In 17th-century China, Lisa See's heroine dies for love and returns as a ghost. It is a story based on an ancient Chinese opera that describes "lovesick maidens," young women who fell in love, quit eating, and literally wasted away. There is wonderful details described in this book, from the clothes that are worn, the food that is served, to the house that the characters inhabit.
I was completely taken in by the first few chapters. The main character, Peony has a wonderful sense of adventure as she wanders off to meet a man without her family knowing -- forbidden in Chinese culture at the time. But my enjoyment of the novel came to a halt when Peony dies and starts to narrate the story as a ghost. This beautiful historical novel turned into one of fantasies and ghost stories for me. The story become monotonous, a constant tale of stalking and obsessiveness, and the slow pacing became frustrating. I quickly lost interest but felt I had to stick with it because the first few chapters were so good. The only redeeming part of the second half of the novel is the discussion of the background history about the Cataclysm and the Manchu overthrow of the Ming regime, which was an interesting time in history I didn't know much about. I guess I'm a "realist" at heart -- I could have done without the ghosts. Maybe that's why I'm not much of a science fiction or fantasy reader.
That said, I really enjoyed the other Lisa See book I read last year called "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan", so this bad experience hasn't put me off. I won't hesitate to try reading another of her books. I've been told by friends that "Shanghai Girls" and "Dreams of Joy" are both great reads and they're both on my Kobo to be slotted into the rotation sometime this year.
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