Girls' have it so easy today!!

Would you listen to Snow Flower and the Secret Fan again? Why?

yes I would, I could imagine being there with the girls as they were growing up in their extremely narrow lives.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't laugh or cry as much as wince when the author described in detail how the girls' feet were bound, and how this is crucial to the girls' and mothers' social standing.

Any additional comments?

A good listen. I looked forward to getting back into it each time I put it down.

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A gripping tale from ancient China

I have read (or listened to) almost all of Lisa See's novels now, and I found that this one stands out as perhaps her most ambitious work. The setting alone (Hunan, China in the 1800s) must have been quite research-heavy to draw up and navigate, but I feel like beyond that, the characters are perhaps more nuanced than they tend to be in other Lisa See novels. we still get the fairly broad strokes she likes to use, Chinese zodiac determining/being highly symbolic for a person's character etc, but she also allows her protagonist to be and act in a much more fundamentally misguided manner than she does in other works (where it's usually more about a fundamentally good person erring in a crucial situation). While I really did enjoy the book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in China and/or women's rights, I'm not sure it would work as light entertainment or a holiday listen - here, China Dolls or Shanghai Girls may be more suitable.

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Didn’t like the accent of the narrator

Book was ok couldn’t get my head round the number of times women were described as worthless.

I also didn’t like the accent of the narrator would have been good to have options that a user can select in terms of narration.

Won’t be reading this book again

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A very different world

An interesting glimpse into the way Chinese Yao women used to live amid incredible restrictions on their lives. The ritual mutilation that was footbinding is described in detail (so this is not a book for the squeamish) and I found it incredible that the horror was willingly performed by women on their own daughters, and was perpetuated generation after generation, in much the same way as FGM still is today. While I enjoyed the story and the writing, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan did get me upset at the passivity of its protagonists. Lily is writing her story from a position of 'power' in her old age, but makes no attempt to improve the lives of the women to follow her. Instead, despite everything, she remains completely indoctrinated and only schemes to continue within the status quo. From my Western perspective, I found this hard to understand.

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Incedibly moving story

Would you listen to Snow Flower and the Secret Fan again? Why?

This book is beautifully written and read. It very moving story about a friendship between two girls - Snow Flower and Lily - in early to mid 19th century China. But it is more than that - it immerses you in their world so that you see how little love these "worthless" women were given by their own families, by their husbands and mothers-in-law, you see how hard their lives were and how friendships between women could make their lives more bearable. You care about the characters and their lives, you become emotionally attached to these women, their children and their families. I suspect that each time you read this book, you will pick up on details you missed the previous time.I have added this book to my list of books to re-read, as it moved me very much and made me cry.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's difficult to pick out a favourite character as I am still pondering over the book, the storyline, the characters and events. I loved Lily, Snow Flower and Madam Wang, but was also fascinated by other characters such as The Butcher.

Which character – as performed by Janet Song – was your favourite?

I really liked Janet Song's performance when she was reading the dialogue of Madam Wang - she really brought this character to life. Initially, I found Janet Song's reading style a little strange, but soon settled into the rhythms of her speech and by the end of the story I really enjoyed the way she read this story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I wanted to savour the slow-pace of the story and the details of the characters' lives. But I also found the book hard to put down.

Any additional comments?

I have to confess that I cried at the end of this book. I cried for both Snow Flower and Lily, for the things they left unsaid and for their enduring love for each other. This is a beautiful book, and one that I will read again and again.

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A good story

A story of a culture I knew nothing about. Interesting and made me want to know More.

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Enter an oppressed world of supposed beauty

Moving story and insights into of the hierarchy, paternalism and culture of foot-bound Yao women in 19th Century Hunan, China. We learn about the role of women in the women's areas, their toil and devotion to their families, their sisterhood and devotion to one another... Beautifully and movingly written but ultimately non-confrontational about a system of gendered violence that sacrifices the interests of women and girls. Amidst the violence a special bond between two women - "laotongs" "old sames"...

This fascinating story highlights the brutality not only of foot-binding but of unequal social structures, of war and its impact on communities, and on women's solidarity with one another. It draws attention to the development of a unique women's only language - nushu - a beautiful and delicate, but somewhat limited, script used to convey hardship, sorrow and solidarity between women.

Moving, sad, beautifully told.

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really enjoyed it

interesting and captivating story, not read anything like it before. the narrator was excellent and I felt this really added to my enjoyment of the book.

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A wonderful story

This is a beautiful and intricate story with many fine word illustrations. It can be sentimental at times, relentless at other but also often very fine. And finally it always comes back to what is most important.

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fascinating insight into a different world

Any additional comments?

I had heard about foot binding, but I had no idea how brutal the practice was, and it is at the heart of this story about the friendship of 2 young girls from very different Chinese families, both with perfect 'golden lilies'. A truly fascinating tale, quite horrifying at times, desperately sad in places. I just wish I had opted to read it rather than listen to it. There are good reasons why the narrative voice might sound like an elderly woman who is tired of life and deeply depressed by the mistakes she has made in her long life, but it really doesn't make for a good listen.

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2 people found this helpful