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Quote by Wang Anyi

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The Song of Everlasting Sorrow: A Novel of Shanghai

This novel delves into the emotional and social fabric of Shanghai, weaving together stories of sorrow and resilience amidst the backdrop of the city's rich history and cultural tapestry. more

Author

Wang Anyi
Wang Anyi

Wang Anyi, born on March 6, 1954, is a renowned contemporary Chinese writer. Her works are known for their delicate emotional portrayal and profound social insight, with notable titles including 'The Song of Everlasting Sorrow' and 'Fuping'. more

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“So, you’re asking me how long before a couple can break up after having sex?” And I was a tomato. “Yeah.” “So you’ve never broken up with someone after having sex?” I stared at him. And that smug sonofabitch had the nerve to chuckle. My face was on fire and I wanted to slide to the floor. Under the tile. “That’s not . . . it isn’t—” “I can fix that for you. Seems like the least I can do.”

“Once Jonas and Sara had gone to bed, Hannah and I found ourselves leaning in closer with every conversation. She was wonderful, and this became clearer with each passing minute. Around two in the morning, I put my arm around her. It just felt like the right thing to do. Not long after, our lips met for the first time. We were now sailing on open waters, surrounded by nothing but sea. Far in the distance, a great thunderstorm was lighting up the night sky. Our feet dangled off the edge of the steering room balcony as we rode toward the stormy horizon. At that moment, it was just us. With the rest of the world fast asleep, we stood on top of the world, at the edge of everything. It was in this fleeting moment that two lost souls found one another.”

“It was not until I listened to the desperately lonely people who contact The Samaritans that I began to understand what friendship is, by seeing how terrible and damaging it is to try live without it. The knowledge of knowing of even one, not very close, friend provides some sense of belonging. If you do not belong anywhere it is hard to survive. One of the common elements in suicide is the pain of loss, and the final loss is the conviction that there is no place at all where you safely belong. You are worth nothing, not even to yourself. Especially to yourself. There becomes no point in not killing yourself. People are able to survive for years in a deadly marriage or a dull job, because they do at least belong there. The crippling routine of housework, a production line, a viewless office with anaemic plants - even Mildred's desk and typewriter cover may be what has kept her going all these years. Simone Weil once said that what keeps people committed to a cause is not so much the cause itself, as being part of the way of life among those who serve the cause.”