Shanghai

by Joseph Kanon
Shanghai cover
Good Books rating 3.58
Technical:
  • ID: 213
  • Added: 2025-09-04
  • Updated: 2025-09-04
  • ISBN: 9781668006443
  • Publisher: Simon and Schuster
  • Published: 2024-06-25
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
China Books Review · Paul French · 2025-09-04
disappointing 2.50

The novel portrays a confusing, somewhat denuded Shanghai lacking in Chinese presence and historical depth, with suspense and the city's complex character falling short.

Paul French critiques Kanon's depiction of Shanghai as stripped down and confusing, missing the rich east-west fusion and social contrasts typical of the real 1930s city. He finds the historical background sparse and the suspense lacking compared to Kanon's earlier works. French points out that while the book includes real and fictional locales, it does not adequately evoke the city's complex political and cultural history nor its tense wartime atmosphere. Overall, he suggests the novel falls short of delivering the layered historical and suspenseful narrative readers might expect.

Quick quotes

    Kanon’s Shanghai feels like a strangely denuded and confusing city, mostly devoid of Chinese.

    The east-west fusion of Shanghai, its cheek-by-jowl of wealth and poverty, fails to gel.

    Readers seeking a tale of the Shanghai Ghetto will also find historical information sparse in the novel.

Kirkus Reviews · 2025-09-04
stirring 4.25

Kanon masterfully portrays tense, closed-in drama in pre-WWII Shanghai, blending historical violence and gang warfare with a personal story of survival and love.

This review praises Kanon's skill in creating a tightly controlled dramatic atmosphere, similar to his previous spy novels. The story of Daniel Lohr, a half-Jewish German resistance fighter who escapes to Shanghai, is set against a backdrop of escalating violence including Chinese gang warfare and looming Japanese occupation. The reviewer notes the morally ambiguous and dangerous world Daniel inhabits, highlighting the complex interactions with figures like the Japanese Kempeitai. The review suggests that Kanon's narrative delivers a stirring, intense experience that captures the peril and intrigue of the era.

Quick quotes

    Kanon demonstrates a mastery of closed-in drama.

    Daniel is quickly indoctrinated into the Chinese gang warfare being waged over control of the clubs.

    When Daniel sees Leah, his shipboard romance, in the forced company of Yamada, you know a violent reckoning awaits.

NetGalley · 2025-09-04
engrossing 4.00

Joseph Kanon's writing is well-crafted with compelling characters navigating survival in a unique historical setting, marked by intrigue and moral complexity.

The reviewer appreciates Kanon's consistent quality in writing and his skillful use of dialogue, which makes the story quick and engrossing. They highlight the novel's focus on escaped Jews in 1938 Shanghai, a rare and fascinating setting, where characters must face moral dilemmas in a violent and unfamiliar environment. The reviewer values the author's worldbuilding and expresses enthusiasm for his future works. They also note that while the detail may not be as rich as some spy masters, the plot holds strong, making the book thoroughly enjoyable.

Quick quotes

    I can always count on a Joseph Kanon novel to be well-written.

    Shanghai’s plot centers on escaped Jews in 1938 who made their way to Japanese controlled China.

    Kanon does not disappoint. Compelling characters start new lives in the exotic setting of Shanghai.

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