of joy, yet an undeniable sense of sorrow and bitterness.