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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
This was a book I couldn't put down. I heard Lisa See speak a couple of months ago as part of book tour for the release of China Dolls, and I was enchanted. See had interviewed a number of people who were entertainers in the first half of the century and wrote a fictionalized account of their adventures.
The book focuses on three Asian women who meet a few years before the start of WW2. We follow them for a decade as they develop their careers as entertainers. The novel explores complex relationships among these women, their family members, their lovers, their employers, and their co-workers in the entertainment industry. Working as a dancer is hard enough, but add in racial prejudice and the high emotions of war time, and it really gets tricky.
Women have such intense friendships. They have extremely high expectations, they can become really close, and they can hurt each other very deeply. Yes, the novel exposed me to more information about Chinese-American women and Japanese-American women from earlier decades. But it also explored issues about female friendships that are universal to women of all cultures.
The book focuses on three Asian women who meet a few years before the start of WW2. We follow them for a decade as they develop their careers as entertainers. The novel explores complex relationships among these women, their family members, their lovers, their employers, and their co-workers in the entertainment industry. Working as a dancer is hard enough, but add in racial prejudice and the high emotions of war time, and it really gets tricky.
Women have such intense friendships. They have extremely high expectations, they can become really close, and they can hurt each other very deeply. Yes, the novel exposed me to more information about Chinese-American women and Japanese-American women from earlier decades. But it also explored issues about female friendships that are universal to women of all cultures.
I really grappled with how to rate this book. On the one hand I was very caught up in the story and couldn't put it down, yet I was so disgusted and dismayed by the characters and their supposed "friendship" that I was anxious for this particular reading experience to end. I read and loved Snowflower and The Secret Fan, but looking back through the lens of having read a second See novel, I can't help but wonder if the author really sees and understands female friendship to always be underpinned by jealousy, cattiness, and underlying competition. The acts of betrayal each of these ladies bestows upon one another are so egregious that I have a hard time believing that they ever shared any real friendship or mutual affection. Even the formation of their friendship was unbelievable. I couldn't even feel any sympathy for any of the heroines, because despite their admittedly harrowing backgrounds, they are just the goddamn worst. The nicest thing I can say about any of them is that they're ambitious and can endure….. but no. Just no.
Still, I enjoyed reading about this time period, especially the parts set in San Francisco's Chinatown since I grew up in the Bay Area. As I mentioned, the story was also very interesting and I certainly read it very quickly. Still, I don't think I'll be reading this author ever again.
Still, I enjoyed reading about this time period, especially the parts set in San Francisco's Chinatown since I grew up in the Bay Area. As I mentioned, the story was also very interesting and I certainly read it very quickly. Still, I don't think I'll be reading this author ever again.
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn’t enjoy this anywhere as much as Lisa See’s other novels. I can’t work out whether it’s because she’s better at writing about more traditional aspects of Chinese history. I found much of the language jarring in this more modern storyline.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The highs and lows of friendship written through the time period was beautiful.
ARC from Edelweiss
Interesting read, mostly set around WWII about three girls who become best friends and perform together
Interesting read, mostly set around WWII about three girls who become best friends and perform together
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Several years back I stumbled across Lisa See's "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan"and picked it for our book club to read. I absolutely loved that book and have read it several times! I have read every new book that Lisa See has written since then. Lisa See's "China Dolls" is now tied for which one of hers that I like better! If you love the genre of Historical Fiction then Lisa See will not disappoint you. In "China Dolls" the lives of Chinese American women in the 1930's and 40's is examined. The fact that these women are American is so important to remember here! Her story of the friendship of three women struggling to survive in their personal lives and onstage in the Chinese nightclubs of the United States during the World War II era is not only unforgettable but heartbreaking at times. Although a fictional story, it is filled with actual events which clearly show the hours upon hours of research done by Lisa See. I'm so looking forward to Lisa See's next book "The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane" due out in a few weeks!
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not as good as some of her books but it was still an entertaing story. The audio book was a little hard to follow because of the narrators voice, sometimes I couldn't tell which character was telling the story.
I really related to the 3 friends portion as I have two sisters. One sister and I would get along fabulously then we would have a fight, then I would be on the outside while my two sisters would be best of friends. So on and so on...
I really related to the 3 friends portion as I have two sisters. One sister and I would get along fabulously then we would have a fight, then I would be on the outside while my two sisters would be best of friends. So on and so on...