"Eileen Chang"

September 30, 2020 is Eileen Chang's 100th birthday. With the "domineering" of "Eileen Chang", her grandmother, whenever her works are published, films are released, etc., it will attract the Chinese-speaking world to make a "Complete Record of Eileen Chang" together. In order to show that I have participated in this type of activity, I bought a magazine with the theme of "Eileen Chang" in Hong Kong and Taiwan in one go—

• Crown No. 799 (2020/09): One hundred years of Zhang Ailing's legend. Commemorative special (hereinafter referred to as the crown)
• Ming Pao Weekly No. 2705 (11.9.2020): I met Zhang Ailing in the boundless wilderness of time (hereinafter referred to as Ming Zhou)
• United Literature No. 431 (2020/09): 1912-1949 Women's Pictorial Zhang Ailing of the Republic of China
• INK Printing Journal of Literary Life Issue 205: Zhang Ailing 100 (hereinafter referred to as printing)
• Ming Pao Monthly, Volume 55, Issue 9 (2020/09): The Centennial of Zhang Ailing's Birth and New Discoveries (hereinafter referred to as Ming Pao)

Judging from the title, the joint title is so "explosive" - it's "surprising". The representative of Hong Kong, I think Ming Zhou is more literary. I don't know if Ming Pao's old publication had to set a stable title.

In terms of content, The Crown is the publisher of Eileen Chang's works after all. Of course, the content is rich, including Eileen Chang's agent Song Yilang, ten creative images of Eileen Chang's novels, introductions to 40 works, and 50 golden sentences. So it is my first choice and can be left as a souvenir.

The second book will choose the imprint. It was very thoughtful, and it got two covers, because this issue is also the 17th anniversary of the first publication. The first choice is the record of Eileen Chang studying at the University of Hong Kong. The second part is "Little Reunion" vs "Fang Siqi's First Love Paradise". This one can also stay.

As for the third place, sorry, United and Mingzhou are at the same level. In fact, Lianhe has published Eileen Chang's albums before, so this time it uses the passages of Eileen Chang's novels to introduce the women of the Republic of China, including Lin Huiyin, Meng Xiaodong, and Zheng Pingru. It is indeed as "explosive" as its title, and it is innovative. Similarly, tomorrow week's topics such as perfume, clothes, art, etc. also make me feel special.

The last one is Ming Pao. After all, it has other writers, so the space about Eileen Chang is limited. However, it has its own characteristics: one of them is "Continuing "Fate" with the Great Ocean - Zhang Ailing's translation of "Four Heroes from the Ice Ocean" (part of the discovery) written by Chen Zishan. When I read it, I felt familiar. It turns out that the crown is also included, but Ming Pao is more detailed, and even the notes are listed.

This year's "Eileen Chang" also coincides with the release of director Xu Anhua's new work "The First Incense Burner" at the Venice Film Festival, so Ming Pao, including director Xu's interview, has become its "exclusive". Ming Zhou is no less than Ming Pao, and invited screenwriter Wang Anyi to visit. Of course, whether it is based on Eileen Chang's works, or the cinematic feel of Eileen Chang's works, is also one of the themes of these magazines.

In fact, there is another magazine with Zhang Ailing as the cover—Or Travel China Issue 99 (2020/05). I found it on the blog, but it wasn't published in September. In order to make this content "richer", I bought the electronic version. As a result, I was disappointed because the magazine used Zhang's works to tell her life, with local attractions inserted in the middle. It turns out that it fits into a travel magazine, somewhat intellectual, but doesn't get into the realm of literature.

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Sorry I'm not a fan. I've only read five Zhang's works - "Half Life", "Yangko", "Love in the Red Land", "Little Reunion" and "Young Master". The first book was read in middle school. I couldn't accept the dark side of human nature and didn't dare to read her works. Until we took Teacher Long's course more than ten years ago, she asked us to read "Yangko" and "Love in the Red Land", using Zhang Ailing's two novels about the 1950s as the entry point to understand the history of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and the three places. She is very demanding and is studying. I still remember that I was studying chapter by chapter in the class, which really tested everyone's reading skills. Maybe people grow up, maybe Zhang Ailing didn't write about love, but think "Yangko" is good-looking, especially the movie feeling. I still remember to this day, the fifth chapter of "Yangko" said: people just long for a quiet life; there is also the scene in the last chapter, which is like using an aerial camera, from close-up to far-lens, the crowd's image, the extinction Not in the yellow plains. Perhaps "Yangko" was written too well, but "Love in the Red Land" written with the same background is not so good.

Reading "Little Reunion" is obviously "following the trend". Sandwiched with Eileen Chang's semi-autobiographical "advertising", the students held a book club. Of course, those human natures, although not as shocking to me as "Half Life", are still not very acceptable. "Young Marshal" is...because I heard about Zhang Xueliang and Miss Zhao Si, I borrowed it to read.

As for the movie "The First Incense Burner", will it make me read "Agarwood Crumbs. "First Incense"? Can't answer for now.

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Extended information:

Crown No. 799: https://www.books.com.tw/products/R030080518?sloc=main

Joint Literature Issue 431 (2020/09): https://www.books.com.tw/products/R030080018?sloc=main

INK Printing Journal of Literary Life Issue 205: https://www.books.com.tw/products/R030080984?sloc=main

Ming Pao Monthly Volume 55 Issue 9 (2020/09): https://www.books.com.tw/products/R030082443?sloc=main

Ming Pao Weekly No. 2705 (11.9.2020): https://www.mpweekly.com/culture/search/Chen Eileen One Hundred Years?fbclid=IwAR1ypNzEly3phH8Cz7w2VdjtCiLBAcJmIpALzWSdawMbMTKILWDTSYvk4KM