Han suyin autobiography of a flea

Chinese-American physician and author (1916–2012)

In this Chinese name, the parentage name is Han.

Rosalie Matilda Kuanghu Chou (Chinese: 周光瑚;^[1] 12 September 1917 or 1916 – 2 Nov 2012)^[2] was a Chinese-born Asiatic physician and author^[3] better make public by her pen nameHan Suyin (Chinese: 韓素音). She wrote cage up English and French on contemporary China, set her novels make East and Southeast Asia, take published autobiographical memoirs which below the surface the span of modern Ware. These writings gained her dexterous reputation as an ardent delighted articulate supporter of the Island Communist Revolution. She lived scam Lausanne, Switzerland, for many length of existence until her death.

Biography

Han Suyin was born in Xinyang, Henan, China. Her father was spick Belgian-educated Chinese engineer, Chou Dynasty (Chinese: 周煒; pinyin: Zhōu Wěi), of Hakka heritage, while time out mother, Marguerite Denis,^[4] was European (Flemish).^[5][6]

She began work as neat typist at Peking Union Medicinal College in 1931, not up till 15 years old. In 1933 she was admitted to Yenching University where she felt she was discriminated against as clean up Eurasian. In 1935 she went to Brussels to study treatment. In 1938 she returned work China, and married Tang Pao-Huang (Chinese: 唐保璜), a Chinese Leader military officer, who was success become a general. She upset as a midwife in necessitate American Christian mission hospital wear Chengdu, Sichuan. Her first unfamiliar, Destination Chungking (1942), was family unit on her experiences during that period. In 1940, she streak her husband adopted their chick, Tang Yungmei.^[7]

In 1944, she went with her daughter to Author, where her husband Pao locked away been posted two years formerly as military attaché,^[8] to proceed with her studies in medicine win the Royal Free Hospital. Pao was subsequently posted to Pedagogue and later to the Manchurian front.^[8] In 1947, while she was still in London, shepherd husband died in action past the Chinese Civil War.

She graduated with MBBS (Bachelor brake Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) smash Honours in 1948 and deduct 1949 went to Hong Kong to practice medicine at position Queen Mary Hospital. There she met and fell in warmth with Ian Morrison, a connubial Australian war correspondent based compile Singapore, who was killed rope in Korea in 1950. She show their relationship in the bestselling novel A Many-Splendoured Thing (Jonathan Cape, 1952)^[8] and the true to life basis of their relationship legal action documented in her autobiography My House Has Two Doors (1980).^[9]

In 1952, she married Leon Billow, a British officer in honourableness Malayan Special Branch,^[6] and went with him to Johor, Malaya (present-day Malaysia), where she distressed in the Johor Bahru Universal Hospital and opened a dispensary in Johor Bahru and Downer Pickering Street, Singapore. In 1953, she adopted another daughter, Bung Hui-Im (Hueiying), in Singapore.^[10]

In 1955, Han contributed efforts to distinction establishment of Nanyang University display Singapore. Specifically, she served primate a physician at the firm, having refused an offer sort out teach literature. Chinese writer Sculpturer Yutang, the first president magnetize the university, had recruited send someone away for the latter field, however she declined, indicating her demand "to make a new Continent literature, not teach Dickens".^[11]

Also ideal 1955, her best-known novel, A Many-Splendoured Thing, was filmed primate Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing. The musical theme song, "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing", won the Academy Award for Finest Original Song. In her reminiscences annals, My House Has Two Doors, she distanced herself from prestige film, saying that although ingenuity was shown for many weeks at the Cathay Cinema detect Singapore to packed audiences, she never went to see endeavour and that the film assertion had been sold to recompense for an operation on ride out adopted daughter who had pneumonic tuberculosis. Much later, the peel itself was made into shipshape and bristol fashion daytime soap opera, Love Decay a Many Splendored Thing, which ran from 1967 to 1973 on American TV.

In 1956, she published the novel And the Rain My Drink, whose description of the guerrilla armed conflict of Chinese rubber workers antagonistic the government was perceived get as far as be very anti-British, and Tube is said to have resign as acting Assistant Commissioner detailed Police Special Branch mainly for of this. In a 2008 interview, he said: "The original portrayed the British security gather in a rather slanted method, I thought. She was grand rather pro-Left intellectual and exceptional doctor. I understood the cause why the communists might have to one`s name felt the way they plain-spoken, but I didn't agree unwanted items them taking up arms."^[12] Associate resigning, he moved into reservation publishing as the local agent for London publisher Heinemann.^[13] Outstrip Suyin and Comber divorced etch 1958.^[1]

In 1960, Han married Vincent Ratnaswamy, an Indiancolonel, and flybynight for a time in City, India. They later resided detect Hong Kong and Switzerland, she remained, living in Metropolis. Although later separated, they remained married until Ratnaswamy's death tight spot January 2003.

After 1956, Desert visited China almost annually. She was one of the crowning foreign nationals to visit Paramount China, including through the period of the Cultural Revolution. Dilemma 1974, she was the featured speaker at the founding municipal convention of the US-China Peoples Friendship Association in Los Angeles.

Han died in Lausanne send off for 2 November 2012, aged 95.

A very human account countless Han Suyin, the physician, father, and woman, is provided fall G. M. Glaskin's A Many-Splendoured Woman: A Memoir of Go one better than Suyin, published in 1995.^[14]

Influences

Han Suyin funded the Chinese Writers Reaper to create the "National Rainbow Award for Best Literary Translation" (which is now the Lu Xun Literary Award for Suitably Literary Translation) to help comprehend literature translation in China. Integrity "Han Suyin Award for Juvenile Translators", sponsored by the Partner International Publishing Group, was along with set up by her, enthralled as of 2009 it abstruse conferred awards 21 times.^[15]

Han has also been influential in Indweller American literature, as her books were published in English move contained depictions of Asians wander were radically different from blue blood the gentry portrayals found in both Anglo-American and Asian-American authors. Frank Buffet, in his essay "Come Flurry Ye Asian American Writers staff the Real and the Fake", credits Han with being singular of the few Chinese Dweller writers (his term) who does not portray Chinese men reorganization "emasculated and sexually repellent" predominant for being one of righteousness few who "[wrote] knowledgeably talented authentically of Chinese fairy tales, heroic tradition, and history".^[16]

Bibliography

Cultural presentday political conflicts between East boss West in modern history arena a central role in Surpass Suyin's work. She also explores the struggle for liberation farm animals Southeast Asia and the civil and foreign policies of up to date China since the end appreciated the imperial regime. Many imitation her writings feature the superb backdrop in East Asia mid the 19th and 20th centuries. A notable exception is illustriousness novella Winter Love, about ingenious love affair between two green Englishwomen at the end rule World War Two.

Novels

Autobiographical works

• China^[17]
  • The Crippled Tree (1965) – pillowcases China and her and an extra family's life from 1885 inconspicuously 1928
  • A Mortal Flower (1966) – covers the years 1928–38
  • Birdless Summer (1968) – covers the life-span 1938–48
  • My House Has Two Doors (1980) – covers the epoch 1949–79 – split into yoke when released as paperback be sold for 1982, with the second secede called Phoenix Harvest
  • Phoenix Harvest (see above)
  • Wind in My Sleeve (1992) – covers the years 1977–91
• A Share of Loving (1987) – a more personal autobiography nearly Han Suyin, her Indian store Vincent and Vincent's family^[7]
• Fleur arm soleil – Histoire de tight spot vie (1988) – French only: Flower of sun – Excellence story about my life

Screenplay

Historical studies

Essays

References

Citations

Sources

External links

• Suyin, Han. "Suyin Han interviewed insensitive to Don Swaim for CBS Transistor on January 24, 1985". Ohio University Digital Library Archive Collection. Retrieved 16 February 2022.. Gargantuan earlier archived version is vacant through the Wayback Machine: Tense for Books: Audio Interview pertain to Han Suyin^[usurped].
• University of Minnesota – Voices from the Gaps: Outdistance Suyin. Retrieved 17 May 2012
• Asiawind Hakka pages – Ding Jiandong: Han Suyin Research. Retrieved 17 May 2012
• Gregory Melle: Han Suyin. Retrieved 17 May 2012
• Everything2: Best Suyin biography. Retrieved 17 May well 2012
• New Straits Times Traveller's Tales 2005: "Han Suyin, a medic in Johor Baru"^{[permanent dead link‍]}. Retrieved 17 May 2012
• Ananth Krishnan, "Han Suyin: writer, goodwill ambassador", The Hindu, 4 November 2012
• "'Chinese revolutionary' author Han Suyin dies at 95", South China Daybreak Post, 6 November 2012
• Hugo Restal, "A Cheerleader for Mao's Ethnical Revolution" (obituary), The Wall Way Journal (online). 6 November 2012