Pavilion of Women Author:Pearl S. Buck On her fortieth birthday, Madame Wu carries out a decision she has been planning for a long time: she tells her husband that after twenty-four years their physical life together is now over and she wishes him to take a second wife. The House of Wu, one of the oldest and most revered in China, is thrown into an uproar by her decision, but Madame ... more »Wu will not be dissuaded and arranges for a young country girl to come take her place in bed.« less
I read PAVILION OF WOMEN for the November 2013 "Asia" theme in my online book club, The Reading Cove.
THE GOOD EARTH by Pearl S. Buck is one of my favorite books of all time, so I've been eager to continue reading her work.
Madame Wu is turning 40 and all hell breaks lose in the Wu household. She makes a lot of decisions that affect her husband, children and even people outside the family.
I didn't feel the plotting was as engaging as THE GOOD EARTH, this book felt a little long-winded through the middle and could've been paced a bit better, but overall, the character's have depth and are well-drawn; and there's a good look at upper-class life and the culture's overall treatment of aging, at this point in Chinese history.