The Fourth Princess: A Gothic Novel of Old Shanghai
Except for vague childhood flashbacks, orphaned Lisan knows nothing of her origins. Educated and multilingual, she suffocates under the well-meaning protection of her ascetic guardian, scion of a powerful Chinese family. A position as secretary to beautiful heiress Caroline Stanton offers escape. Caroline, newly married to mining magnate Thomas, has just arrived in Shanghai. The couple is invited by Thomas’s uncle Mason to take up residence at Lennox Manor, an impressive but increasingly dilapidated mansion on the edges of Shanghai’s international settlement. Caroline leans on Lisan’s companionship when Mason’s behavior becomes troubling, Thomas falls ill, and a sinister figure from Caroline’s past emerges. Lisan is increasingly unsettled as she feels a strange connection with Lennox Manor’s former mistress, who disappeared into the night months before.
This gothic novel has the necessary dose of formula and unlikely contrivance, but its unique setting and competent pacing ensure an engaging read. Shanghai in 1911 is an eclectic mix of East and West, just like the manor’s architecture, and Chang adeptly mines a variety of strata to make the most of the time and place. China is on the verge of becoming a republic, its imperial government in crisis. The Qing government’s lack of funds provides the impetus for the Stantons and those like them to pursue railroad and other business interests in Shanghai, creating Western enclaves in the city. This allows for the construction of Lennox Manor (modeled on the real-life Dennartt estate), a gothic pile in an Asian setting. Characterization is capably accomplished, and the plot skips along like a rickshaw on a bumpy road. The novel feels somewhat cinematic, presented in a way that would easily translate to screen. Fans of the gothic will enjoy this offering’s distinctive setting and easily root for its sympathetic protagonist.
