Thursday, August 31, 2006

Snow Flower Question #1

Let's start with the basics.

Did you guys enjoy this book? If so, why? If you didn't like the book, was it because of the plot or the author's writing style?

You may participate by leaving a comment here, or posting about the question on your own blog and leaving a link to your thoughts in the comment section here. Either way, I can't wait to find out your thoughts!

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I throughly enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the author's style of writing and the plot. Once I got started on reading, it was next to impossible to start. The only thing that I thought could of been improved a little was the ending. It seemed somewhat rushed and a little predictable. Besides that, though, I thought the book was excellent!

Anonymous said...

I was horrified yet couldn't stop reading about the footbinding process. I really didn't know much about it. I did find that there were some plot contrivances in the book but I still found it very readable.

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed the book as well. I thought the author did a great job in giving different voices to the different characters, which gives the story so much more depth. Her writing is very descriptive and the characters really come to life. I definately winced a couple times during the footbinding chapter, and then again during their exile into the mountains.

Katie J said...

I enjoyed the book and even though it is fiction its setting and events gave me a better understanding of Chinese culture, which always catches my interest. The time period is not that long ago which amazes me. The footbinding chapter was interesting but I could barely read it without gagging.

Anonymous said...

Like Katie J, I also couldn't believe this book wasn't set that long ago. For some reason I felt like they were in an earlier century. Does anyone know when the custom of footbinding ceased?

Stephanie said...

Iliana, According to the book (in the Author's Note and Acknowledgments section) anit-footbinding activities began in the late ninteenth century, although the practice still lingered in rural areas well into the twentieth.

Anonymous said...

The footbinding was indeed hard to read in all its excruciating detail. I really enjoyed the author's style of writing. I agree with Melissa that the author was very adapt at creating vivid and distinct characters. I loved how she wrote such lyrical dialog for Snow Flower's character--so full of imagery. I also found the descriptions of the embroidery to be beautiful.

Anonymous said...

I'm loving this book, but not completely finished. I'm powering through it right now b/c I find it so compelling. I love the authors sensitivity to the characters & amazing detail.

The footbinding portion of the book & subsequent references to the golden lilies really haunts me. My friend and I had a long talk about it yesterday. she told me that when the big San Francisco earthquake occurred in 1906 many of the women in Chinatown died b/c they couldnt run from the fires due to bound feet.

Signed - WZGIRL/unable to sign in with my usual blogger profile???

Stephanie said...

From Cari @ Wearing Our Party Pants blog - Once I started reading I had a hard time putting the book down. I really enjoyed learning more about china specifically footbinding and the role of women. It sure made me thankful to have been born at the time and place I was.

JerseyGirl said...

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JerseyGirl said...

I enjoyed the book a great deal. It was one of those stories that you are sucked into from the first page. I really enjoy reading narratives, so I think that was part of the appeal. I agree that the end was a bit too typical, but it did not really detract from the story for me.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed this book and liked the historical details that the author included to describe their lives. I was sucked into the story like many of the other readers, but I found the story to be more predictable as Snow Flower and Lily entered adulthood. The ending felt a little rushed. Overall I'm happy to have read it since not only is it nice to be part of the book club but a good friend had recommended it to me as well.
(Having trouble posting with my blogger account)
Sarah
http://intrepidnews.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

If you consider sobbing at the end of the novel enjoying it, then so be it! I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. I found the writing to be a bit choppy at times, but didn't mind, as this seemed to reflect the narrator's upbringing. Like most of you have commented, I was enthralled with the footbinding process, having never really read anything else about it. Just horrid!! And it also intrigued me (read: again, horrified) that being a woman with IF, I would have been sold to another man's family to be a concubine.

Anonymous said...

PS
That last anonymous comment was left by me:

Carrie@
Such Small Things Blog

Christina said...

I really liked the book. but like boogiemum I felt the ending was rushed.
I was also intrigued by the footbinding. I think in those days the footbinding also had a hidden purpose. I believe this activity made the women strong enough to live in a world that was very harsh. All of the things these women went through. I couldn't believe it.

Anonymous said...

A little late to the party here (away this weekend). I loved the book and couldn't put it down. The two elements that intrigued me: the glimpse into that slice of womens' lives in 19th c China, and the concept of the lifelong commitment of the women (what was the term used for the female "marriage"?)

Anonymous said...

I did enjoy the book, though my feet hurt during the whole footbinding chapter.

Anonymous said...

Well, it appears I'm definitely in the minority on this one! I read it a couple months ago and had to force myself to stick with it. I posted about it a bit over on my blog. Perhaps because I've read other books dealing with footbinding and Asian historical fiction, but I just didn't find it a compelling read at all. I was very glad to see it chosen as our first selection as I was curious to know what other people thought and to read reactions different from my own - of which there seem to be plenty! And I'm hoping the discussion questions get me thinking about the book a bit more, and maybe even chaning my mind a bit.