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The Painter of Shanghai
by
Jennifer Cody Epstein (Goodreads Author)
Pan Yuliang was a girl with no dreams. Her parents were taken from her at a young age, then her uncle sold her into prostitution; it was enough for many years just to cope and survive. One day, fate places a kind gentleman in her path, and she begins to discover the city outside the brothel and the world beyond China's borders. As a larger canvas of life emerges, Pan reali...more
Paperback, 496 pages
Published
April 3rd 2008
by Penguin Books Ltd.
(first published 2008)
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Apr 15, 2008
Hillary
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
EVERYONE
Shelves:
author-friends
The rampantly overused and often undeserved phrase "stunning debut" happens to be absolutely true in the case of this gorgeously crafted fictional tale of the real-life artist Pan-Yuliang, who was sold into prostitution as a young girl and overcame her sordid past to become one of China's great painters. Epstein breathes vivid life into her characters as she charts Yuliang's journey from the "Hall of Eternal Splendor" brothel in Shanghai to Paris in the roaring 20s and back to a China roiled by...more
Jun 13, 2008
Terra
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reviewed-for-front-street-reviews
The Painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein is an incredible journey of one woman and the totally different lives she lives. A novel of innocence, hope, determination, abuse, sadness, betrayal and death keep the reader thoroughly ensconced from the very first page.
Yuliang is was put in the care of her uncle at the age of just 6 upon her mother's death. Innocent but with some learning in the way of embroidery her uncle sees in her a promise of something better than he has and educates her...more
Yuliang is was put in the care of her uncle at the age of just 6 upon her mother's death. Innocent but with some learning in the way of embroidery her uncle sees in her a promise of something better than he has and educates her...more
I read this on a recommendation from my dad, not entirely sure what to expect. But it was phenonmenal. I pass on the recommendation.
2 likes · like · see review
Completely absorbing--perfect reading for a literary vacation.
Xiuqing grew up believing that she was destined to become an artist, the next great female poet or perhaps a talented painter. When her mother died, little Xiu was taken in by her uncle. While he fanned her dreams, his own opium addiction would take the young girl on a very different path. Thus, at fourteen, Xiuqing became Yuliang, one of the girls working at The Hall of Eternal Splendor.
For several years, Yuliang’s existence was dictated by the whims of the Godmother who ran The Hall and the m...more
For several years, Yuliang’s existence was dictated by the whims of the Godmother who ran The Hall and the m...more
Pan Yuliang has lived and taken care of her uncle, ever since her mother died when she was young. At fourteen years Pan Yuliang was sold to The Hall of Eternal Splendour to become a prostitute. Her uncle did it to play off some loans he had accrued for his habit of opium. After two years of working at The Halls of Eternal Splendour, Pan Yuliang was saved. A young man by the name of Pan Zanhua, who is an inspector. He is so fascinated by Pan that he offers to take her away from Eternal Splendour...more
I read the book's review in NYT and picked it up due to its intriguing story about a painter from Shanghai's golden era who used to be a prostitute. While it is a work of fiction, the story is based on the real life painter Pan Yu Liang who is famous for her beautiful nude paintings which combine both the western and chinese painting styles.
At 14 and orphaned, she was sold to a brother by her uncle. She then attracted the attention of a wealthy official who made her his mistress. He also encoura...more
At 14 and orphaned, she was sold to a brother by her uncle. She then attracted the attention of a wealthy official who made her his mistress. He also encoura...more
IT would be quite accurate to judge this book by its cover: a tasteful if generic depiction of blossoms and sampans, along with a sticker announcing "If you liked Memoirs Of A Geisha, you'll love this".
Like the 1997 bestseller by Arthur Golden, this is a debut novel written by a Western author who has no firsthand experience of those particular aspects of Eastern culture being written about.
Also like Memoirs, this is a painstakingly researched novel by an educated writer which succeeds in making...more
Like the 1997 bestseller by Arthur Golden, this is a debut novel written by a Western author who has no firsthand experience of those particular aspects of Eastern culture being written about.
Also like Memoirs, this is a painstakingly researched novel by an educated writer which succeeds in making...more
I’m always attracted by novels with a backdrop of art, controversial times and exotic locales and quickly became engrossed in The Painter from Shanghai. Only at the end did I realize the central character and many of the supporting ones actually lived. The times were dangerous and the daring commitment of those chronicled in the book’s pages is penetrating.
The author has written a fictional account of Pan Yuliang, a Chinese artist often known in her own country as the “Famous Western-Style Woman...more
The author has written a fictional account of Pan Yuliang, a Chinese artist often known in her own country as the “Famous Western-Style Woman...more
I want to give this book 3.5 starts to be honest, but since that option isn't available I'll be generous :)
the book starts off on an interesting note, Pan is a normal girl from a so-so family living a traditional life, she loses her parents and her good for nothing uncle sells her into prostitution at the age of 14. one of the prostitutes takes her under her wing -and into her bed- teaching her the tricks of the trade so she may survive in this profession.
with a stroke of good luck she manages t...more
the book starts off on an interesting note, Pan is a normal girl from a so-so family living a traditional life, she loses her parents and her good for nothing uncle sells her into prostitution at the age of 14. one of the prostitutes takes her under her wing -and into her bed- teaching her the tricks of the trade so she may survive in this profession.
with a stroke of good luck she manages t...more
This is not a review but my thoughts on the real life character featured in this book. Pan Yuliang, born in 1899 in China, was sold at the age of 14 to a brothel by her opium-addict uncle. Through determination she became one of the first women students of the then controversial Shanghai Academy of Art that used nude models (imagine, that was 1910s' China) and taught western art. Pan later won a scholarship to study in France, during which she experienced poverty and loneliness; it was her love...more
About 130 pages into this book, I thought, "Eh, it's ok. I'll finish it if I have time." I tucked it in my bag and ignored it until I had time to kill. The next time I picked it back up, it was nearly due back to the library, so if it didn't catch me fast, it wasn't getting read. It got me. Pan Yuliang got out of the brothel and I got into the book. The main character undergoes transformations that are as radical as those occurring around her, and in so doing, becomes a player in the larger tran...more
A very curious hybrid - what begins as an almost tacky bodice-ripper becomes deeper and more meaningful if you can wade through the muck of the first 150 pages. Pan Yuliang is an actual historical figure, one of China's most celebrated painters, a woman who boldly painted using western techniques, including nude self-portraits. She was hugely controversial, not only for her notorious artwork, but also for her life, having risen from early days as a courtesan.
Author Jennifer Epstein has taken thi...more
Author Jennifer Epstein has taken thi...more
A fictional account of the life of Chinese painter Pan Yuliang that spans much of the 20th century. Orphaned at a young age, she is sold as a teenager into prostitution by her uncle, who needs the money to support his opium habit. She is rescued by customs inspector Pan Zanhua, one of the few uncorrupted officials in the entire city, who makes her his second wife. She enrolls in the Shanghai Art Academy and from early on encounters what is to become a life-long struggle with the puritanism of Ch...more
The Painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein is a historical fiction novel based on the life of Pan Yuliang, a Chinese artist born in 1899.
Sold into a brothel by her opium-addicted uncle when she's 14, Yuliang learns to cope with the help of her friend and top girl at the house, Jinling. Then Jinling's violent death emphasizes that life in a brothel is always tenuous and under someone else's control. When a local official, Pan Zanhua, becomes attracted to her for her mind and not her body,...more
Sold into a brothel by her opium-addicted uncle when she's 14, Yuliang learns to cope with the help of her friend and top girl at the house, Jinling. Then Jinling's violent death emphasizes that life in a brothel is always tenuous and under someone else's control. When a local official, Pan Zanhua, becomes attracted to her for her mind and not her body,...more
This was not bad. It was actually pretty good in the first half. The first half is about Pan when she is a child and her drug addict uncle sells her to a prostitution house. Pan makes a good friend and reader's will see the impact this girl friend had on the rest of Pan's life. I found the first half very touching and intimate. It had a "Memoirs of a Geisha" type feel to it. After the loss of her good friend, Pan meets an important man that decides to rescue her. She becomes his concubine and th...more
This was a good summer read. I didn't realize until I had finshihed the book that the character was an actual person. It was very interesting to do some research and see her paintings. From the NY Times:
"In this age of memoir and thinly veiled autobiographical fiction, writers who take high dives into deeply imagined waters have become increasingly rare — and valuable. What a pleasure, then, to discover that Jennifer Cody Epstein, whose luminous first novel, “The Painter From Shanghai,” is based...more
"In this age of memoir and thinly veiled autobiographical fiction, writers who take high dives into deeply imagined waters have become increasingly rare — and valuable. What a pleasure, then, to discover that Jennifer Cody Epstein, whose luminous first novel, “The Painter From Shanghai,” is based...more
This historical fiction book deserves 3.5 stars. It is about Pan Yuliang, a Chinese woman who paints in the Western impressionist style during the 1920-1930s. Pan Yuliang was sold into prostitution by her uncle when she was 14, was bought out of her contract by a man who would become her husband, and went on to become one of the most famous Chinese painters of her time.
The story moved along quickly and I found it interesting. I especially liked the first half of the book when Yuliang was living...more
The story moved along quickly and I found it interesting. I especially liked the first half of the book when Yuliang was living...more
Pan Yuliang's parents fall on hard times. At their deaths she goes to live with her uncle. He's a man of intellect and something of a dreamer. He teaches her poetry, however, he's also an opium addict. This addiction leads to his eventual ruin. In an effort to survive and pay off debts he sells Pan Yuliang to a brothel. She survives and we begin to see a natural gift for color and texture. She exhibits this in her choice of colors for scarves and dresses. While working in the brothel she meets Z...more
Pan Yuliang, one of China's finest and most controversial painters, lived in the early part of the 20th century. Forced into prostitution when her uncle sold her to pay for his opium habit, she is later unexpectedly rescued by a man who comes to love her and make her his second wife. Though she is only a concubine, he treats her with love and respect, and encourages her to study painting, both in China and in France.
The Painter From Shanghai pulls the reader into Yuliang's life, sharing the hor...more
The Painter From Shanghai pulls the reader into Yuliang's life, sharing the hor...more
I didn't seem quite as enamored with this book as several other people. It was interesting, and I loved the exploration of art and early 20th century China, but I never got truly sucked in like I do with some books; I never had that craving to stop everything I was doing to see what happened next to Yuliang. Hence, 3 stars.
However, I couldn't help comparing it to The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel. Both are fictionalized accounts of real Chinese women and set during the period of Chinese cultur...more
However, I couldn't help comparing it to The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel. Both are fictionalized accounts of real Chinese women and set during the period of Chinese cultur...more
I am always fascinated by stories that are based on real people and The Painter From Shanghai is a very strong example. I feel like it would be harder to write a story where there are some facts involved, you can only know so many facts so you have to create the story in such a way that you can string the actual facts together to make sense. That takes talent.
It was really empowering to read the story of Pan Yuliang. From being sold into prostitution to attempting the close to impossible to achi...more
It was really empowering to read the story of Pan Yuliang. From being sold into prostitution to attempting the close to impossible to achi...more
Review posted on my blog at Redlady's Reading Room.
The Painter from Shanghai is a richly layered fictional account of the life of Pan Yuliang, a female post impressionistic painter from China (1895-1977). She lived a courageous life and was forced to become an adult way too soon. She was orphaned and sold to a brothel at the age of 14 by her uncle who was an opium addict. Thankfully, a customs official, Pan Zanhua was able to buy her out of the brothel and make her his second wife. She was drawn...more
The Painter from Shanghai is a richly layered fictional account of the life of Pan Yuliang, a female post impressionistic painter from China (1895-1977). She lived a courageous life and was forced to become an adult way too soon. She was orphaned and sold to a brothel at the age of 14 by her uncle who was an opium addict. Thankfully, a customs official, Pan Zanhua was able to buy her out of the brothel and make her his second wife. She was drawn...more
The first part of the novel reminded me of Memoirs of a Geisha, but I thought Geisha did a much better job of telling the story and details of that type of lifestyle and some of the characters.
But as I got further into the novel and the main character, Yuliang, escapes and progresses into other things in her life, I realize that this book isn't just about a girl stuck in the brothels.
One of the things I didn't like in the first part of the novel while Yulian was young was how Yuliang would blurt...more
But as I got further into the novel and the main character, Yuliang, escapes and progresses into other things in her life, I realize that this book isn't just about a girl stuck in the brothels.
One of the things I didn't like in the first part of the novel while Yulian was young was how Yuliang would blurt...more
A fictional account of the Chinese artist Pan Yuliang.
Yuliang is a woman far ahead of her time -- set mostly in the 1920's and 1930's, she is a liberal-thinking woman who seeks to attend art school. Venturing to France after her studies in China reach an end, she lives alone and makes her way with a mere pittance from her adoring husband. In France, she finds the human form striking and paints many nudes of females -- including herself.
Back in China after her studies in France, and then in Rome...more
Yuliang is a woman far ahead of her time -- set mostly in the 1920's and 1930's, she is a liberal-thinking woman who seeks to attend art school. Venturing to France after her studies in China reach an end, she lives alone and makes her way with a mere pittance from her adoring husband. In France, she finds the human form striking and paints many nudes of females -- including herself.
Back in China after her studies in France, and then in Rome...more
Impressive in scope, but full of false notes. The characters' behavior seems kind of believable until you realize it's just familiar from movies and sitcoms. Epstein has obviously done tons of research, but the result feels like a novelization rather than a novel.
Apr 23, 2010
Stacey Peters
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
culture-religion-politics
I thought this novel was very well written, images were poignant and detail oriented. Communism, totalitarianism, revolution, feminism, prostituton/ brothels, art, and more. Very layered approach, that I felt worked well. I really liked the main character, shocked at the audacity and cruelty of her uncle-- without spoiling anything. Her husband was extremely complex, flawed-- you liked him, hated him, understood him and were perplexed by him within a few chapters. The end suprised me a bit. It r...more
May 28, 2012
Mircalla64 (free Liu Xiaobo)
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
cina
storia romanzata di una ragazza che da primo fiore di una casa di piacere diviene pittrice affermata in un epoca in cui per ogni donna che riusciva a sopravvivere ce n'erano almeno dieci che non vedevano l'alba del giorno dopo
in Cina la vita delle donne non ha mai avuto valore, in passato ancor meno di oggi
ma non sono molte le cose che son cambiate da allora
i pro
è una storia che spiega molte cose, e l'atmosfera è accurata
il destino delle donne all'epoca dei fatti era più o meno quello
o fin...more
in Cina la vita delle donne non ha mai avuto valore, in passato ancor meno di oggi
ma non sono molte le cose che son cambiate da allora
i pro
è una storia che spiega molte cose, e l'atmosfera è accurata
il destino delle donne all'epoca dei fatti era più o meno quello
o fin...more
Inhalt:
Pan Yuliang wird mit 14 Jahren von ihrem opiumsüchtigen und somit hoch verschuldeten Onkel an ein Bordell verkauft. Als sie dort ankommt, weiß sie bereits, dass sie nicht für immer hierher gehören wird. Durch ihre Schönheit schafft sie es schnell, die Freier für sich zu begeistern. Doch im Innern strebt sie eine ganz andere Leidenschaft an…
Schreib-/Erzählstil:
Über die Autorin kann ich nur soviel sagen, als dass sie ihr Handwerk bis ins kleinste Detail versteht. Sie zeichnet die Charaktere...more
Pan Yuliang wird mit 14 Jahren von ihrem opiumsüchtigen und somit hoch verschuldeten Onkel an ein Bordell verkauft. Als sie dort ankommt, weiß sie bereits, dass sie nicht für immer hierher gehören wird. Durch ihre Schönheit schafft sie es schnell, die Freier für sich zu begeistern. Doch im Innern strebt sie eine ganz andere Leidenschaft an…
Schreib-/Erzählstil:
Über die Autorin kann ich nur soviel sagen, als dass sie ihr Handwerk bis ins kleinste Detail versteht. Sie zeichnet die Charaktere...more
Earlier this week I finished The Painter from Shanghai by Jennifer Cody Epstein, which is based on the life of Pan Yuliang, a controversial artist who was sold into prostitution as a pre-teen.
Honestly, the first half of the book was like reading the Chinese version of Memoirs of a Geisha. Not that it wasn’t well-written or interesting, but having read the other first, I found this first part boring. The second half, when her freedom is bought and she pursues art is a lot better. I liked how stub...more
Honestly, the first half of the book was like reading the Chinese version of Memoirs of a Geisha. Not that it wasn’t well-written or interesting, but having read the other first, I found this first part boring. The second half, when her freedom is bought and she pursues art is a lot better. I liked how stub...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ask Jennifer Cody...: Researching a book | 5 | 12 | Apr 17, 2013 05:56pm | |
| your "to read" list | 3 | 27 | Sep 23, 2011 12:26pm |
Sorry you haven't heard from me for so long. I've just been up to my neck in projects. I'm having my kitchen redone, and it's the pits. But I...more
Jun 12, 2008 08:28am