This somewhat autographical story is about Duras' first love affair when she was just a 15 year-old in Indochina in the 30s, the middle child of an impoverished French family. One day after school she caught the eyes of the adult son of a Chinese millionnaire, 12 yrs her senior. Written in a style both sparse and rich, distant yet incandescent, it succeeds beautifully in evoking life at the end of the colonial period and in describing the forbidden relationship.

I bought this the book because it was made into a movie featuring the popular and handsome Tony Leung Ka-fai. He appeared naked in the movie, causing quite a stir, as it was back in the 90s and among a more conservative Chinese audience.

This unregistered copy has been on my shelf for a few years. I hope that registering it on BC will prompt me to read it sooner.

It's beautifully written, and emotionally stirring. You may even say disturbing. It's a Lolita love affair, a forbidden love, a broken family. The girl sometimes tell her story in first person, sometimes skipping to third person, and jumping back and forth in time as she recalls bites and pieces of memory, buried deep inside.

It's a short story, which can be a quick read, but like a good French wine, should be sniffed, swirled, and sipped slowly.

Hi! Congratulations on finding a very special BookCrossing book.

Bookcrossing is a wonderful online community of book lovers dedicated to sharing books with each other and the world at large. We are also curious to see how far and wide our books can travel. I would appreciate if you can make a journal entry on this book so we know where the book has been. You don't have to set up an account.

Feel free to keep this book, return it to where you found it, or pass it on to the next reader. If you sign up as a member, you will hear from the book as it travels and gets journaled. Visit also the BookCrossing community to meet other booklovers. Membership is confidential, free, and spam-free. Happy reading!

Picked this up in Hong Kong at the Brunch and supper club and brought back to Surrey with me.

Its an emotional book, shocking and at times a slightly disturbing book. But I continiued to read, wanting to know more and more. Hoping that the end was what I hoped. It wasn't, but that didnt stop me from enjoying this book.

Travelling to maid-of-kent.

Book arrived safely - thanks Nataliec7.

I couldn't get into this one at all - which is a bit hard to admit when someone has sent it to you specially. So it's now available for someone else to have a go.

Given to djgib to give to her Dad.