Yangsze Choo Quotes

In the darkness of a thousand
withered souls, it was Er Lang's hand that I
sought, and his voice that I longed to hear. Perhaps
it is selfish of me, but an uncertain future
with him, in all its laughter and quarrels, is better
than being left behind.

— Yangsze Choo

“The Chinese considered the moon to be yin, feminine and full of negative energy, as opposed to the sun that was yang and exemplified masculinity. I liked the moon, with its soft silver beams. It was at once elusive and filled with trickery, so that lost objects that had rolled into the crevices of a room were rarely found, and books read in its light seemed to contain all sorts of fanciful stories that were never there the next morning.”

— Yangsze Choo

“I don't keep mistresses; it's far too much trouble. I'm offering to marry you, although I might regret it. And if you think the Lim family disapproved of your marriage, wait until you meet mine.”

— Yangsze Choo

“Was this love? It was like a consuming flame, licking through my defenses at a slow burn.”

— Yangsze Choo

“It seemed to me that in this confluence of cultures we had acquired one another's superstitions without necessarily any of their comforts.”

— Yangsze Choo

“The problem with the dead was that they all wanted someone to listen to them.”

— Yangsze Choo

“And take that stupid hat off! It's cutting into my neck."
He began to laugh weakly. "What a harridan you are. How could I let you be devoured when there's still so much scolding left in you?"
"How dare you say that!" But I was secretly relieved that he could speak again. "Now take that hat off."
"If I remove it, you will never treat me the same way again.”

— Yangsze Choo

“We Chinese did not like to give or receive certain gifts for superstitious reasons: knives, because they could sever a relationship; handkerchiefs, for they portended weeping; and clocks, as they were thought to measure out the days of your life.”

— Yangsze Choo

“The hours, days, and years that had bled away in his opium haze demanded a payment from my future.”

— Yangsze Choo

“Confucius, who had said it was better not to know about ghosts and gods, but rather to focus on the world we lived in.”

— Yangsze Choo

Amah was always wary of voicing misfortunes, fearing that to do so would only make them come true.

— Yangsze Choo

“For when the cycle of violence escapes its confines in hell, it causes earthquakes, floods, and other calamities.”

— Yangsze Choo

Qing Ming, the festival of the dead,

— Yangsze Choo

“This practice of arranging the marriage of a dead person was uncommon, usually held in order to placate a spirit. A deceased concubine who had produced a son might be officially married to elevate her status to a wife. Or two lovers who died tragically might be united after death. That much I knew. But to marry the living to the dead was a rare and, indeed, dreadful occurrence.”

— Yangsze Choo

It was strange to think that power in this world belonged to old men and young women.

— Yangsze Choo

“If I had known how easy it is to lose your life, I would have treasured mine better.”

— Yangsze Choo

You want promises of success, assurances that all will be well? I don't do that. Ask your amah here. That's why I'm the real deal.

— Yangsze Choo

“Women had little security other than jewelry, so even the poorest among us sported gold chains, earrings, and rings as their insurance.”

— Yangsze Choo

“The contrast between the realization of his neglect and the fondness I had for my father was painful.”

— Yangsze Choo