Raise the Red Lantern: Three Novellas

by Tong, Su

• ISBN13: 9780060596330
• ISBN10: 0060596333
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-01-15
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

About This Book

Raise the Red Lantern: Three Novellas

ISBN: 9780060596330

About the Book

"Raise the Red Lantern: Three Novellas" by Su Tong is a powerful and poignant collection of stories set in 1930s provincial China. This book delves into the brutal realities of a world plagued by prostitution, poverty, and drug addiction. The title novella, "Raise the Red Lantern," tells the story of Lotus, a young woman whose father's suicide forces her to become the concubine of a wealthy merchant. The novella explores themes of loneliness, despair, and cruel treatment, ultimately leading Lotus to find refuge in insanity.

The other two novellas, "Nineteen Thirty-Four Escapes" and "Opium Family," also offer gripping narratives. "Nineteen Thirty-Four Escapes" chronicles a family's struggles during a momentous year, plagued by disease, death, and the promise of a better life in a larger town. "Opium Family" details the last years of a landowning clan whose demise is brought about by corruption, lust, and treachery.

Who Uses It?

Primarily, this book is used by students and educators in literature and cultural studies courses at the college and university levels. It is also a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of Chinese culture and history during the 1930s.

History and Editions

"Raise the Red Lantern: Three Novellas" was published by HarperCollins on July 6, 2004. This edition has been widely acclaimed for its stunning and simple beauty, despite the dark themes it explores. The book has been translated into several languages and has garnered international attention.

Author and Other Works

Su Tong is a renowned Chinese author known for his vivid and evocative storytelling. His works often explore the human condition in the face of societal pressures and historical events. Other notable works by Su Tong include "The Waterside Girls" and "Wives and Concubines."

Detailed Information

ISBNs and Formats

Hardcover: ISBN-13: 9780060596330

eTextbook: ISBN-13: 9780060596331 (The ebook for "Raise the Red Lantern: Three Novellas" is available right here on eCampus.com!)

eTextbook: ISBN-13: 9780060596332 (The ebook for "Raise the Red Lantern: Three Novellas" is available right here on eCampus.com!)

Paperback: ISBN-13: 9780060596330

Rental Options

Rental options are available through eCampus.com with various rental durations.

Publication Details

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: July 6, 2004

Number of Pages: 272

Language: English

Item Weight: 0.66 pounds

Dimensions: 5.38 x 10.28 x 0.66 inches

Other Editions and Formats

Please note that the availability of other editions or formats may vary. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please visit eCampus.com.

Related ISBNs:

9780060596331

9780060596332

Table of Contents

Raise the Red Lantern	p. 11
Nineteen Thirty-four Escapes	p. 101
Opium Family	p. 179
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Raise the Red Lantern
Three Novellas

Raise the Red Lantern

When Fourth Mistress, Lotus, was carried into the Chen family garden, she was nineteen; she was carried into the garden through the back gate on the west side at dusk, by four rustic sedan bearers. The servants were washing some old yarn by the side of the well when they saw the sedan chair slip quietly in through the moon gate and a young college girl, dressed in a white blouse and black skirt, step down from it. The servant thought it was the eldest daughter returning from her studies in Beiping; when they rushed forward to welcome her, they realized their mistake: It was a female student, her face covered with dust and looking unbearably exhausted. That year Lotus's hair was cut short, level with her ears, and tied up with a sky-blue silk scarf. Her face was quite round; she wore no makeup; and she looked a little pale. Lotus climbed out of the sedan chair, stood on the grass, and looked blankly all around: a rattan suitcase was placed horizontally beneath her black skirt. In the autumn sunlight, Lotus's slender figure appeared tenuous and delicate; she looked as dull and lifeless as a paper doll. She raised her hand and wiped the sweat off her face; the servants noticed that she wiped the sweat not with a handkerchief but with her sleeve; this minor detail made a deep impression on them.

Lotus walked over to the edge of the well and spoke to Swallow, who was washing yarn. "Let me wash my face. I haven't washed my face in three days."

Swallow drew a pail of water for her and watched her plunge her face into the water; Lotus's arched-over body shook uncontrollably like a waist drum played by some unseen hands. Swallow asked, "Do you want some soap?" Lotus did not speak and Swallow asked again, "The water's too cold, isn't it?" Lotus still did not speak. Swallow made a face in the direction of the other maidservants standing around the well, covered her mouth, and laughed. The maidservants thought this newly arrived guest was one of the Chen family's poor relations. They could tell the status of nearly all the Chen family's guests. Just then Lotus suddenly turned her head back toward them. Her expression was much more wide-awake after washing her face; her eyebrows were very fine and very black, and they gradually knit together. Lotus gave Swallow a sidelong glance and said, "Don't just stand there laughing like a fool; wipe the water off my face!"

Swallow kept on laughing. "Who do you think you are, acting so fierce?"

Lotus pushed Swallow away violently, picked up her rattan suitcase, and walked away from the well; she walked a few paces, turned to face them, and said, "Who am I? You'll all find out, sooner or later."

The following day everyone in the Chen household learned that Old Master Chen Zuoqian had taken Lotus as his Fourth Mistress. Lotus would live in the south wing off the back garden, right beside Third Mistress Coral's room. Chen Zuoqian gave Swallow, who had been living in the servants quarters, to Fourth Mistress as her private bondmaid.

When Swallow went to see Lotus, she was afraid; she lowered her head as she called out, "Fourth Mistress." Lotus had already forgotten Swallow's rudeness, or perhaps she just did not remember who Swallow was. Lotus changed into a pink silk cheongsam and put on a pair of embroidered slippers the color had returned overnight to her face, and she looked much more amiable. She pulled Swallow over in front of her examined her carefully for a minute, and said to Chen Zuoqian, "At least she doesn't look too dreadful." Then she spoke to Swallow. "Squat down; let me look at your hair."

Swallow squatted down and felt Lotus's hands picking through her hair, carefully searching for something; then she heard Lotus say, "You don't have lice, do you? I'm terribly afraid of lice."

Swallow bit her lip and did not speak; she felt Lotus' hands, like the ice-cold blade of a knife, cutting into her hair hurting her slightly. Lotus said, "What's in your hair? Smell terrible; take some perfumed soap and hurry over and wash your hair."

Swallow stood up; she stood there motionless, with her hands hanging down. Chen Zuoqian glared at her. "Didn't you hear what Fourth Mistress said?"

Swallow said, "I just washed my hair yesterday."

Chen Zuoqian yelled at her, "Don't argue about it; if she tells you to go wash, you go wash. Careful I don't beat you."

Swallow poured out a pan of water and washed her hair under the crab apple trees. She felt she'd been horribly wronged; hatred and anger pressed on her heart like an iron weight. The afternoon sun shone down on the two crab apple trees; a clothesline was strung between them, and Fourth Mistress's white blouse and black skirt were waving in the breeze. Swallow looked all around; the back garden was completely quiet, and no one was there. She walked over to the clothesline, spat right on Lotus's white blouse, then turned and spat again on her black skirt.

Raise the Red Lantern
Three Novellas. Copyright © by Su Tong. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

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Excerpted from Raise the Red Lantern: Three Novellas by Su Tong
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.