Peony In Love: Lisa See

I don't like giving negative reviews, but this novel was a chore to finish. It didn't seem to have a goal and just went on and on. The first half was obsessed with sex, the last half just seemed like filler to make it long enough to make a book. A girl, Peony, watches a play about love and then sneaks off to meet a man who she thinks she falls in love with after talked to for a short time for three nights. Her father points out her husband to her on the last night of the play, but she doesn't look. It ends up being the poet she "loves". It is obvious what will happen, it is just surprising it happens so early in the book. Peony dies and becomes a "hungry ghost" because her death ceremony wasn't handled correctly. Peony watches her husband get married twice more and becomes obsessed with getting her writings published. One positive about this novel was that it does do a good job of educating on Chinese culture and beliefs.