false 177998 12 Two brilliant novels in one, John Lanchester's <I>Fragrant Harbor</I> presents a traditional colonial narrative set in the 1930s and 1940s inside a larger, dizzyingly complex tale of big business at the turn of the 21st century. Lanchester's main character, Tom Stewart, is a Kentish lad who journeys to the exotic Far East in 1935, just as the commercial prospects of Hong Kong are becoming apparent. On his voyage out, Tom is made the object of a curious bet between a Chinese nun and language teacher, Sister Maria, and an anti-Catholic English businessman. As a result, he becomes proficient in Cantonese with only six weeks' study. This skill, unusual in an Englishman, is the making of Tom's career. Although they part on bad terms, Sister Maria remains a shimmering figure on the periphery of Tom's life in Hong Kong, and their one thought as the Japanese invade the region is to protect each other.<p> Lanchester was raised in Hong Kong (his grandparents had settled there in the 1930s and been interned by the Japanese during the war), and his insider view of the place is about as far from the small, lyrical Western-Asian novels of recent years as can be imagined. The broad scope and jerking pace of <I>Fragrant Harbor</I> can be disconcerting, but they vividly convey the shifting fortunes and alliances of this crowded, corrupting, and much-contested territory. <I>--Regina Marler</I> 1744275 2002 Fragrant Harbor total:83|5:14|4:34|3:26|2:6|1:3| 83 299 121 16 3 0 false false Mon Jan 12 09:40:47 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 12 10:05:31 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Nov 06 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Fri Mar 28 01:48:09 -0700 2008 Fri Mar 28 01:52:53 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jul 28 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 23 22:32:27 -0700 2008 Sun Jul 27 19:19:33 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Mon Oct 05 17:59:02 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 18:00:17 -0700 2009 1 0 false false Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Mon Jul 23 08:41:32 -0700 2007 Mon Jul 23 08:41:32 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu Dec 13 10:11:09 -0800 2007 Fri Dec 21 01:47:20 -0800 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Jun 26 06:27:22 -0700 2007 Sun Jul 15 09:14:30 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Tue May 01 05:45:08 -0700 2007 Tue May 01 05:46:15 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Tue Jan 29 14:46:22 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 29 14:49:40 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Wed Aug 06 08:28:41 -0700 2008 Wed Aug 06 08:34:30 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Apr 22 15:58:11 -0700 2008 Tue Apr 22 15:59:44 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Thu Jan 31 13:07:16 -0800 2008 Thu Jan 31 13:08:18 -0800 2008 0 0 true true Sun Feb 17 10:10:52 -0800 2008 Sun Feb 17 10:10:52 -0800 2008 "Longevity can be a form of spite."]]> 0 0 false false Sun Sep 16 06:27:27 -0700 2007 Sun Sep 16 06:27:48 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Thu Jun 14 15:49:31 -0700 2007 Thu Jun 14 15:56:48 -0700 2007 3 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Fri Nov 16 20:06:56 -0800 2007 Sun Nov 18 12:30:00 -0800 2007 0 0 false false Tue Nov 03 07:08:41 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 07:08:56 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Fri Oct 30 05:37:48 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 30 05:37:48 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Mon Oct 26 08:49:20 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 26 08:49:20 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Oct 20 08:48:52 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 20 08:48:52 -0700 2009