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kai_raine 's review for:
Three Lives Three Worlds, the Pillow Book II
by Tang Qi, 唐七公子
To fans of the show(s) considering reading this book: I ask you to consider where your preferences lie in your stories. Sometimes, ignorance is better than the unsavory, and while I largely liked the first volume of The Pillow Book, I honestly wish I hadn't read the second.
Ok so. Here's the thing. I saw both of the shows, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms and Eternal Love of Dream, before I read this, and I'm so glad I did.
Fate as a major relationship obstacle was handled exquisitely in Peach Blossoms, and the characters were a lot of fun to watch interact, so of course I chased down their show as well. For all that I enjoyed Dream, I was periodically terribly confused about why things were happening. So when I found that there were fan translations of The Pillow Book, I jumped at the chance to read them.
Volume I was enlightening, adding an extra dimension to the extremely-faithful-to-the-book show I'd already seen, and filling in gaps I didn't realize I'd had.
But then when I reached volume II...oh no. There were so many--seriously so many--things about this relationship that made me want to tell Fengjiu to get out quickly. While yes, it clarified a lot of points that I didn't understand from watching the show alone, I find I preferred my mystification to the clarity that this book provided. There's a twisted quality to this relationship, which Donghua chooses to build on a foundation of deception and lies, that prevents me from taking any joy in this story whatsoever.
The devastating thing is that the show, despite being as book-accurate as anyone could hope in every other way, went out of its way to correct this, ensuring that the two protagonists are largely operating on a level field, and respectful of one another before their relationship comes to fruition. Yet, because so much of the dialogue is lifted word for word, I find I now have to make an active effort to eliminate the distaste I feel for the book version of Donghua as I watch the show.
I will now attempt to forget this book as completely as I possibly can, in order to preserve my love of the shows that brought me here.
If you want to understand some of the gaps, I recommend reading volume I alone, and maybe a couple chapters at the very end of volume II at most. If you choose to read both volumes, I can only wish you luck.
Ok so. Here's the thing. I saw both of the shows, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms and Eternal Love of Dream, before I read this, and I'm so glad I did.
Fate as a major relationship obstacle was handled exquisitely in Peach Blossoms, and the characters were a lot of fun to watch interact, so of course I chased down their show as well. For all that I enjoyed Dream, I was periodically terribly confused about why things were happening. So when I found that there were fan translations of The Pillow Book, I jumped at the chance to read them.
Volume I was enlightening, adding an extra dimension to the extremely-faithful-to-the-book show I'd already seen, and filling in gaps I didn't realize I'd had.
But then when I reached volume II...oh no. There were so many--seriously so many--things about this relationship that made me want to tell Fengjiu to get out quickly. While yes, it clarified a lot of points that I didn't understand from watching the show alone, I find I preferred my mystification to the clarity that this book provided. There's a twisted quality to this relationship, which Donghua chooses to build on a foundation of deception and lies, that prevents me from taking any joy in this story whatsoever.
The devastating thing is that the show, despite being as book-accurate as anyone could hope in every other way, went out of its way to correct this, ensuring that the two protagonists are largely operating on a level field, and respectful of one another before their relationship comes to fruition. Yet, because so much of the dialogue is lifted word for word, I find I now have to make an active effort to eliminate the distaste I feel for the book version of Donghua as I watch the show.
I will now attempt to forget this book as completely as I possibly can, in order to preserve my love of the shows that brought me here.
If you want to understand some of the gaps, I recommend reading volume I alone, and maybe a couple chapters at the very end of volume II at most. If you choose to read both volumes, I can only wish you luck.