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dorhastings 's review for:
Peony in Love
by Lisa See
"I liked this book more than I thought I would" seems to be a theme for me, of late. But that's a good theme! Years and years ago, when visiting bookstores was a necessary tangent to any outing with a friend, my friend Mary handed me this book and insisted that I had to buy it. I don't know if she was taken with this particular title or Lisa See herself, but I bought the book and it's been in my bookcase ever since. I wanted to read it before making a decision to keep or donate it, and I have to say that some of the reviews made me a little nervous, for whatever reason.
Peony in Love follows the life (and afterlife) of Peony, or Chen Tong (Chen Tong's given name is lost to history). The novel is based on the book Wu Wushan's Three Wives' Collaborative Commentary of The Peony Pavilion, and The Peony Pavilion is a true Chinese opera. The aforementioned Three Wives' Collaborative Commentary is a compilation of notes from Wu Ren's three wives: Chen Tong, Tan Ze, and Qian Yi. I found this information crucial to gain appreciation and understanding for Peony in Love, where See has clearly added some fictional elements (such as Peony coming back as a hungry ghost) while also including facts and elements of history.
See mentions being inspired to write this book by reading Three Wives' Collaborative Commentary and learning about who she refers to as "the lovesick girls". These are young women who have almost no control over their lives, especially when it comes to marriage, and sort of fall in love with the idea of romantic love, to the extent that many will starve themselves because they cannot marry the object of their romantic love. This is part of the story within The Peony Pavilion, and such works are said to have inspired young women to become lovesick girls. Peony herself is similarly affected. With or without her own knowledge, she starves herself to death because she believes she will not be able to marry her true love.
My favorite parts of this novel are the parts where Peony speaks with her grandmother and mother in the afterlife. That's where additional layers of love come in, as secrets get revealed, and everyone learns about what they thought they knew but really didn't. We learn about motivations, true intentions, and mistakes. Such is love. I was struck by how Peony's mother and father were so lost without her, feeling such utter grief and guilt, that they could not bring themselves to carry through with traditions.
Well worth the read. I thought the language, imagery, and tone were lovely. I loved the inclusion of specific terms and practices. The chapters flowed so easily. Many folks mention being a little disappointed after reading See's other work. I'd definitely like to read more of her work, but to dismiss this one would be, to me, a mistake.
Peony in Love follows the life (and afterlife) of Peony, or Chen Tong (Chen Tong's given name is lost to history). The novel is based on the book Wu Wushan's Three Wives' Collaborative Commentary of The Peony Pavilion, and The Peony Pavilion is a true Chinese opera. The aforementioned Three Wives' Collaborative Commentary is a compilation of notes from Wu Ren's three wives: Chen Tong, Tan Ze, and Qian Yi. I found this information crucial to gain appreciation and understanding for Peony in Love, where See has clearly added some fictional elements (such as Peony coming back as a hungry ghost) while also including facts and elements of history.
See mentions being inspired to write this book by reading Three Wives' Collaborative Commentary and learning about who she refers to as "the lovesick girls". These are young women who have almost no control over their lives, especially when it comes to marriage, and sort of fall in love with the idea of romantic love, to the extent that many will starve themselves because they cannot marry the object of their romantic love. This is part of the story within The Peony Pavilion, and such works are said to have inspired young women to become lovesick girls. Peony herself is similarly affected. With or without her own knowledge, she starves herself to death because she believes she will not be able to marry her true love.
Spoiler
See also mentions that the love of Peony in Love is not just about this romantic love. Love takes many forms, and Peony is meant to feel all of them. I understand where some folks find Peony exhausting. (Her grandmother sure does.) In truth, I didn't often like Peony, and I sure didn't like what she did to Tan Ze. Peony makes many mistakes out of what she calls love, and as time goes on and things go badly, she understands that her actions, while not entirely selfish, were harmful. Her dedication to Wu Ren throughout the novel is honestly amazing in its genuineness. Though folks may say they hardly knew each other, they did spend some time together (outside of the initial three nights). Peony's understanding of love changes as she does, and she can offer insight that few folks pay much attention to, let alone acknowledge for themselves. Her final actions bring closure to everyone: her father can finally acknowledge that his daughter is dead; Wu Ren finally has a son; her words reach the broader audience, so everyone can know her thoughts; and Wu Ren has made it possible for her to become an ancestor (and knows that she loves him still).My favorite parts of this novel are the parts where Peony speaks with her grandmother and mother in the afterlife. That's where additional layers of love come in, as secrets get revealed, and everyone learns about what they thought they knew but really didn't. We learn about motivations, true intentions, and mistakes. Such is love. I was struck by how Peony's mother and father were so lost without her, feeling such utter grief and guilt, that they could not bring themselves to carry through with traditions.
Spoiler
Peony died as a lovesick girl, but in the afterlife she experienced more of life and more of love. She was so young when she died, and she had experienced so little in her life. I'm glad I read this book and pushed past any initial sense of "oh great, a young girl starved herself for love". I understand some of the criticism regarding the book being a bit more about the opera than they would have liked, but this opera was so crucial to Peony, and spoke so directly to her that it was almost her entire world. It was all she knew; she could not help identifying with Du Liniang (the main female character of the opera).Well worth the read. I thought the language, imagery, and tone were lovely. I loved the inclusion of specific terms and practices. The chapters flowed so easily. Many folks mention being a little disappointed after reading See's other work. I'd definitely like to read more of her work, but to dismiss this one would be, to me, a mistake.