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Review
'Lisa See has written her best book yet ... achingly beautiful, a marvel of imagination of a real and secret world that has only recently disappeared' Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club 'Only the best novelists can do what Lisa See has done, to bring to life not only a character but an entire culture, and a sensibility so strikingly different from our own ... engrossing and completely convincing' Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha 'The wonder of this book is that it takes readers to a place at once foreign and familiar ... Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a triumph on every level, a beautiful, heartbreaking story' Washington Post 'You can relish See's extraordinary novel as a meticulously researched account of women's lives in nineteenth-century China. But you can also savour See's marvellous narrative as a timeless portrait of a contentious, full-blooded female friendship, one that includes, over several decades, envy, betrayal, erotic love, and deep-seated loyalty' Entertainment Weekly
Review
'Lisa See has written her best book yet. SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN is achingly beautiful, a marvel of imagination of a real and secret world that has only recently disappeared. It is a story so mesmerizing the pages float away and the story remains clearly before us from beginning to end' Amy Tan 'The story of a secret civilisation of women, who actually lived in China not long ago ... Magical, haunting fiction. Beautiful' Maxine Hong Kingston 'As both a suspenseful and poignant story and an absorbing historical chronicle, this novel has bestseller potential and should become a reading group favourite as well.' Publishers Weekly 'Only the best novelists can do what Lisa See has done, to bring to life not only a character but an entire culture. An engrossing and completely convincing portrayal of a woman shaped by suffering and the friendship that helps her to survive.' Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
52 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is one of the most unforgetable books I've ever read, and I've read several books a week for 50 years! There are many books about China, but this one is based on a custom I had never heard about, that of two young girls binding themselves to each other for life at a very early age. They communicate using a secret language known only to women and meet only rarely.
If you have ever thought your life was difficult, reading this will make you realise how very much more difficult, controlled and full of physical and mental pain were the lives of Chinese women until fairly recently. As a little girl the heroine was allowed outside unfettered only once. Repeatedly told girls were absolutely worthless and unloved by anyone except her sworn friend, her feet are agonizingly bound and she is married to a man she has never seen.
Beautiful and interesting though the descriptions of the culture are, the main theme of the book is the unfolding story of the attachment of the two girls (as the title suggests). The final chapters will live with you for a long time.
If you have ever thought your life was difficult, reading this will make you realise how very much more difficult, controlled and full of physical and mental pain were the lives of Chinese women until fairly recently. As a little girl the heroine was allowed outside unfettered only once. Repeatedly told girls were absolutely worthless and unloved by anyone except her sworn friend, her feet are agonizingly bound and she is married to a man she has never seen.
Beautiful and interesting though the descriptions of the culture are, the main theme of the book is the unfolding story of the attachment of the two girls (as the title suggests). The final chapters will live with you for a long time.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Though we often say upon beginning to describe a wonderful book we have just finished: 'this is the best book I have ever read', (and like many, I have used that phrase before) all too often, some time later, we feel the need to say the same again of another book we finish, and so one afterwards is left asking themselves the question: 'what indeed IS the best book I have ever read'? Well, I have no doubt it has to be this!
'Snow Flower And The Secret Fan' was simply wonderful! No book I have ever read made me openly 'weep' through the whole of a chapter... So much so, that I was convinced that these had been 'real' people and had existed. In fact, I wanted to believe it - not sure why when in parts the story was so painful and sad, but perhaps in my subconscious I did not wish to believe that I had been so 'taken in' by fictional people - or by such a talented Writer? The mystery will never be solved, but this novel is simply beautiful...
An early chapter left me feeling somewhat 'disturbed' by its immense detail. Though by nature I am not a 'squeamish' sort of person, I was in fact deeply affected by the chapter that dealt with the whole process of 'footbinding' and the suffering this involved (the breaking of bones in the feet - along with them hanging loosely within the flesh until they 'fused') I found this very difficult and hard-going, and just wanted to get past it... However, the book is also extremely educational for all of us who are ignorant of what these sorts of cultures are about - after all, these things did go on, and so thus it is very informative. I also love a book with 'surprises', and the hard-hitting event surrounding the life of 'Beautiful Moon' that came quite out of the blue got me immediately 'hooked'!
Just having reached the moment when I thought I could not pity 'Snow Flower' any more, I ended up breaking my heart, and the chapter at the very end of the story - and the end of life for 'Lady Lu', it also left me feeling very 'melancholic'. But this is not simply a novel that is a 'weepy', or overly sentimental; it's worth far greater appraise than that, and I would recommend it to anyone. In all of the books I have ever read, I feel sure when I say that I shall never forget this one, and all that it was about; friendship, love, kindness, forgiveness, pain, suffering, relationships, and so it goes on...
If I possessed the fan that Snow Flower and Lady Lu created, then I feel sure I should be able to add much to it myself for such was the impact of this tremendous read!
A truly magnificent and wonderful book that everyone should both read and treasure forever!
'Snow Flower And The Secret Fan' was simply wonderful! No book I have ever read made me openly 'weep' through the whole of a chapter... So much so, that I was convinced that these had been 'real' people and had existed. In fact, I wanted to believe it - not sure why when in parts the story was so painful and sad, but perhaps in my subconscious I did not wish to believe that I had been so 'taken in' by fictional people - or by such a talented Writer? The mystery will never be solved, but this novel is simply beautiful...
An early chapter left me feeling somewhat 'disturbed' by its immense detail. Though by nature I am not a 'squeamish' sort of person, I was in fact deeply affected by the chapter that dealt with the whole process of 'footbinding' and the suffering this involved (the breaking of bones in the feet - along with them hanging loosely within the flesh until they 'fused') I found this very difficult and hard-going, and just wanted to get past it... However, the book is also extremely educational for all of us who are ignorant of what these sorts of cultures are about - after all, these things did go on, and so thus it is very informative. I also love a book with 'surprises', and the hard-hitting event surrounding the life of 'Beautiful Moon' that came quite out of the blue got me immediately 'hooked'!
Just having reached the moment when I thought I could not pity 'Snow Flower' any more, I ended up breaking my heart, and the chapter at the very end of the story - and the end of life for 'Lady Lu', it also left me feeling very 'melancholic'. But this is not simply a novel that is a 'weepy', or overly sentimental; it's worth far greater appraise than that, and I would recommend it to anyone. In all of the books I have ever read, I feel sure when I say that I shall never forget this one, and all that it was about; friendship, love, kindness, forgiveness, pain, suffering, relationships, and so it goes on...
If I possessed the fan that Snow Flower and Lady Lu created, then I feel sure I should be able to add much to it myself for such was the impact of this tremendous read!
A truly magnificent and wonderful book that everyone should both read and treasure forever!
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" is a suspenseful and poignant novel set in nineteenth century China at a time when foot-binding was practiced and women were kept secluded.
Two women in Hunan province establish a deep friendship as laotongs, "old sames." These are girls that are paired off with each other in a friendship that can last a lifetime. Their bond grows over the years as they struggle with famine, unrest, arranged marriages and motherhood. Their close friendship is threatened when misunderstanding arises between them.
This book offered a glance into women's life in nineteenth century China in an absorbing story. I recommend this book along with The Tenderness of Wolves and Nexus: A Neo Novel.
Two women in Hunan province establish a deep friendship as laotongs, "old sames." These are girls that are paired off with each other in a friendship that can last a lifetime. Their bond grows over the years as they struggle with famine, unrest, arranged marriages and motherhood. Their close friendship is threatened when misunderstanding arises between them.
This book offered a glance into women's life in nineteenth century China in an absorbing story. I recommend this book along with The Tenderness of Wolves and Nexus: A Neo Novel.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Wonderful read about a subject I had very little knowledge of. Easy read could not put it down. Would recommend.
Published 1 month ago by gillr
Simply outstanding
Every word is like a waterfall of emotions... deep and rich... I will love my mother and girlfriends for ever x
Published 2 months ago by Miss Bloom
Where's the film?
This, as others have said, is an achingly beautiful book. It conjures vivid images of the period and behaviours and it is written for easy understanding. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Bunnyhumper
Snow Flower
Lots of in depth research must have gone into this page turner.
Sometimes you forget that the story is fiction. Read more
Sometimes you forget that the story is fiction. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Litwit
A wonderful book
A friend recommended this book to me and I'm so pleased they did. I don't think I've ever read anything like this in my life. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Misty
A glimpse into a hidden world
I received Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and devoured the book in a day. It's such a well written story and a fascinating insight into Chinese culture and society. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Rebecca
Fascinating
I loved this book, and felt really drawn in to Lily's world. It was fascinating to see the world from her point of view - how she tries to use the distance of time to be objective... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Misty's Mistress
Interesting topic, could be presented better
Initially I read this book because I have a certain interest in novels set in the middle-east and I knew there was a film coming out of this one which I was vaguely interested in... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lucybird
Engrossing
I loved Memoirs of a Geisha and thought the atmospheric writing skills could not be surpassed BUT Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is SO enthralling that it is even more so. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Linda Jackson
Great Story
Very interesting and informative. It aroused my curiosity about the ancient chinese traditions, and a greater appreciation of how far the world has come.
Published 3 months ago by JO
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