Dreams Broken at the Passes: October Novel Series

Author: Ling Li
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-10-01
Features: This is a novel that presents the Second Opium War from a fresh perspective, serving as a moving epic that records this glorious and tragic history of national resistance. "Liu Yao Jin" is a Kunqu opera aria and also the stage name of the novel's protagonist, Liu Tianshou, a renowned Kunqu opera actress. Tianshou suffered physical and emotional abuse from a young age, wishing to be a man but unable to, and wishing to be a woman but also unable to. She remained chaste but had to offer herself as a male courtesan to a wealthy merchant; she longed for love but was abandoned by her senior brother, who desired many children. She did not initially love her second senior brother, yet he was loyal and devoted to her; she fell in love with the British army doctor Henry, an anti-war figure, but ultimately chose to avenge her entire family's tragic death in the war. The plot is full of twists and turns, with a rich cast of characters. Amidst the popular narrative, it exudes the charm of classical literature, leaving readers deeply moved, sighing in reflection upon finishing the book. It stands as another masterpiece in the genre of Chinese historical novels.