A review of ‘The Shanghai Circle’ by a member of the Online Book Club on the 30th of April 2024
5 out of 5 stars
The Shanghai Circle by Tony Henderson is a historical novel set in Shanghai in 1936. The story revolves around a criminal gang, the Sung Society, and an honest business owner, Charles, and his family. Cheung, the leader of the Sung Society, was responsible for the kidnapping and brutal murder of Charles’ wife, but Charles was unaware of his involvement. He paid full attention to his trading company and prepared his daughter, Davina, to take over the firm. His two British employees, Thomas and James, were just opposite each other. James indulged in drinking and gambling, while Thomas proved to be a worthy employee, winning the hearts of his employers, colleagues, and Chinese workers. China was facing the threats of rising communism and Japanese invasion, and Shanghai, although part of the international settlement, was also vulnerable. Charles planned to relocate his business to Hong Kong, along with the families of his employees. In the middle of these difficult times, Hong Kong faced a very destructive typhoon that claimed around eleven thousand lives. Cheung had sent his son Joseph to expand their gang in Hong Kong. It is fascinating to learn how the feuds between the gangs, the obsession with revenge, the typhoon, and the Japanese invasion affected the lives of the characters.
The novel portrays a time when there was growing concern about Mao Zedong’s communists and the conflict between the nationalists and the communists. The Chinese culture in Shanghai was influenced by the Russians who had fled their country and the British working in the employment of business firms. Although apparently living peacefully, there was tension in society due to differences in culture, language, race, and skin color. Criminal gangs that controlled bars, restaurants, casinos, brothels, and drug cartels extorted money from honest businesses in the name of protection money with the help of a few corrupt policemen. The chilling reality of the underworld is well illustrated in the story through the Sung Society and the strict ethics and discipline of the criminal gangs. It was easy for an unsuspecting man to be sucked into the vortex of gambling and debt and for a woman into prostitution.
The author has crafted realistic and powerful characters, showing the weaknesses and strengths of human nature. The average Chinese detested the Caucasians, but many lusted after the white women, while most foreigners treated the Chinese with contempt and as inferior to them, fit only to live uneducated in poverty in their own country. Working together and doing business was a necessity, but any kind of personal involvement or romance was not accepted, and this is evident in the story of Thomas. The large number of refugees pushed into Shanghai due to the Japanese invasion, their plight to survive, and the cruelty of Japanese soldiers killing and raping innocents present the painful reality of war and the expansionism of a nation. The vivid picture of turmoil caused by world politics and its impact on an individual’s life keeps the reader engrossed in the story.
The story is fast-paced, captivating, and realistic, giving an insight into the history and lives of the Chinese people. There are scenes of sex and violence, and a few are quite disturbing, showing a negative aspect of a culture, especially the cruelty towards animals. However, they bring out the essence of the criminal world and are hence justifiable. Other than this, there is nothing to dislike about the book. I did not notice any grammatical errors or typos, concluding that the editing is flawless. My overall rating for the book is 5 out of 5 stars.
I enjoyed the book and found it quite eloquent and informative. People fond of historical stories will definitely like it, but I would not recommend it to readers who are not comfortable with graphic scenes. It is a great book for readers interested in the pre-World War II history of China.