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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I guess this could be seen as a controversial opinion, yet i now truly believe the book to be better than the film... the introspective nature of the former and the slight changes made by the latter lead me here. The exploration of Songlian's story and inner thoughts really brought in the "psychological" depth and complexity i thought the film somewhat lacked. Less drama more feels. + The chinese to french translation was surprisingly good this time around.
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read the first in this collection of short stories to continue my study of ghosts, women and stories. Raise the Red Lantern is an eerie and captivating novella.
Lovely novella, spare prose, devastating story, what the film was based on. Nary a red lantern in sight, though.
Wonderful collection of novellas.
Personally, I found "Raise the Red Lantern" the most compelling - a story of loneliness and isolation while searching for love and connection. Lotus's story, along with the ghosts in the well, are haunting.
"Nineteen Thirty-Four Escapes" is captivating, particularly the way in which the narrator winds the tale as part of his own clan's history. Ultimately, the story reflects its title, with the underlying theme of escape (from the village, from family and from life).
Lastly, "Opium Family" is also full of complex family dynamics and communist ideals. It allows for particular insight as to how the communist party made its way into rural China in the mid-20th century.
Overall, these novellas were quick and captivating reads. Would recommend.
Personally, I found "Raise the Red Lantern" the most compelling - a story of loneliness and isolation while searching for love and connection. Lotus's story, along with the ghosts in the well, are haunting.
"Nineteen Thirty-Four Escapes" is captivating, particularly the way in which the narrator winds the tale as part of his own clan's history. Ultimately, the story reflects its title, with the underlying theme of escape (from the village, from family and from life).
Lastly, "Opium Family" is also full of complex family dynamics and communist ideals. It allows for particular insight as to how the communist party made its way into rural China in the mid-20th century.
Overall, these novellas were quick and captivating reads. Would recommend.
7/10
Edit: 8/10
Ho aumentato il voto da 3 stelle a 4, perché mi ritrovo spesso a ripensare ad alcuni passaggi.
Edit: 8/10
Ho aumentato il voto da 3 stelle a 4, perché mi ritrovo spesso a ripensare ad alcuni passaggi.
The most famous, of course, is the first novella. This is the story that the famous "Raise the Red Lantern" movie is based off of, but I can honestly say that while the movie is truly awesome, the novella beats it by a mile. The nuances of turn-of-the-century China is brilliantly portrayed in this one household. It's a limited view, since we only see the interior of the house and nowhere else, but it's definitely a read for anyone wanting a look into the life of a concubine.
I am biased because I like stories to have a good ending and some kind of closure.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Who's sick? If I want to die, I'll just die; it's too tiresome to be sick.
Raise the Red Lantern was one of three novellas written by Su Tong and the only one worth reading in this collection. The other one "Nineteen Thirty-Four Escapes" was the second best in the collection, but "Opium Family," if I remember it correctly, was just vulgar. It spirals into the most debase inhuman existence.