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Shanghai Girls #1
Shanghai Girls
IN 1937 SHANGHAI -- the Paris of Asia -- twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree -- until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth and that to repay his debts, he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from Los Angeles to find Chinese brides. As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, from the Chinese countryside to the shores of America. Though inseparable best friends, the sisters also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. Along the way they make terrible sacrifices, face impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are -- Shanghai girls.
--back cover
--back cover
322 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 2009
About the author
Lisa See
31 books51.3k followersLisa See is the New York Times bestselling author of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, The Island of Sea Women, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, The Island of Sea Women, Peony in Love, Shanghai Girls, China Dolls, and Dreams of Joy, which debuted at #1. She is also the author of On Gold Mountain, which tells the story of her Chinese American family’s settlement in Los Angeles. Her books have been published in 39 languages. See was the recipient of the Golden Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Association of Southern California and the History Maker’s Award from the Chinese American Museum. She was also named National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women. You can learn more about her at www.LisaSee.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 10,791 reviews
June 6, 2011
I'm re-rating this book up to 4 stars, but with the contingency that it must be read with Dreams of Joy. When read in conjunction with the second book, this book is excellent - really emotionally powerful. Without the second book, you'll be horribly disappointed with the the last 20 pages - and wishing for 350 more. my original review is still below.
********
Re-reading 5/2011 in prep for the second book Dreams of Joy. In retrospect, my review is fairly prophetic. I'm so glad there's more to the story.
*******
Lisa See's new book (which I've been waiting for since her website mentioned that it was coming out months ago) does what she does best - writing about the relationships of people and the ups and downs of life long relationships. Whether it's best friends/lao tong (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan), husbands and wives (the Red Princess mystery series), a teenager's relationship with her parents (Peony in Love), Lisa has a rare ability to wrench your heart with the unbelievably powerful feelings that these relationships evoke in our lives.
She certainly did this in Shanghai Girls - this time with sisters who grew up in modern pre-WWII Shanghai, and who because of the war are forced to make huge changes in their lives for which they are entirely unprepared.
We read this story through the eyes of Pearl, the older, smarter, less attractive sister, and how she goes through her days protecting her sister, and trying to harness the sibling rivalry that always exists between them. The tension slowly grows and grows throughout the book, until the end, where if you know Lisa See books, then you know what's coming.
The reason that I gave this book three stars is because I felt that after the explosion of emotions, there was no resolution. It was too abrupt of an ending, and I felt like the characters were lost to me before it was time for them to go. I understand why Lisa ended the book where she did chronologically (it would have required some serious additional writing, and I bet the publishers wouldn't have allowed an 800 pg book) but I wish that they had. Where is my coda?
I will read it again, and enjoy it from the perspective of one who knows what's coming, but I can't say that it's my favorite Lisa See novel.
********
Re-reading 5/2011 in prep for the second book Dreams of Joy. In retrospect, my review is fairly prophetic. I'm so glad there's more to the story.
*******
Lisa See's new book (which I've been waiting for since her website mentioned that it was coming out months ago) does what she does best - writing about the relationships of people and the ups and downs of life long relationships. Whether it's best friends/lao tong (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan), husbands and wives (the Red Princess mystery series), a teenager's relationship with her parents (Peony in Love), Lisa has a rare ability to wrench your heart with the unbelievably powerful feelings that these relationships evoke in our lives.
She certainly did this in Shanghai Girls - this time with sisters who grew up in modern pre-WWII Shanghai, and who because of the war are forced to make huge changes in their lives for which they are entirely unprepared.
We read this story through the eyes of Pearl, the older, smarter, less attractive sister, and how she goes through her days protecting her sister, and trying to harness the sibling rivalry that always exists between them. The tension slowly grows and grows throughout the book, until the end, where if you know Lisa See books, then you know what's coming.
The reason that I gave this book three stars is because I felt that after the explosion of emotions, there was no resolution. It was too abrupt of an ending, and I felt like the characters were lost to me before it was time for them to go. I understand why Lisa ended the book where she did chronologically (it would have required some serious additional writing, and I bet the publishers wouldn't have allowed an 800 pg book) but I wish that they had. Where is my coda?
I will read it again, and enjoy it from the perspective of one who knows what's coming, but I can't say that it's my favorite Lisa See novel.
May 6, 2021
This cover is so pretty and happy and wonderful, and then the contents are the darkest, most painful thing you have ever experienced in your life.
Literally every bad thing that exists under the sun happens in this book. Death. Sexual assault. Devastating illness. War. Genocide. Betrayal. Deceit. Abandonment. Death again. Suicide. Racism. Hate crimes. Poverty. More violence. Family trauma AND family drama.
Probably more I'm forgetting because presumably my brain filed this under "to repress."
Honestly, I really wanted to like this book, but the horrific-ness was gratuitous. I didn't feel like I came to know the characters so much as I came to know the horrible unrelenting stream of things they'd been through.
And that's not my ideal reading experience!
Bottom line: Too much for me!
--------------
pre-review
very, very cool that i just accidentally read the most suffering-filled, sadness-inducing, heartbreaking book of all time.
review to come / 3ish
--------------
tbr review
can't stop / won't stop buying literally everything i see at used bookstores
Literally every bad thing that exists under the sun happens in this book. Death. Sexual assault. Devastating illness. War. Genocide. Betrayal. Deceit. Abandonment. Death again. Suicide. Racism. Hate crimes. Poverty. More violence. Family trauma AND family drama.
Probably more I'm forgetting because presumably my brain filed this under "to repress."
Honestly, I really wanted to like this book, but the horrific-ness was gratuitous. I didn't feel like I came to know the characters so much as I came to know the horrible unrelenting stream of things they'd been through.
And that's not my ideal reading experience!
Bottom line: Too much for me!
--------------
pre-review
very, very cool that i just accidentally read the most suffering-filled, sadness-inducing, heartbreaking book of all time.
review to come / 3ish
--------------
tbr review
can't stop / won't stop buying literally everything i see at used bookstores
August 29, 2020
Este libro para mi ha sido una montaña rusa, empecé odiando tanto a las protagonistas que me resultaba difícil disfrutar de la lectura, pero ha terminado atrapándome tanto que me muero por leer la secuela.
La historia nos lleva al Shanghai de los años 30 (el París de Oriente), allí conocemos a Pearl y May, dos jóvenes de clase alta, bonitas, vanidosas y superficiales. Tras una serie de infortunios y la llegada de la guerra deben emigrar a Estados Unidos, donde tendrán que rehacer sus vidas en el incipiente Chinatown, trabajando en restaurantes y en una situación muy precaria.
Si algo me ha enamorado del libro ha sido toda la ambientación y la enorme cantidad de detalles sobre la cultura, costumbres y creencias chinas. El libro está plagado de datos y personajes históricos, conocemos además en profundidad lo que supone ser un ciudadano "de tercera", la discriminación, el acoso de las autoridades, el desprecio por tus orígenes, la imposibilidad de ascender en la vida.. Es un libro muy bien documentado.
No suelo hacer estas aclaraciones, pero hubo varias escenas que me impactaron por su extrema violencia y especialmente relacionado con temas de violación. Son casos puntuales, pero quiero aclarar esto por si sois sensibles a este tema.
El libro para mi arrancó cuando las protagonistas llegan a Estados Unidos, como digo, las protagonistas me resultaron odiosas y extremadamente egoístas practicamente durante toda la lectura, pero me gusta cómo va evolucionando la trama y cómo descubrimos lo poco fiable que es Pearl como narradora. Al final acabas comprendiendo mucho mejor su carácter, desilusiones y esperanzas.
En el lado más negativo de la historia tenemos giros y sorpresas telenovelescas que personalmente me parecieron muy excesivas. Así como los constantes celos y absurdas riñas entre las hermanas, que cualquiera diría que con las cosas espantosas que les pasan podían haber estado más unidas, pero su relación es muy compleja durante toda la historia.
Sea como sea, y a pesar de esos momentos de telenovela, es un libro que he terminado disfrutando mucho (aunque tardara bastante en entrar por él) y os lo recomiendo encarecidamente si buscáis una novela en la que la cultura e Historia reciente de China estén presentes.
Pronto me pondré con la secuela, que nos llevará a conocer la historia de la hija de Pearl... Promete ser poco alegre también, eso sí xD
La historia nos lleva al Shanghai de los años 30 (el París de Oriente), allí conocemos a Pearl y May, dos jóvenes de clase alta, bonitas, vanidosas y superficiales. Tras una serie de infortunios y la llegada de la guerra deben emigrar a Estados Unidos, donde tendrán que rehacer sus vidas en el incipiente Chinatown, trabajando en restaurantes y en una situación muy precaria.
Si algo me ha enamorado del libro ha sido toda la ambientación y la enorme cantidad de detalles sobre la cultura, costumbres y creencias chinas. El libro está plagado de datos y personajes históricos, conocemos además en profundidad lo que supone ser un ciudadano "de tercera", la discriminación, el acoso de las autoridades, el desprecio por tus orígenes, la imposibilidad de ascender en la vida.. Es un libro muy bien documentado.
No suelo hacer estas aclaraciones, pero hubo varias escenas que me impactaron por su extrema violencia y especialmente relacionado con temas de violación. Son casos puntuales, pero quiero aclarar esto por si sois sensibles a este tema.
El libro para mi arrancó cuando las protagonistas llegan a Estados Unidos, como digo, las protagonistas me resultaron odiosas y extremadamente egoístas practicamente durante toda la lectura, pero me gusta cómo va evolucionando la trama y cómo descubrimos lo poco fiable que es Pearl como narradora. Al final acabas comprendiendo mucho mejor su carácter, desilusiones y esperanzas.
En el lado más negativo de la historia tenemos giros y sorpresas telenovelescas que personalmente me parecieron muy excesivas. Así como los constantes celos y absurdas riñas entre las hermanas, que cualquiera diría que con las cosas espantosas que les pasan podían haber estado más unidas, pero su relación es muy compleja durante toda la historia.
Sea como sea, y a pesar de esos momentos de telenovela, es un libro que he terminado disfrutando mucho (aunque tardara bastante en entrar por él) y os lo recomiendo encarecidamente si buscáis una novela en la que la cultura e Historia reciente de China estén presentes.
Pronto me pondré con la secuela, que nos llevará a conocer la historia de la hija de Pearl... Promete ser poco alegre también, eso sí xD
February 24, 2009
Lisa’s See’s new novel, Shanghai Girls, provides a rich experience for its readers – taking them from the splendor, highlife, glamour and poverty of 1937 Shanghai to the struggles of Chinese immigrants to survive a virtual internment on Angel Island, off the coast of San Francisco, to the almost impossible challenges of trying to build a life in Los Angeles Chinatown in the context of an America that does not want them and treats them cruelly.
But despite its rich background, Shanghai Girls is ultimately the story of two sisters – Pearl and May – who desperately strive to help each other survive and at the same time replay in their minds and actions old rivalries, jealousies, and hurts. The summary of the book on See’s web site puts it well: “They love each other but they also know exactly where to drive the knife to hurt the other sister the most.” This is most dramatically shown in the novel’s climax.
Pearl, speaking in first person, is the narrator, taking us from 1937 to 1957. This time period matches Parts IV and V of See’s On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family. The perspectives are different, however. In the memoir See is scrupulously objective in treatment family members, herself, and issues very close to her. Pearl lets us experience some of the same American experiences but from a different perspective and from the inside.
Late in the novel, Pearl reflects: “We’re told that men are strong and brave, but I think women know how to endure, accept defeat, and bear physical and mental agony much better than men.” This is certainly true of Pearl herself.
Growing up in Shanghai, the Paris of Asia, Pearl and her sister May live lives of privilege. Being a Dragon, Pearl is seen by her parents as a fiery, strong daughter who can take care of her self-absorbed Sheep sister. By the time she is 21, Pearl and May enjoy the status of being Beautiful Girls, Pearl rather insensitive to those who serve her and her wealthy family.
But then Pearl’s journey into suffering begins. Her father loses his money in gambling debts and the sisters are forced into arranged marriages. The Japanese attack China and Shanghai is attacked by air and the country invaded. In the process Pearl and her mother are brutalized by Japanese soldiers and her mother is killed.
Having lost everything, Pearl and May are forced to flee to America to find their husbands. Surviving a grueling stay at Angel Island (the Ellis Island of the West), Pearl can only hope that her husband Sam and his family will accept her since she is bringing with her a new born daughter named Joy.
Much of Shanghai Girls centers on Pearl’s attempt to adjust to life as a member of the Louie family. While May seeks happiness outside the home in her new country, especially in terms of her many associations with the glitzy world of Hollywood, Pearl sees her life as unending drudgery as she is locked into a routine of cleaning and cooking, working in her father-in-law’s various business enterprises, and caring for Joy. In addition, she is largely responsible for caring for Vern, May’s young and critically ill husband.
Although her father-in-law gradually comes to include Pearl, May, and Joy as true members of his family, Pearl grows closer to her mother-in-law, and discovers that her lower class husband is indeed an Ox in the truest sense, deeply loving and caring for his family, her new Christian and much older Chinese values are tested by the terrors of the McCarthy era of anti-communism accompanied by serious mistreatment of most Chinese people.
At the end of the novel the two sisters directly confront each other at last, venting all the anger and hurt each has repressed previously. Despite being very angry at May for what Pearl feels are very good reasons, May’s attacks and self-defense make her realize that she may have been mistaken in many of her core beliefs over the years.
But finally it is Joy who saves Pearl. When she reaches the point where she will give up everything for Joy, Pearl truly becomes her mother’s daughter -- and in the process becomes the Dragon she was meant to be.
But despite its rich background, Shanghai Girls is ultimately the story of two sisters – Pearl and May – who desperately strive to help each other survive and at the same time replay in their minds and actions old rivalries, jealousies, and hurts. The summary of the book on See’s web site puts it well: “They love each other but they also know exactly where to drive the knife to hurt the other sister the most.” This is most dramatically shown in the novel’s climax.
Pearl, speaking in first person, is the narrator, taking us from 1937 to 1957. This time period matches Parts IV and V of See’s On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family. The perspectives are different, however. In the memoir See is scrupulously objective in treatment family members, herself, and issues very close to her. Pearl lets us experience some of the same American experiences but from a different perspective and from the inside.
Late in the novel, Pearl reflects: “We’re told that men are strong and brave, but I think women know how to endure, accept defeat, and bear physical and mental agony much better than men.” This is certainly true of Pearl herself.
Growing up in Shanghai, the Paris of Asia, Pearl and her sister May live lives of privilege. Being a Dragon, Pearl is seen by her parents as a fiery, strong daughter who can take care of her self-absorbed Sheep sister. By the time she is 21, Pearl and May enjoy the status of being Beautiful Girls, Pearl rather insensitive to those who serve her and her wealthy family.
But then Pearl’s journey into suffering begins. Her father loses his money in gambling debts and the sisters are forced into arranged marriages. The Japanese attack China and Shanghai is attacked by air and the country invaded. In the process Pearl and her mother are brutalized by Japanese soldiers and her mother is killed.
Having lost everything, Pearl and May are forced to flee to America to find their husbands. Surviving a grueling stay at Angel Island (the Ellis Island of the West), Pearl can only hope that her husband Sam and his family will accept her since she is bringing with her a new born daughter named Joy.
Much of Shanghai Girls centers on Pearl’s attempt to adjust to life as a member of the Louie family. While May seeks happiness outside the home in her new country, especially in terms of her many associations with the glitzy world of Hollywood, Pearl sees her life as unending drudgery as she is locked into a routine of cleaning and cooking, working in her father-in-law’s various business enterprises, and caring for Joy. In addition, she is largely responsible for caring for Vern, May’s young and critically ill husband.
Although her father-in-law gradually comes to include Pearl, May, and Joy as true members of his family, Pearl grows closer to her mother-in-law, and discovers that her lower class husband is indeed an Ox in the truest sense, deeply loving and caring for his family, her new Christian and much older Chinese values are tested by the terrors of the McCarthy era of anti-communism accompanied by serious mistreatment of most Chinese people.
At the end of the novel the two sisters directly confront each other at last, venting all the anger and hurt each has repressed previously. Despite being very angry at May for what Pearl feels are very good reasons, May’s attacks and self-defense make her realize that she may have been mistaken in many of her core beliefs over the years.
But finally it is Joy who saves Pearl. When she reaches the point where she will give up everything for Joy, Pearl truly becomes her mother’s daughter -- and in the process becomes the Dragon she was meant to be.
August 9, 2011
This book was very disappointing. I went into it eager to learn about this point in history and this should have been a good book considering the premise of the story. I think it started out well and the family and events in China held my interest and seemed well-defined. Still, the tragedies never felt that compelling, and even what should have outraged me when they arrived in the US, never had the impact they would have if better written. I should have gotten angry, I should have cried, I should have felt more for the characters. The book evolved into a long narrative that just seemed to state dates and facts without any depth and then finally reveals what was the obvious plot point all along. Did we ever know the Uncles? Vern? The girls friends? Sam? NO, only as Pearl and May see them, not a real people. I would like to have read this story (a good one) written by a different author. And I agree with the other reviewer who stated that the abrupt ending seems to just be setting up a sequel. Think I'll pass on that if it does happen.
August 15, 2016
I can't believe I didn't write a review on this Lisa See book.
This is one of my favorite historical books she wrote. There is a fascinating story in here that many people know very little about!
The plot revolves around two sisters -their privilege life breaks down - 1930's Shanghai -
Their father sell them to loveless marriages --
The 'history' of horrific prejudice & immigration - coming to America was no joke.
After I had read this ( not light and fluffy),
a front page article in our local newspaper was a true story about an Asian man - he was in his 90's living in SF... speaking for the 'very first' time.. when he came over to Angel Island.
Even though this booksI fiction -there is a lot to learn about how it really was for Chinese immigrants -- during the mid 50's and it's not a pretty picture.
We should have been deeply ashamed of ourselves.
Excellent novel.
This is one of my favorite historical books she wrote. There is a fascinating story in here that many people know very little about!
The plot revolves around two sisters -their privilege life breaks down - 1930's Shanghai -
Their father sell them to loveless marriages --
The 'history' of horrific prejudice & immigration - coming to America was no joke.
After I had read this ( not light and fluffy),
a front page article in our local newspaper was a true story about an Asian man - he was in his 90's living in SF... speaking for the 'very first' time.. when he came over to Angel Island.
Even though this booksI fiction -there is a lot to learn about how it really was for Chinese immigrants -- during the mid 50's and it's not a pretty picture.
We should have been deeply ashamed of ourselves.
Excellent novel.
September 16, 2016
3.5 STARS
OMG! These girls dad sucks! This reminds me of one of her other books with the father!
*****TRIGGER WARNING: GANG RAPE & BEATING OF AN OLD WOMAN AND HER TEENAGE DAUGHTER*****
*****SPOILERS*****
I liked the story, it did kind of remind me of Snow Flower And The Secret Fan in ways, but I liked that book a lot better.
I can't put my finger on what I didn't love about this book, I guess it just seemed to drag a little bit for me. I have to admit that I almost threw the book when I got to the rape part of the book. I skimmed as much as I could because I don't read that kind of stuff. Not word for word at any rate.
Pearl and May were having a good life being models until one day their father said he gambled all of his money away (including the girls money he was keeping for them) and that he sold them to the man he owed, Old Man Louie. They were to marry his sons, Sam and Vern.
I slip down next to May. I can't believe Mama is willing to ship us to America to cure my father's and her problems. But then isn't that the kind of thing Chinese parents have done with worthless daughters for thousands of years--abandoned them, sold them, used them?
Pearl and May decided not to go but then some goons were sent after them during the midst of a war going on with the Japanese. Pearl and May promised they would go and they had a really hard time getting their tickets changed. Lets just say that didn't work out.
One night their father didn't return home so their mother hired a boy to take them as far as he could. Pearl, May and their mom ended up in who knows where and they were attacked. Their mom told them to stay hidden in a room but Pearl came out when she realized their mom was being raped and beaten repeatedly by the Japanese. They even unbound her feet (her feet were done in the old tradition) and stomped on them too. I couldn't really read through much of this, Pearl was raped repeatedly as well. When they were gone their mom dragged herself over to Pearl and held her and talked to her until Pearl passed out and her mom died.
Later, May came out and got a wheelbarrow and carried Pearl a great distance and got them on a boat. She got Pearl to a hospital where they had to do several surgeries on Pearl and said she would never have kids.
I just have one thing to say about any kind of rapist. ↓
Pearl and May finally make it to America to be with their husbands. They had to stay where they were for some time until May had her baby. Yes, she did the deed with someone and they passed it off as Pearl's baby. Pearl named her Joy.
So the book goes on to tell of their lives in America. There are so many revelations and a lot of sadness. I felt so bad for these people. So many that were involved in such atrocities. But, anyway! I have the sequel and it's about Joy. I'm hoping something wonderful happens with Joy in that book after all of the stuff she found out at the end of this book. Something good has to come out of it all.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
OMG! These girls dad sucks! This reminds me of one of her other books with the father!
*****TRIGGER WARNING: GANG RAPE & BEATING OF AN OLD WOMAN AND HER TEENAGE DAUGHTER*****
*****SPOILERS*****
I liked the story, it did kind of remind me of Snow Flower And The Secret Fan in ways, but I liked that book a lot better.
I can't put my finger on what I didn't love about this book, I guess it just seemed to drag a little bit for me. I have to admit that I almost threw the book when I got to the rape part of the book. I skimmed as much as I could because I don't read that kind of stuff. Not word for word at any rate.
Pearl and May were having a good life being models until one day their father said he gambled all of his money away (including the girls money he was keeping for them) and that he sold them to the man he owed, Old Man Louie. They were to marry his sons, Sam and Vern.
I slip down next to May. I can't believe Mama is willing to ship us to America to cure my father's and her problems. But then isn't that the kind of thing Chinese parents have done with worthless daughters for thousands of years--abandoned them, sold them, used them?
Pearl and May decided not to go but then some goons were sent after them during the midst of a war going on with the Japanese. Pearl and May promised they would go and they had a really hard time getting their tickets changed. Lets just say that didn't work out.
One night their father didn't return home so their mother hired a boy to take them as far as he could. Pearl, May and their mom ended up in who knows where and they were attacked. Their mom told them to stay hidden in a room but Pearl came out when she realized their mom was being raped and beaten repeatedly by the Japanese. They even unbound her feet (her feet were done in the old tradition) and stomped on them too. I couldn't really read through much of this, Pearl was raped repeatedly as well. When they were gone their mom dragged herself over to Pearl and held her and talked to her until Pearl passed out and her mom died.
Later, May came out and got a wheelbarrow and carried Pearl a great distance and got them on a boat. She got Pearl to a hospital where they had to do several surgeries on Pearl and said she would never have kids.
I just have one thing to say about any kind of rapist. ↓
Pearl and May finally make it to America to be with their husbands. They had to stay where they were for some time until May had her baby. Yes, she did the deed with someone and they passed it off as Pearl's baby. Pearl named her Joy.
So the book goes on to tell of their lives in America. There are so many revelations and a lot of sadness. I felt so bad for these people. So many that were involved in such atrocities. But, anyway! I have the sequel and it's about Joy. I'm hoping something wonderful happens with Joy in that book after all of the stuff she found out at the end of this book. Something good has to come out of it all.
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
August 17, 2011
I really disliked this book and I'm extra disappoined about it because I loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan so much!
It starts out OK with the depiction of Shanghai but never did anything to make me feel a connection to the characters. Pearl is just pure, unadulterated grouch, and May is a completly selfish jerk (or is she? the last few pages make me wonder if she's fine but grouchy Pearl made me hate her!)
Most of the book is just a boring list of things that happened. We worked at China City. We spoke Sze Yup. Sam had iron fan. Louie was mean. We did the husband-wife thing (what a super annoying term!) and Vern had melting-bone disease.(What was the deal with Vern anyway? Was he retarded, autistic, Down's Syndrome, just sickly, what?? He had no purpose at all except for the stupid model boats at the end.)
The only exciting thing was when May FINALLY yelled at Pearl and told her to stop being such an in sufferable bitch! Not soon enough!
I can't believe that there is a sequel because I can't imagine that people want to spend more time with these cardboard people.
It starts out OK with the depiction of Shanghai but never did anything to make me feel a connection to the characters. Pearl is just pure, unadulterated grouch, and May is a completly selfish jerk (or is she? the last few pages make me wonder if she's fine but grouchy Pearl made me hate her!)
Most of the book is just a boring list of things that happened. We worked at China City. We spoke Sze Yup. Sam had iron fan. Louie was mean. We did the husband-wife thing (what a super annoying term!) and Vern had melting-bone disease.(What was the deal with Vern anyway? Was he retarded, autistic, Down's Syndrome, just sickly, what?? He had no purpose at all except for the stupid model boats at the end.)
The only exciting thing was when May FINALLY yelled at Pearl and told her to stop being such an in sufferable bitch! Not soon enough!
I can't believe that there is a sequel because I can't imagine that people want to spend more time with these cardboard people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2010
This was the third book I've read by this author and I'm still confused as to my feelings for her writing. The first book I read, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, I loved. I think it was all the descriptions and information about the cultural nuances, including foot binding. Then, I was excited to read, Peony in Love, until I actually started it. Then, I thought maybe this book would turn the tide either way. Unfortunately, I'm still ambivalent. It was an interesting enough story: two "modern" sisters escape the country into arranged marriages in the United States, but it lacked the interesting older cultural nuances that I so enjoy. Plus, and please forgive me if you adore history, reading about war bores me. Thank you to everyone who has served or is serving our country. We would not have the freedoms we have now were it not for people giving their life, but reading a fictional account of any war is not something I normally enjoy. I guess I will wait until this author writes something else and decide then if I'm interested enough to read it. If you like to read about Chinese culture, skip this one and "Peony in Love" and go straight to Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.
September 9, 2010
I fell in love with Lisa See's writing a few years ago when I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. As such, I was really looking forward to reading Shanghai Girls when it came out. Initially though, people began saying that it did not compare. So it was with trepidation that I began reading this book, afraid that I would be disappointed. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. All I can say is that Lisa See has another hit on her hands with this wonderful story of two sisters who emigrate from Shanghai to America around the time of the cultural revolution in China. From the beginning of the book in Shanghai, through their journey out of China, to their stay on Angel Island, and finally their life in Southern California, I was captivated by Pearl and her sister May. Two sisters could not be more different, but more attached than the two women in this book.
As usual, See has imbued this story with a wonderful cast of characters who surround the sisters and help tell the story of the bewilderment of the Chinese population after the 1937 invasion by Japan, the assimilation of the Chinese into American society in the 1940s and 50s, and finally, the mistrust, prejudice, and panic in the US towards Chinese Americans after the rise to power in China of Mao Tse Tung. See is such a gifted storyteller, that you feel like you know the characters personally and the pages just fly by.
My only complaint was that the end of the story left so many loose ends. In a way it was fitting, but at the same time there were many questions left unanswered. I was, therefore, very excited to hear that Lisa See is planning to continue the story of Pearl, May, and Joy in another book.
As usual, See has imbued this story with a wonderful cast of characters who surround the sisters and help tell the story of the bewilderment of the Chinese population after the 1937 invasion by Japan, the assimilation of the Chinese into American society in the 1940s and 50s, and finally, the mistrust, prejudice, and panic in the US towards Chinese Americans after the rise to power in China of Mao Tse Tung. See is such a gifted storyteller, that you feel like you know the characters personally and the pages just fly by.
My only complaint was that the end of the story left so many loose ends. In a way it was fitting, but at the same time there were many questions left unanswered. I was, therefore, very excited to hear that Lisa See is planning to continue the story of Pearl, May, and Joy in another book.
March 5, 2020
Historical fiction beginning in 1937 in Shanghai, China. Two sisters are uprooted from their carefree lives when their father loses the family’s wealth to gambling debts. He arranges their marriages, much to their dismay, which starts a harrowing journey that ends in Chinatown near Hollywood, California. It follows the development of family bonds and the trajectory of their lives as they work hard, attempt to save money for the future, and experience multiple adversities.
The focus is on family relationships, particularly between the two sisters, Pearl and May. Characters are deeply drawn and exhibit growth. The author does a good job of showing how each generation separates itself from the parents’ views and provides a sense of how Chinese traditions influence the family. The descriptions of Shanghai are vivid and historical events are infused throughout the narrative. This book also illuminates the Chinese experience of racism and persecution in the United States after the Communist Revolution brought Mao Zedong to power in China.
I found the story compelling and appreciated finding out more about the history of the era. Be prepared for an ending that becomes slightly melodramatic and sets up a sequel. Fans of family sagas in historical settings will likely enjoy it.
The focus is on family relationships, particularly between the two sisters, Pearl and May. Characters are deeply drawn and exhibit growth. The author does a good job of showing how each generation separates itself from the parents’ views and provides a sense of how Chinese traditions influence the family. The descriptions of Shanghai are vivid and historical events are infused throughout the narrative. This book also illuminates the Chinese experience of racism and persecution in the United States after the Communist Revolution brought Mao Zedong to power in China.
I found the story compelling and appreciated finding out more about the history of the era. Be prepared for an ending that becomes slightly melodramatic and sets up a sequel. Fans of family sagas in historical settings will likely enjoy it.
September 14, 2016
I really enjoyed this peek into Chinese culture and history. For Ed's peace of mind, there are a few instances of tragedy porn a la Kite Runner, but I found this book rather more enjoyable.
It covers Pearl and May's lives growing up in Shanghai, where they don't have to worry about much until their father basically sells them as wives for another man's sons in order to pay off his gambling debts. Amid this, the second Sino-Japanese War is going on, and it takes everything they have in order to get out of Shanghai. En route to America, the girls are detained at the Angel Island immigration facility and then when WWII hits they have to face the racism and discrimination against all Asian races because Westerners mistake them for being Japanese. Pearl raises a daughter and is torn between bringing her up in the traditional Chinese way or the more modern American style. Along the way, she and May share a tight and sometimes strained bond as they share life-altering experiences. Being sisters married to a pair of brothers, they all live in the same house and family on top of family isn't always the best situation.
Lisa See researched this excellently, and I learned so much; from Chinese culture in general to the issues immigrants had to deal with (it really parallels the problems Mexicans and Latinos are facing in America right now), and then tying it in with several big historical events. The end was left wide open for the sequel, Dreams of Joy, which I'm now dying for.
It covers Pearl and May's lives growing up in Shanghai, where they don't have to worry about much until their father basically sells them as wives for another man's sons in order to pay off his gambling debts. Amid this, the second Sino-Japanese War is going on, and it takes everything they have in order to get out of Shanghai. En route to America, the girls are detained at the Angel Island immigration facility and then when WWII hits they have to face the racism and discrimination against all Asian races because Westerners mistake them for being Japanese. Pearl raises a daughter and is torn between bringing her up in the traditional Chinese way or the more modern American style. Along the way, she and May share a tight and sometimes strained bond as they share life-altering experiences. Being sisters married to a pair of brothers, they all live in the same house and family on top of family isn't always the best situation.
Lisa See researched this excellently, and I learned so much; from Chinese culture in general to the issues immigrants had to deal with (it really parallels the problems Mexicans and Latinos are facing in America right now), and then tying it in with several big historical events. The end was left wide open for the sequel, Dreams of Joy, which I'm now dying for.
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January 15, 2023تأخذنا الكاتبة " ليزا سي " إلي " شنغهاي " في ثلاثينيات القرن الماضي لنتعرف على فتاتين أختين سينطلقا في رحلة طويلة لتنتهي إلى " لوس انجلوس " ...
تشهد التاريخ السياسي للصين في تلك الحقبة وحتى فيما بعد الحرب العالمية الثانية ، وتداعيات ذلك على الحياة في أمريكا آنذاك...
رواية عن ويلات الحرب المُدمرة عندما تطمس الألوان وتُحيلها إلى اللون الرمادي المُلطخ بالدماء والإذلال...
عن المرء عندما يفقد وطنه الأم فلا يملك سوى محاولة التعايش مع كل ما يتساقط من خسارات ، التأقلم مع حياة جديدة مع الحفاظ على التقاليد والطقوس الموروثة ، يرقب ظلال الحنين إلى الوطن وهى تطارد كل شيء...
عن ماضٍ يحمل ذكريات الصبا العذبة والتي باتت طيفاً بعيداً ، بعدما أصبحت الذكريات الأليمة القاسية هى من تتصدر المشهد على الدوام لتذكر الفتاتين بالرابط المقدس الذي يربطهما كأختين لا يفترقا ، مهما كانت نظرتهما حيال العالم على النقيض ، كلٌ منهما كانت تعرف كيف تصمد أمام تحديات الحياة وصعوباتها...
الوعود التي يقتطعها المرء ، التنازلات التي يقدمها والتضحيات التي يبذلها من أجل من يحب...
حطام القلب الذي مازال ينبض في جسد مات ذات يوم ، وتهديدات المخاوف التي تقطع لحظات السعادة ، والعذاب الذي ينهش الروح في السعي إلى إثبات هوية في عالم شاسع لن يعترف بك إلا وأنت في أحضان موطنك....
بنهاية المطاف تدرك بأن كل منا يتبادل الأدوار ما بين الضحية تارة والجاني تارة .. البريء والمذنب ...لن يفلت من ذلك أحد....
وتم��يت لو أنني فعلت كل شيء بشكل مختلف بالرغم من إنني واثقة من أن كل شيء سينتهي كما انتهى عليه ، فهذا هو معنى القدر ....
تشهد التاريخ السياسي للصين في تلك الحقبة وحتى فيما بعد الحرب العالمية الثانية ، وتداعيات ذلك على الحياة في أمريكا آنذاك...
رواية عن ويلات الحرب المُدمرة عندما تطمس الألوان وتُحيلها إلى اللون الرمادي المُلطخ بالدماء والإذلال...
عن المرء عندما يفقد وطنه الأم فلا يملك سوى محاولة التعايش مع كل ما يتساقط من خسارات ، التأقلم مع حياة جديدة مع الحفاظ على التقاليد والطقوس الموروثة ، يرقب ظلال الحنين إلى الوطن وهى تطارد كل شيء...
عن ماضٍ يحمل ذكريات الصبا العذبة والتي باتت طيفاً بعيداً ، بعدما أصبحت الذكريات الأليمة القاسية هى من تتصدر المشهد على الدوام لتذكر الفتاتين بالرابط المقدس الذي يربطهما كأختين لا يفترقا ، مهما كانت نظرتهما حيال العالم على النقيض ، كلٌ منهما كانت تعرف كيف تصمد أمام تحديات الحياة وصعوباتها...
الوعود التي يقتطعها المرء ، التنازلات التي يقدمها والتضحيات التي يبذلها من أجل من يحب...
حطام القلب الذي مازال ينبض في جسد مات ذات يوم ، وتهديدات المخاوف التي تقطع لحظات السعادة ، والعذاب الذي ينهش الروح في السعي إلى إثبات هوية في عالم شاسع لن يعترف بك إلا وأنت في أحضان موطنك....
بنهاية المطاف تدرك بأن كل منا يتبادل الأدوار ما بين الضحية تارة والجاني تارة .. البريء والمذنب ...لن يفلت من ذلك أحد....
وتم��يت لو أنني فعلت كل شيء بشكل مختلف بالرغم من إنني واثقة من أن كل شيء سينتهي كما انتهى عليه ، فهذا هو معنى القدر ....
August 10, 2021
Esta historia comienza en 1937, cuando dos hermanas, Pearl y May Chin, viven su dorada juventud en Shanghai, en una familia acomodada y en un entorno sofisticado y con pasión por todo lo europeo. A raíz de la guerra con Japón todo cambia, y al arruinarse su padre, las envía a California como esposas compradas de los hijos de un comerciante chino afincado en USA.
Vemos como el mundo de las hermanas se desmorona y tienen que pasar de ser jóvenes irresponsables a esposas tradicionales en un país extranjero. La novela describe muy bien todo el proceso de emigración y los problemas y desengaños que conlleva adaptarse a la nueva cultura y, al mismo tiempo, al ambiente tradicional de Chinatown, con sus típicos negocios chinos como los restaurantes.
Me llamó la atención la parte en que May Chin empieza a trabajar como extra en el naciente Hollywood, que era el reflejo de una sociedad que vivía un momento de ebullición y cambio. Es interesante la manera en que se van adaptando a todos estos avatares y cómo evoluciona la relación entre ellas, que son tan distintas: Pearl, la mayor, más sensata y la joven May Chin más alocada e irresponsable.
En conjunto, una entretenida narración con muchos datos interesantes sobre la cultura china y la emigración a Estados Unidos.
3,5
Vemos como el mundo de las hermanas se desmorona y tienen que pasar de ser jóvenes irresponsables a esposas tradicionales en un país extranjero. La novela describe muy bien todo el proceso de emigración y los problemas y desengaños que conlleva adaptarse a la nueva cultura y, al mismo tiempo, al ambiente tradicional de Chinatown, con sus típicos negocios chinos como los restaurantes.
Me llamó la atención la parte en que May Chin empieza a trabajar como extra en el naciente Hollywood, que era el reflejo de una sociedad que vivía un momento de ebullición y cambio. Es interesante la manera en que se van adaptando a todos estos avatares y cómo evoluciona la relación entre ellas, que son tan distintas: Pearl, la mayor, más sensata y la joven May Chin más alocada e irresponsable.
En conjunto, una entretenida narración con muchos datos interesantes sobre la cultura china y la emigración a Estados Unidos.
3,5
December 31, 2021
“A girl with three holes”
This is how Chinese women are viewed. This is what Chinese women are often reduced to in the 30-40-50’s. As American’s view the Chinese as filth. Men in China and America threaten and treat them as such. 2 sisters tied together at birth in China never let go as they are sold off in an arrange marriage to Chinese brother’s in America. This is their adventure as they over come one obstacle after another to circle through the US and back to China.
Not one of Lisa See’s better books. However, she does a good job staying with the culture of the times and the obstacles these ladies and their families must over come. Now to book 2.
This is how Chinese women are viewed. This is what Chinese women are often reduced to in the 30-40-50’s. As American’s view the Chinese as filth. Men in China and America threaten and treat them as such. 2 sisters tied together at birth in China never let go as they are sold off in an arrange marriage to Chinese brother’s in America. This is their adventure as they over come one obstacle after another to circle through the US and back to China.
Not one of Lisa See’s better books. However, she does a good job staying with the culture of the times and the obstacles these ladies and their families must over come. Now to book 2.
April 5, 2022
Pearl y May son dos hermanas de una buena familia que pasan sus días de fiesta en fiesta en la espectacular Shanghai de finales de los años 30. En esta época, la ciudad se encuentra en constante cambio y modernización, y el choque entre madres e hijas, o incluso entre las de Shanghai con las de otras zonas de China es evidente: la mujer de Shanghai se está occidentalizando. Pese a los valores tradicionales de sus padres, las hermanas Chin disfrutan de esta vida y de los recursos que tienen, mirando por encima del hombro a todos aquellos que no comparten estatus con ellas. Sin embargo, la repentina pérdida de la riqueza familiar, sumada a la invasión japonesa de China, cambiará la vida que conocían para siempre.
Tercera lectura que hago de la gran Lisa See y tercera vez que consigue enamorarme de sus historias, aunque me gustaría advertir que “Dos chicas de Shanghai” no es tan espectacular como lo fueron “El abanico de seda” o “La isla de las mujeres del mar”, ya sea por la manera en la que evoluciona la historia, porque no hay tantos giros argumentales (los hay pero menos) o porque el contexto histórico resulta menos atractivo de entrada, o esté visto desde más lejos que las otras dos obras. Y aún así, me ha parecido un librazo, con muchas virtudes y muchas cosas que analizar.
Después de leer tres libros de Lisa See, puedo confirmar que la fórmula en las historias de la autora se repite siempre: dos mujeres unidas por una vínculo afectivo, a veces romántico, a veces de amigas, otras de hermanas, donde hay muchos secretos, y siempre enmarcado en un contexto histórico turbulento. Quizás para algunos lectores esta fórmula pueda llegar a resultarle repetitiva, pero yo estoy disfrutando muchísimo haberme encontrado con Lisa See en mi camino lector y poder leer historias de mujeres con vínculos, que se apoyan unas a otras, que también se equivocan, pero donde el afecto es tan real que atraviesa las páginas. Parece una exageración, pero no es ni remotamente fácil encontrar historias donde los personajes femeninos tengan ese tipo de relaciones, o si las tienen, rara vez acapara la trama principal.
Una cosa que me gusta mucho de las mujeres protagonistas de Lisa See, y en “Dos chicas de Shanghai" creo que he encontrado, al menos por ahora, el máximo ejemplo, es que son personajes con muchos matices, claros y oscuros por igual. May y Pearl son dos niñas mimadas, víctimas de su época, clasistas, que caen en la propia trampa de su crianza. Cuando ellas pasan a formar parte de eso que tanto repudiaban, se odian así mismas. Me gusta mucho no encontrar protagonistas perfectas, que todo lo hacen bien y que si sufren o les pasan cosas malas siempre es culpa de algo externo. En “Dos chicas de Shanghai” Pearl y May sufren mucho por cosas que escapan a sus manos, pero también son humanas y cometen errores, y esto consigue que los personajes de la autora siempre se sientan reales.
Uno de los temas más interesantes del libro es como refleja la hipocresía de las personas y del propio sistema. Durante la segunda guerra chino-japonesa, que duró desde 1937 a 1945, Estados Unidos toma a los ciudadanos chinos como aliados contra Japón, a causa de la evidente enemistad entre Japón y Estados Unidos durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. ¿Os suena eso de "el enemigo de mi enemigo es mi amigo"? Pues un poco eso. Sin embargo, en los años posteriores, después de la expulsión japonesa y de la guerra civil del país, resultando el comunismo vencedor, los chinos que llevaban años viviendo en América, incluso habiendo nacido muchos allí, pasan a ser el enemigo. Por supuesto esto provoca oleadas de racismo y agresiones, y la autora tiene un talento especial para retratar lo ridícula que puede ser la especie humana y lo cabalgantes que suelen ser los valores de estos, siempre a conveniencia, y siempre como justificación de los peores actos propios.
Creo que Lisa See es una genia, y se nota muchísimo el trabajo de investigación que hay detrás de cada una de sus historias, a través de ellas aprendemos muchos sobre diferentes contextos históricos, de una manera sencilla pero intensa, y lo hacemos junto a personajes que huelen a verdad, que podríamos haber sido cualquiera de nosotros. También me ha gustado mucho ver ese choque cultural de los chinos nacidos en América con los que no, un tema que suele gustarme mucho y en “Dos chicas de Shanghai” parte de la historia se centra en esto. Tengo muchas ganas de leer la segunda parte “Sueños de felicidad”, porque el final de la primera es de infarto. No esperaba para nada un giro así, pero pinta que la secuela puede ser incluso mejor.
Tercera lectura que hago de la gran Lisa See y tercera vez que consigue enamorarme de sus historias, aunque me gustaría advertir que “Dos chicas de Shanghai” no es tan espectacular como lo fueron “El abanico de seda” o “La isla de las mujeres del mar”, ya sea por la manera en la que evoluciona la historia, porque no hay tantos giros argumentales (los hay pero menos) o porque el contexto histórico resulta menos atractivo de entrada, o esté visto desde más lejos que las otras dos obras. Y aún así, me ha parecido un librazo, con muchas virtudes y muchas cosas que analizar.
Después de leer tres libros de Lisa See, puedo confirmar que la fórmula en las historias de la autora se repite siempre: dos mujeres unidas por una vínculo afectivo, a veces romántico, a veces de amigas, otras de hermanas, donde hay muchos secretos, y siempre enmarcado en un contexto histórico turbulento. Quizás para algunos lectores esta fórmula pueda llegar a resultarle repetitiva, pero yo estoy disfrutando muchísimo haberme encontrado con Lisa See en mi camino lector y poder leer historias de mujeres con vínculos, que se apoyan unas a otras, que también se equivocan, pero donde el afecto es tan real que atraviesa las páginas. Parece una exageración, pero no es ni remotamente fácil encontrar historias donde los personajes femeninos tengan ese tipo de relaciones, o si las tienen, rara vez acapara la trama principal.
Una cosa que me gusta mucho de las mujeres protagonistas de Lisa See, y en “Dos chicas de Shanghai" creo que he encontrado, al menos por ahora, el máximo ejemplo, es que son personajes con muchos matices, claros y oscuros por igual. May y Pearl son dos niñas mimadas, víctimas de su época, clasistas, que caen en la propia trampa de su crianza. Cuando ellas pasan a formar parte de eso que tanto repudiaban, se odian así mismas. Me gusta mucho no encontrar protagonistas perfectas, que todo lo hacen bien y que si sufren o les pasan cosas malas siempre es culpa de algo externo. En “Dos chicas de Shanghai” Pearl y May sufren mucho por cosas que escapan a sus manos, pero también son humanas y cometen errores, y esto consigue que los personajes de la autora siempre se sientan reales.
Uno de los temas más interesantes del libro es como refleja la hipocresía de las personas y del propio sistema. Durante la segunda guerra chino-japonesa, que duró desde 1937 a 1945, Estados Unidos toma a los ciudadanos chinos como aliados contra Japón, a causa de la evidente enemistad entre Japón y Estados Unidos durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. ¿Os suena eso de "el enemigo de mi enemigo es mi amigo"? Pues un poco eso. Sin embargo, en los años posteriores, después de la expulsión japonesa y de la guerra civil del país, resultando el comunismo vencedor, los chinos que llevaban años viviendo en América, incluso habiendo nacido muchos allí, pasan a ser el enemigo. Por supuesto esto provoca oleadas de racismo y agresiones, y la autora tiene un talento especial para retratar lo ridícula que puede ser la especie humana y lo cabalgantes que suelen ser los valores de estos, siempre a conveniencia, y siempre como justificación de los peores actos propios.
Creo que Lisa See es una genia, y se nota muchísimo el trabajo de investigación que hay detrás de cada una de sus historias, a través de ellas aprendemos muchos sobre diferentes contextos históricos, de una manera sencilla pero intensa, y lo hacemos junto a personajes que huelen a verdad, que podríamos haber sido cualquiera de nosotros. También me ha gustado mucho ver ese choque cultural de los chinos nacidos en América con los que no, un tema que suele gustarme mucho y en “Dos chicas de Shanghai” parte de la historia se centra en esto. Tengo muchas ganas de leer la segunda parte “Sueños de felicidad”, porque el final de la primera es de infarto. No esperaba para nada un giro así, pero pinta que la secuela puede ser incluso mejor.
August 27, 2015
This book is good, but why is it that folks don't TELL each other stuff? Is it because it makes for a better story? You get a climax when folks find out EVERYTHING in a gush of anger and such.
It' can't be healthy.
I still like this book, but I need to add the fact that does old school China HAVE to be so sad?
Even in the US these poor women get such a raw deal, especially Pearl. Her life sucked the most! All that stuff happens to her in Shanghai, they are practically enslaved by that old man. They work constantly, only to have to deal with racists. They don't really get to have much pleasure and enjoyment. Except for May, maybe. But she's married to a teenager with developmental delays, so it's not as if her life is a nice steaming cup of Chinese tea, but it's more like a steaming cup of endless misery broken only by acting and guilting her sister into doing what she wants her to do.
Read it again, it's still good, but dammit, women why don't you TALK about these things instead of just yelling them at the end of the book? And again I wonder what these folks would have to say about me, the Wood Horse. I don't think I'm very outgoing, but I am rather free spirited. Would they be like, she's a Horse so she is like this and wants to do her thing but we must put a rein on her and teach her how to be more proper when all she wants to do is kick her hooves up in the air and run in some field winnying happily and freely while her mane flows in the wind?
Dammit, I want a horse. Also, dang Old school Chinese stories are depressing. Like that movie with Gong Li, and no it wasn't To Raise the Red Lanterns, though that was frigging depressing. Why didn't they go, oh, that is it, I'm not putting up with this shit and OUST that asshole man? No, in this movie she was married to an abusive asshole, but was in love with his son and even when he was dead, could they be together and happily have sex? Of course not! AUGH!
8/25/15
So this book is still good but do Chinese people really harp on the Zodiac like this because I'm still like, what is a horse like? What does a horse want to do? Why doesn't someone buy me a Gypsy Vanner? And why is this country so damn RACIST?! It's so mean! Damn. Chinese people helped build this country. They build the railroads and shit, not to mention bringing Americanized Chinese food to this place and we all love that stuff.
Also Japanese people don't look like Monkeys. Slurs are weird.
It' can't be healthy.
I still like this book, but I need to add the fact that does old school China HAVE to be so sad?
Even in the US these poor women get such a raw deal, especially Pearl. Her life sucked the most! All that stuff happens to her in Shanghai, they are practically enslaved by that old man. They work constantly, only to have to deal with racists. They don't really get to have much pleasure and enjoyment. Except for May, maybe. But she's married to a teenager with developmental delays, so it's not as if her life is a nice steaming cup of Chinese tea, but it's more like a steaming cup of endless misery broken only by acting and guilting her sister into doing what she wants her to do.
Read it again, it's still good, but dammit, women why don't you TALK about these things instead of just yelling them at the end of the book? And again I wonder what these folks would have to say about me, the Wood Horse. I don't think I'm very outgoing, but I am rather free spirited. Would they be like, she's a Horse so she is like this and wants to do her thing but we must put a rein on her and teach her how to be more proper when all she wants to do is kick her hooves up in the air and run in some field winnying happily and freely while her mane flows in the wind?
Dammit, I want a horse. Also, dang Old school Chinese stories are depressing. Like that movie with Gong Li, and no it wasn't To Raise the Red Lanterns, though that was frigging depressing. Why didn't they go, oh, that is it, I'm not putting up with this shit and OUST that asshole man? No, in this movie she was married to an abusive asshole, but was in love with his son and even when he was dead, could they be together and happily have sex? Of course not! AUGH!
8/25/15
So this book is still good but do Chinese people really harp on the Zodiac like this because I'm still like, what is a horse like? What does a horse want to do? Why doesn't someone buy me a Gypsy Vanner? And why is this country so damn RACIST?! It's so mean! Damn. Chinese people helped build this country. They build the railroads and shit, not to mention bringing Americanized Chinese food to this place and we all love that stuff.
Also Japanese people don't look like Monkeys. Slurs are weird.
January 4, 2016
Wow. Lisa See absolutely never, ever disappoints. She is an amazing storyteller, and ‘Shanghai Girls’ is an amazing story. I think I forgot to breathe during the last twenty pages.
What a great movie this novel would make. I’d line up to see it.
Recommendation: For a stunning, compelling and captivating read, put ‘Shanghai Girls’ at the top of your to-read list.
2nd best-read of 2009
What a great movie this novel would make. I’d line up to see it.
Recommendation: For a stunning, compelling and captivating read, put ‘Shanghai Girls’ at the top of your to-read list.
2nd best-read of 2009
May 26, 2017
3.5--rounded up.
This is my first Lisa See novel, but I do not expect it to be my last. I understand there is a follow-up novel to this one, and that is encouraging, because I felt this one ended with just too many untied ends. I would like to get to the next installment before the details of this one have faded.
In Shanghai Girls, Lisa See follows the lives of two sisters, Pearl and May. They are caught between the modern society of 1930s Shanghai and the traditional Chinese values that are still practiced by their parents and those of their generation. In the wake of a collapse of fortunes for their father, they are given in arranged marriage to two brothers, who make their homes in San Francisco.
We are given a clear picture of life in 1930s China, war with Japan, the advent of Mao and communism and how that affects the fates of Chinese-Americans. While most of us are aware of how the Chinese were treated in America during the building of the railway system and the Western expansion, I’m not sure if many of us have given much thought to the difficulties of later Chinese immigrants.
Along with the historical elements that challenge these sisters are the personal elements, of course. The two girls are so intertwined, one’s fate depending on the other, and they share a sisterly bond that eclipses everything else. I think the frustratingly but realistic relationship between the two was what made this novel work well for me.
This is my first Lisa See novel, but I do not expect it to be my last. I understand there is a follow-up novel to this one, and that is encouraging, because I felt this one ended with just too many untied ends. I would like to get to the next installment before the details of this one have faded.
In Shanghai Girls, Lisa See follows the lives of two sisters, Pearl and May. They are caught between the modern society of 1930s Shanghai and the traditional Chinese values that are still practiced by their parents and those of their generation. In the wake of a collapse of fortunes for their father, they are given in arranged marriage to two brothers, who make their homes in San Francisco.
We are given a clear picture of life in 1930s China, war with Japan, the advent of Mao and communism and how that affects the fates of Chinese-Americans. While most of us are aware of how the Chinese were treated in America during the building of the railway system and the Western expansion, I’m not sure if many of us have given much thought to the difficulties of later Chinese immigrants.
Along with the historical elements that challenge these sisters are the personal elements, of course. The two girls are so intertwined, one’s fate depending on the other, and they share a sisterly bond that eclipses everything else. I think the frustratingly but realistic relationship between the two was what made this novel work well for me.
October 14, 2010
This is the second Lisa See novel that I've read, and both times when I've finished her books I've felt vaguely duped. There's so much historical detail in here, much of it grim, that I feel like I must be reading something sweeping and important. But the character-driven parts of the plot (often about tensions and jealousies in close female relationships) remind me more of...Danielle Steel, maybe? Dare I say it? Something kind of primal and potboiler-y and not too nuanced. So and so is the pretty one. So and so is the rich one. So and so slept with my boyfriend. Or whatever. These dime-store drama elements, combined with the interesting and frequently heartbreaking historical aspects, make me wonder what exactly I'm reading.
See puts you through a lot with her characters in Shanghai Girls -- even after the worst of their hardships are over, they can't seem to catch a break. And then the resolution is so abrupt and unsatisfying that I wonder if she's setting up a sequel. But still, it's hard to put down, and I raced through it. We'll see what the book club thinks.
See puts you through a lot with her characters in Shanghai Girls -- even after the worst of their hardships are over, they can't seem to catch a break. And then the resolution is so abrupt and unsatisfying that I wonder if she's setting up a sequel. But still, it's hard to put down, and I raced through it. We'll see what the book club thinks.
August 18, 2020
Scriitura Lisei See se apropie foarte mult de cea a lui Kristin Hannah, dar se focalizează și pe partea istorică care mă atrage de fiecare dată când citesc o carte pe acest subiect. Romanul "Fetele din Shanghai" este primul volum al duologiei omonime și explorează universul familial chinez și american în care domină iubirea, minciunile, trădările și frica, dar și fundalul istoric în ceea ce privește Al Doilea Război Chino-Japonez (1937-1945). Cele două surori cunosc ce însemnă ajutorul, suferința, luarea unor decizii greșite și amărăciunea păstrării a tot ceea ce este rău în sufletele lor. Pur și simplu, finalul cărții a arătat acest lucru dureros: atât Pearl, cât și May își aruncă în față durerea păstrată timp de mai bine de douăzeci de ani.
"Sunt atât de multe lucruri pe care nu le știm."
"Yen-yen spunea că nu poți cumpăra o bucată de timp nici în schimbul unei bucăți de aur, dar de-abia acum am ajuns să înțeleg cât de prețios este timpul și cât de repede trece."
"Se spune că în Cer sunt aranjate căsătoriile și că soarta îi va aduce împreună până și pe cei mai îndepărtați oameni de pe pământ, că totul e plănuit dinaintea nașterii și că indiferent de cât de mult ne-am abate de la calea noastră, indiferent de cât de schimbător ne-ar fi norocul - spre bine sau spre rău -, nu putem decât să aducem la îndeplinire legea destinului. Până la urmă, asta ne este binecuvântarea și tot asta ne sfâșie inima."
"Sunt atât de multe lucruri pe care nu le știm."
"Yen-yen spunea că nu poți cumpăra o bucată de timp nici în schimbul unei bucăți de aur, dar de-abia acum am ajuns să înțeleg cât de prețios este timpul și cât de repede trece."
"Se spune că în Cer sunt aranjate căsătoriile și că soarta îi va aduce împreună până și pe cei mai îndepărtați oameni de pe pământ, că totul e plănuit dinaintea nașterii și că indiferent de cât de mult ne-am abate de la calea noastră, indiferent de cât de schimbător ne-ar fi norocul - spre bine sau spre rău -, nu putem decât să aducem la îndeplinire legea destinului. Până la urmă, asta ne este binecuvântarea și tot asta ne sfâșie inima."
August 21, 2010
Lisa See brings out my finest emotions. The array of words is sown deep in my mind without the fear of being uprooted. I have a younger sister; never liked when she was born. I was extremely envious of her robbing all the parental attention. Over the years through our subtle rivalries and treacherous fights we grew closer and protective of each other. Although she is four years younger than me, I feel maternal towards her, trying every possible way to shelter her happiness and smile. I do not believe in love but I know for sure that I would do anything for her in a heartbeat.
Pearl Long resembles my sentiments or for that matter myself .Born in the Year of the Dragon, she is strong, indomitable and vulnerable yet to find her true self. Oblivious of her parent’s love, she longs for the attention that presumably is showered on her younger sibling May.
May Long born in the Year of the Sheep, is coquettish, loquacious and a stark opposite of Pearl. Astonishingly it is May who assumes Pearl to be her parent’s favorite. Envious of Pearl’s college education she yearns for everything that Pearl desires.
Irrespective of several reviews, to me ‘Shanghai Girls’ is Pearl’s passage through an intricate web of chance, fortune and destiny.
Pearl’s account relays from 1937-1957, encompassing all aspects of a modern Chinese family dwelling in the pre Sino-Japanese war era; contemporary, yet traditionalist.Born in an elite bourgeois social standing, Pearl enjoys all the privileges of being served and pampered. She and May known for their striking features acquire the title of Beautiful Girls, posing for all modeling and artistic calendars. Insensitive to lesser mortals, Pearl envisions her life with Z.G. her coy crush with whom she would marry and reside away from her family. At the age of 21, all her dreams come crashing down as her father loses the family fortune in a gambling tryst. In order to save his family from ruins he unwillingly promises his daughters to the sons of Old Man Louie, an American-Chinese, creating a merciful situation amid all members. Thus, begins a death defying and deceitful journey that questions the love between the two sisters amid their destiny to be bonded as a family.
As the narration proceeds, one witness the family going through impoverish circumstances, coerced arranged marriages, the advent of Sino-Japanese war and later a masquerade of veiled secrets and acrid relationships.
It is during the Sino-Japanese war that Pearl discovers her true destiny. A brutal rape attack by the Japanese soldiers leaves her mother dead and Pearl is besieged by the prospect of normality and childless procurement.
"It is said that a Dragon born in a storm will have a particularly tempestuous fate. You always believe you are right, and this makes you do things you shouldn’t. You’re a Dragon, and of all the signs only a Dragon can tame the fates. Only a Dragon can wear the horns of destiny, duty, and power. Your sister is merely a Sheep. You have always been a better mother to her than I have."
True to her Dragon persona, Pearl shields May’s illicit pregnancy from her in-laws and even goes to adopt her daughter Joy, unknown to the fact that the existence of Joy will open an envelope of treachery and remorse.
Every one of us has in him a continent of undiscovered character. Blessed is he who acts the Columbus to his own soul.
Pearl found her fierce element that helped her to conceal her fate with May forgivingly whilst adamantly coming in her own as a devoted mother who she never knew existed.
Lisa comes very close to penning a flawless novel. Alas! With a sluggish start and the open lucidity of an inexplicable plot, the book at times fails to capture the mandatory attention making one skip the repetitive description to bypass the stagnated phase. Nevertheless, it is unproblematic to overlook this criterion and discover the brilliance of Lisa See.
Pearl Long resembles my sentiments or for that matter myself .Born in the Year of the Dragon, she is strong, indomitable and vulnerable yet to find her true self. Oblivious of her parent’s love, she longs for the attention that presumably is showered on her younger sibling May.
May Long born in the Year of the Sheep, is coquettish, loquacious and a stark opposite of Pearl. Astonishingly it is May who assumes Pearl to be her parent’s favorite. Envious of Pearl’s college education she yearns for everything that Pearl desires.
Irrespective of several reviews, to me ‘Shanghai Girls’ is Pearl’s passage through an intricate web of chance, fortune and destiny.
Pearl’s account relays from 1937-1957, encompassing all aspects of a modern Chinese family dwelling in the pre Sino-Japanese war era; contemporary, yet traditionalist.Born in an elite bourgeois social standing, Pearl enjoys all the privileges of being served and pampered. She and May known for their striking features acquire the title of Beautiful Girls, posing for all modeling and artistic calendars. Insensitive to lesser mortals, Pearl envisions her life with Z.G. her coy crush with whom she would marry and reside away from her family. At the age of 21, all her dreams come crashing down as her father loses the family fortune in a gambling tryst. In order to save his family from ruins he unwillingly promises his daughters to the sons of Old Man Louie, an American-Chinese, creating a merciful situation amid all members. Thus, begins a death defying and deceitful journey that questions the love between the two sisters amid their destiny to be bonded as a family.
As the narration proceeds, one witness the family going through impoverish circumstances, coerced arranged marriages, the advent of Sino-Japanese war and later a masquerade of veiled secrets and acrid relationships.
It is during the Sino-Japanese war that Pearl discovers her true destiny. A brutal rape attack by the Japanese soldiers leaves her mother dead and Pearl is besieged by the prospect of normality and childless procurement.
"It is said that a Dragon born in a storm will have a particularly tempestuous fate. You always believe you are right, and this makes you do things you shouldn’t. You’re a Dragon, and of all the signs only a Dragon can tame the fates. Only a Dragon can wear the horns of destiny, duty, and power. Your sister is merely a Sheep. You have always been a better mother to her than I have."
True to her Dragon persona, Pearl shields May’s illicit pregnancy from her in-laws and even goes to adopt her daughter Joy, unknown to the fact that the existence of Joy will open an envelope of treachery and remorse.
Every one of us has in him a continent of undiscovered character. Blessed is he who acts the Columbus to his own soul.
Pearl found her fierce element that helped her to conceal her fate with May forgivingly whilst adamantly coming in her own as a devoted mother who she never knew existed.
Lisa comes very close to penning a flawless novel. Alas! With a sluggish start and the open lucidity of an inexplicable plot, the book at times fails to capture the mandatory attention making one skip the repetitive description to bypass the stagnated phase. Nevertheless, it is unproblematic to overlook this criterion and discover the brilliance of Lisa See.
August 11, 2009
I'm going to have to admit that I stayed up 'til all hours of the night to read this book. But, that being said, I also have to say that in my opinion it's not a very good book at all. The plot is rollicking (the main characters, formerly wealthy girls in Shanghai, must escape both gangsters and the Japanese; then they go to California to join the men they've wed, first coping with a grueling and prolonged interrogation process on Angel Island; get involved in the movie business and the tourist trade in L. A.'s China City; face more questions about their immigration decades later, etc. -- while also dealing with broken love affairs, sibling rivalry, rape, suicide, etc.) and also totally unbelievable. You might say that Amy Tan puts her characters through as much drama, but somehow I find Tan convincing where See is altogether not. As I was reading, I tried to put my finger on what was wrong. For one thing, See's writing just isn't strong enough to convince me of the truth of her characters' psychology. One particularly exasperating sentence appears on p. 104: "I'm May's jie jie, and I've always thought we are as close as can be, but I've been so concerned with my own miseries -- losing Z. G., leaving home, being raped, almost dying, getting here -- that I haven't paid attention every time May has thrown up these past weeks and months." What person who has lived through so much torture would simply list these traumas as Pearl does here?!! Which brings me to my second (and related) point: I just can't see any Chinese woman speaking as openly as Pearl does. Her voice just doesn't feel Chinese to me, or at least not the way the voice of someone of her generation should feel, in my opinion. She reveals the most private, painful kinds of events in a way that is too open, too unguarded, too lacking in subtlety. What Chinese woman (or any woman) would speak this way? Somehow writers like Amy Tan can pull it off (Tan's language is strange, weird, and powerful enough to convey strange, weird, and powerful events), but in See's pedestrian, bland prose, this story is only soap opera and pop psychology. A far better recent book about Chinese immigrant experience is Jen Sookfong Lee's "The End of East."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2009
I'm sorry to say that I thought this book was horrible. As a huge fan of Snowflower and the Secret Fan and of the beautiful characters, beautifully described scenery, tragedies, hardships, and the deep bonds between the characters within it, I went into this book hoping for something of the same. I felt the character development in this book was forced, I thought the story was all over the place, and there was never and deep understanding of the people within it. Maybe it's because I never identified with any of the characters. I thought May was spoiled and silly, I thought Pearl was, well, boring. I never warmed to the Louie family. It was anticlimactic, sort of going along until it was just over. There were a few random tragedies near the end, but none of it moved me. I see that my opinion is in the minority but frankly I just really expected more from this book. By the end I was just skimming through it, stopping to catch up after 20 or so pages to see if it drew me back in. It never did.
August 28, 2009
There's a phrase in Chinese, chi ku (eat bitterness), which Lisa See's Shanghai Girls exemplifies perfectly. From one end of the book to the other, there's nothing but hardships and heartaches.
The first hardship I found is not actually in the story in the novel, but comes from the novel itself. See writes in the first person through the voice of Pearl, a girl growing up in Shanghai during the volatile Sino-Japanese war. Unfortunately, Pearl seems too self-aware of other people's thoughts, motives, and the world in general. Writing in the first person voice, but with an omniscient view of the environment makes Pearl's thoughts feel artificial and awkward.
Another thing I found difficult to overcome in the novel were the inconsistent choice of Chinese words. The author insists on using the Cantonese word cheongsam for the traditional dresses worn by women at that time, trying to give Pearl a continental and modern flare, yet uses the traditional and scholarly term 'wu dialect' instead of the modern 'Shanghainese.' I still think that if Pearl were a Shanghai girl, she would have said qi pao, the Mandarin word for cheongsam.
If one can get over the technical problems of the novel, it's easy to get sucked into the twists and turns of the two Shanghainese girls. But be warned, the book really is like vicariously eating bitterness. There are several graphic scenes that I found difficult to read as well as parts where I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. See does a decent job of illuminating the difficulties women and the Chinese in general faced during that time.
At the end of Shanghai Girls, I literally sighed. The story has so much potential to be epic, yet falls slightly short of that because of technical difficulties I couldn't overlook. Maybe I'm just being snobbish because my hometown is Shanghai, but the novel could have been so much better.
The first hardship I found is not actually in the story in the novel, but comes from the novel itself. See writes in the first person through the voice of Pearl, a girl growing up in Shanghai during the volatile Sino-Japanese war. Unfortunately, Pearl seems too self-aware of other people's thoughts, motives, and the world in general. Writing in the first person voice, but with an omniscient view of the environment makes Pearl's thoughts feel artificial and awkward.
Another thing I found difficult to overcome in the novel were the inconsistent choice of Chinese words. The author insists on using the Cantonese word cheongsam for the traditional dresses worn by women at that time, trying to give Pearl a continental and modern flare, yet uses the traditional and scholarly term 'wu dialect' instead of the modern 'Shanghainese.' I still think that if Pearl were a Shanghai girl, she would have said qi pao, the Mandarin word for cheongsam.
If one can get over the technical problems of the novel, it's easy to get sucked into the twists and turns of the two Shanghainese girls. But be warned, the book really is like vicariously eating bitterness. There are several graphic scenes that I found difficult to read as well as parts where I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. See does a decent job of illuminating the difficulties women and the Chinese in general faced during that time.
At the end of Shanghai Girls, I literally sighed. The story has so much potential to be epic, yet falls slightly short of that because of technical difficulties I couldn't overlook. Maybe I'm just being snobbish because my hometown is Shanghai, but the novel could have been so much better.
November 11, 2010
The novel begins in 1937 Shanghai with 2 sisters in a prosperous Chinese family who are quickly plunged into lives of great adversity, desperation, and heartache. They emigrate to the U.S. where they are detained at Angel Island, San Francisco, and the story is concluded in China Town, L.A. 1957. This is a compelling story, beautifully told with so many threads woven together into a marvelous historical novel. Apparently Lisa See, the author, is writing a sequel which I look forward to reading. I like the following quote by one of the sisters, Pearl: "For every awful thing that's been said and done, she is my sister. . . . She is the only person left in the world who shares my memories of our childhood, our parents, our Shanghai, our struggles, our sorrows, and, yes, even our moments of happiness and triumph. My sister is the one person who truly knows me, as I know her. The last thing May says to me is 'When our hair is white, we'll still have our sister love.'"
August 6, 2021
My spouse read this novel and here's her review:
This novel is a meaty read. It's a tale of two young women that stretches from Shanghai, China to San Francisco. Born into relative wealth the girls enjoy a life of ease and privilege until their father loses all his money. He decides to "sell" them both to two Chinese Americans looking for Asian brides. While this deal is happening, the Japanese invade China. Eventually, May and Pearl arrive in the USA but find themselves condemned to a life of poverty and discrimination - not what they were promised.
The very realistic descriptions of war can be tough to read but they are highly relevant to the story. There's a lot of political information (American and Chinese) that puts the characters' actions into perspective. I learned a lot from this well-written, sensitive book. I highly recommend it.
This review was edited and written by Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy
This novel is a meaty read. It's a tale of two young women that stretches from Shanghai, China to San Francisco. Born into relative wealth the girls enjoy a life of ease and privilege until their father loses all his money. He decides to "sell" them both to two Chinese Americans looking for Asian brides. While this deal is happening, the Japanese invade China. Eventually, May and Pearl arrive in the USA but find themselves condemned to a life of poverty and discrimination - not what they were promised.
The very realistic descriptions of war can be tough to read but they are highly relevant to the story. There's a lot of political information (American and Chinese) that puts the characters' actions into perspective. I learned a lot from this well-written, sensitive book. I highly recommend it.
This review was edited and written by Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy
July 15, 2013
My god, these women are insufferable.
Kidding, kidding. In essence, there are several distinct 'problems' with this book, that are most glaring at the beginning and ending sections. For a fair chunk of the middle, I was actually enjoying it, despite the clunky writing. I was prepared to give it three stars for it's realistic handling of the hardships and racism faced by these people, and it's focus on the experiences of women, which as we all know doesn't happen as often as it should. Characters that appeared villainous at first were given their own sympathetic traits. Lisa See clearly did her research and the experiences she was describing felt authentic. I would have been willing to overlook the inherent problems throughout the middle and even the awful, awful beginning, if not for the awful, awful end. Sadly, This book is too flawed to be forgiven.
And what are those problems, you ask?
1. I Hate Everyone in this Bar
I despise the three main characters- i.e. Pearl, May, and Joy. So much for a sympathetic look at the female perspective. Women are jealous!!! Women back-stab and have rivalries!!! Women complain a lot!!! Women sleep with each other's crushes!!! Women get raped!!! Women's entire sense of self-worth is centered around if they can make babies!!! Women are completely selfish and have no concern for the feelings of others!!! Are we sure a man didn't write this book?
Okay, Shanghai Girls gets somewhat of a free pass in terms of the focus on marriage/children/women working at home/etc. because of the fact it's about 1930s-1950s Chinese culture. China is a more traditionalist society even today, with limited roles for women and high emphasis on family and a hierarchy within the family. This coupled with the time period makes their fixation on getting good husbands and having male children accurate. However, this does not excuse how completely infuriating they are as characters.
Pearl's jealousy over her sister is understandable, but very quickly got old. She spent much of the book complaining about something or other, then being chewed out by another character/realizing she was wrong, and so moving on to complaining about something else. It's a cycle that's repeated over and over and gets frustrating. That said, she is the most likable of the three. Her rape and her trauma over it are handled well, and after the 100-page mark her complaints mostly focus on racism or their troubles as immigrants. However, most of the plot is still just things happening to her rather than her having any agency of her own. Her only goal, until the end, is to 'survive'. You gotta give me more than that.
We see very little of Joy character-wise. For most of the book she's a child who doesn't get much dialogue, and is described as being the "perfect, quiet, obedient Chinese girl". Then towards the end she spontaneously becomes rude and insensitive beyond belief and exists only to insult her parents and spout out political nonsense she clearly doesn't really understand. ...Hell, I guess I'll give them points for accuracy to the average American teenager, but wasn't she, like, the opposite of that up to now? She's never given a scene where she behaves in a way that's sympathetic, so I don't sympathize with her. Yeah, yeah, go find your real father in Shanghai, whatever, I couldn't care less. It's not like the man you thought was your father for your entire life died yesterday. Nope, just go rushing off. I won't miss you.
And now we come to May. Dear god in heaven do I hate this character. I could go on for days about how much I hate her. I could write my college thesis on it. I could fill the pages of an encyclopedia set and still have more to say. If you allowed me to write down every nasty feeling this woman fills me with in a strip of paper it would be long enough to circle the earth several times.
Selfish, shallow, foolish, insensitive and blunt, inconsistently characterized, constantly playing the victim, refusing to take responsibility for anything, May is quite possibly the most terrible person to ever walk the face of the earth. It is impossible to feel sorry for her, even with her own hardships, because she makes it impossible. Everything is someone else's fault, or someone else's responsibility. Pearl's complaints never have any truth in her mind, they're just evidence of her selfishness and her not appreciating May enough when she does nothing but that. So many of the bad things that happen are the result of her doing something stupid or selfish and not telling anyone else about it. She makes me want to bash my head against the wall.
So, a book that tries to provide the female perspective of immigration in America during World War II and the years after does nothing but make me wish I was reading about the male characters instead. Bravo, Lisa See. You are truly a feminist hero.
2. Show not Tell and My Kingdom for Some Character Development
When I said the writing was clunky, this was primarily what I meant. Lisa See leaves nothing up to interpretation. Every last thought or opinion that the characters have is spelled out clearly, often with repeats, with increased melodrama and false emotionalism, for 300 pages. Because of this, the character development is all over the place, particularly Pearl's. Pearl is jealous of her sister. Now she learns that's wrong. Now she's jealous again. Now she's being modern. Now fifty pages later she realizes that that was stupid with no kind of transition between. Now she hates Sam. Now she likes him. Now she's traumatized over being raped. Now she's over it. Now she's traumatized again.
Traits and development arise and disappear as they become convenient for the plot. Changes in personality are acknowledged as an afterthought. Characters learn the same lesson over and over, or Pearl states their weaknesses over and over. The first person narrative is part of the problem, but in general Lisa See just seems confused over what her characters are supposed to be feeling and what that means, or who's in the wrong and who's not. Which brings me to:
4. I Have a Better Relationship With the Stale Cereal I Ate This Morning Than May and Pearl Have With Each Other
The plot of this book is supposed to revolve around the relationship between these two sisters. They are the focus, and every positive review I've seen describes the 'incredible bond' between them. Except... there is no bond.
That's not to say that they don't do things for each other- Pearl being raped by Japanese soldiers to spare her sister, May giving up her child, both of which are incredible sacrifices. But both of these things happen early on in the story. The rest- and majority- of the book is spent in conflict, and it all ends with a screaming match. They constantly bicker and back-stab each other, fighting for control in their families and over Joy. Pearl often says things like "me and May get along... until the next time we fight" or "even though she's horrible and I hate her we love each other so much, really". Lisa See wants us to believe how close these sisters are, but from what I can see they have nothing in common and would not in any way choose each other's company if they weren't related. But Pearl continues to insist that May is her 'best friend' and they'll always stand by each other- except for when they don't. It's just stupid rivalries and pettiness, over and over and over. Wow, what a bond.
5. Lisa See Doesn't Care About Any of the Other Characters
Once again, we're told things about characters and their relationships that we never get to see. We're told that Pearl and Sam love each other, but they only get a few short scenes together. We're told that everyone came to love Father Louie, but we don't see the progression of the relationships after his confession to his false citizenship. We're told that Sam and Pearl love Joy, but Joy is barely present as a character. We're told that Mama and Baba didn't love Pearl, and then later we're told that they did. May and Pearl are the only characters that are given any real attention, and the rest of the book amounts to a simple rattling off of events, tragedy after tragedy after tragedy.
6. That Damn Ending
Speaking of tragedy after tragedy after tragedy, Father Louie dies, Vern is bedridden, Joy joined a commie student group, Sam hanged himself and May had Z.Q's baby years ago. That too much to take in at once? Well, too bad, because this all happens in the last 30 pages. Highly emotional and interesting events pass by in a blur, all rushing towards the blowout between May and Pearl that made me physically angry to read, and Joy deciding she's just going to rush off to Communist China to find some guy her Aunt/birth mother had sex with twenty years ago, immediately after her adoptive father died and her adoptive mother/Aunt is in a state of hysteria. That too much to take in at once? Well, too bad, that was the last five pages.
The revelation of Z.Q. being Joy's father was shocking, by which I mean I saw it coming 200 pages ago and it just gave me another reason to dislike May. I was waiting for Joy to find out about her parentage for a while, but the fact that I know nothing about Joy as a character and that the book ends with Pearl simply deciding to go after her meant that there was no emotional punch to the revelation or any kind of resolution for it. It's like the entire book just exists to set up a sequel. Or that Lisa See meant to keep going and got bored. I have no goddamn idea, but I'm sure of one thing- I will not be reading the sequel. If I have to hear the phrase 'husband-wife thing' one more time I think it might kill me.
Kidding, kidding. In essence, there are several distinct 'problems' with this book, that are most glaring at the beginning and ending sections. For a fair chunk of the middle, I was actually enjoying it, despite the clunky writing. I was prepared to give it three stars for it's realistic handling of the hardships and racism faced by these people, and it's focus on the experiences of women, which as we all know doesn't happen as often as it should. Characters that appeared villainous at first were given their own sympathetic traits. Lisa See clearly did her research and the experiences she was describing felt authentic. I would have been willing to overlook the inherent problems throughout the middle and even the awful, awful beginning, if not for the awful, awful end. Sadly, This book is too flawed to be forgiven.
And what are those problems, you ask?
1. I Hate Everyone in this Bar
I despise the three main characters- i.e. Pearl, May, and Joy. So much for a sympathetic look at the female perspective. Women are jealous!!! Women back-stab and have rivalries!!! Women complain a lot!!! Women sleep with each other's crushes!!! Women get raped!!! Women's entire sense of self-worth is centered around if they can make babies!!! Women are completely selfish and have no concern for the feelings of others!!! Are we sure a man didn't write this book?
Okay, Shanghai Girls gets somewhat of a free pass in terms of the focus on marriage/children/women working at home/etc. because of the fact it's about 1930s-1950s Chinese culture. China is a more traditionalist society even today, with limited roles for women and high emphasis on family and a hierarchy within the family. This coupled with the time period makes their fixation on getting good husbands and having male children accurate. However, this does not excuse how completely infuriating they are as characters.
Pearl's jealousy over her sister is understandable, but very quickly got old. She spent much of the book complaining about something or other, then being chewed out by another character/realizing she was wrong, and so moving on to complaining about something else. It's a cycle that's repeated over and over and gets frustrating. That said, she is the most likable of the three. Her rape and her trauma over it are handled well, and after the 100-page mark her complaints mostly focus on racism or their troubles as immigrants. However, most of the plot is still just things happening to her rather than her having any agency of her own. Her only goal, until the end, is to 'survive'. You gotta give me more than that.
We see very little of Joy character-wise. For most of the book she's a child who doesn't get much dialogue, and is described as being the "perfect, quiet, obedient Chinese girl". Then towards the end she spontaneously becomes rude and insensitive beyond belief and exists only to insult her parents and spout out political nonsense she clearly doesn't really understand. ...Hell, I guess I'll give them points for accuracy to the average American teenager, but wasn't she, like, the opposite of that up to now? She's never given a scene where she behaves in a way that's sympathetic, so I don't sympathize with her. Yeah, yeah, go find your real father in Shanghai, whatever, I couldn't care less. It's not like the man you thought was your father for your entire life died yesterday. Nope, just go rushing off. I won't miss you.
And now we come to May. Dear god in heaven do I hate this character. I could go on for days about how much I hate her. I could write my college thesis on it. I could fill the pages of an encyclopedia set and still have more to say. If you allowed me to write down every nasty feeling this woman fills me with in a strip of paper it would be long enough to circle the earth several times.
Selfish, shallow, foolish, insensitive and blunt, inconsistently characterized, constantly playing the victim, refusing to take responsibility for anything, May is quite possibly the most terrible person to ever walk the face of the earth. It is impossible to feel sorry for her, even with her own hardships, because she makes it impossible. Everything is someone else's fault, or someone else's responsibility. Pearl's complaints never have any truth in her mind, they're just evidence of her selfishness and her not appreciating May enough when she does nothing but that. So many of the bad things that happen are the result of her doing something stupid or selfish and not telling anyone else about it. She makes me want to bash my head against the wall.
So, a book that tries to provide the female perspective of immigration in America during World War II and the years after does nothing but make me wish I was reading about the male characters instead. Bravo, Lisa See. You are truly a feminist hero.
2. Show not Tell and My Kingdom for Some Character Development
When I said the writing was clunky, this was primarily what I meant. Lisa See leaves nothing up to interpretation. Every last thought or opinion that the characters have is spelled out clearly, often with repeats, with increased melodrama and false emotionalism, for 300 pages. Because of this, the character development is all over the place, particularly Pearl's. Pearl is jealous of her sister. Now she learns that's wrong. Now she's jealous again. Now she's being modern. Now fifty pages later she realizes that that was stupid with no kind of transition between. Now she hates Sam. Now she likes him. Now she's traumatized over being raped. Now she's over it. Now she's traumatized again.
Traits and development arise and disappear as they become convenient for the plot. Changes in personality are acknowledged as an afterthought. Characters learn the same lesson over and over, or Pearl states their weaknesses over and over. The first person narrative is part of the problem, but in general Lisa See just seems confused over what her characters are supposed to be feeling and what that means, or who's in the wrong and who's not. Which brings me to:
4. I Have a Better Relationship With the Stale Cereal I Ate This Morning Than May and Pearl Have With Each Other
The plot of this book is supposed to revolve around the relationship between these two sisters. They are the focus, and every positive review I've seen describes the 'incredible bond' between them. Except... there is no bond.
That's not to say that they don't do things for each other- Pearl being raped by Japanese soldiers to spare her sister, May giving up her child, both of which are incredible sacrifices. But both of these things happen early on in the story. The rest- and majority- of the book is spent in conflict, and it all ends with a screaming match. They constantly bicker and back-stab each other, fighting for control in their families and over Joy. Pearl often says things like "me and May get along... until the next time we fight" or "even though she's horrible and I hate her we love each other so much, really". Lisa See wants us to believe how close these sisters are, but from what I can see they have nothing in common and would not in any way choose each other's company if they weren't related. But Pearl continues to insist that May is her 'best friend' and they'll always stand by each other- except for when they don't. It's just stupid rivalries and pettiness, over and over and over. Wow, what a bond.
5. Lisa See Doesn't Care About Any of the Other Characters
Once again, we're told things about characters and their relationships that we never get to see. We're told that Pearl and Sam love each other, but they only get a few short scenes together. We're told that everyone came to love Father Louie, but we don't see the progression of the relationships after his confession to his false citizenship. We're told that Sam and Pearl love Joy, but Joy is barely present as a character. We're told that Mama and Baba didn't love Pearl, and then later we're told that they did. May and Pearl are the only characters that are given any real attention, and the rest of the book amounts to a simple rattling off of events, tragedy after tragedy after tragedy.
6. That Damn Ending
Speaking of tragedy after tragedy after tragedy, Father Louie dies, Vern is bedridden, Joy joined a commie student group, Sam hanged himself and May had Z.Q's baby years ago. That too much to take in at once? Well, too bad, because this all happens in the last 30 pages. Highly emotional and interesting events pass by in a blur, all rushing towards the blowout between May and Pearl that made me physically angry to read, and Joy deciding she's just going to rush off to Communist China to find some guy her Aunt/birth mother had sex with twenty years ago, immediately after her adoptive father died and her adoptive mother/Aunt is in a state of hysteria. That too much to take in at once? Well, too bad, that was the last five pages.
The revelation of Z.Q. being Joy's father was shocking, by which I mean I saw it coming 200 pages ago and it just gave me another reason to dislike May. I was waiting for Joy to find out about her parentage for a while, but the fact that I know nothing about Joy as a character and that the book ends with Pearl simply deciding to go after her meant that there was no emotional punch to the revelation or any kind of resolution for it. It's like the entire book just exists to set up a sequel. Or that Lisa See meant to keep going and got bored. I have no goddamn idea, but I'm sure of one thing- I will not be reading the sequel. If I have to hear the phrase 'husband-wife thing' one more time I think it might kill me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2018
Shanghai Girls#1 by Lisa Lee
Shanghai Girls is a Chinese American Odyssey of two sisters. It describes their immigrant experience and the bonds of sisterhood. In deft, graceful prose, See depicts the challenges and hardships -- many unimaginable -- that the Chin sisters face. In the first part of the book, May and Pearl Chin are shown to glide around Shanghai in rickshaws wearing gorgeous, tightfitting silk dresses. They are what are known as "beautiful girls" — models for artists who use their images on posters and calendars to sell cigarettes, soap and baby milk. I read that See’s impetus for this novel was one such romanticized ad. See wanted to trace the life history of these girls and in this story, she shifts the aperture of her lens to 1937. See describes this period in China as the ‘Paris of Asia’ aromatic in a ‘French style’, yet decaying blatantly as Japanese invade China during the WWII. It also the time when the lives of Chin sisters upend. Amidst dying people, disintegrating culture, values, rape and trauma, the agency of companionship between sisters held both of them strong.
The book is narrated in Pearl’s voice and I wish See had included May’s account. Pearl’s lack of introspection into May’s struggles, self-deceptions and submission to cultural platitudes were few explicit flaws of the character. And while most reviewers praised the sympathetic, flesh-and-blood characters of this book, none of them resonated with me.
The story gradually transports you to Angel Island, an American immigration land before accepting immigrants as citizens of the States. The book educates the reader about Chinese Exclusion Act throughout the story. An important turning point in the lives of the sisters is 1949, when the Communists take over China, all Chinese are under suspicion in the United States. One of the novel's key plot focuses on a program that targeted to deport Chinese. In this part of the history, Chinese wives lose their husbands to suicide, friends turn against each other, and children run away from home. I was able to find parallels of these descriptions in other books such as Buddha in the Attic, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress and The Joy Luck Club.
I try to read about the background of the book I pick up in order to understand the context. I came across several interviews of Lisa See and found that she has worked hard to translate her ethnographic research into a fiction. In one of the interviews, See said that the people she interviewed were scared at the idea of sharing their experiences for the purpose of her book. One cannot help but think of the tragedy of burying your past, assuming a new identity, persistent fear of being uprooted from your present life and keeping secrets from your children. In one such interviews, See quotes a man who said, 'We haven't told our children, we haven't told our grandchildren what we went through, because we aren't dead yet and we aren't safe yet."
It is sad that so much tragedy existed in history and we continue to create more every day. Books like Shanghai Girls awaken the reader to mistakes made in the past and encourages to be thankful for present. The book concludes with the idea that perception is thought to be reality and keeps us in a comfortable in present, but a little introspection into history can change everything.
Shanghai Girls is a Chinese American Odyssey of two sisters. It describes their immigrant experience and the bonds of sisterhood. In deft, graceful prose, See depicts the challenges and hardships -- many unimaginable -- that the Chin sisters face. In the first part of the book, May and Pearl Chin are shown to glide around Shanghai in rickshaws wearing gorgeous, tightfitting silk dresses. They are what are known as "beautiful girls" — models for artists who use their images on posters and calendars to sell cigarettes, soap and baby milk. I read that See’s impetus for this novel was one such romanticized ad. See wanted to trace the life history of these girls and in this story, she shifts the aperture of her lens to 1937. See describes this period in China as the ‘Paris of Asia’ aromatic in a ‘French style’, yet decaying blatantly as Japanese invade China during the WWII. It also the time when the lives of Chin sisters upend. Amidst dying people, disintegrating culture, values, rape and trauma, the agency of companionship between sisters held both of them strong.
The book is narrated in Pearl’s voice and I wish See had included May’s account. Pearl’s lack of introspection into May’s struggles, self-deceptions and submission to cultural platitudes were few explicit flaws of the character. And while most reviewers praised the sympathetic, flesh-and-blood characters of this book, none of them resonated with me.
The story gradually transports you to Angel Island, an American immigration land before accepting immigrants as citizens of the States. The book educates the reader about Chinese Exclusion Act throughout the story. An important turning point in the lives of the sisters is 1949, when the Communists take over China, all Chinese are under suspicion in the United States. One of the novel's key plot focuses on a program that targeted to deport Chinese. In this part of the history, Chinese wives lose their husbands to suicide, friends turn against each other, and children run away from home. I was able to find parallels of these descriptions in other books such as Buddha in the Attic, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress and The Joy Luck Club.
I try to read about the background of the book I pick up in order to understand the context. I came across several interviews of Lisa See and found that she has worked hard to translate her ethnographic research into a fiction. In one of the interviews, See said that the people she interviewed were scared at the idea of sharing their experiences for the purpose of her book. One cannot help but think of the tragedy of burying your past, assuming a new identity, persistent fear of being uprooted from your present life and keeping secrets from your children. In one such interviews, See quotes a man who said, 'We haven't told our children, we haven't told our grandchildren what we went through, because we aren't dead yet and we aren't safe yet."
It is sad that so much tragedy existed in history and we continue to create more every day. Books like Shanghai Girls awaken the reader to mistakes made in the past and encourages to be thankful for present. The book concludes with the idea that perception is thought to be reality and keeps us in a comfortable in present, but a little introspection into history can change everything.
August 31, 2018
Yet another book about immigration, racism and discrimination.
In a superficial layer this book is about two sisters, Pearl and May, their differences, their relationship. Which being honest is all I knew of the book.
However, there is an inner layer. This layer took me by surprise because I wasn't expecting to learn that much of China's history (that mainly because I didn't read the description of the book before reading it). It was so interesting to get the story of another race (not just Latinos) who has to emigrate from their countries because of war, poverty or so many other aspects.
At the begging of the story the girls were rich kids in Shanghai, pretty girls who had what they wanted and knew what money can do but from one day to another they end up having nothing and they literally have to run for their lives, they need to get safe and by doing so we learn the reality of their country and how war has affected it.
We also learn what it took to a Chinese to get into the US and the discrimination they suffer by misconceptions, their fear, their effort to fit in a country that was not their own and most of the time how much they missed their country, their culture and relatives they had to left behind in order to survive.
In order to understand the lives of others, this type of books are so important because even thought the characters are fictional there is history behind them and with that reality.
I honestly think that Lisa See made a fantastic research with the story that needs to be better appreciated.
Setting: Shanghai, Los Angeles
In a superficial layer this book is about two sisters, Pearl and May, their differences, their relationship. Which being honest is all I knew of the book.
However, there is an inner layer. This layer took me by surprise because I wasn't expecting to learn that much of China's history (that mainly because I didn't read the description of the book before reading it). It was so interesting to get the story of another race (not just Latinos) who has to emigrate from their countries because of war, poverty or so many other aspects.
At the begging of the story the girls were rich kids in Shanghai, pretty girls who had what they wanted and knew what money can do but from one day to another they end up having nothing and they literally have to run for their lives, they need to get safe and by doing so we learn the reality of their country and how war has affected it.
We also learn what it took to a Chinese to get into the US and the discrimination they suffer by misconceptions, their fear, their effort to fit in a country that was not their own and most of the time how much they missed their country, their culture and relatives they had to left behind in order to survive.
In order to understand the lives of others, this type of books are so important because even thought the characters are fictional there is history behind them and with that reality.
I honestly think that Lisa See made a fantastic research with the story that needs to be better appreciated.
Setting: Shanghai, Los Angeles
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