Peony is a young girl full of romantic hopes and dreams. Betrothed to a suitor she has never met, she knows that true love is most likely not her destiny. Yet she is inspired by her favorite opera, The Peony Pavilion and she cannot help but hope. And so when a young man at a performance of the opera speaks with her, Peony agrees to meet him secretly, even though it could ruin her. They fall in love and what follows is the story of their tragic and enduring romance.I'm going to do something a little different with this book and describe it in terms of the themes it encompasses.
The power of art. The play, The Peony Pavilion, is a major force in this story. Girls all over China are influenced by the play and become lovesick, even starving themselves as they are drawn to the dream of the powerful romance of the opera. Over and over through this story, poetry is used to communicate hope and loss.
Women's freedom. Peony and her peers are extremely restricted. She describes them as "trapped like good-luck crickets in bamboo-and-laquer cages." Being from a wealthy and privilaged family, Peony has never even been outside the walls of her home. Her only freedom lies in her education and writings, but even that is ridiculed as unworthy because she is a woman.
Love. Peony's romantic notions of love grow and change as time passes in the story. From her relationships with and understanding of other women, to her love for her mysterious poet, she grows and matures from a well-meaning but basicly clueless girl to a true understanding of love and selflessness.
In summary, this is a wonderful, but emotionally difficult book. There were several points where I just wanted to put it down and walk away, but I kept being pulled back by the intense story line and bewitching prose. There are some strong similarities in themes and style to Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and if you like one, you will most likely enjoy the other.
The final word: 5 out of 5. Highly recommended, unless you are looking for simple, uncomplicated happy endings.
Website for Lisa See. You'll find a Q&A, a sample chapter and lots more information about this book. If you can't see the embedded video below, that's there as well.
Click the book cover image to purchase from Amazon.
Second opinions:
Kiss a Cloud 2 part review here and here.
A Novel Menagerie.
You're next! Comment below with a link if you would like me to add your review.
