Chinese Women

by Pan Xiangli (Editor)

As I read through the essays of this collection again after I completed the selection process, I was suddenly overcome by a surge of grief, which then gave way to a rueful sigh. Chinese women certainly don't have it easy. Life is tough for Chinese women. These pages contain more sorrow than joy, more perplexity than illumination and more thistles and thorns than flowers. --from the Preface

196 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Requiem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am surprised so little is known about this book in Goodreads. Found it by ISBN. The title is 'Chinese Women', part of Cultural China Essay Series published by the Shanghai Literature and Arts Publishing House in 2004. Don't let the title fool you. It is not so much an essay collection about women, but rather by women.

Chinese Women contains essays covering a broad range of topics from various names in the world of female Chinese literature, mostly around their late 50s. It is quite a random collection as far as theming goes, and the writing quality varies from piece to piece. Some gets their points hammered down, some rambling so much it shouldn't be called essays. Of course, true to Asian essay style, the pieces in this book are much more poetic and less structurally strict than the usual Western essays.

It is a good read, but not terrific. Like any assorted offerings, it brought upon a mixed feeling.

[Nadzirah Bazlaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different authors, different lives with sheer tenacity and perseverance. These authors had presented different multitudes of what constitute a woman who embodies sheer tenacity to live, love and cherish. For me, reading each story is like meeting with each authors personally with their newfound strength in gentleness. In the end, these wonderful collection of stories evoke what it meant for me as a woman and to come to terms with my own strengths and weaknesses.