http://www.viewpoints.com/Peony-in-Love-reviews Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:59:23 GMT Latest reviews about Peony in Love http://www.viewpoints.com/Peony-in-Love-review-2ec37 PEONY IN LOVE<br/> by Lisa See<br/><br/> This story is set in 17th century China. Peony is a young girl, soon to be married, who is obsessed with the opera "The Peony Pavilion", which actually was a real opera. She is also pining away for the young man she has been meeting in secret, unknown to her family. Her family has arranged a marriage for here, as was the custom of wealthy families of that time, but she dies of "love sickness", finding out too late that the man was betrothed to was actually the man she was in love with and meeting in the garden.<br/><br/> The story follows Peony as she tries to reunite with the man she loves, despite death. The story follows her journey into the afterworld.<br/><br/> Some of the characters in the book were actually real people, who lived at that time, though their life stories are fictionalized. I found it interesting to read about the ancient Chinese customs regarding how girls are raised, marriages are arranged, and the customs of death and morning, and their beliefs in the after...... Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:59:23 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Peony-in-Love-review-2ec37 mom2acat 5 http://www.viewpoints.com/Peony-in-Love-review-044f5 I picked up Peony in Love since I had really enjoyed another Lisa See book - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.  This book was not as good as Snow Flower and the Secret fan.  It was very involving and romantic, but not in the expected way.  I got somewhat frustrated towards the middle, when it took a Romeo and Juliet turn, but felt better as the book went on.  It gives you a hopeful feeling and it definitely got me emotionally involved.  In addition to being a lovely story, it is very culturally educational.  It is one of those stories that makes you got to the internet and look up historical facts.  Definitely not a light read, but if you liked Snow Flower, you'll enjoy it for the beautiful settings and cultural detail.... Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:52:35 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Peony-in-Love-review-044f5 walaia 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Peony-in-Love-review-57d91 After reading Snow's "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" (which is INCREDIBLE, by the way), I couldn't wait for the release of this, her latest book. To say I was bitterly disappointed is putting it mildly. I kept waiting and waiting to "get into" the book--to become somehow attached to any of the characters, to care whether or not they were living or dead or living in another state, and I just could not connect with any of it! I would HIGHLY recommend reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and I cannot think of anyone that I could recommend Peony in Love to--it was just awful. I finished it and felt as though I had wasted my time and money and I honestly cannot remember the last time I read I book I enjoyed less. Wah!... Sun, 18 Nov 2007 04:06:50 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Peony-in-Love-review-57d91 allysue 1