Peach Blossom Pavilion

While lesser authors try to beat you into submission with strained similes, she seamlessly transports you to a different place and time. Being a male, and father of 3, I felt like a ghost closely hovering over Xiang Xiang and hearing her thoughts. Perhaps I am her father’s ghost, and if so, while I am troubled by her many challenges I am also proud. At one point she ponders the options available to women at that time- she could be a wife in a most likely unhappy marriage, a concubine, a whore, or a poet-musician-courtesan. Considering her mother’s words, ‘We can’t beat our fate, but we play along with it and make the most of it’ perhaps the fate she had, how she dealt with it and ultimately beat it, served her best in the long run. The book looks at love, true love, and happiness. It’s up to the reader to decide the answer.

It is an amazing book! Hard to read because of the very difdifficult subject. Takes place in china in 1920s. Before Japaneese invaded China. When prostitution was a legal business.

Interesting book. I had ordered this book and two of this author's other books and read the other two first, was SOOO disappointed in the first two. Nearly didn't read this one. However, was pleasantly surprised. Although this one has some of the editing errors (plot mistakes/overlaps) as the other two, they are less jarring. And though the sexual exploits of the protagonist are there, they make more sense in this novel, due to her being a prostitute. In each of the three books however, the protagonist is basically "alone" at the start, someone enters her life to control her life in some sense, and she escapes that person/situation and goes "off the path", then ends up back "home" in a sense. The same basic plot in all three of her books, all predictably involving sexual experimentation, always including one lesbian experience. Her women can't seem to find their centers, and seem weak to me. They always seem to start out VERY sexually nieve and somewhat innocent. This author REALLY needs to try some new plots! Her basic ideas all have great potential, but become rather predictable due to her repetitive plot lines...if you're read one of her books, you can see the plot lines a mile ahead. However, this book I can recommend, just don't bother with the others!

What an interesting life! Very good character development, I hated for this to end. Would not trade places with her at all. This will stay with me for a long time.

Sometimes the pages can greatly outnumber the content. I have a great deal of respect and admiration for anyone who tackles the English language when it is not their first language. That said, there is an enormous ego at play, adjectives ad nauseum, redundancies without end, and had more "i"s than conjoined porcupines. This book could have concluded half way through with a good editor. You do get a sense of the poverty, desperation, and perversions of men in this floating world though.

I kept thinking about how similar this book is to Memoirs of a Geisha. I liked the way the author portrayed life inside a brothel and how the Peach Pavillion was a cut above the usual house of ill repute. I enjoyed the history of China and was happy that our heroine managed to escape just in time.

All of Mingmei Yips book seem to plod along the same theme. This one is very slow in the beginning and does not develop until you go back to present time when she is telling her story. I found it hard reading and I think that I have read enough of books written by this author

I really wanted to love this book. I’m a huge fan of Lisa See, and Amy Tan, and I love this type of story, but this one just didn’t have it. The conversations felt forced and unnatural. It felt like a lot of jumping around in the story, but it was not done smoothly. The story just did not flow naturally. Very disappointing.

I was drawn to this book by the very pretty cover and also the fact that I have read a few books that have the Japanese king of look to the covers. I really enjoyed this book. I liked Xiang Xiang who is the main character. I also liked the way the story would come back to the modern day. The story begins when Xiang Xiang is young circumstances cause her to be given away to her distant family when her mother can no longer supporting her. Xiang Xiang's mother becomes a nun and Xinag Xiang is to work in the house of a rich man. The house turns out to be a high class brothel, and Xiang Xiang had to learn to become a prostitute. Very good story line and good characters.

The PlotPeach Blossom Pavilion is the story of Xiang Xiang, who is inadvertently given to a prostitution house in turn of the century Shanghai. Though far from a life she enjoys, Xiang Xiang is determined to make the most of her life and use the advantages she has to reunite with her family.My ReviewAn interesting book but very similar, though not quite as good as, Memoirs of a Geisha. The story seemed to meander with bright flashes of action, and although I enjoyed reading it, overall, it didn't grab me as much as I was expecting. It did however give an insight into China in the 1910/20s and some of the descriptions were beautiful.If you are interested in China or Chinese history then this is definitely worth a read, otherwise Memoirs of a Geisha is the better bet.

Couldn't put this book down! So beautifully written - the smells, colours, tastes, sounds, are very descriptive. I disagree with some of the other reviews that it's vulgar. The story is about prostitution but I don't feel too much was given away. The author knew when to stop. Instead, we are shown the harsh and brutal side of the young girl's experiences. Highly recommend this book. Full of drama, suspense, twists and turns. I did find the character a little indecisive but I felt like I could relate with her. She was very likeable and the reader joins her journey from a naive and innocent 13 year old. Best read I've had a in long time. Sad story but gripping and comic at points.

Excellent read. Interesting story of a young girls unexpected life & her survival in a house of ill repute

I found this book fascinating and got thoroughly drawn into this young character's life. The excellent research done by the writer in this subject matter, and her imagination brought the book to life for me, and I was actually sorry when I finished it. The numerous Chinese poems and sayings dotted throughout the story added another dimension, and the story is one which will be remembered by me for a very long time.