Set in seventeenth century China, this historical novel is based on a famous opera, The Peony Pavilion, written in 1598 by the poet Tang Xianzu, as well as The Three Wives' Commentary, published in 1694, and written by the three wives of Wu Ren, the husband in this novel and a collaborator of the commentary on The Peony Pavilion. This commentary was the first book of its kind to be written and published by women anywhere in the world.
Peony is the first wife, who sees and meets her husband-to-be when she is fifteen, and attending a performance of The Peony Pavilion in her home. Like the main character, Liniang, Peony starves herself to death, thinking that the young man she met could never be her husband, only finding out the day she dies that she was betrothed to him by her father. Chinese customs of the afterlife come into prominence here, and Peony watches over her family and her lover, from the Viewing Platform. She becomes very involved with the second wife, and much later, the third, directing both of them from her ghostly position to write this commentary.
The novel is rich in detail and custom, but I must admit I enjoyed the author's note more at the conclusion of the novel, where she explains things more historically. It was fascinating to learn that women, who for the most part led sheltered lives in their homes, reached out through writing to find the freedom - and romance- they lacked in their lives, and according to See, there were thousands and thousands of women whose works were published during this dynasty, the Manchu. The opera itself was based on a much earlier time, but the poet was actually writing about life in the Ming dynasty, which preceded the Manchus.
The Peony Pavilion has been banned, suppressed, and even a performance at Lincoln Centre in 2000 was delayed by the Chinese government by barring the actors, costumes, and sets from leaving the country.
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