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A review by greatlibraryofalexandra
Peach Blossom Paradise by Ge Fei
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I wavered between 4 and 5 on this one, because at times I did find it difficult to follow, but the overall effect is so phenomenal - I closed it, swearing softly, at how alluring and arresting the final few scenes were.
It's really a stunning piece of literature that, in very trippy ways, reminded me of "Pachinko" and... "Foundation"? It also teased me with "Goldfinch" and "Lolita" vibes, but was a story all its own, set in a very volatile, transient time. It focuses on a part of Chinese history I am entirely unfamiliar with, but the English translation is gripping, poetic, and appealing. I found the allusions to classic Chinese literature fairly easy to follow only, I think, because I have read Melissa Fu's "Peach Blossom Spring," and thus was familiar with the motif.
Xiuimi's story is brutal, and the intrigue and hardship that's woven in is at once gritty and realistic, yet somehow fantastical and threaded with mysticism and magic in a figurative sense. I preferred the focus on Xiuimi rather than the later transition to the focus on Tiger's (male) POV, but the continuous commentary on revolution, what it means, and what it can cost, was consistently interesting, and macabre as it is, where this book really shines is its naked and grotesuqe focus on deaths, and death scenes.
Gorgeous, gorgeous read, and I love that it's the first physical book I've finished in China - I'll definitely read more from Gei Fei, if I can find the rare novels that have been translated into English so far.
It's really a stunning piece of literature that, in very trippy ways, reminded me of "Pachinko" and... "Foundation"? It also teased me with "Goldfinch" and "Lolita" vibes, but was a story all its own, set in a very volatile, transient time. It focuses on a part of Chinese history I am entirely unfamiliar with, but the English translation is gripping, poetic, and appealing. I found the allusions to classic Chinese literature fairly easy to follow only, I think, because I have read Melissa Fu's "Peach Blossom Spring," and thus was familiar with the motif.
Xiuimi's story is brutal, and the intrigue and hardship that's woven in is at once gritty and realistic, yet somehow fantastical and threaded with mysticism and magic in a figurative sense. I preferred the focus on Xiuimi rather than the later transition to the focus on Tiger's (male) POV, but the continuous commentary on revolution, what it means, and what it can cost, was consistently interesting, and macabre as it is, where this book really shines is its naked and grotesuqe focus on deaths, and death scenes.
Gorgeous, gorgeous read, and I love that it's the first physical book I've finished in China - I'll definitely read more from Gei Fei, if I can find the rare novels that have been translated into English so far.