Ancestors are the roots in any house, and children are the flowers, and the two must not be cut asunder.
I picked up this book on a whim at the lib
Ancestors are the roots in any house, and children are the flowers, and the two must not be cut asunder.
I picked up this book on a whim at the library because I knew Pearl S. Buck had been somewhat of an expert in writing historical fiction set in China and that she'd been compared to Lisa See. I was pleased to see that this book was about the Kaifeng Jews in China, a little known group of Jewish people in midland China which has mostly ceased to exist via years of assimilation and mixing with their Chinese neighbors. Peony was an interesting book and I don't regret reading it. However, I don't think I will pick up another.
Some reviews criticize the book for making our main character, Peony, too angelic. I didn't get that sense of her at all, however. Rather I thought she was scheming and manipulative. This may be a realistic depiction of the kind of woman who could penetrate the cultural and class barriers of the family to whom she serves as a bondmaid. She is able to shape David's, the young master of the house, entire trajectory of his love life just by planting ideas into other people's minds for her own selfish gain. Peony is an extremely clever girl!
Others criticize the book as fanning the flames of antisemitism by portraying the Jewish people's "setting themselves apart" by resisting assimilation as their main conflict. I didn't feel that Buck intended to write the book as to agree with those ideas, but rather was simply reflecting the attitudes of the time. Along the same vein, some have pointed out the Jews in the book don't quite align with how the rest of the Jewish diaspora talk and behave. Things such as saying "Jehovah" rather than Hashem, and some other things. However, it is quite likely that the Keifeng Jews would have been a little odd as they had been isolated from the diaspora for quite some time.
My main complaint is that the timeline in the book doesn't actually gel with the history of the Keifeng Jews. The book is set in the mid-1800s and the Keifeng Jewish community of Peony loses their rabbi without a successor during that time. Yet, in the real history, this exact scenario would have happened in the 1600s. The synagogue was destroyed around 1860, however, so some facts are accurate. My guess is the Buck based a lot of her story on old tales she would have learned about the group during her time in China.
What I liked about the book, however, was how well Buck showed how assimilation happens, maybe even inevitably. I also enjoyed the evolution of Peony's character as she matures and eventually accepts what she can't have. There are probably better books by Buck out there to pick up for the first time. However, with a TBR pile that threatens to crush me and my cats any moment now, I will move on to other authors....more
The style of this book is distinct in its dark comedy and cynicism, a style I don't typically love. I sadly bought this book on a whim before reading The style of this book is distinct in its dark comedy and cynicism, a style I don't typically love. I sadly bought this book on a whim before reading reviews after seeing it in a list of Chinese books. I like to believe that I'm not prudish, but certain parts of this book left me so uncomfortable I have to wonder. It is the point of the book to be dark, depressing, ironic, and cynical. If you like stories that leave you drained and depressed, you will probably enjoy this. As for me, I had to donate this book because even its presence among my collection started to concern me....more
This book was long--608 pages long--but rarely tedious. Emotionally, it tore me back and forth, and finally, at the end, I threw the book on the floorThis book was long--608 pages long--but rarely tedious. Emotionally, it tore me back and forth, and finally, at the end, I threw the book on the floor. I threw it with all my strength. I was angry because I had only hastily read the final chapter. I was convinced I had been on this emotional roller coaster for nothing.
This book will entertain, frustrate, and frighten. It will make your heart ache and groan inside, "why?" You'll potentially learn more about China under Mao's rule than before, and feel it very personally. And you may hate it.
But, whatever you do, read the final chapter in its entirely and slowly. Don't rush because you're desperate for resolution. Don't rush because you just finished reading 600 pages. Don't rush! Read it all the way through because you will smile a bit at the end. It's not the more rewarding end, but it's enough....more
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