Fragrant Harbour [Mass Market Paperback]

John Lanchester (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0571214703 | ISBN-13: 978-0571214709 | Publication Date: August 2003

This is the story of four people whose intertwined lives span 70 years in Asia. The complacency of colonial life in the 1930s; the horrors of the Japanese occupation during World War II; and the post-war boom and transformation of Hong Kong all surface in this epic novel.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is the story of four people whose intertwined lives span Asia's last 70 years. Tom Stewart leaves England just before the Great Depression to seek his fortune, and finds it in running Hong Kong's best hotel. Sister Maria is an uncompromising Chinese nun whom Stewart meets on the boat out from England; their friendship spans decades and changes both their lives. Dawn Stone is an English journalist who becomes the public face of money and power and big business. Matthew Ho is a young Chinese entrepreneur whose life has been shaped by choices made long before his birth. The complacency of colonial life in the 1930s, the horrors of the Japanese occupation; the post-war transformation of Hong Kong; the growth of the Triads - all are present in Lanchester's epic novel. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

John Lanchester was born in Hamburg in 1962. He was brought up in the Far East and educated in England. His first two novels, The Debt to Pleasure and Mr Phillips, have been translated into more than twenty languages. He is married and lives in London. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Faber & Faber Ltd (August 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571214703
• ISBN-13: 978-0571214709
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #787,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Lanchester is the author of the novels The Debt to Pleasure, Mr. Phillips, and Fragrant Harbor; and a memoir, Family Romance. He is a contributing editor at the London Review of Books and his work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Observer, and The Daily Telegraph, among others. Among several other prizes, including the Whitbread and Hawthornden Awards, Lanchester was awarded the 2008 E.M. Forster Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He lives in London.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, January 4, 2004

By 

Dominic Buschi (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fragrant Harbour (Mass Market Paperback)

Seeing that the only previous reviewer gave it one star and I absolutely loved the book, I just had to write a review to set the record straight:

This book has everything: It's very suspenseful and moving, beautifully written and I loved the structure: Four parts, each with a different narrator and different length. All interconnected, but to various degrees. When the first part finished and I realised that the next part was starting with a new character in a different period, I felt regret as I didn't want to leave the previous part. But after only a few lines I was roped in to the new story.
Hong Kong and its fascinating history provides a great backdrop, but the novel is mainly about those four people, how and why they came to Hong Kong and what happens to them.

I was amazed how different this book is compared to the previous novels by Lanchester ('The Debt To Pleasure' & 'Mr Phillips'). In my opinion he's getting better and better. Looking forward to his fourth.

PS: I also enjoyed James Clavell's novel 'Tai-Pan' very much. If you're interested in a novel about how Hong Kong started, read that.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Noteable?, April 21, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Fragrant Harbour (Mass Market Paperback)

The New York Times selected this as a notable book, but one wonders why. Cardboard characters and flat dialogue here. Starts out promising, but quickly becomes a tedious read. The author had an excess of riches to work with..afterall, Hong Kong is teeming with a richness in color & history, but he fails to bring it to life.
Save your money and skip this dud.

2.0 out of 5 stars poor writing, February 2, 2004

By 

Nicholas Ball (HK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fragrant Harbour (Mass Market Paperback)

A couple of interesting points about HK, but very cliched. An educated amah surprise surprise!
Characters poorly developed. Dismal dialogue. Structure is good but the underlying story nothing special. There are 4 parts:
- Part 1 is rubbish - you will end it hating the character and the author too.
- Part 2 is much better
- Part 3 - just a plot linking ploy
- Part 4 - a decent ending.
Could have been so much better.