Product Description

Peony has neither seen nor spoken to any man other than her father, a wealthy Chinese nobleman. Nor has she ever ventured outside the cloistered women's quarters of the family villa. As her sixteenth birthday approaches, she finds herself betrothed to a man she does not know, but Peony has dreams of her own. Her father engages a theatrical troupe to perform scenes from "The Peony Pavilion", a Chinese epic opera, in their garden amidst the scent of ginger, green tea and jasmine. 'Unmarried girls should not be seen in public,' says Peony's mother, but her father allows the women to watch from behind a screen. Here, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man and is immediately bewitched. So begins her unforgettable journey of love, desire, sorrow and redemption.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39794 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Review
'If you liked Memoirs of a Geisha, you'll love this. One to get lost in' Eve 'An absorbing tale of love in seventeenth-century China' Woman and Home 'See is gifted with a lucid, graceful style' New York Times 'This is a brave, brilliant book' Guardian

Kate Saunders, The Times
`Those who adored See's sublime Snow Flower and the Secret Fan will be delighted by this sensuous and imaginative bringing-to-life of Chinese history'

Observer
`Those wishing to carry out a modern-day foot-binding could do worse than invest in this operatic Chinese romance, which exhaustively details the bone-splintering agonies ... fascinating ... the real delight lies in See's exhaustive research into the period'

Customer Reviews

Love is of source unknown, yet it grows ever deeper
The old theme of star-crossed lovers takes an Oriental twist in this historical period drama about a love-struck young girl, an enamored poet, and the opera that not only brings them together but casts them apart.

This story is about Peony, a young woman and only child of a wealthy family. Set in seventeenth century China, when well brought up young women weren't allowed to be seen or heard, especially by strange men, Peony's father organizes a theatrical performance of the opera "The Peony Pavilion", and although her mother doesn't want her to see it, arrangements are made for a screen to be erected, behind which the women can get a glimpse of the epic opera. Peony is a big fan of "The Peony Pavilion", having collected many editions, reading and memorizing many of the popular segments, but even though seeing it live is a big thrill, she becomes more interested in observing a young man sitting in the audience.

Risking her reputation, she wanders off on her own, and as fate would have it, she encounters the young man in an isolated place, where they discover that they enjoy each other's company very much. Unfortunately, Peony is already betrothed by way of an arranged marriage, and as the big day approaches she spends her days dreaming of the young man and obsessively recording her thoughts in an edition of the great opera, refusing food and ignoring the advice of the doctors and other experts that come to see her. From this point her life takes a dramatic turn with a cruel twist, and the story and the opera fuse together in elaborate fashion, becoming a dark fantasy full of ghosts, superstition and tradition.

The author lingers over the historical details, the proud traditions, the poetry of the opera and the protocols of the afterlife, as well as other remarkable activities such as foot binding and embroidery, and although this is an extremely poignant and melancholy book, it is so rich in description that you won't want to put it down. A dramatic, absorbing and informative story that will remain with you for a long time after you've finished reading it.


Amanda Richards

Snowflower crossed with The Lovely Bones
I loved Snowflower and the Secret Fan so much I didn't think Lisa See could equal it, but with Peony in Love she does. At first I thought it would be about Snowflower's daughter Peony from the first novel, but it's actually set even further back in time, in 17th century China. Foot-binding is still a major theme, though not described in such terrifying detail this time round.Chinese Renaissance opera and a woman's right to write are new themes. The novel, in a faintly satirical but wholly compelling way, also focuses on the complex rituals associated with the afterworld in Chinese mythology. Peony's first person narration and all the sumptuous detail of sights, sounds and smells keep the novel
fresh and modern.

Peony in Love
I bought this book based on that I had read "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" which was intriguing to say the least.

I find all the culture and traditions so compelling, and "Peony in Love" delves deeper into these subjects keeping the spiritual and living world parallel as you read, allowing you to experience Peony's life from all aspects.

To tell you the truth.... I very nearly gave up on this book. As I completed Part I, I couldn't bear to start Part II. I was livid!!
I slammed it down on my bedside table, and ignored it for a few hours. But after I explained to a friend about Part I, she encouraged me to pick it back up and continue. I am very pleased I did..... it was fantastic.