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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
sad
slow-paced
The writing was good, but it was very slow paced. Well done with the ending though.
Very well written. Although it started off slowing, it turned into a page-turner towards the end.
I really enjoyed this book. This book is about a Russian emigre and her mother, a White Russian, who go to live in China after the Bolshevik Revolution. The book takes place in the beginning of the Communist movement in China. This book is filled with romance.
This book engaged me the entire time! I was nearly 4/5 of the way through before I was actually able to start making some predictions, which is pretty incredible since I tend to hypothesize plots too quickly. I suppose that's what you get when you're an English major. But not The Russian Concubine. I kept trying to predict, but my brain just came up with blank!
And it was completely engrossing! I haven't gasped aloud like this since high school! And certainly not several times! And the plot twists -even the minor ones- just kept coming! Even with less than ten pages from the end Furnivall is still throwing in surprises.
I suppose the only real question I have at the end of it is: who is the Russian Concubine: Valentina or Lydia?
I bought and read the prequel to The Russian Concubine, The Jewel of St. Petersburg, which is focused on Lydia's mother, Valentana (wow, that's a lot of appositives!), last year. Come to find out, Furnivall wrote The Russian Concubine and its sequel before The Jewel of St. Petersburg. I knew they were connected, but not written such. Now, I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.
And it was completely engrossing! I haven't gasped aloud like this since high school! And certainly not several times! And the plot twists -even the minor ones- just kept coming! Even with less than ten pages from the end Furnivall is still throwing in surprises.
I suppose the only real question I have at the end of it is: who is the Russian Concubine: Valentina or Lydia?
I bought and read the prequel to The Russian Concubine, The Jewel of St. Petersburg, which is focused on Lydia's mother, Valentana (wow, that's a lot of appositives!), last year. Come to find out, Furnivall wrote The Russian Concubine and its sequel before The Jewel of St. Petersburg. I knew they were connected, but not written such. Now, I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.
Not a book I'd have chosen myself. I was given the book to read by a volunteer at school. The cover and the title are quite provocative. The actual story is much less so.
This book tells the story of a woman who left Russia during the Russian Revolution and found refuge in China with her daughter. It was definitely a page turner; Furnivall knows how to tell a story.
This book tells the story of a woman who left Russia during the Russian Revolution and found refuge in China with her daughter. It was definitely a page turner; Furnivall knows how to tell a story.
Reposted from Amazon.
I think this book was fantastic. It included alot of great historical facts about the social and cultural influences of the time - following the British attempts to colonise China and the reasons and motives behind their presence, as well as the feelings of the Chinese about such invasions. It also includes all of the history of the Russians who fled Socialist Russia for safety. For these reasons, I do not think the book would have been anywhere near as good had it only followed the storyline of Lydia and her mother. A country with so many millions of people, from so many backgrounds and agendas needs more than two characters to explain such a complex number of issues and lifestyles occuring in China at the time.
While some may cringe at a few of the smaller story arcs, those of Lydia, Chang, Mr Theo, The British men like Alfred and the Chinese drug lords help to explain and explore such a complex and amazing period of time. I did find the ending a bit rushed and disappointing, but I look forward to another book by this author.
I think this book was fantastic. It included alot of great historical facts about the social and cultural influences of the time - following the British attempts to colonise China and the reasons and motives behind their presence, as well as the feelings of the Chinese about such invasions. It also includes all of the history of the Russians who fled Socialist Russia for safety. For these reasons, I do not think the book would have been anywhere near as good had it only followed the storyline of Lydia and her mother. A country with so many millions of people, from so many backgrounds and agendas needs more than two characters to explain such a complex number of issues and lifestyles occuring in China at the time.
While some may cringe at a few of the smaller story arcs, those of Lydia, Chang, Mr Theo, The British men like Alfred and the Chinese drug lords help to explain and explore such a complex and amazing period of time. I did find the ending a bit rushed and disappointing, but I look forward to another book by this author.
I had high hopes for this novel. As a fan of historical fiction, I thought this book looked promising. After reading it, though, I couldn't help but feel that the book fell flat. I found myself struggling to finish the novel, and had to force myself to pick it up on more than one occasion.
Don't get me wrong, because it wasn't a completely horrible book. I feel like I might have enjoyed it more had I liked and/or sympathized with any of the main characters. I tried to feel for Lydia and Valentina, I really did, but I just couldn't feel anything for them. I found it especially difficult to like or respect Valentina in particular, and I don't know if this is bad of me, but I was actually more happy than sad when she died.
I did, however, enjoy Furnivall's descriptions of Junchow. However flat her characters may seem, the scenery around them seemed to have a life of its own, and it was ultimately the details and descriptions of China that kept me reading the novel.
Would I ever read it again? Probably not.
Would I recommend it? Probably not.
Don't get me wrong, because it wasn't a completely horrible book. I feel like I might have enjoyed it more had I liked and/or sympathized with any of the main characters. I tried to feel for Lydia and Valentina, I really did, but I just couldn't feel anything for them. I found it especially difficult to like or respect Valentina in particular, and I don't know if this is bad of me, but I was actually more happy than sad when she died.
I did, however, enjoy Furnivall's descriptions of Junchow. However flat her characters may seem, the scenery around them seemed to have a life of its own, and it was ultimately the details and descriptions of China that kept me reading the novel.
Would I ever read it again? Probably not.
Would I recommend it? Probably not.