Pavilion of Women: A Novel of Life in the Women's Quarters Kindle Edition

In the midst of reading the story of Madame Wu I saw a film was available for viewing. Of course, the film is an adaptation of the novel, but it is not the same story at all. Madame Wu would never have done what she is depicted doing on screen. The film is a significant disappointment if you hope to understand anything about Chinese culture of the time, the function and purpose of marriage and family life, and the relationship between women and men based upon rational thinking rather than love. Madame Wu is a deeply intriguing, engaging character. We are allowed entry into the depths of her mind. We know how she thinks and why. Her navigation of her world in the women's quarters is enlightening.

Buck is always an entertaining writer with deftly drawn characters. And she's an expert on Chinese culture in pre-Revolutionary China. This book is no exception and we are drawn into the protagonist's (Madame Wu's) very Chinese conundrums and decisions in such a way that we can identify with her even while her issues are utterly foreign. Her grappling with life reflects ours: we are all Madame Wu at times. My problem with the book is how the author uses the setting to slowly aggrandize a watered down secular humanism. She hobbles back and forth between the greatness of seeking what one most wants versus living self-sacrificially for family and society. In the end, Madame Wu discovers that the soul is eternal, but with no faith in any God (Buck doubles down to reassure us of this) or in anything except the eternal nature of the soul. We are supposed to conclude with her, that she has reached ultimate enlightenment. Meanwhile, a Catholic priest is the means of her education, the way she discovers not only love, but this supposed wisdom of the soul. In my opinion, (as a Christian) this is a disappointing philosophy and empty conclusion. Give the book another star if you don't mind getting a treastise on secular humanism in your fiction.

I've read many novels by Pearl S. Buck, and Pavilion of Women is my favorite. I read this once when I was a teenager in the sixties, and I re-read it now, in my sixties. What a beautiful book! Madame Wu, the protagonist, is the forty-year old matriarch of a wealthy family in China. She decides on her 40th birthday that she wants to recede from her responsibilities as a wife, and sets about finding a concubine for her husband.She undergoes a number of changes throughout the book, learning from people and events. She is powerful because she is respected by everyone around her. When she makes mistakes, she learns from them. She judges those around her-- household members, friends, her sons' wives, and more. Her judgements are fair, and she sees it her business to help those she can help in her household. She chose a wife for her first son, and that has worked out well for them. Her second son found a wife on his own, she arranged a wife for her third son, and the fourth son, who lives with nearby farmers, is not ready for marriage.There are two western characters in the novel, a nun-like woman and a priest. The woman is to be pitied, because she is alone in the world, spews out Biblical readings, and tries hard to proselytize. But the priest is a magnanimous character who, though poor, takes care of orphaned children. He is beloved because of his selflessness, and he is hired by Madame Wu to teach one of her sons English.Much happens throughout the novel, and Madame Wu, though sheltered from the outside world in the family compound, becomes more open and philosophical.

I'm rounding up about half a star.I had never heard of this book before I stumbled on it through some list of daily bargains. It should be better known. Those who like (or love) Buck's better-known works are likely to enjoy this book just as much.Like The Good Earth, this book deals with the changes in China brought by world events and Western influence, and the way different generations respond to them. It also confronts the constraints placed by Chinese tradition on a woman's role, and -- more than The Good Earth -- the ways women could at times surmount them.We see the POV character, Madame Wu, go through several transitions and transformations, and I found it an inspiring and moving journey.

There is something so superb about the writing of Pearl Buck that makes it stand out among today’s literature just as it did when it was published. This was one of her books that I have never read, but the beauty of her wording, her descriptions and characterizations, the depth of her ideas, and just the wonderful storytelling thrilled me. This is not a shallow book to be read in a few hours. I couldn’t skip through it but had to savor and enjoy it.

Pearl Buck at her best. A great story about the wealthy Wu family. Madame Wu reaches her 40th birthday with a major dicision that changes the lives of all within the Dynasty. A shocking choice that stunned the very stability of the family. She dreams of life outside the four huge confining walls in which they live. She is intelligent, reads books which is unheard of for a chinese woman in anchiet times. When her son's rebellion leads her to seek the help of a priest, a foreigner, to teach the son English , her life begins to change also. Finally a story woth depth and words that touch your heart. Good writing is rare these days.

Madame Wu, the lead character, was brave and intelligent before women were allowed to be. Especially in China, the manner she lived her life was impressive and ahead of her time. She manages a large family with much grace and thoughtfulness.Pearl Buck always adds so much of the country’s culture to her stories. Plus, the story of Madame Wu shows how one continues education into old age.

superb, i read it in translation (French) decades ago, and I was so happy ro find it published again in English, Absolutely wonderful. The story of Madame Wu always at pain that everyone should be happy in her household, and believing she is the guardian of that hapiness and only she can keep everyone at peace, and in the end she is oblivious to what people really want and need...This is a slow paced book, covering several years of life in a chinese household in the 1930s, in a remote small town, just before the second sino-japanese war, Pearl Buck had a deep understanding of chine and the chinese way oof life, a great autor, look her up on WikipediaA true gem, Hopefully more of her books will become available on Kindle

An what a tender,rich and meaningful story Pearl Buck gives. The character of madam Wu so wise and respected searching for meaning in her life.,dedicated to her family rich in purpose yet not knowing love. This is not a love story in the sense of romance but is of the mind and spirit. It's truly so well written and hard to put down.

Brilliant! Crystalline writing with complex characters and a carefully described social background. A history and characters interesting with a skillful psychological analysis.

The story of a wife, who reaches the age of 40 and convinces herself that what her husband needs is a new wife. Pearl Buck spent her childhood in China, and so understood the country and its people very well. She writes in a concise way, which makes for easy reading. Her stories flow in a straight line, no moving back and forth in time as some people do. This is yet another excellent example of her work.

Several reviewers have mentioned the old fashion writing/style of this story. I think that's the whole point - it's an old fashion story about an old fashion family approaching 'modern' times. However, I thought that it was every bit as brilliant as The Good Earth (which I have read several times) and I shall certainly be reading more of Mrs Buck's novels.