I think because there's SO much exposition of this Chinese opera in the background, and too little (for me anyway) about the main characters. I'm Cynthia who's a makeup addict and a self-starter. Peony is a subscription service delivering unique floral bouquets in London Ontario on a biweekly and monthly schedule It's definitely not what I thought it would be. But the depictions of the lives and values of wealthy Chinese families, especially this female view, are fascinating if horrifying. it's also one of these books where everything is set in motion by a COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE misunderstanding and I have absolutely no patience for those scenarios. Start by marking “Peony in Love” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Tang Xianzu set The Peony Pavilion in the Song dynasty (960-1127), but he was writing about the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), a time of artistic ferment as well as political turmoil and corruption. What are the secrets? 3)The women in the story were real women, as was Wu Ren. I day-dreamed about what he was doing, thinking, seeing, smelling, feeling. Peony in Love is in announced. Peony is a 15-year-old girl in Manchu China who falls in love with the opera. Still, I struggled between liking what See did by giving us a view of life after death, and not caring for the toxicity of too much romance. To be fair, I didn't expect to like Peony, but one of the reviews said it "belonged in my beach bag,' which sounded like what I was after at the time. See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Because this project is categorized as in development, the data is only available on IMDbPro and is subject to change. I'm Cynthia who's a makeup addict and a self-starter. Considering the ending, which redeems so much which seemed sensational, tawdry and even dangerous and the fact that it is based on a true story, I was inclined to be generous. Then, during a performance of The Peony Pavilion, Peony sees a handsome man, and Love At First Sight ensues. Refresh and try again. Reading the author's notes after finishing the book cinched the 5 star rating. Glad I finished it though, Lisa See is a Chinese-American author. Peony In Love brings to life two 17th century writings - the opera "The Peony Pavilion which celebrates the supremacy of love over mortality, and "The Three Wives' Commentary" - musings on love inspired by "The Peony Pavilion". Although promised in an arranged marriage, Peony observes a "man-beautiful" poet from behind a screen at a performance of Pavilion, and she falls in love. This page turning novel of love, loss and family is also a ghost story that kept me up all night wanting to know the ending. Kudos to Lisa See for knocking another one out o. The novel enlightens one about seventeenth century family relationships and ancestor veneration in China, beliefs about the afterlife, the history of a famous opera, "The Peony Pavilion" and the effects that it had on young women, the renaissance of women poets and writers during that era, foot-binding, marriage customs, the political scene at. Convinced that she'll be marrying someone other than the boy she met, she succumbs to "lovesickness" and slowly starves herself to death. The summary of the book is a little misleading. June 26th 2007 Peony In Love hits all the right notes to be a popular book for 21st century female readers, especially book club members. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Romantic trysts, anorexic teenagers, mothers with secrets and women with literary ambition -- Lisa See's Peony in Love takes place in mid-17th-century China but … A true work of art. Lovers of Historical Fiction and Romance - it's a perfectly harmonious blend! I just didn't like this book (though I did like Snow Flower and the Secret Fan). Peony, coddled teenage daughter of the Chen clan, is not the only aristocratic maiden to be love-struck by the opera (still considered outré in China today). It is a truly amazing read! Advertisement: To me it was historical fiction. Peony in Love A Novel (Book) : See, Lisa : In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, a small theatrical troupe is performing scenes from a famed opera rumored to cause love sickness and even death. Peony in Love will make you ache in heart and mind for young Peony and all the women of the world who want to be heard. The novel looks at the Chinese veneration of ancestors as well as the desire to have sons. From the reviews that I have read since finishing you either love this book or hate it. We’d love your help. 'My eyes were shaped like bamboo leaves; my brows were like gentle brushstrokes limned by a calligrapher'. Although promised in an arranged marriage, Peony observes a “man-beautiful” poet from behind a screen at a performance of Pavilion, and she falls in love. A true work of art. It's uneven quality accounts for the rating. Peony is the only child of a wealthy couple who experienced some hard times during the Manchu raids. "For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, these lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. Her books include, “He was in my hair, my eyes, my fingers, my heart. Contact: View company contact information. 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. I found See's extensive research into Chinese life, culture, traditions and customs extremely fascinating, especially in reg. I did skip right through it so that I could talk to her about it. There were moments where I feel I can't read anymore because I am so overwhelmed with emotion, but I can never put the book down for any real length of time. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. It's fascinating to see the differences from then to now, and also to realize that while there are differences, there are also many similarities today in women's oppression and sensoring as there were then. Very unique yet interesting plot. Love plays a big part, but not necessarily in the way I expected it to. The main character was swept away by her own love affair. Peony was very hesitant – but you see, a girl at her age ; one who is infatuated with thoughts of love and wallowed in an obsession of The Peony … InPeony in Love, she leads us on a literary adventure into the past that will have relevance to today’s readers who value drama, accuracy, and the lure of the written word.” The Boston Globe, Step Inside the World of The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Step Inside the World of On Gold Mountain, Conversation with Lisa See and Her Mother, Carolyn See. As I told a friend, I CARED so much about what was happening with the characters, I was literally losing sleep. To me it was historical fiction and I learned so much about ancient china culture. 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. Peony attends the production, watching from behind a screen, but catches sight of a handsome man and begins a journey of love and sorrow. Drama | See all in-development titles on IMDbPro. So begins Peony’s unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow, the living world and the afterworld. In seventeenth-century China, three women become emotionally involved with The Peony Pavilion, a famed opera rumored to cause lovesickness and even death, including Peony, the cloistered daughter of a wealthy scholar, who succumbs to its spell only to return after her death as a "hungry ghost" to haunt her former fiancé, who has married another. Her father stages the opera at her home and the women are allowed to watch through a screen. I have no idea where it's hanging out! In spring, moved to passion; in autumn only regret. I just *needed* to view the words that I had heard on the audiobook. For additional info about Peony in Love (such as project notes, … I don't think I will ever forget the details of this book. One way or another you will be touched. Peony in Love has a few of the same elements but is, nicely, a different novel. Although that wasn't the whole point of the story, it was still its major focus and with devastating results. Peony in Love has a few of the same elements but is, nicely, a different novel. Had I not been in public upon reading the last page, I would have fallen….This is a book to be read and reread, savored and relived, pored over and relished.” The Book Reporter “See is a master storyteller, calling on her knowledge of history, myth, and current international events to craft intricate narratives that are at once edifying and evocative. See follows the plot of a famous Chinese opera, The Peony Pavilion, by having her young maiden be so swept away with emotion and desire that she stops eating and loses her chance at earthly happiness. Considering the ending, which redeems so much which seemed sensational, tawdry and even dangerous and the fact that it is based on a true story, I was inclined to be generous. I really enjoyed reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. More important in this book are the facts. It takes place in 17th century China. [ One U.S. dollar, can you believe that!!?? Peony In Love: A Novel by See, Lisa In seventeenth-century China, three women become emotionally involved with The Peony Pavilion, a famed opera rumored to cause lovesickness and even death, including Peony, the cloistered daughter of a wealthy scholar, who succumbs to its spell only to return after her death as a "hungry ghost" to haunt her former fianc?, who has married another. All I have to say is. Occasionally, rarely, I read a book after which I need to take a few days to come up for air, so to speak. Not a romance, but a love story with a twist. Realizing the amount of truth and actual history was astonishing. But that was not the case with this book, and it serves as an example of how good this book is. Please read it for yourself. It describes the book as a love story. Lisa See's research comes out in almost every passage of this historical novel of the first Manchu dynasty in China. For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, these lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. I wish I could add an extra star to my rating - this is a six-star novel. This is the first and only time that I have ever done that. As I told a friend, I CARED so much about what was happening with the characters, I was literally losing sleep. 15. Almost every day I am consciously aware of how fortunate I am to be a woman in a society like Australia, where women are still not equal to men but where we are free to make choices about our own lives and where mutilation, beatings and enslavement are outside the law, not accepted ways of treating women. Some would consider it a love story , some a coming of age, others fantasy , and also a ghost story. Peony meets a boy, falls in love, and begins. Note: Because this project is categorized as in development, the data is only available on IMDbPro and is subject to change. It is beautifully written (lovely descriptions and intricate details), well researched, and unbelievably touching. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. 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. Peony in Love also emphasizes the struggles both seventeenth- and nineteenth-century women in China faced in pursuing a sense of freedom and self in a country that reneged on gender equality, preferring the traditional and repressive norms of the patriarchy. 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