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Lust, Caution: The Story, the Screenplay, and the Making of the Film Audiobook
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(3.05) - 391 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A major motion picture (2007) from Oscar-winning director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Brokeback Mountain): an intensely passionate story of love and espionage, set in Shanghai during World War II. In the midst of the Japanese occupation of China and Hong Kong, two lives become intertwined: Wong Chia Chi, a young student active in the resistance, and Mr. Yee, a powerful political figure who works for the Japanese occupational government. As these two move deftly between Shanghai’s tea parties and secret interrogations, they become embroiled in the complicated politics of wartime—and in a mutual attraction that may be more than what they expected. Written in lush, lavish prose, and with the tension of a political thriller, Lust, Caution brings 1940s Shanghai artfully to life even as it limns the erotic pulse of a doomed love affair.
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"I really liked this story, but I am glad I saw the movie first. The movie expanded on some of the issues and history in the book, issues that I was not familiar with prior. The story is ambiguous in a lot of ways, but I think it just adds to the aura. Great one-night read!"
— Sarah (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A dazzling and distinctive fiction writer.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“A master of the short story…Chang’s world is a stark and mysterious place where people strive to find their way in love but often fail under the pressures of family, tradition, and reputation.”
— New Yorker -
“Chang’s sensual writing has elements of both China and the United States; the smoky, formal world of respect for tradition and the irresistible, harshly lighted future.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Chang has strong and sensuous power of description…Her stories could hardly be more eloquent.”
— New York Review of Books
Lust, Caution Listener Reviews
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" A quick read - I finished it in a day. The book had a forward that gave a lot of the author's history, which was very interesting. It's a short story, so I'm curious to see how they turned it into a full-length movie. Very good. "
— Angela, 2/19/2014 -
" Amazing. I read this after I saw the movie and was impressed by how well the movie was adapted. "
— Katie, 2/15/2014 -
" The story was amazing, but I feel that I missed out on a lot of the beauty of the author's writing due to translation. "
— Crystal, 2/1/2014 -
" A memorable tale of erotic intrigue and so much better than the film adaptation. "
— Sam, 1/21/2014 -
" Ang Lee did a beautiful job with the film. When I discovered the film was based on a book by Eileen Chang it was obvious that I had to read it. "
— Maria, 1/15/2014 -
" Didn't see the movie (yet), thought i'd see if my mind's eye was as graphic as Ang Lee's. And, NO. "
— Wendy, 1/7/2014 -
" Basically a short story about the plot to assassinate a powerful political figure who works for the Japanese occupational government and the girl who seduces him, how she falls in love with him, and the consequences of that. "
— Bookworm, 1/3/2014 -
" Subtly devastating. Emphasis on subtle. The first time I read it, I missed everything! The second time through I was gobsmacked! "
— kabukigal, 11/17/2013 -
" I just read the English version ... maybe there's something lost in the translation. I want to watch the movie to get a better understanding of the story. "
— Yvonne, 10/21/2013 -
" Very insightful and beautiful hardcover edition with the original story, the complete screenplay and many essays on Eileen Chang and on Ang Lee's film. "
— M.H., 8/22/2013 -
" A short story - historically significant but not enough for me. Good, not great. "
— Ellen, 6/30/2013 -
" Although this is a love story, the dark and suspenseful backdrop of the war, was very educational. The brevity and word choice made for a really quick read, which was a refreshing change. "
— Vicky, 6/11/2012 -
" Hwauhuh? This book is like a stranger walking up to you and insulting you. "
— Issy, 12/6/2011 -
" Eileen Chang writes beautifully and the story, when fleshed out into the Ang Lee film is even better. "
— Laura, 4/17/2010 -
" Quick read--it took me a couple hours. "
— Susan, 11/22/2009 -
" A novella masquerading as a book. The various introductions take up as many pages as the story. And the story is fascinating. Why did she do it? Are women really so selfless? "
— James, 1/9/2009 -
" However ignoble the male protagonist is, there is something noble in him I can't quite put my finger on. "
— Michelle, 11/18/2008 -
" It's not easy to understand Eileen Chang's. But when compared to Lust, Caution, all her other stories become much more obvious and appreciable. Director Ang Lee did a fantastic job in adapting this short story to a movie. I even love the movie more. "
— Jacqueline, 2/29/2008 -
" A must read! Thought provoking and powerful! What would you have done? Only 75 pages! Must see the movie! "
— Histteach24, 11/23/2007 -
" I have rarely read a book that is so plot driven. It is so short that we barely get to know the characters, before the book is over. I think that was Chang's idea. She really wants readers to focus on the plot, however, I am not sure that the book is better for it. "
— Belinda, 10/23/2007 -
" Zhang Eileen poses a feminist and complex question amidst the backdrop of the japanese occupation of Shanghai. The novella is beautifully written as is most anything by the author. "
— Nika, 10/5/2007
About Eileen Chang
Eileen Chang (1920–1995), who lived in the United States after fleeing Communist China in 1956, was a prominent fiction writer, essayist, and public intellectual. She is the author of The Rice-Sprout Song: A Novel of Modern China and The Rouge of the North, among other works.