A Wisp of Cloud

A Wisp of Cloud is a work by the Hong Kong writer Yi Shu, one of the titles in her series of works, published by Cosmos Books Ltd. of Hong Kong. Yi Shu, whose original name is Ni Yishu, was born in Shanghai in 1946 and moved with her family to Hong Kong at the age of five. She worked as a journalist, film magazine editor, hotel publicist, and government information officer before turning to full-time writing, and is one of the most renowned romance novelists in the Chinese-speaking world. Her work is known for its crisp, economical prose and cool, incisive observation of urban life, often exploring women's choices and self-reflection in matters of love, marriage, and career. Her representative works, including The Story of the Rose and The First Half of My Life, have been adapted for film and television. This book continues Yi Shu's customary vein of urban emotional writing, unfolding around several women's differing understandings of life, love, and happiness, and depicting their respective life choices and fortunes in a brisk tone with a touch of worldly coolness. The title is taken from the ancient poem line, "Except for Mount Wu, no other cloud is cloud," hinting at the characters' emotional persistence and loss. It should be noted that the editions of this book are rather complicated: the 1988 Hong Kong Cosmos Books edition is the most widely circulated; there is also a 1989 Taiwan Linbai Publishing House edition, and a 1999 edition from China Drama Press included in the "Yi Shu Collected Works." Editions differ slightly in length and arrangement, and readers should refer to the actual edition when purchasing.