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envy4's review against another edition
2.0
It read like a play more so than a book. Really nothing special, one of those books you read in history class. Enough details, but not really literature.
brodi727's review
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Confinement, Cursing, Grief, War, Classism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Trafficking, Alcohol, Bullying, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
erebus53's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a book that I picked up from the "random" selection on Libby. I haven't seen the screen adaptation but the version I listened to had the screen adaptation cover. It tells the story of what happened in the Japanese storming of Nanjing China in 1937, through several viewpoints. The action is centred in American owned church complex, where there are a group of girls attending boarding school. During the siege of the city, those within the church walls have to decide whether or not to offer aid to those who come to the gates, of to turn them away and focus on keeping the girls safe, but all this is complicated when some wounded Chinese soldiers and sex workers turn up and move in.
I like that the interaction of the characters is nuanced. You have girls who up until now have been fussing only with their social struggles, that now focus on the power and privilege of each family. DO their parents have enough money to buy them safety? Will they come back for them? The working women have each got different reasons for being in their profession, and so there is exploration of social class and perception of other, pride, and shame; and the bitterness of girls who have been sold or abandoned by their families.
Through the eyes of the wounded/escaped soldiers is told the story of the brutality of the Japanese army, whose leaders organised the horrific disposal of Prisoners of War, rather than spending resources they didn't have to look after them. It is interesting that you don't find out the backstory of the soldiers until they are let in the gate. Kindness comes with cost, as choosing to look after wounded soldiers brings the attention of the Japanese soldiers. You can't stay neutral if you are harbouring combatants.
The whole book is clever and thoughtful. It focuses on the friendships and conflicts of people trying to survive in a city that has been completely changed. The feeling of expecting that the situation will blow over, and waiting for life to return to normal is one that sits in my heart. The feeling of not knowing what will happen, trying to stay safe in a place that probably can't protect you, is all too real.
I'm glad I picked this up, because historical fiction is a really good way of getting a nuanced look at the real personal costs of war.
I like that the interaction of the characters is nuanced. You have girls who up until now have been fussing only with their social struggles, that now focus on the power and privilege of each family. DO their parents have enough money to buy them safety? Will they come back for them? The working women have each got different reasons for being in their profession, and so there is exploration of social class and perception of other, pride, and shame; and the bitterness of girls who have been sold or abandoned by their families.
Through the eyes of the wounded/escaped soldiers is told the story of the brutality of the Japanese army, whose leaders organised the horrific disposal of Prisoners of War, rather than spending resources they didn't have to look after them. It is interesting that you don't find out the backstory of the soldiers until they are let in the gate. Kindness comes with cost, as choosing to look after wounded soldiers brings the attention of the Japanese soldiers. You can't stay neutral if you are harbouring combatants.
The whole book is clever and thoughtful. It focuses on the friendships and conflicts of people trying to survive in a city that has been completely changed. The feeling of expecting that the situation will blow over, and waiting for life to return to normal is one that sits in my heart. The feeling of not knowing what will happen, trying to stay safe in a place that probably can't protect you, is all too real.
I'm glad I picked this up, because historical fiction is a really good way of getting a nuanced look at the real personal costs of war.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, War, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Blood, Violence, Alcohol, Drug use, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
aiyaivy's review
4.0
I watched the film adaptation years ago when it came out and was forever haunted by the story.
Reading the book now allowed me to see the differences between the book and the movie, and the strong imagery from the movie helped me understand the translated book better.
It's hard reviewing a book translated from another language -- especially when I can't read the Chinese text to see the poetic lyricism or cultural meanings. However, I was captivated by the English-translated book nonetheless.
I see many book reviews mentioning feeling detached from the text -- but I disagree. I found this book extremely heartbreaking and difficult to digest at points. It's hard to say if I feel this way because of my historical/cultural understanding of the Nanking massacre or because I brought my feelings of sadness associated with the film into this novel. I agree that many parts highlighted in the film were brushed past fairly quickly in the novel -- which is interesting because those were the parts that left the most haunting impression on me (esp the decision of who to sacrifice).
The soldiers' deaths described in this book were also haunting and pitifully sad.
All in all, a great read that leaves me with a heavy heart and mind.
Quotes
chapter 2
- "The nation's capital has fallen and you still want to play mah-jong?"
"It didn't fall because we were playing," she protested. "Anyway, what else do you want us to do here? Die of boredom?"
- "Forget it," Yumo said. "Let it go."
"Why should I let it go?" Hongling protested.
Her accent - from a poor province north-west of Nanking - was very pronounced.
"Because these people have allowed us to stay in this rathole. Because they're prepared to put up with us. Because we've got no face to lose. Because when we're alive, we're less than human, and when we die, we're less than demons. Because we can be beaten and humiliated by anyone at will," said Yumo.
chapter 3
- Xiaoyu was pretty, and seemed not to understand that pretty girls could easily wound those who most admired them and longed to be their friends.
-There was nothing more seductive than sin and they took a vicarious delight in the fact that these women did bad things which they hardly dared contemplate.
Chapter 7
-The reality was that the rivers of blood in the city outside had finally reached the church walls.
Chapter 9
- The people of Nanking had never been overly concerned about the morality of prostitution; in fact, generations of literati had sung the praises of prostitutes -- from the Eight Beauties of Qin Huai to Sai Jinhua who rose to become wife of a diplomat - and had given them positive roles in their writings.
-With the letter he enclosed fifty-seven dollars and a gold bar, a gift which was less generous than that of her former lover, who had left her with a diamond ring. To Zhang, a senior civil servant in the Ministry for Education, who believed that everyone was born equal, Yumo was worth only one gold bar and fifty silver dollars.
Chapter 12
-Shujuan said nothing. She knew her friendship with Xiaoyu was over. This was the final break. Nanking was filled with misery, the dead and the living were all miserable, but she was young enough to feel this widespread misery was vague and insubstantial. Losing her best friend, on the other hand, was real misery. Xiaoyu was heartless. All pretty girls were heartless, just like that pretty woman down in the cellar, Yumo.
Chapter 13
-People always said whores had no heart, and yet Cardamom risked her life to get pipa strings just so she could play a better tune for Wang Pusheng.
Chapter 15
-She felt she was someone who, when she had gone, would leave no trace in this world. If Fabio remembered anything at all about her, she wanted it to be that her life had had some meaning.
Chapter 16
-There was no way he was going to let these mad dogs in yellow uniforms through the door. To do that would be to elevate them to the status of human beings.
Chapter 17
-"Women like us can never escape ruin, or from ruining others," she added with a sly glance at the two clergymen.
Reading the book now allowed me to see the differences between the book and the movie, and the strong imagery from the movie helped me understand the translated book better.
It's hard reviewing a book translated from another language -- especially when I can't read the Chinese text to see the poetic lyricism or cultural meanings. However, I was captivated by the English-translated book nonetheless.
I see many book reviews mentioning feeling detached from the text -- but I disagree. I found this book extremely heartbreaking and difficult to digest at points. It's hard to say if I feel this way because of my historical/cultural understanding of the Nanking massacre or because I brought my feelings of sadness associated with the film into this novel. I agree that many parts highlighted in the film were brushed past fairly quickly in the novel -- which is interesting because those were the parts that left the most haunting impression on me (esp the decision of who to sacrifice).
The soldiers' deaths described in this book were also haunting and pitifully sad.
All in all, a great read that leaves me with a heavy heart and mind.
Quotes
chapter 2
- "The nation's capital has fallen and you still want to play mah-jong?"
"It didn't fall because we were playing," she protested. "Anyway, what else do you want us to do here? Die of boredom?"
- "Forget it," Yumo said. "Let it go."
"Why should I let it go?" Hongling protested.
Her accent - from a poor province north-west of Nanking - was very pronounced.
"Because these people have allowed us to stay in this rathole. Because they're prepared to put up with us. Because we've got no face to lose. Because when we're alive, we're less than human, and when we die, we're less than demons. Because we can be beaten and humiliated by anyone at will," said Yumo.
chapter 3
- Xiaoyu was pretty, and seemed not to understand that pretty girls could easily wound those who most admired them and longed to be their friends.
-There was nothing more seductive than sin and they took a vicarious delight in the fact that these women did bad things which they hardly dared contemplate.
Chapter 7
-The reality was that the rivers of blood in the city outside had finally reached the church walls.
Chapter 9
- The people of Nanking had never been overly concerned about the morality of prostitution; in fact, generations of literati had sung the praises of prostitutes -- from the Eight Beauties of Qin Huai to Sai Jinhua who rose to become wife of a diplomat - and had given them positive roles in their writings.
-With the letter he enclosed fifty-seven dollars and a gold bar, a gift which was less generous than that of her former lover, who had left her with a diamond ring. To Zhang, a senior civil servant in the Ministry for Education, who believed that everyone was born equal, Yumo was worth only one gold bar and fifty silver dollars.
Chapter 12
-Shujuan said nothing. She knew her friendship with Xiaoyu was over. This was the final break. Nanking was filled with misery, the dead and the living were all miserable, but she was young enough to feel this widespread misery was vague and insubstantial. Losing her best friend, on the other hand, was real misery. Xiaoyu was heartless. All pretty girls were heartless, just like that pretty woman down in the cellar, Yumo.
Chapter 13
-People always said whores had no heart, and yet Cardamom risked her life to get pipa strings just so she could play a better tune for Wang Pusheng.
Chapter 15
-She felt she was someone who, when she had gone, would leave no trace in this world. If Fabio remembered anything at all about her, she wanted it to be that her life had had some meaning.
Chapter 16
-There was no way he was going to let these mad dogs in yellow uniforms through the door. To do that would be to elevate them to the status of human beings.
Chapter 17
-"Women like us can never escape ruin, or from ruining others," she added with a sly glance at the two clergymen.
mpaulars's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
mpaz's review against another edition
4.0
En este libro se narra la ocupación de los japoneses a la ciudad China de Nanjing entre los años 1937-1938, y como un grupo de estudiantes y de prostitutas recibe cobijo en una escuela católica. El trasfondo de esta historia narra las atrocidades cometidas por los japoneses y las acciones y prejuicios que se albergan en los corazones de las niñas.
Es un libro de rápida lectura, lleno de caracteres femeninos interesantes, si bien me costó identificar los nombres de las mujeres, debido a la falta de costumbre a los nombres chino, creo que se notó al profundidad de las personalidades de las mujeres y de que las llevaba a tomar las decisiones que tomaban.
Es un libro de rápida lectura, lleno de caracteres femeninos interesantes, si bien me costó identificar los nombres de las mujeres, debido a la falta de costumbre a los nombres chino, creo que se notó al profundidad de las personalidades de las mujeres y de que las llevaba a tomar las decisiones que tomaban.
pmontilla37's review against another edition
4.0
Le iba a dar 3 ⭐️, pero es que esos capítulos finales y, sobre todo, ese epílogo, me han emocionado y entristecido muchísimo
Se narra muy bien los horrores de las guerras, cómo ninguna vida vale, y lo que sufrieron las mujeres que usaron como “mujeres de consuelo”
Siempre que veo escenas de esta época histórica no puedo no emocionarme, y sin dudas este libro lo ha conseguido
Se narra muy bien los horrores de las guerras, cómo ninguna vida vale, y lo que sufrieron las mujeres que usaron como “mujeres de consuelo”
Siempre que veo escenas de esta época histórica no puedo no emocionarme, y sin dudas este libro lo ha conseguido
rocio_voncina's review against another edition
5.0
Titulo: Las flores de la guerra
Autor: Geling Yan
Año publicado: 2007
Motivo de lectura: @asianreadathon #AsianReadathon
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Fisico / Electronico: Electronico
Mi edicion: -
Idioma: Español
Puntuacion: 5/5
Este libro esta basado en un hecho real que es la masacre de Nanjing, sobre la ocupacion japonesa en China en el marco historico de la segunda guerra mundial.
Es una lectura desgarradora de principio a fin. Es una lucha titanica por sobrevivir bajo circunstancias realmente desesperantes.
Todo transcurre dentro de una iglesia y el desesperado intento de un sacerdote americano (junto con la ayuda de otro clerico y cocinero) intentando proteger estudiantes chinas (de edades muy jovenes) que no caigan presas de un destino fatal a manos de los soldados japoneses. Durante el relato, tambien se aprecia un grupo de prostitutas que logran ingresar a la iglesia buscando proteccion (para mi, las heroinas indiscutibles de esta historia).
Leer como el grupo de estas mujeres luchan por sobrevivir te parte el alma. Es una historia de union, amor, privaciones y sacrificios mas alla de lo que se pueda describir.
La manera en que la autora construye los personajes es excelente, la profundidad de cada uno de ellos, como relata los eventos, las interacciones y dinamicas grupales, los sentimientos y expectativas de cada participe de la historia asegura que esta lectura se quedara en tu mente y corazon por mucho tiempo, de esas lecturas que son dificiles de olvidar.
El epilogo es brutal, movilizador, inolvidable por su crudeza.
Aun cuando se que es una lectura dolorosa, son de esos libros que considero que todo el mundo deberia leer e investigar mas sobre la masacre de Nanjing y las atrocidades cometidas.
Autor: Geling Yan
Año publicado: 2007
Motivo de lectura: @asianreadathon #AsianReadathon
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Fisico / Electronico: Electronico
Mi edicion: -
Idioma: Español
Puntuacion: 5/5
Este libro esta basado en un hecho real que es la masacre de Nanjing, sobre la ocupacion japonesa en China en el marco historico de la segunda guerra mundial.
Es una lectura desgarradora de principio a fin. Es una lucha titanica por sobrevivir bajo circunstancias realmente desesperantes.
Todo transcurre dentro de una iglesia y el desesperado intento de un sacerdote americano (junto con la ayuda de otro clerico y cocinero) intentando proteger estudiantes chinas (de edades muy jovenes) que no caigan presas de un destino fatal a manos de los soldados japoneses. Durante el relato, tambien se aprecia un grupo de prostitutas que logran ingresar a la iglesia buscando proteccion (para mi, las heroinas indiscutibles de esta historia).
Leer como el grupo de estas mujeres luchan por sobrevivir te parte el alma. Es una historia de union, amor, privaciones y sacrificios mas alla de lo que se pueda describir.
La manera en que la autora construye los personajes es excelente, la profundidad de cada uno de ellos, como relata los eventos, las interacciones y dinamicas grupales, los sentimientos y expectativas de cada participe de la historia asegura que esta lectura se quedara en tu mente y corazon por mucho tiempo, de esas lecturas que son dificiles de olvidar.
El epilogo es brutal, movilizador, inolvidable por su crudeza.
Aun cuando se que es una lectura dolorosa, son de esos libros que considero que todo el mundo deberia leer e investigar mas sobre la masacre de Nanjing y las atrocidades cometidas.