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carolynf's review against another edition
4.0
Twist on the generic escape-from-prostitution plots of most Asian books written by westerners, the protagonist in this one becomes an controversial artist. I had never heard of Pan Yuliang, but her art is beautiful and confrontational.
book_nut's review against another edition
4.0
I usually don't go in for books in present tense, but I found this story -- based on the life of painter Pan Yulaing -- to be so compelling, that my irritation just slid away. It reads like a good Zhang Yimou movie, which is a good thing, at least for me.
dannb's review against another edition
3.0
A little like Memoirs of a Geisha; however,it IS historical fiction and Pan Yuliang was a groundbreaking artist.
Since my trip to China this past May, I wanted deeper details about what was happening in the world during the time of the story. Wild Swans by Jung Chang was that. If you are interested in the artist and a sense of China from 1915-1937...this might work for you.
Since my trip to China this past May, I wanted deeper details about what was happening in the world during the time of the story. Wild Swans by Jung Chang was that. If you are interested in the artist and a sense of China from 1915-1937...this might work for you.
madamstassica's review
4.0
This book was a pleasant surprise for me. I came across it awhile ago, and thought it sounded interesting enough, so I added it to my wish list. When I finally got to it, I couldn't remember adding it at all, but decided to give it a try. At Barnes and Noble, it was only three bucks, so I was a bit nervous about it's quality.
But the story was absolutely beautiful. I learned so much about Chinese history, as well as the life of Pan Yuliang. I was so moved by her struggles and her triumphs, and this book, which is based off of true events, has given me another hero. There are happy moments, and there are sad moments, and this book touched my heart in so many ways. I very nearly cried at the end.
But the story was absolutely beautiful. I learned so much about Chinese history, as well as the life of Pan Yuliang. I was so moved by her struggles and her triumphs, and this book, which is based off of true events, has given me another hero. There are happy moments, and there are sad moments, and this book touched my heart in so many ways. I very nearly cried at the end.
caecilievestergaard's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
betag1013's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
tmaturino's review against another edition
2.0
From the reviews I had read, I really wanted to love this book, how a woman overcomes tremendous adversity to become a famous painter ahead of her time. I kept reading through the awful detail of the painter's horrendous days as a child prostitute....that seemed Ike it was almost half the book. When she finally is rescued, the book hit a lull I just couldn't get through. I figured I was spending too much time on a book where I lost interest with every page. There were more books on my shelf worth the time so cut my losses and moved on.
serenaac's review against another edition
5.0
"That the buyer, if she finds one, probably won't be able to read it means little. Yuliang doesn't sign it for him. She signs for herself, to bind her work to her. To tattoo it with a message: she has won." (Page 20)
Jennifer Cody Epstein's The Painter From Shanghai is a fictional account of Pan Yuliang's rise from the ashes of her life as Xiuqing, a young child sold into prostitution. Through careful brushstrokes of her own, Epstein deftly fills her canvas with the sights, sounds, and images of China--from the dark alleys and brothels to the crowded, chaotic streets of Shanghai--in the early 1920s. Yuliang is a complex character who numbly makes her way through the obstacles she faces as a new prostitute under the thumb of corrupted merchants and a harsh and battered old woman, known as Grandmother. Emerging from the dank and corrupted halls of the brothel, she jumps into her new life as the concubine/second wife to Pan Zanhua and embarks on her career as a student and painter at the height of the Communist uprising in China during the 1930s.
"'My husband,' she says, twisting her wedding band, 'writes that even more conservative Republicans will ally with the CCP now. For the nation's sake.'
'If anything, it's a marriage of convenience.' Now he looks straight into her eyes. 'And one I doubt will last.'" (Page 318)
Epstein has a style all her own in which she easily weaves in relevant historical information through character interaction and development, but she also captures even difficult emotions with deft description and poise.
In the brothel, readers will feel Yuliang's degradation as each man leers at her, touches her skin, and makes her kowtow to their desires. The one solace she has is the poetry of Li Qingzhao, which she recites from memory. Readers will enjoy the verse woven into the narrative as Yuliang examines herself at life-changing moments and seeks solace in the beauty of language.
Yuliang is molded by her mentors, but only truly blossoms when she becomes Zanhua's wife and starts painting. Through painting she learns to combat her demons, her past, and her future, coming into her own as a painter and individual. As China is pulled in two directions between the republic and the communists, Yuliang is caught between her rebellious nature and Chinese tradition.
"Tearing off the sheet, she tries again, this time with better results. Use each object as a road into the next. She proceeds to the easiest object on the table, the orange . . . And in the space of a moment that neither registers nor matters, she is no longer outside the still life but working within it, running her mind's hand over nubbly fruit skin. Pressing her face against the smooth tang of the bottle glass. Exploring a vase's crevices with both finger and pencil tip, each item part of a visual sentence she is translating." (Page 220)
The Painter From Shanghai has a lot to offer book clubs, readers interested in painting, historical fiction, the struggle of women in society, China, and political history, and is one of the best novels I've read this year.
Jennifer Cody Epstein's The Painter From Shanghai is a fictional account of Pan Yuliang's rise from the ashes of her life as Xiuqing, a young child sold into prostitution. Through careful brushstrokes of her own, Epstein deftly fills her canvas with the sights, sounds, and images of China--from the dark alleys and brothels to the crowded, chaotic streets of Shanghai--in the early 1920s. Yuliang is a complex character who numbly makes her way through the obstacles she faces as a new prostitute under the thumb of corrupted merchants and a harsh and battered old woman, known as Grandmother. Emerging from the dank and corrupted halls of the brothel, she jumps into her new life as the concubine/second wife to Pan Zanhua and embarks on her career as a student and painter at the height of the Communist uprising in China during the 1930s.
"'My husband,' she says, twisting her wedding band, 'writes that even more conservative Republicans will ally with the CCP now. For the nation's sake.'
'If anything, it's a marriage of convenience.' Now he looks straight into her eyes. 'And one I doubt will last.'" (Page 318)
Epstein has a style all her own in which she easily weaves in relevant historical information through character interaction and development, but she also captures even difficult emotions with deft description and poise.
In the brothel, readers will feel Yuliang's degradation as each man leers at her, touches her skin, and makes her kowtow to their desires. The one solace she has is the poetry of Li Qingzhao, which she recites from memory. Readers will enjoy the verse woven into the narrative as Yuliang examines herself at life-changing moments and seeks solace in the beauty of language.
Yuliang is molded by her mentors, but only truly blossoms when she becomes Zanhua's wife and starts painting. Through painting she learns to combat her demons, her past, and her future, coming into her own as a painter and individual. As China is pulled in two directions between the republic and the communists, Yuliang is caught between her rebellious nature and Chinese tradition.
"Tearing off the sheet, she tries again, this time with better results. Use each object as a road into the next. She proceeds to the easiest object on the table, the orange . . . And in the space of a moment that neither registers nor matters, she is no longer outside the still life but working within it, running her mind's hand over nubbly fruit skin. Pressing her face against the smooth tang of the bottle glass. Exploring a vase's crevices with both finger and pencil tip, each item part of a visual sentence she is translating." (Page 220)
The Painter From Shanghai has a lot to offer book clubs, readers interested in painting, historical fiction, the struggle of women in society, China, and political history, and is one of the best novels I've read this year.
rlbasley's review against another edition
4.0
I will never tire of reading of women whose dared to be the first in their chosen field; especially under challenging circumstances. I loved this book and admired the artists drive and dedication to her craft. This is something I can understand being the mother of an artist myself. I read that many were turned off because none of the artist work is shown in the book but I like a book that makes me work at the end of it ;That sends me searching the Internet to find the rest of the story. This book does this as well as presenting a well written story in itself. Well done!