Peony in Love

Set in 17th century China, Peony in Love follows a young woman from a wealthy family who becomes captivated by The Peony Pavilion, a classical Chinese opera about love and desire. The story centers around fifteen-year-old Peony's growing obsession with the opera and her chance encounter with a mysterious young man during a performance at her family's estate. The narrative explores Chinese beliefs about the afterlife, ancestral duties, and the complex traditions surrounding death and remembrance in Ming Dynasty China. Through Peony's experiences, readers witness the intricate customs, rituals, and social expectations that governed the lives of upper-class Chinese women during this period. The novel examines themes of forbidden love, female literary expression, and the struggle for personal identity in a restrictive society. It draws connections between love, death, and art while illuminating the often-overlooked contributions of women writers in Chinese history.

Readers report strong emotional responses to this ghost story set in 17th century China. Many note they cried while reading. Readers liked: - Historical details about Chinese beliefs, traditions and literature - The exploration of women's roles and relationships - Learning about "The Peony Pavilion" opera - Writing style that blends romance with cultural history Readers disliked: - Slow pacing in the middle sections - Confusion about supernatural elements and timeline shifts - Too much detail about Chinese customs interrupting the narrative flow - Some found the protagonist unlikeable or frustrating Ratings: Goodreads: 3.82/5 (25,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (400+ ratings) Sample reviews: "Beautiful but devastating" - Goodreads reviewer "The historical information overwhelms the story at times" - Amazon reviewer "Made me appreciate Chinese women's writing and relationships in a new way" - LibraryThing review "Lost interest after the supernatural shift" - BookBrowse comment

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🌺 "The Peony Pavilion," the opera central to the novel, was actually performed over 20 hours across three days when it debuted in 1598. 🖋️ The novel was inspired by three real-life Chinese women known as "The Three Wives' Commentary," who wrote the first published commentary of "The Peony Pavilion" in the 17th century. 🏮 During the Ming-Qing transition period depicted in the book, many young women died from "lovesickness" after reading "The Peony Pavilion," believing that the intensity of love could transcend death. 📚 Lisa See spent five years researching Chinese customs, beliefs about the afterlife, and women's writing traditions to create an authentic historical backdrop for the novel. 🎭 The Chinese practice of "lovesick maidens" writing poetry and commentary became so widespread during this era that it created its own literary movement, with over 400 women writers documented from the period.