Sour Sweet (Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Timothy Mo
- First Published: 1982
- Type of Work: Social chronicle
- Time of Work: The 1960’s, when the Triad societies flourished in England
- Setting: Central and South London
- Principal Characters: Chen, Lily, Man Kee, Mui, Red Cudgel, White Paper Fan, Grass Sandal, Night Brother, Mrs. Law, Lo
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: Culture, 1960’s, Family or family life, Tradition, Race, Restaurants, bars, taverns, or pubs, Asia or Asians, Immigration or emigration, England or English people, London, Ambition, Success or failure, Labor, Great Britain
- Locales: London, England
The Novel
Sour Sweet’s primary narrative thread follows the fortunes of the Chen family as they create a life for themselves in an alien culture. Determined to succeed, Chen and Lily emigrate from Hong Kong to London, where Chen finds a comfortable if unexciting job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. Lily works at being a perfect wife and an even more exemplary mother to their son, Man Kee, whom she spoils relentlessly. While Chen seems content with their life, Lily has vague yearnings for something better, and she manages to save almost half of her housekeeping...
[The entire page is 2858 words long]
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