In San Francisco's Chinatown

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28542, 22 March 1958, Page 3

In San Francisco's Chinatown

The Flower-Drum Song. By C. Y. Lee. Gollancz. 239 pp.

This is a quietly humorous story of a Chinese household m voluntary exile, and the efforts made by its patriarchal head to maintain within its precincts the age-old customs of his homeland Old Mr Wang Chi-Yang lives in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and occupies himself with daily walks, the practice of his calligraphy, and benevolent tyranny over his two sons and three servants. He also extracts a good deal of enjoyment from a cough which he has had for twenty years, and without which his day would be incomplete.

Occasionally he condescends to take a little advice from his dead wife’s sister on such matters as entrusting his savings to a bank instead of keeping them in a trunk under his bed, and buying a European suit; but for the most part he trusts to ,the wisdom of Confucius for guidance in his affairs. Of his two sons, Wang-Ta,

at 28, still pay lip-service to the principles of filial obedience, but the chief ambition of Wang San, at 14, is to be as American as possible, and only a liberal Vise of a bamboo cane by the paternal hand keeps his behaviour within the framework of Chinese tradition. The scarcity of Chinese women in the community puts a premium on the charms of its girls, and Wang-Ta, a somewhat prim young mar has two unfortunate love affairs of brief duration which Ipave him feeling shocked and aggrieved at the wantonness displayed by the young ladies concerned. A marriage is arranged for him by his father and aunt just as he has decided to marry a young Chinese girl contemptuously referred to by the jealous old servant Liu Ma as a “beggar maid.” and this leads to Wang-Ta’s final revolt, and incidentally to a happy ending. The leisurely simplified style of writing is in keeping with the theme, and the contrast between the approach to life of the older and younger generations is pleasantly portrayed.