I enjoyed reading this book. Pearl S Buck describes her characters in a way that allows you to understand their thoughts and motives. For a young girl, Peony is quite a contriver and at times quite sneaky, but in a sweet way that made it hard for me to be mad at her. Her motive always remained the same - to be able to remain in the only home she knew and did not want to leave.
The story line was easy to follow and at times made it difficult to decide who I sympathized with more.
Beware: I will probably be giving away plot points in the following comments.
I started out reading this book and didn't care for it as much by the end. I just got annoyed with the characters, especially David, and couldn't connect with why they did what they did (Leah). I agree with B that it was hard to dislike Peony for all she was a conniving girl/woman.
Parts I noted: Chapter 2: "As well as though she had spoken, Peony knew the thoughts inside Madame Ezra's handsome head." I don't know that I would like being able to discern other's thoughts by being still and quiet. In fact, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't.
Chapter 3: "How could she be good, even if she wished to be, when she must win all she had by wile and trickery?" Good question.
Okay, the first time I don't understand why someone acted as they did: "She stepped forward, and stooping, she kissed the silver scabbard of the sword he held." Um, why? It had just killed their people. David did not intend to fight with it. Huh? And why was everyone all excited about this?
Chapter 4: "She lifted her eyes to him and her heart flew as straight as a bird from her bosom and nestled in him." Did anyone else find this imagery disturbing?
Chapter 6: "None on earth can love those who declare that they alone are the sons of God." I wish I had read this quote before I had taught Middle East politics because it would have made a great discussion question. How much of the trouble of the Jews is for this reason?
Chapter 7: The whole Leah/David drama in this annoyed me. We've been told time and again how good and sweet Leah is, how wonderful and gentle Leah is, and then BAM she smacks David with the sword and then kills herself. Really? Something isn't right here. Either Leah isn't as good and gentle as we've been told or Leah had a break from reality over being told she isn't loved.
Oh, and David's whole vascilating between Leah and Kueilan (and Peony, though he doesn't know it): should I marry this beautiful girl or this beautiful girl or this beautiful girl? What a quandry. Of course he can't marry the one he actually KNOWS because she isn't good enough. No, instead he loves the one he's NEVER TALKED TO. Honestly, he deserves a vapid wife.
Chapter 10: I was just reading somewhere else that European descent Jews are more likely to get breast and ovarian cancer than other populations.
Chapter 11: "This was the head split open so that the brains could be picked out with chopsticks and tasted for the fine delicate flavor. Who could tire of such fare?" Um, yum?
Peony and the Chief Steward. Poor Peony. From this point on I gave up on the whole plot. I just didn't like the ending.
Sorry, B, I thought I was going to like this book but it just didn't work out.
It is ok if you didn't like it M. Books with Asian characters are different and this one gave us a peak at a part of Chinese history that I wasn't aware of (the Jewish people in China). It was written of the time before the communists took over and removed the emporer from power.
Asian people appear to have a different outlook on suicide.. it is quite often done to save face or to maintain their honor. The Japanese are especially noted for this. This may have been what was behind Leah's death.
It took me some time to get into this book – until chapter 7 to be precise. It seems Peony spent a lot of time “thinking”, he loves me, he loves her, he loves her.
I had never heard of the Jews in China so this was quite educational. Especially how easily the Jews were accepted.
The end reminded me of the Sound of Music with Maria/Peony running off to the nunnery.
I read this on my kindle and I think I note more because it is so easy.
Chapter 3 – “the secret gate which all great houses have, so that in time of the anger of the people, when they storm the front gates of the rich, the family can escape”. The escaping through the gate part would be cool, the storming part would not.
Chapter 3 – “in sleep the soul wanders over the earth, and if the body is waked too quickly, the soul is confused and cannot find its way again to its home”. I knew my soul went awandering when I was sleeping. And I’ve felt like this sometimes when waking up too fast.
Chapter 4 – “Here was the question: Was life sad or happy?” The question indeed! And Wang Ma’s response “You cannot be happy until you understand that life is sad.” I disagree Wang Ma, you cannot be happy until you understand that life is HAPPY. It’s all in your outlook Wang Ma.
Chapter 7 – “Life does not wait for your allowance”. I wish Eli would understand this….
Chapter 8 – “the chicken blood was jelled into a pudding with the liver, and red rice was cooked with spinach roots and raw eggs mingled with it, and all this went to mend David’s wasted blood.” Yummy.
Chapter 10 – At the old rabbi‘s funeral, “they stooped and took dust from the road as they walked and poured it upon their heads”. Is this still a custom somewhere? Have to research it.
Chapter 12: “when people were kind and just to one another, that the walls between them fell and they became one humanity”. That says it all.
New vocabulary for me: Geomancer: person who places or arranges buildings or other sites auspiciously Panoplied: a complete or impressive collection of things (maybe my fabric is a panoply?) Adjured: formal urge or request solemnly or earnestly to do something. I guess that is what I do with my students and homework!
M, your comment about Chapter 6 is quite true. If you believe yourself special and thus should be treated special, then you probably will be treated specially (and differently) but probably not as YOU thought you should be.
Also, the chief steward thing got me too. So, a Chinese SERVANT to avoid leaving her JEWISH family (and live with the imperial family) leaaves the Jewish family to go to a convent? That's a bit mixed up.
Sorry I am so late in posting! New job + moving back to Troy has me not as dedicated to reading as I would like to be.
I really enjoyed Peony. It is right up my alley - an international (mostly) downer.
First, some bits I really liked, and I agree with Joy that it's much easier to highlight and find quotes on the kindle; I hate that there aren't any page numbers. Ch IV "She had always been too wise to tell him all she thought and felt, knowing by some intuition of her own womanhood that no man wants to know everything of any woman."
Ch XI "While the court had been in exile there had been much ruin, and this must all be mended." This reminded me of The Last Empress, and I was glad to have read that book before this one. Remember how it described the Empress returning with lice, and having to sit through audiences without scratching? "We will put the silver shield on just the same. Who will know the nail is gone beneath?" They did this in The Last Empress too!
Ch XII "He longed to be free of them all, and yet he knew that no man is ever free of the women who have made him what he is." I would say this is true for all genders.
I really didn't understand Leah's character at all. from the beginning it seemed like she was deeply troubled about something, then kissing the sword, then killing herself with it. Whaaaaaaat? Maybe Buck was using her to show the more tragic side of the conflict between maintaining your culture and assimilating?
I liked Old Wang, she reminded me of a similar character in The Good Earth. For her, a servant her entire life and married to a man she didn't chose, I am sure life was sad.
Totally agree with M's comment from Ch VI. Very eyeopening and applicable to many brands of religious fervor.
The ending felt forced. After a morose, downtrodden book giving everyone a happy ending didn't seem right. But, I do agree with the concept that distancing yourself from a situation makes it bearable and inspires growth. I am sure Peony was able to be much happier not living with David.
7 comments:
I enjoyed reading this book. Pearl S Buck describes her characters in a way that allows you to understand their thoughts and motives. For a young girl, Peony is quite a contriver and at times quite sneaky, but in a sweet way that made it hard for me to be mad at her. Her motive always remained the same - to be able to remain in the only home she knew and did not want to leave.
The story line was easy to follow and at times made it difficult to decide who I sympathized with more.
Beware: I will probably be giving away plot points in the following comments.
I started out reading this book and didn't care for it as much by the end. I just got annoyed with the characters, especially David, and couldn't connect with why they did what they did (Leah). I agree with B that it was hard to dislike Peony for all she was a conniving girl/woman.
Parts I noted:
Chapter 2: "As well as though she had spoken, Peony knew the thoughts inside Madame Ezra's handsome head." I don't know that I would like being able to discern other's thoughts by being still and quiet. In fact, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't.
Chapter 3: "How could she be good, even if she wished to be, when she must win all she had by wile and trickery?" Good question.
Okay, the first time I don't understand why someone acted as they did: "She stepped forward, and stooping, she kissed the silver scabbard of the sword he held." Um, why? It had just killed their people. David did not intend to fight with it. Huh? And why was everyone all excited about this?
Chapter 4: "She lifted her eyes to him and her heart flew as straight as a bird from her bosom and nestled in him." Did anyone else find this imagery disturbing?
Chapter 6: "None on earth can love those who declare that they alone are the sons of God." I wish I had read this quote before I had taught Middle East politics because it would have made a great discussion question. How much of the trouble of the Jews is for this reason?
Chapter 7: The whole Leah/David drama in this annoyed me. We've been told time and again how good and sweet Leah is, how wonderful and gentle Leah is, and then BAM she smacks David with the sword and then kills herself. Really? Something isn't right here. Either Leah isn't as good and gentle as we've been told or Leah had a break from reality over being told she isn't loved.
Oh, and David's whole vascilating between Leah and Kueilan (and Peony, though he doesn't know it): should I marry this beautiful girl or this beautiful girl or this beautiful girl? What a quandry. Of course he can't marry the one he actually KNOWS because she isn't good enough. No, instead he loves the one he's NEVER TALKED TO. Honestly, he deserves a vapid wife.
Chapter 10: I was just reading somewhere else that European descent Jews are more likely to get breast and ovarian cancer than other populations.
Chapter 11: "This was the head split open so that the brains could be picked out with chopsticks and tasted for the fine delicate flavor. Who could tire of such fare?" Um, yum?
Peony and the Chief Steward. Poor Peony. From this point on I gave up on the whole plot. I just didn't like the ending.
Sorry, B, I thought I was going to like this book but it just didn't work out.
It is ok if you didn't like it M. Books with Asian characters are different and this one gave us a peak at a part of Chinese history that I wasn't aware of (the Jewish people in China). It was written of the time before the communists took over and removed the emporer from power.
Asian people appear to have a different outlook on suicide.. it is quite often done to save face or to maintain their honor. The Japanese are especially noted for this. This may have been what was behind Leah's death.
Yes, I know Leah was not Japanese. The Chinese also had this mindset.
Oops.. I think it is emperor.
It took me some time to get into this book – until chapter 7 to be precise. It seems Peony spent a lot of time “thinking”, he loves me, he loves her, he loves her.
I had never heard of the Jews in China so this was quite educational. Especially how easily the Jews were accepted.
The end reminded me of the Sound of Music with Maria/Peony running off to the nunnery.
I read this on my kindle and I think I note more because it is so easy.
Chapter 3 – “the secret gate which all great houses have, so that in time of the anger of the people, when they storm the front gates of the rich, the family can escape”. The escaping through the gate part would be cool, the storming part would not.
Chapter 3 – “in sleep the soul wanders over the earth, and if the body is waked too quickly, the soul is confused and cannot find its way again to its home”. I knew my soul went awandering when I was sleeping. And I’ve felt like this sometimes when waking up too fast.
Chapter 4 – “Here was the question: Was life sad or happy?” The question indeed! And Wang Ma’s response “You cannot be happy until you understand that life is sad.” I disagree Wang Ma, you cannot be happy until you understand that life is HAPPY. It’s all in your outlook Wang Ma.
Chapter 7 – “Life does not wait for your allowance”. I wish Eli would understand this….
Chapter 8 – “the chicken blood was jelled into a pudding with the liver, and red rice was cooked with spinach roots and raw eggs mingled with it, and all this went to mend David’s wasted blood.” Yummy.
Chapter 10 – At the old rabbi‘s funeral, “they stooped and took dust from the road as they walked and poured it upon their heads”. Is this still a custom somewhere? Have to research it.
Chapter 12: “when people were kind and just to one another, that the walls between them fell and they became one humanity”. That says it all.
New vocabulary for me:
Geomancer: person who places or arranges buildings or other sites auspiciously
Panoplied: a complete or impressive collection of things (maybe my fabric is a panoply?)
Adjured: formal urge or request solemnly or earnestly to do something. I guess that is what I do with my students and homework!
M, your comment about Chapter 6 is quite true. If you believe yourself special and thus should be treated special, then you probably will be treated specially (and differently) but probably not as YOU thought you should be.
Also, the chief steward thing got me too. So, a Chinese SERVANT to avoid leaving her JEWISH family (and live with the imperial family) leaaves the Jewish family to go to a convent? That's a bit mixed up.
Sorry I am so late in posting! New job + moving back to Troy has me not as dedicated to reading as I would like to be.
I really enjoyed Peony. It is right up my alley - an international (mostly) downer.
First, some bits I really liked, and I agree with Joy that it's much easier to highlight and find quotes on the kindle; I hate that there aren't any page numbers.
Ch IV
"She had always been too wise to tell him all she thought and felt, knowing by some intuition of her own womanhood that no man wants to know everything of any woman."
Ch XI
"While the court had been in exile there had been much ruin, and this must all be mended." This reminded me of The Last Empress, and I was glad to have read that book before this one. Remember how it described the Empress returning with lice, and having to sit through audiences without scratching?
"We will put the silver shield on just the same. Who will know the nail is gone beneath?" They did this in The Last Empress too!
Ch XII
"He longed to be free of them all, and yet he knew that no man is ever free of the women who have made him what he is." I would say this is true for all genders.
I really didn't understand Leah's character at all. from the beginning it seemed like she was deeply troubled about something, then kissing the sword, then killing herself with it. Whaaaaaaat? Maybe Buck was using her to show the more tragic side of the conflict between maintaining your culture and assimilating?
I liked Old Wang, she reminded me of a similar character in The Good Earth. For her, a servant her entire life and married to a man she didn't chose, I am sure life was sad.
Totally agree with M's comment from Ch VI. Very eyeopening and applicable to many brands of religious fervor.
The ending felt forced. After a morose, downtrodden book giving everyone a happy ending didn't seem right. But, I do agree with the concept that distancing yourself from a situation makes it bearable and inspires growth. I am sure Peony was able to be much happier not living with David.
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