Now a major motion picture from Oscar-winning director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain): an intensely passionate...
read full description
reviews
Jan 29, 2011
Eileen
rated it: 
I enjoyed reading this novella/short story. I wished it could have been a little bit longer but the movie satisfied that craving. I think the film adaptation of this intriguing story is one in handful of success stories. If you are looking for an easy yet impacting read this is a good book for you. I finished this book in a couple of hours and watched the film with a friend and I dare say that it was probably one of the best days of that month (don´t quite remember which one it was). The story d
More...
Jul 05, 2011
Willem
rated it: 
In one word, “dense” is the best way to describe Eileen Chang’s ‘Lust, Caution’. In a 60-paged novella, the storyline weaves in and out of memories, struggling thoughts with identity and the plot of a young woman who has to get close to a, with the Japanese collaborating, politician in order to get him killed by the Chinese resistance of which she is a part in 1940’s Hong Kong and Shanghai.
But even underneath this story, ‘Lust, Caution’ is filled with subliminal explorations and remi More...
But even underneath this story, ‘Lust, Caution’ is filled with subliminal explorations and remi More...
Nov 20, 2007
Bookshop
rated it: 
I 'discovered' the book when researching Ang Lee's then upcoming movie of the same title. It's a short story written by an apparently popular Shanghainese writer, Eileen Chang, about a young girl who sacrifices herself for her country by seducing the enemy and then trapping him to be killed by other team members.
I am no good with short stories as I find them confusing. This one included. Like Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee created a full-span movie from a thin material. It took me one h More...
I am no good with short stories as I find them confusing. This one included. Like Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee created a full-span movie from a thin material. It took me one h More...
May 09, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
I highly recommend watching the movie before reading the book. I loved the movie & enjoyed the book, but I feel that I would have been lost reading if I didn't already know the basic plot. Since this is a short story it's basically the bare bones of the storyline, while enjoyable there are many holes the reader will wonder about. The movie fills in the holes, so yes the story/book is very good, but watch the movie to get more background first.
Oct 23, 2010
Esther
rated it:
A tightly written short story set during the Japanese occupation. When the translator's notes mention that this story took nearly 30 years to complete, you understand how Chang was able to pare the story down to its base.
It's more genteel than the Ang Lee movie, but his version doesn't deviate in an excruciating way. If you enjoyed the movie, this short story is a very nice surprise.
It's more genteel than the Ang Lee movie, but his version doesn't deviate in an excruciating way. If you enjoyed the movie, this short story is a very nice surprise.
May 24, 2011
John
rated it:
A very powerful short story that, despite being the basis for Ang Lee's NC-17 film adaptation, is actually very understated and not the least bit racy. It's beautiful in a depressing kind of way, and manages to accomplish in about thirty-five minutes reading time what Lee's movie version took two-and-a-half hours to do.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 06, 2011
Sophia
rated it:
Eileen Chang's short story "Lust, Caution" subtly but brilliantly mixes "big picture" themes (country, revolution, sacrifice) with the personal (love, lust). Wang Chia-chih is a beautiful young woman, planted by an inexperienced student group to seduce Mr. Yee, a powerful figure in the collaborationist government in Japanese-controlled WWII Shanghai. Does she end up falling in love with him? What is real and what is false, and who actually treated her well? These questions ca
More...
Mar 31, 2010
Belinda
rated it:
I have rarely read a book that is so plot driven. It is so short that we barely get to know the characters, before the book is over. I think that was Chang's idea. She really wants readers to focus on the plot, however, I am not sure that the book is better for it.
Feb 02, 2011
Carol
rated it:
I'm not much of a short story reader but had read so much about this sparse story that today's winter storm day seemed the perfect time to jump in. As with most short stories, there's so much underlying the narrative. Chang writes beautifully and I thoroughly enjoyed this sensual tale of love affairs and spies. Can't wait to finally watch the movie now that I've read the book.
May 04, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
I really liked this story, but I am glad I saw the movie first. The movie expanded on some of the issues and history in the book, issues that I was not familiar with prior. The story is ambiguous in a lot of ways, but I think it just adds to the aura. Great one-night read!
Oct 31, 2009
Jacqueline
rated it:
It's not easy to understand Eileen Chang's. But when compared to Lust, Caution, all her other stories become much more obvious and appreciable. Director Ang Lee did a fantastic job in adapting this short story to a movie. I even love the movie more.
Mar 01, 2009
James
rated it:
A novella masquerading as a book. The various introductions take up as many pages as the story. And the story is fascinating. Why did she do it? Are women really so selfless?
Dec 19, 2007
Sarah
rated it:
I admit I picked this up after seeing Ang Lee's film because I was really curious to see what kind of source material he had to work with. It's hard to review the story as it stands on its own only because so much had to be fleshed out to make a film of it that I found myself filling in the gaps with impressions I had from the movie. I suspect that some of the nuances of the relationship are lost in translation - the story is quite short, but supposedly in the original Chinese it contains many
More...
Feb 23, 2010
Crystal
rated it:
The story was amazing, but I feel that I missed out on a lot of the beauty of the author's writing due to translation.
Aug 03, 2011
Ligia
rated it:
Basically a short story about the plot to assassinate a powerful political figure who works for the Japanese occupational government and the girl who seduces him, how she falls in love with him, and the consequences of that.
Oct 16, 2007
Melissa
rated it:
This is really a short story, packaged on it's own to cross-promote the movie. I'm not much of a short story reader, and this was no exception. The format doesn't give me enough time to invest myself in the characters. I don't believe the idea that Wang Chia-chih realizes she is in love with Mr. Yee, and that is why she tips him off. More likely she is disallusioned by the operation. Does she realize that she will die for it? Eh, maybe it's too deep for me...
It is such a small story, More...
It is such a small story, More...
Jan 07, 2011
Wendy
rated it:
Didn't see the movie (yet), thought i'd see if my mind's eye was as graphic as Ang Lee's. And, NO.
Feb 11, 2010
Histteach24
rated it:
A must read! Thought provoking and powerful! What would you have done? Only 75 pages! Must see the movie!
Jun 07, 2009
Sam
rated it:
A memorable tale of erotic intrigue and so much better than the film adaptation.
May 09, 2009
Katie
rated it:
Amazing. I read this after I saw the movie and was impressed by how well the movie was adapted.
Mar 12, 2011
Alger
rated it:
Very interesting look at the "best laid plans of mice and men" when they happen to be Chinese college students trying to assassinate an official in the Japanese Occupationist Government. The main character's perspective an paranoia sets you right in the middle of what you could adequately guess an assassination plot would feel like. Excellent novella.
Jan 03, 2008
Angela
rated it:
A quick read - I finished it in a day. The book had a forward that gave a lot of the author's history, which was very interesting. It's a short story, so I'm curious to see how they turned it into a full-length movie. Very good.
Apr 21, 2008
Nika
rated it:
Zhang Eileen poses a feminist and complex question amidst the backdrop of the japanese occupation of Shanghai. The novella is beautifully written as is most anything by the author.
Feb 27, 2008
Vicky
rated it:
Although this is a love story, the dark and suspenseful backdrop of the war, was very educational. The brevity and word choice made for a really quick read, which was a refreshing change.
Sep 23, 2008
Marie
rated it:
Like all books in this category, all films were awesome in their own right. I love short stories bulked up into the big screen. Especially when it is done by Ang Lee.
Oct 27, 2007
Yvonne
rated it: 
I just read the English version ... maybe there's something lost in the translation. I want to watch the movie to get a better understanding of the story.
Mar 10, 2011
Maria
rated it:
Ang Lee did a beautiful job with the film. When I discovered the film was based on a book by Eileen Chang it was obvious that I had to read it.
Jul 18, 2011
kabukigal
rated it:
Subtly devastating. Emphasis on subtle. The first time I read it, I missed everything! The second time through I was gobsmacked!
Nov 08, 2007
Michelle
rated it:
However ignoble the male protagonist is, there is something noble in him I can't quite put my finger on.
