Join the China Books Review book club this September to discuss Time Tunnel: Stories and Essays by Eileen Chang, tr. Karen S. Kingsbury (New York Review Books, October 2025), a collection of previously untranslated stories from Eileen Chang’s literary career.

Thirty years after her death, Time Tunnel reaffirms Eileen Chang’s place as one of the 20th century’s finest writers. Spanning the entirety of her career, from 1940s Japanese-occupied Shanghai to Hong Kong under British colonial rule, then her final decades in America, these stories showcase Chang’s enduring ability to illuminate the inner lives of people dislocated by vast historic and cultural shifts. The intricacies of lifelong friendships, the clipped hopes of lovers and the subtle contortions of gender politics unravel with the same virtuosic skill and nuance that catapulted her to fame with novellas such as Lust, Caution and Love in a Fallen City. We owe a debt of thanks to Karen S. Kingsbury and Jie Zhang, not only for translating these remarkable stories into English, but for proving that with Eileen Chang, there are no marginal texts, only hidden gems.

Register your spot by RSVPing at the link to the top right of this page. The book club is free, but seats are limited so secure yours now! We ask that all book club members purchase and read your own copy of the book in advance if you’re joining.

The China Books Review book club is a bimonthly series of spirited literary discussions with like-minded readers, hosted by our editors and featuring introductory context before freewheeling debate. We meet five times a year (Jan, Mar, May, Sep, Nov) to discuss the latest literature and nonfiction from or on the Sinophone world. If you’d like to be added to our invite list to be notified of future book club sessions, just email us at info@chinabooksreview.com.