I wouldn't say that Eileen Chang is the best writer, because different writers have different qualities, but I cannot think of a comparable writer in Chang's category. With a good command of the language, her writing is attractive. Her writing is thought-provoking. She is a good storyteller. She is creative, original and full of imagination.
to start, Eileen Chang wrote elegantly. She could say a lot with a few words. To do that, not only must she have a good command of the language, but she must also think clearly. Just a couple of sentences painted a vivid picture of the scene, whether it is a building which awkwardly attempts to mix East and West in The First Incense (第一爐香) or the window of a hotel room facing a blue sea in Love in a Fallen City 傾城之戀. Eileen Chang is very sensitive to colour. She is also very sensitive to clothing and jewellery. One can see a trace of Cao Xueqin (曹雪芹) in Eileen Chang's writing. The Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓夢) was an important book to Chang.
Eileen Chang challenged readers to explore difficult issues. For example:
There is no evidence that these were Eileen Chang's self-reflection. They are more likely to be her thought exercises, possibly based on her observations of the people around her. Eileen Chang published her most important stories at the age of 23-24. She was yet to get married. Some suggested that she had not been involved in any romantic relationship.
Chang left a lot of blanks. Readers have to fill in these blanks. Readers who manage to do so tend to believe that the conclusions are unmistakeable. (I am not suggesting that all readers will draw the same conclusions.) To me, Chang's leaving the details out was not a result of carelessness or laziness. She left the conclusions to be inferred so that readers gain satisfaction by establishing a deep communication with her. It is like the pleasure that one gets in decyphering clues in treasure hunts. She demanded a certain level of intelligence from the readers. Only an intelligent writer could do that because she probably used self-reflection to model her readers.
Chang's novels showed a deep understanding of sex, power, money, class, social structures and inter-racial relationship. Her stories covered Shanghai and Hong Kong in the 1940s. Her characters travelled between the two cities, taking advantage of their specific roles at the time. Her exposure enabled her to write attractive scenes. Most importantly, she is sensitive to human relations.
Eileen Chang was very creative. The styles of her novels were original. She looked at life from many different angles. Following are some examples:
Eileen Chang published her most important stories at the age of 23-24. She was yet to get married. Some suggested that she had not been involved in any romantic relationship. Clearly, she was not writing about herself. She put herself into characters that she created.
Many scenes were made up, yet she wrote them convincingly.
There are many examples, but this one is particularly impressive:
Eileen Chang published
Love in a Fallen City
in 1943, during the Second World War.
Yet she described the recovery of Hong Kong (which would happen in 1945) in this novel.
Did she have remarkable insight? Or (more likely) was she just brilliant in storytelling?
She described what happened at the Repulse Bay Hotel, Hong Kong after the Japanese surrendered.
Her description was so vivid that readers today won't be able to tell that she made them up.
Eileen Chang is a great storyteller. A good example can be found in Love in a Fallen City: It is clear why Bai Liusu (白流蘇) was attracted to Fan Liuyuan (范柳原): he was financially established, popular and knew how to enjoy life. Bai wanted Fan for security, even if it was temporary. It was, however, unclear why Fan was attracted to Bai. Eileen Chang described Bai to be a divorcee in her late 20s. While she still had residual youth, according to Eileen Chang, she was not particularly attractive. Fan told Bai:
That was just sweet nothing. It does not explain Fan's persistent interest in a Bai. Well, that's alright: authors are empowered to make dreams and readers are entitled to fantasise.
This is the plot: as an ordinary woman, Bai was courted by Fan, who was the dream husband in the eyes of many women. He liked her for who she was, including her cynical comments. He just enjoyed her company; he did not demand sex. This plot particularly appeals to women readers. It is a plot that has been copied by many stories, such as the popular Meteor Garden (流星花園).
Love in a Fallen City is just one example. Eileen Chang has written many novels with different plots. She is a great storyteller. Her stories are attractive and timeless.
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