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spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
3.0
This was a really interesting novel. I particularly liked the narrative format.
little_miss_darkness's review against another edition
3.0
This "made up biography" gives us insight as to what life was like in Shanghai in 1930s.
While I've read many books by Chinese authors, I have to admit that I didn't completely understand this one. The dialogues and certain actions, I could never see people doing them.
I like Cassia, how strong she is. I love how she worked for everything she got, relying on no one but herself. I don't deride her for her beginnings. It was not her fault, she was a child. Even if it was, it was a precarious time to be a woman. It sometimes still is. A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. She rose above it. It is a perfect story of how The Concubine of Shanghai rose to reclaim her place in the world.
But overall, I found the story to be confusing and not engaging at all. I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars. For obvious reasons, I am rounding it up to 3 stars.
While I've read many books by Chinese authors, I have to admit that I didn't completely understand this one. The dialogues and certain actions, I could never see people doing them.
I like Cassia, how strong she is. I love how she worked for everything she got, relying on no one but herself. I don't deride her for her beginnings. It was not her fault, she was a child. Even if it was, it was a precarious time to be a woman. It sometimes still is. A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. She rose above it. It is a perfect story of how The Concubine of Shanghai rose to reclaim her place in the world.
But overall, I found the story to be confusing and not engaging at all. I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars. For obvious reasons, I am rounding it up to 3 stars.
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