The Rake's Progress

Spontaneous Trip, Wandering Through France

Two-horsepower car, baguettes to fill our stomachs, overstaying our visas

Going with the flow, that's being elegantly poor.

A Romantic Revival of 70s Left-Wing Intellectuals

Special inclusions: Early uncollected works by Wong Ai-ling, precious old photos

 "When we went to France, we were young, yearning for freedom, eager to see the world outside, with an irrepressible urge to go explore somewhere."

 "Elegantly Poor," first published in 2004, is author Lui King-shuen's memoir of his experiences studying in France in the 1970s. In the book, he reflects on his studies, life, and family, with content that is plain, sincere, and moving. Hong Kong university students in the 1970s pursued ideals, lived through a passionate era, and then each went their separate ways. The author, in the mid-1970s, resolutely went to France with his family, penniless but content, relying on the spirit of being elegantly poor, taking each day as it came, turning hardship into enjoyment, and all of this became memories worth looking back on. This book specially includes uncollected works by the author's late wife, renowned film critic Ms. Wong Ai-ling, as well as many precious old photos, making it highly collectible.