Helpful Score: 11
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 Sees 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 isnt 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 cant 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.
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 isnt 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 cant 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.
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