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三毛集 #3
温柔的夜
Gentle Night includes 16 essays that narrate the life of San Mao with her husband José on the Canary Islands. Having scavenged together with the Swiss primary school teacher, made good friends with a vagrant Japanese young man, paid respect to strange compatriots lying in the cemetery, demanded unpaid salary for José in the extremely hot West Africa, and dealt with neighbors 'hard to get along', San Mao read the fickleness of human nature and knew life was not easy...However, by thinking of the angles for her guard, she was no longer frustrated, but filled with tenderness in the eyes, and coming out of her pens would still be keen reflection of the big world.
177 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
9 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Sanmao
35 books139 followersSanmao (Chinese: 三毛; March 26, 1943 – January 4, 1991) was a Taiwanese writer and translator. Her works range from autobiographical writing, travel writing, and reflective novels, to translations of Spanish-language comic strips. She studied philosophy and taught German before becoming a career writer.
Born as Chen Mao-ping (陳懋平), her pen name was adopted from the main character of Zhang Leping's most famous work, Sanmao. In English, she was also known as Echo or Echo Chan, the first name she used in Latin script, after the eponymous Greek nymph.
Sanmao was born in Chongqing to Chen Siqing, a lawyer, and Miao Jinlan. She had an older sister, Chen Tianxin. Her parents were devout Christians. Her family was from Zhejiang. After the Second Sino-Japanese War, the family moved to Nanjing. When she was six, her family moved to Taiwan because of the Communist takeover of mainland China. She disliked the lack of freedom in Taiwan's educational system, in which strict restrictions were placed on students.
As a child, she developed an early interest in literature and was exposed to famous Chinese writers, such as Lu Xun, Ba Jin, Bing Xin, Lao She, and Yu Dafu. She read works such as The Count of Monte Cristo, Don Quixote, and Gone with the Wind. She was particularly interested in Dream of the Red Chamber and read it as a Grade 5 student during class. When asked what she wanted to become when she was older, she responded that she wanted to marry a great artist, specifically Pablo Picasso.
Due to her preoccupation with reading, Sanmao's grades suffered in middle school, particularly in mathematics. After a distressing incident when a teacher drew black circles around her eyes and humiliated her in front of her classmates, Sanmao stopped attending school. Her father taught her English and classical literature at home and hired tutors to teach her piano and painting.
In 1962, at age 19, Sanmao published her first essay. Sanmao studied philosophy at the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan, with the goal of "[finding] the solution to problems in life." There, she dated a fellow student; however, becoming "disillusioned with romance," she moved to Madrid, Spain at age 20 and began studying at the University of Madrid.
Sanmao later moved to Germany, where she intensively studied the German language, sometimes up to 16 hours per day. Within nine months, she earned a qualification to teach German and began studying ceramics.
At age 26, Sanmao returned to Taiwan. She was engaged to a teacher from Germany, but he died from a heart attack before they could marry. Sanmao returned to Madrid and began teaching English at a primary school.
In 1976 she published the autobiographical The Stories of the Sahara, which was on her experiences living in the Sahara together with her Spanish husband Jose, who she first met in Madrid and later married in 1973 while living together in the then Spanish-controlled Western Sahara. Part travelog and part memoir, it was an account of life and love in the desert and established Sanmao as an autobiographical writer with a unique voice and perspective. Following the book's immense success in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China, her early writings were collected into a book, published under the title Gone With the Rainy Season. She continued to write, and her experiences in the Sahara and the Canary Islands were published in several more books.
In 1979 Jose drowned while diving. In 1980 she returned to Taiwan, and in November 1981, she traveled to Central and South America on commission from Taiwanese publishers. These experiences were recorded in subsequent writings. From 1981 to 1984, she taught and lectured at her alma mater, Chinese Culture University, in Taiwan. After this point, she decided to dedicate herself fully to writing.
Sanmao's books deal mainly with her own experiences studying and living abroad. They were extremely well received not only in Taiwan, but also in China, and they remain
Born as Chen Mao-ping (陳懋平), her pen name was adopted from the main character of Zhang Leping's most famous work, Sanmao. In English, she was also known as Echo or Echo Chan, the first name she used in Latin script, after the eponymous Greek nymph.
Sanmao was born in Chongqing to Chen Siqing, a lawyer, and Miao Jinlan. She had an older sister, Chen Tianxin. Her parents were devout Christians. Her family was from Zhejiang. After the Second Sino-Japanese War, the family moved to Nanjing. When she was six, her family moved to Taiwan because of the Communist takeover of mainland China. She disliked the lack of freedom in Taiwan's educational system, in which strict restrictions were placed on students.
As a child, she developed an early interest in literature and was exposed to famous Chinese writers, such as Lu Xun, Ba Jin, Bing Xin, Lao She, and Yu Dafu. She read works such as The Count of Monte Cristo, Don Quixote, and Gone with the Wind. She was particularly interested in Dream of the Red Chamber and read it as a Grade 5 student during class. When asked what she wanted to become when she was older, she responded that she wanted to marry a great artist, specifically Pablo Picasso.
Due to her preoccupation with reading, Sanmao's grades suffered in middle school, particularly in mathematics. After a distressing incident when a teacher drew black circles around her eyes and humiliated her in front of her classmates, Sanmao stopped attending school. Her father taught her English and classical literature at home and hired tutors to teach her piano and painting.
In 1962, at age 19, Sanmao published her first essay. Sanmao studied philosophy at the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan, with the goal of "[finding] the solution to problems in life." There, she dated a fellow student; however, becoming "disillusioned with romance," she moved to Madrid, Spain at age 20 and began studying at the University of Madrid.
Sanmao later moved to Germany, where she intensively studied the German language, sometimes up to 16 hours per day. Within nine months, she earned a qualification to teach German and began studying ceramics.
At age 26, Sanmao returned to Taiwan. She was engaged to a teacher from Germany, but he died from a heart attack before they could marry. Sanmao returned to Madrid and began teaching English at a primary school.
In 1976 she published the autobiographical The Stories of the Sahara, which was on her experiences living in the Sahara together with her Spanish husband Jose, who she first met in Madrid and later married in 1973 while living together in the then Spanish-controlled Western Sahara. Part travelog and part memoir, it was an account of life and love in the desert and established Sanmao as an autobiographical writer with a unique voice and perspective. Following the book's immense success in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China, her early writings were collected into a book, published under the title Gone With the Rainy Season. She continued to write, and her experiences in the Sahara and the Canary Islands were published in several more books.
In 1979 Jose drowned while diving. In 1980 she returned to Taiwan, and in November 1981, she traveled to Central and South America on commission from Taiwanese publishers. These experiences were recorded in subsequent writings. From 1981 to 1984, she taught and lectured at her alma mater, Chinese Culture University, in Taiwan. After this point, she decided to dedicate herself fully to writing.
Sanmao's books deal mainly with her own experiences studying and living abroad. They were extremely well received not only in Taiwan, but also in China, and they remain
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 28, 2021
终于花了一个礼拜读完我人生中第一本三毛的书。
三毛这作者虽然有名，但我还是近几年才听说过。
My only regret is borrowing six of sanmao's books for my mum to read first, she went through those books like a train, read them all in 2 weeks, and excitedly spilled out all the spoilers despite my countless protests. I feel like boomers can't grasp the meaning of spoilers and it absolutely infuriates me.
我终于明白为什么这本叫着温柔的夜了，书中描述到的种种不愉快的遭遇，最后都在温柔的夜景里做个结尾，夜以平静舒畅的魅力来安慰她。
三毛这作者虽然有名，但我还是近几年才听说过。
My only regret is borrowing six of sanmao's books for my mum to read first, she went through those books like a train, read them all in 2 weeks, and excitedly spilled out all the spoilers despite my countless protests. I feel like boomers can't grasp the meaning of spoilers and it absolutely infuriates me.
我终于明白为什么这本叫着温柔的夜了，书中描述到的种种不愉快的遭遇，最后都在温柔的夜景里做个结尾，夜以平静舒畅的魅力来安慰她。
January 21, 2024
很喜欢三毛的这一系列作品，正如她自己说的，这些都是游记。
一篇篇的故事短文，读起来更像是日记，但是文字经过美化，情感淡却浓烈。
每次吃饭都能看上一篇，让人仿佛跨越万里，体验到她在世界各地，体会当地生活的一点影子。
一篇篇的故事短文，读起来更像是日记，但是文字经过美化，情感淡却浓烈。
每次吃饭都能看上一篇，让人仿佛跨越万里，体验到她在世界各地，体会当地生活的一点影子。
March 14, 2024
三毛的文字中流露出来的柔软、自由、灵性让人动容。
拾荒梦，石头记，温柔的夜，与莫里的相识印象比较深刻。
“人生自然的态度，生命的享受，竟然因为简简单单的脚下释放，给了我许多书本里得不到的启示。”
“如果说，人生同舟过渡都算一份因缘，那么今夜坐在阳台上的我们，又是多少年才等待得来的一聚。”
拾荒梦，石头记，温柔的夜，与莫里的相识印象比较深刻。
“人生自然的态度，生命的享受，竟然因为简简单单的脚下释放，给了我许多书本里得不到的启示。”
“如果说，人生同舟过渡都算一份因缘，那么今夜坐在阳台上的我们，又是多少年才等待得来的一聚。”
May 2, 2019
周一读完了这本书，还在想三毛在「温柔的夜」那篇里未免有点不近人情，觉得他是骗子，直接给他买票不就好了，这样如果真的需要票的人也可以得到帮助。
结果昨天晚上半夜回家，被一个中东长相，英语也不咋好的男的叫住了，说了一大堆中心思想就是钱和手机都被女朋友锁家里了（吵架不给开），急需回海牙，只要4欧（车票7欧多，看！和小说里一毛一样！）
表示没现金，他提议可以去旁边casino刷点现金给他。想了一下决定折回车站帮他买票，他一个劲的说他只需要4欧，车票要八欧多呢！
不就是多4欧嘛，如果他是真的，我乐意多出一点帮他，如果他是假的。就当我好心打水漂，但绝不给骗子一点刷我卡or拿我钱去赌的机会！
结果昨天晚上半夜回家，被一个中东长相，英语也不咋好的男的叫住了，说了一大堆中心思想就是钱和手机都被女朋友锁家里了（吵架不给开），急需回海牙，只要4欧（车票7欧多，看！和小说里一毛一样！）
表示没现金，他提议可以去旁边casino刷点现金给他。想了一下决定折回车站帮他买票，他一个劲的说他只需要4欧，车票要八欧多呢！
不就是多4欧嘛，如果他是真的，我乐意多出一点帮他，如果他是假的。就当我好心打水漂，但绝不给骗子一点刷我卡or拿我钱去赌的机会！
July 28, 2023
三毛的书总是读到爱不释手，同时又不舍得读完。一个心存善良的人，总能看到生活中的可爱之处。谢谢她跨越时间空间，提醒我们这一点。
July 6, 2024
三毛的书还是一如既往的好看，文笔太好了。本书主要描写她与苛西在欧洲的生活。最喜欢的故事还是德国老板欠薪的故事，老板也喜得他应得的结局。
September 5, 2024
读完后就是感动、唏嘘
当我在非洲夜里失眠的时候，我就听着温柔的夜，和三毛一起生气，一起难过，一起流泪，感谢三毛的陪伴
当我在非洲夜里失眠的时候，我就听着温柔的夜，和三毛一起生气，一起难过，一起流泪，感谢三毛的陪伴
January 20, 2023
三毛欢快的散步 荷西在家里等待；认真的解释，不因金钱而结婚 气坏了荷西 明明已经结了婚 解释个屁；拾荒 百货店 杂七杂八的职业幻想 赚钱辛苦；异国他乡给同胞上坟 知名度帮助到人；人单纯的像是一张厚厚的马粪纸，马粪纸是什么鬼；荷西出工的执念，软心的人啊，你们到底要愚昧几回。；同情心的考验，如何辨别值不值；我们是平等的，为什么要顺从对方；对人说了重话，最难过的是自己；石头记；哀愁的人，给他们安慰，饥饿的人，给他们食物；荷西他脾气坏，脸皮薄，任人欺负
May 10, 2022
很爱里面有几篇，三毛的文字读起来不费劲，很有意思，可以一口气读很长时间
March 14, 2025
我很不喜欢五月花里的荷西，或者说三毛其他文章笔下的荷西被她美化得过头了，荷西这种冤大头烂好人还能平安回去就是万幸了。温柔的夜作为书名，可三毛许多夜晚都过得很不踏实，也就只好用自己心中的温柔和自由来抚慰了
August 26, 2025
What an amazing writer! I did not expect this book to be so impactful for me. I need some time to process it and maybe write a more in-depth review. San Mao…the woman that you were…
March 29, 2024
三毛真的是个有趣又任性的灵魂。她把生活琐事加上浪漫的滤镜，让看似单薄枯燥的生活变得有趣。如果她的真实生活真如她写的一样潇洒，那她真的把生活弄懂了。很了不起。
April 1, 2013
耐人寻味。
一个懂生活的三毛。
一个懂生活的三毛。
June 6, 2013
本一颗躁动的心，被三毛的故事深深吸引。
我是一个任性的人，凭着一时的新鲜，认人做朋友，又凭着一时的兴起将人漫不经心的忘掉。多想莫西永远留在那儿，可他注定是个流浪的人，有一颗流浪的心。人生何处不相逢，相逢何必曾相识。——sorry,我亲爱的朋友们。
我是一个任性的人，凭着一时的新鲜，认人做朋友，又凭着一时的兴起将人漫不经心的忘掉。多想莫西永远留在那儿，可他注定是个流浪的人，有一颗流浪的心。人生何处不相逢，相逢何必曾相识。——sorry,我亲爱的朋友们。
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews