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Search - Peony in Love: A Novel
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Peony in Love: A Novel Author: |
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Book Information
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Book Description:
“I finally understand what the poets have written. In spring, moved to passion; in autumn only regret.”
For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, these lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, amid the scent of ginger, green tea, and jasmine, a small theatrical troupe is performing scenes from this epic opera, a live spectacle few females have ever seen. Like the heroine in the drama, Peony is the cloistered daughter of a wealthy family, trapped like a good-luck cricket in a bamboo-and-lacquer cage. Though raised to be obedient, Peony has dreams of her own.
Peony’s mother is against her daughter’s attending the production: “Unmarried girls should not be seen in public.” But Peony’s father assures his wife that proprieties will be maintained, and that the women will watch the opera from behind a screen. Yet through its cracks, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man with hair as black as a cave–and is immediately overcome with emotion.
So begins Peony’s unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow–as Lisa See’s haunting new novel, based on actual historical events, takes readers back to seventeenth-century China, after the Manchus seize power and the Ming dynasty is crushed.
Steeped in traditions and ritual, this story brings to life another time and place–even the intricate realm of the afterworld, with its protocols, pathways, and stages of existence, a vividly imagined place where one’s soul is divided into three, ancestors offer guidance, misdeeds are punished, and hungry ghosts wander the earth. Immersed in the richness and magic of the Chinese vision of the afterlife, transcending even death, Peony in Love explores, beautifully, the many manifestations of love. Ultimately, Lisa See’s new novel addresses universal themes: the bonds of friendship, the power of words, and the age-old desire of women to be heard.
From the Hardcover edition.
For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, these lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, amid the scent of ginger, green tea, and jasmine, a small theatrical troupe is performing scenes from this epic opera, a live spectacle few females have ever seen. Like the heroine in the drama, Peony is the cloistered daughter of a wealthy family, trapped like a good-luck cricket in a bamboo-and-lacquer cage. Though raised to be obedient, Peony has dreams of her own.
Peony’s mother is against her daughter’s attending the production: “Unmarried girls should not be seen in public.” But Peony’s father assures his wife that proprieties will be maintained, and that the women will watch the opera from behind a screen. Yet through its cracks, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man with hair as black as a cave–and is immediately overcome with emotion.
So begins Peony’s unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow–as Lisa See’s haunting new novel, based on actual historical events, takes readers back to seventeenth-century China, after the Manchus seize power and the Ming dynasty is crushed.
Steeped in traditions and ritual, this story brings to life another time and place–even the intricate realm of the afterworld, with its protocols, pathways, and stages of existence, a vividly imagined place where one’s soul is divided into three, ancestors offer guidance, misdeeds are punished, and hungry ghosts wander the earth. Immersed in the richness and magic of the Chinese vision of the afterlife, transcending even death, Peony in Love explores, beautifully, the many manifestations of love. Ultimately, Lisa See’s new novel addresses universal themes: the bonds of friendship, the power of words, and the age-old desire of women to be heard.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Top Member Book Reviews
Taryn C. (
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
Maybe you need to be in the right kind of mood to read this book. I dont think I was. It was well researched and well written but I just couldnt get into the dream sequences,the opera, the ghost wives ect. If you are a Chinese history buff it may be right up your alley - but I just got bored. I loved Snow flower and the secret fan so I was a bit dissapointed.
Allison D. (
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Lisa See has a writing style that quickly allows the reader to become absorbed in the book. This style makes Peony in Love an engaging and fairly easy read, even if the reader has never read The Peony Pavilion, which is the Chinese opera that inspired See’s novel.
Peony in Love is broken into three sections, the first of which is fairly slow going. It is obvious from the first section that the story is going to mirror The Peony Pavilion in that it will be a love story, but a love story that crosses both the mortal and immortal worlds. Even though the storyline is obvious, See manages to keep the plot moving in a way that leaves the reader with the desire to finish the story. However, there isn’t the emotional engagement with the characters that is present in some of her other works, like Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.
The other two sections of the book move in a fairly predictable direction, with a few unexpected twists and turns. Without giving away the end of the story, the rest of the book tells a common coming of age story in an uncommon way. Thoroughly researched Chinese culture and history is weaved throughout the tale in a way that makes the reader understand the full implications of being a woman in 17th Century China. The book is dramatic and tragic, yet there is a feeling of optimism that can’t be ignored.
See clearly does a significant amount of research into the controversy that the The Peony Pavilion caused throughout Chinese history, which gives the book a depth that contributes to its charm. However, the plot itself is less enchanting, which ultimately makes Peony in Love a good, but not great book.
C. L. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved Lisa See's "Snow Flower" so I picked this one up right after and was disappointed.
Kristin C. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Not deep reading, but very interesting. I could not identify with the characters and their situation, but I was fascinated by the moment of time that was captured here, and See's prose is a delight to read.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book. It transports you to a different time and a different culture.
Juli L. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really loved this book, but I can see how it wouldn't be for everyone. I really enjoyed a different perspective to read regarding the subject of the Chinese culture and their beliefs in death and the afterlife.
Christina T. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I love this book. Although this book is fiction, it is historically accurate, and many of the characters and scenarios in thebook actually existed and happened. It's a fascinating read and it transports you to a world and a life that's so alien and unique. I highly recommend this book!
Elizabeth B. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I quite enjoyed this story, more so than "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan". The love story, the poetry and the cultural details -- funeral and wedding rituals, various celebrations -- were all fascinating. Recommended.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
another wonderful and entertaining book about love, chinese history and culture. a highly fictionalized account of an actual manuscript and the emergence of women writers in 17th century china. this was engrossing to the point where i woke at 6am to finish reading it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A beautiful story.
Please Rate these Book Reviews
Fantastic!!! Its based on a young girl's obsession with the real Chinese Opera, The Peony Pavilion. Its set in seventeenth-century China and is full of culture and tradition from that time. So interesting, I'll definitely read it again sometime and I will pick up other work by Lisa See.
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