Scan barcode
A review by hmgelo02
Peony in Love by Lisa See
4.0
This is the second book I've read by [a:Lisa See|713|Lisa See|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1209949634p2/713.jpg], and I enjoyed this one just as much as [b:Snowflower and the Secret Fan|1103|Snow Flower and the Secret Fan A Novel|Lisa See|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1157830997s/1103.jpg|1453585]. As far as I'm aware, although this is a historical fiction novel, it is based upon actual books, manuscripts, people, and events in China's history.
This is the story of a young woman who has led a privileged but sheltered life in her father's familial home in a time when women still bound their feet and were seen but not heard... and sometimes not even seen. Although she has been betrothed to a man from a family of her father's choosing, this educated young dreamer falls in love with a young man who happened to be visiting her home. In the months leading to her wedding date, she is sequestered in her room and becomes obsessed with the study of a controversial opera, eschewing all food, drink, and sleep. In her weakened state she ultimately ends up with the same fate as the young woman in the opera, and then proceeds to live the identical story of that woman in the years that follow.
At first I was a little put off by the twist that this story took, and it took me awhile to fully immerse myself in the story. I think if I had known that this story was based on actual events, I would have read it with more interest. As it is, I'm so glad I stuck with this story through to its end. I learned more about the role of women in that period of history than I'd known before, and it gives me a much better appreciation for the struggle and oppression that women regularly faced at that time.
If you've read books by [a:Amy Tan|5246|Amy Tan|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1202437936p2/5246.jpg] and enjoyed them, you'll like this - and other works - by Lisa See. Well-written, well-edited and interesting storylines about Chinese culture. In short, I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction, or about Chinese culture.
This is the story of a young woman who has led a privileged but sheltered life in her father's familial home in a time when women still bound their feet and were seen but not heard... and sometimes not even seen. Although she has been betrothed to a man from a family of her father's choosing, this educated young dreamer falls in love with a young man who happened to be visiting her home. In the months leading to her wedding date, she is sequestered in her room and becomes obsessed with the study of a controversial opera, eschewing all food, drink, and sleep. In her weakened state she ultimately ends up with the same fate as the young woman in the opera, and then proceeds to live the identical story of that woman in the years that follow.
At first I was a little put off by the twist that this story took, and it took me awhile to fully immerse myself in the story. I think if I had known that this story was based on actual events, I would have read it with more interest. As it is, I'm so glad I stuck with this story through to its end. I learned more about the role of women in that period of history than I'd known before, and it gives me a much better appreciation for the struggle and oppression that women regularly faced at that time.
If you've read books by [a:Amy Tan|5246|Amy Tan|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1202437936p2/5246.jpg] and enjoyed them, you'll like this - and other works - by Lisa See. Well-written, well-edited and interesting storylines about Chinese culture. In short, I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction, or about Chinese culture.