Courtesans and Opium, Romantic Illusions of the Fool of Yangzhou

In his preface, the anonymous author of Fengyue meng , translated as Romantic Illusions , describes his book as an act of penance for thirty years spent patronizing the brothels of Yangzhou. Written in the 1840s, Romantic Illusions is a cautionary tale exposing the seedy side of city life. It is Chinese literature's first true "city novel," built on the author's biting observations and filled with freshly observed characters.

As the author looks back on his career of debauchery, he portrays the Chinese brothel as a place of enthralling pursuit and romantic illusion. While marriages were arranged and often loveless, brothels offered passion and pleasure with accomplished courtesans ready to serve as both entertaining companions and sensual lovers. Following five sworn brothers and their respective relationships with Yangzhou courtesans, the anonymous Fool of Yangzhou depicts the lurid materialism of this dangerous world mdash;its violence and corruption as well as its seductive but illusory promise. Never before translated into English, Courtesans and Opium is a brilliant portrait of decadence in nineteenth-century China.