All things old China - books, anecdotes, stories, podcasts, factoids & ramblings from the author Paul French

Arthur Koestler Does Chinese Lanterns in 1943

Posted: March 29th, 2015 | No Comments »

I haven’t posted for a while about references to Chinese lanterns in books (I went through a spate of these a while back – use the search box if you’re remotely interested). Here’s one more Chinese lantern reference, this time from Arthur Koestler’s fictional country of Neutralia, an island of hope for refugees from fascism created in his 1943 novel Arrival and Departure. In 1941 Peter Slavek, escapes from his country (an unidentified Balkan republic), where the “Movement” has surrendered to a fascist dictatorship. In Neutralia (reminiscent of neutral Portugal – a daft name, Stephen Spender commented that “Names like that should not be allowed in novels!”) he meets another refugee Odette. Together they go for dinner in still-free and unoccupied Neutralia….

They were both silent. the little back garden was almost empty; it was dimly lit by Chinese lanterns which hung from a wire stretching between the palms. The patron brought them more wine. In the distance, miles away on the sea, a ship sounded its siren, plaintive like a wounded animal.

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