Snow Flower and the Secret Fan in What's the Name of That Book???

Mar 18, 2008 Lisa Vegan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bookclub, readbooks-female-author-or-illust, goodreads-author, historical-fiction, 1-also-at-librarything, reviewed, novel, fiction, z2008, zz-4star

I ended up enjoying this book because it was so beautifully written and it took me deep into a world so unlike my own; thank goodness for that! This story takes place in China’s Hunan Province in the 1800s and is more about the inner lives of the women than the men.

I had a complete misconception of what foot binding entailed. It’s completely different, and so much more brutal a practice than I ever could have imagined. There were also many examples given of what I consider other horrendous cust I ended up enjoying this book because it was so beautifully written and it took me deep into a world so unlike my own; thank goodness for that! This story takes place in China’s Hunan Province in the 1800s and is more about the inner lives of the women than the men.

I had a complete misconception of what foot binding entailed. It’s completely different, and so much more brutal a practice than I ever could have imagined. There were also many examples given of what I consider other horrendous customs and beliefs. I’ve always believed that tradition and culture that harms is not worth preserving and reading about these people’s lives was a painful experience. The story is fiction but well researched so I’m assuming there was much truth about how women led their lives in that time and place.

I was able to feel some empathy for the storywriter, because I could understand her longing to be loved and the difficulties she had in her upbringing that formed her personality, even though I sometimes had a hard time liking her and many of the characters. I was also irritated by so much of the book. I loathe stories where there’s a horrible miscommunication or misunderstanding that seems so unnecessary, and there’s an example of that here. Also, throughout the book, the narrator is writing the story of her life for another/others in her culture to read, yet the whole time I felt she was educating us in our time & places. So frequently the line “as you know” or “as everyone knows” is used to start a sentence, and I just kept thinking that if everyone knows it the narrator wouldn’t need to say it in that way. The narrator also most of the way through the book alludes to something she’s going to tell the reader and it got to the point where, instead of following along with the story, I just wanted to see what she was going to reveal.

I think that it’s worth it to read the paperback copy because of Lisa See’s notes at the end about the writing of this book,. Perhaps they were there in the hardcover version as well, but often additions such as this aren’t there at publication of the hardcover edition. Also, the paperback has some discussion questions at the end which might come in handy as I read this book for my book club.

The plot & characters did make me think about however women are regarded and what is considered beautiful in various cultures, including our own, can powerfully influence women’s lives. And they also highlight how our various expectations of ourselves and others imposed by our societies can influence human beings. It also made me think a lot about the corrosive power of unresolved anger and trauma. ...more

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Apr 21, 2008 Rachel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: for-gifts, stacy-tanner-thomas

A truly gripping tale about women living in rural China in the mid- to late 1800s. The author is wonderful at drawing the reader into this foreign landscape and culture and making you feel for the women in the story. The story is narrated by a woman at the end of her life. She's basically telling the life stories of herself and her soul-mate. As such, she sprinkles the story with little hints about what is to come later, without actually telling us how this will come to be. This built a lot of s A truly gripping tale about women living in rural China in the mid- to late 1800s. The author is wonderful at drawing the reader into this foreign landscape and culture and making you feel for the women in the story. The story is narrated by a woman at the end of her life. She's basically telling the life stories of herself and her soul-mate. As such, she sprinkles the story with little hints about what is to come later, without actually telling us how this will come to be. This built a lot of suspense and raised a lot of questions in my mind as I was reading. I never felt a dull moment in the entire book. I was always deeply concerned for the characters and wondering what would become of them ... when they cried, my eyes got misty; when they were happy, my heart felt joy. I kept taking advantages of little bits of time here and there to read a few more pages and find out what would happen next. For me, these are all signs of a very good book!!!!

I just finished reading "What is the What" a couple days ago as well. Finishing them at the same time got me thinking. I think Lily's and Snow Flower's life stories are just as worthwhile reading about, in concept, as Achak Deng's ... the girls had to trek all over the place and survive starvation in the cold winter, and experienced many sorrows, disease, and war .... all in BOUND FEET. And when it comes to bad luck stories, I'd say Achak ain't got nothin' on Snow Flower. Both books took place mainly in countries with customs/culture very different from my own. In each book, I'd say I learned equal amounts about the sorrows and history of the Dinka people in Sudan in the 1980s/90s and the Yao people in China in the 1800s. And both are supposed to be works of fiction, based on true stories of real people and historic events. Happily, Lisa See's book drew me in and made me love the characters ... I cried for them, learned a lot, and felt deeply moved by the experience. Meanwhile, I contemplate Dave Eggers' book of FICTION, based on the life of Valentino Achak Deng. With Dave Eggers' book, I had to read an extra 300 pages and never felt like I understood or had "gotten to know" most of the characters in the book, including Achak. I got a better feel for the man by reading the info and viewing the pictures on his web site (www.valentinoachakdeng.org)

Viewed side by side, you can clearly see how "What is the What" sinks miserably in that famous Sudanese mud, while "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" (to use a prominent word from Lisa See's book) soars.
...more

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Apr 04, 2009 Misha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literary, asian-american, china

SNOW FLOWER & THE SECRET FAN: NOTES

• Lily, a widow, 80 years old (3)
• “I am old enough to know only too well my good and bad qualities, which were often one and the same. For my entire life I longed for love. …To win their affection, I was obedient—the ideal characteristic for someone of my sex—but I was too willing to do what they told me to do.” (3)
• Mother love/teng ai: pain & love (4)
• “The binding altered not only my feet but my whole character, and in a strange way I feel as though that pr ...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Marianne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Very interesting historical fiction!

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Jul 29, 2008 Maria Elmvang rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-stars, 2008, not-owned, cultural

Very interesting book. I had a hard time putting it down - not because of the plot as much as because of the characters and the culture and traditions described. I winced when reading of how Lily had her feet tied, but was also fascinated. There was a tad too much foreshadowing, but since it was written like a memoir, that didn't bother me too much. ...more

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Jan 22, 2010 Jain rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, poc-author, lgbt, american-literature, 2010-reads, northamerican, female-author

A story about two "old sames," girls paired in an arranged, contractual friendship as binding as marriage, in 19th c. Hunan province. Lovely and poignant, with lots of interesting historical details. I especially liked the parts involving nu shu, women's secret writing. ...more

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Jul 02, 2007 Lori rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: my_faves

A friend gave this to me and I put off reading it...didn't think it would be my kind of book. I finally picked it up because I ran out of books and much to my suprise, I couldn't put it down! I LOVED it!! ...more

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Feb 26, 2009 Sandy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book is terrific. It's a fascinating story about women in nineteenth century China during the time of footbinding and nu shu, a secret language of women which really existed. I highly recommend it. ...more

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Dec 07, 2007 Kate rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book-club

I read this for our library book club. I found it very hard to put down, but also kind of...hokey.

Regarding the footbinding, ew ew ew ew ew ew ew. Wow I'm glad I live now and not then. ...more

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