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Shanghai Girls: A Novel
A book by Lisa See
Book Description For readers of the phenomenal bestsellersSnow Flower and the Secret FanandPeony in Love--a stunning new novel from Lisa See about two sisters who leave Shanghai to find new lives in 1930s Los Angeles. May and Pearl, two … see full wiki
Author:
Lisa See
Publisher:
Random House Trade Paperbacks
10 reviews about Shanghai Girls: A Novel
Showing 1-10 of 10
Shanghai, 1937. Another world, almost another century. The sights, the smells, the incredibly varied and intriguing cuisines and the lives of two beautiful Chinese girls intertwine and flow along in this beautifully written novel like an exorable river. Lisa See can write and you’re there in a Shanghai which will never come again, when women still tottered about on bound feet, when the wealthy had many servants and the poor had nothing. Shanghai was a little country unto itself, … more
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Compliments (60)
I read Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and found Snow Flower and more absorbing read than Shanghai Girls. Reviewer KellyF is right on in saying this is historical fiction, much like Snow Flower except it takes place later at a time when many Chinese people immigrated to California. Shanghai Girls contains a couple of surprises and fascinating history of China and its people during the period covered.
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I was deeply affected by Lisa See's Shanghai Girls. The story is indeed, as Amy Tan puts it, "achingly beautiful." For the most part, Shanghai girls is a fast-moving and riveting story. There are many intense moments, such as the pandemonium from an air raid on Shanghai where See paints a vividly macabre and gory picture of dismembered bodies and body parts in the aftermath of the bombing. My attention, however, did wane through some parts of the book. I found … more
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As the quote above suggests, this novel reflects the culture and traditions of Chinese immigrants. Not all of their beliefs are politically correct. In 1937 Shanghai was the most famous city in China, a spectacular and sordid collection of three million people, a city with a reputation for decadence and the pursuit of pleasure, side by side with abject poverty. It was also a great international city, dotted with skyscrapers and art deco buildings, with large numbers of people … more
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Book Review: Shanghai Girls (Random House/ May 2009) by Lisa See Building upon her interviews with past generations for On Gold Mountain, and further research, Lisa See has written an incredible new historical novel about two sisters. Beginning in Shanghai China during the Japanese invasion (1937), two sisters, Pearl and May, narrowly escape their homeland, emigrating to the United States as the arranged-marriage wives of two Chinese men. Continu … more
Comments (5)
Compliments (30)
review by arichards.
July 18, 2009
After reading Peony in Love, also by Lisa See, I picked this novel without stopping to read another line. Although this one is not, in my opinion, quite as good as the former, it provides a fascinating look at the Chinese immigration experience in America in the 1930's, and also the dynamics of Chinese and other Asian families of the time. The main protagonist Pearl, and her sister May are not very likeable characters, and as a matter of fact, there's a dearth of likeable … more
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review by caffiend.
June 22, 2009
Shanghai Girls is a moving story that left me touched and deeply affected. The story is indeed, as Amy Tan puts it, "achingly beautiful." The story is set between 1937 and 1957. Pearl and May are sisters from an affluent family in Shanghai that belongs to the socially elite class. They are "beautiful girls" - or the high fashion models of their day - and living the good life. Their privileged and sheltered lives, however, come to an abrupt end as a slew of misfortunes and … more
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review by danayb.
May 28, 2009
Lisa See has created a vivid tale about the lives of two Chinese sisters who are the toast of the town in their native Shanghai...touted as "beautiful girls," they are anything but the traditional Chinese women their parents would have them to be; rebellious, partying until the wee hours of the morning, and flaunting their Western style of dress Pearl and May are living a Chinese dream. Until the day the facade of their lives comes crashing down around them; they discover that their father is not … more
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review by CandyTX.
May 18, 2009
The ending to a book can really ruin the story for me. I need things wrapped in a pretty little bow. This book had no bow. I realize the author left it open because there will obviously be a sequel to this book, but it feels like she met some pre-determined word count and just ended it. Too much of a cliffhanger and not enough closure. I think it was a bad choice (having said that, I will be reading the sequel for sure so I guess the author had her reasons, eh?) The book is … more
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review by NuJoi1908.
April 04, 2009
I was tired when I finished the book. It was one of those where I had to stay up one night to finish it because when I tried to put it down, the story kept turning over in my head. I had an honest like and dislike for some of the characters. I do have to admit that part of me kept wondering what else could go wrong as the story progressed. The most striking thing about this book was that it is the first time that I, as an African-American, could feel the effects of discrimination … more
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