A Stranger's Wife

Name: A Stranger's Wife
ISBN: 9787520535755

罗淑China Culture and History Press · ChinaSep 2024

4.0

Word count: 127K words
Chapters: 26
ISBN: 9787520535755

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Summary

This collection of short stories by Luo Shu includes such classics as "A Wife for Sale," "Oranges," "Sister Liu," "The Well Worker," "A Niu," and "A Corner of the Earth." Luo Shu (1903–1938), whose original name was Luo Shimi, was born in Chengdu to a family from Jianyang, Sichuan. She was the wife of Ma Zongrong, a scholar and translator who had studied in France, and a friend of Ba Jin. In 1936 she wrote the short story "A Wife for Sale" and quietly gave it to Ba Jin. Its publication caused a strong response in literary circles. With deep compassion, Luo Shu depicted the painful lives of the laboring masses of her time and revealed the miserable lot of the lower classes in that era. Her prose seems plain and understated, yet it harbors intense emotion; between the lines lies a concern for people and society, and her strength of writing is no less than that of later celebrated authors.

Editor's review

This collection of Luo Shu's short stories includes "A Wife for Sale," "Oranges," "Sister Liu," "The Well Worker," "A Niu," and "A Corner of the Earth," presenting her characteristic style: plain, understated prose depicting the painful lives of the lower classes. "A Wife for Sale" was published through Ba Jin's efforts in 1936 and caused a stir in literary circles, a background that offers a clue to the whole book: Luo Shu does not rely on dramatic plots but permeates everyday details with deep compassion, letting readers feel the weight of her characters' fates within seemingly calm narration. Her characters mostly live on the margins, their fates squeezed by poverty and old customs, yet the writing remains restrained and inward, with emotion slowly accumulating between the lines. For today's readers, this book is both a literary window onto lower-class life in the 1930s and an important entry point to a woman writer mentioned in literary history yet often overlooked. It is suited to careful reading in a quiet setting, paying attention to the tension between narrative rhythm and her characters' circumstances; afterward, readers may wish to consult related reminiscences by Ba Jin and others to understand the creative background.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in modern Chinese literature, especially works by women writers
Literary readers who enjoy short stories and care about the fate of lower-class characters
Readers of literature and history who want to understand social life in the 1930s
University Chinese literature students and those doing extended reading for modern and contemporary literature courses

Not a good fit for

Casual readers who prefer light entertainment and fast-paced stories
Readers looking for full-length narratives or happy endings
Readers sensitive to depictions of suffering in the old era and unwilling to engage with heavy themes

Reading tips

Read "A Wife for Sale" first to understand Luo Shu's narrative style, then choose other pieces according to interest.
While reading, note how the author builds emotion through plain prose; brief annotations can help.
Pause briefly after each story and consider the characters' circumstances in light of the era; there is no need to rush.
After reading, look up materials on Ba Jin's association with Luo Shu to deepen your understanding of the works' publication background.

About the publisher

China Culture and History Press China · Founded in 1980

China Culture and History Press has long devoted itself to modern and contemporary literature and culture-and-history reading matter, with publishing directions centered on classic works, social novels, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy, alongside culture-and-history periodicals such as Zongheng. Among the more than 1,500 titles in the collection, representative books include Zhang Henshui's Ti Xiao Yin Yuan, Lu Xun's Complete Classic Works (10 volumes) and Wild Grass, and Lao She's Four Generations Under One Roof series and the boxed set of Lao She's Classic Works (10 volumes), while its author resources are concentrated on figures such as Zhang Henshui, Lu Xun, Lao She and Sima Qian. Its publishing character lies in solid editorial work on culture-and-history source texts and in issuing famous authors' works in sets, balancing the readability of individual texts with the systematic presentation of complete collections for focused reading and collecting. Beyond these directions, public information on the press's contemporary original publishing is limited, so it is not elaborated here.

版权信息
小说
生人妻
橘子
刘嫂
井工
阿牛
地上的一角
鱼儿坳
贼
附录
散文
捞粪草
轿夫
弄堂里的叫卖声
译文
何为
白甲骑兵
决心
耶稣降生的槽边的牛和驴子
棺材商人
贝多芬的笔谈
罗淑亲友追忆文章
关于罗淑
忆罗淑
关于母亲的点滴回忆

FAQ

Who was Luo Shu, and why is she worth reading?

Luo Shu (1903–1938), whose original name was Luo Shimi, was from Jianyang, Sichuan, and born in Chengdu. She was the wife of Ma Zongrong, a scholar who had studied in France, and a friend of Ba Jin. In 1936 she wrote "A Wife for Sale," which Ba Jin published, causing a response in literary circles. Her output was small, but her writing is powerful, and she is a writer not to be overlooked in understanding modern women's writing.

What is "A Wife for Sale" about?

"A Wife for Sale" is a short story Luo Shu published in 1936 and the central piece in this collection. With deep compassion it depicts the painful lives of the lower laboring masses and reveals the miserable lot of ordinary people in that era; the prose is plain and understated, yet the emotion is intense. Readers are advised to experience the specific plot by reading the book closely.

What works are included in this collection?

This book includes several classic short stories by Luo Shu, among them "A Wife for Sale," "Oranges," "Sister Liu," "The Well Worker," "A Niu," and "A Corner of the Earth," collectively presenting her creative profile as a writer of lower-class life in short-story form.

Can readers without a background in modern literature understand it?

Yes. Luo Shu's prose is plain and understated and does not rely on complex techniques, so ordinary readers can enter it. For deeper understanding, readers may first learn about the social background of the 1930s and the author's association with Ba Jin; reading the works afterward will be more rewarding.

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About the author

罗淑 Author

Luo Shu is a modern Chinese writer. Because public information is limited, details of her life, her native place, and her dates of birth and death are not firmly established; the work currently confirmed is The Sold Wife (Sheng Ren Qi). This novel is often classified as social fiction. Its subject matter stays close to the daily lives of people at the bottom of society and focuses on the fate and struggles of ordinary people in real circumstances. The work is notable for plain narration and careful observation; without elaborate description, it reveals social injustice and the weight of life within ordinary events, showing a clear realist tendency. The Sold Wife is the main entry point for understanding Luo Shu's writing and, for its realism and emotional force, holds a place among works of its kind. A full account of Luo Shu's life and literary output still awaits further discovery and sorting of materials.