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A review by mapsco1984
The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel by Maureen Lindley
1.0
I spent most of this book just wanting it to be over so I could read the next one.
This book is given one star, not because it's the monstrosity seen in some of my other one star reviews, but because of the incredible disappointment it is, and because the author very clearly states in her forward what she wanted from this book, and because she failed so utterly at it.
Lindley says in her forward that she came across the story of Eastern Jewel, and felt that the consistent portrayal of her was that of one-dimensional badness, and she wanted to explore how she had gotten where she was, and some of her good points (courage, loyalty.) Despite this, Eastern Jewel is one of the most patently unlikable protagonists I have ever encountered. She never did a single thing that endeared me to her, and her every thought, every action grated on me constantly.
There are several other flaws with the book. Completely pointless things are detailed excessively, such as food, furniture, clothes, descriptions of rooms, and dreams. But where detail would have been helpful...none. For example, when Eastern Jewel moved to Japan, did they speak Chinese with her? Did she already know Japanese? How? Was there a language barrier? The same goes with her Mongolian in-laws. How did she meet her circle in Shanghai? Why would her father be willing to let her be raised in Japan? Late in the book, one character is dropped without mention for nearly SEVENTY PAGES, and then suddenly mentioned again as if this were normal.
The descriptions of dreams and food chapter names did nothing to add layers to the book, and instead only came off as -- and I hate this word and try not to use it -- incredibly pretentious. Like the author was desperately trying to be artistic and just falling flat on her face.
Her fascination with men's clothing is never explained beyond one lame line early on, and never explored later on. Her love and loyalty for Japan is never really explained either, and in fact, all of her descriptions of her early life in Japan would make me, and I suspect many others, in fact feel nothing for contempt for the culture and society if that is what I had lived through. These things are both key to what we know about the real Eastern Jewel, and yet they are so unsatisfyingly discussed in this book, it's unbelievable.
Oh, and the ending is just...I mean, really? Seriously? ARGH!
This book is almost nothing but rough sex, dreams, and descriptions of furniture and food. I'd be willing to bet if you took out everything but those 3, you'd take out maybe....60 pages?
I really want to know who the real Eastern Jewel was now; she can't have been as supremely annoying and one-dimensionally awful as portrayed in this book.
This book is given one star, not because it's the monstrosity seen in some of my other one star reviews, but because of the incredible disappointment it is, and because the author very clearly states in her forward what she wanted from this book, and because she failed so utterly at it.
Lindley says in her forward that she came across the story of Eastern Jewel, and felt that the consistent portrayal of her was that of one-dimensional badness, and she wanted to explore how she had gotten where she was, and some of her good points (courage, loyalty.) Despite this, Eastern Jewel is one of the most patently unlikable protagonists I have ever encountered. She never did a single thing that endeared me to her, and her every thought, every action grated on me constantly.
There are several other flaws with the book. Completely pointless things are detailed excessively, such as food, furniture, clothes, descriptions of rooms, and dreams. But where detail would have been helpful...none. For example, when Eastern Jewel moved to Japan, did they speak Chinese with her? Did she already know Japanese? How? Was there a language barrier? The same goes with her Mongolian in-laws. How did she meet her circle in Shanghai? Why would her father be willing to let her be raised in Japan? Late in the book, one character is dropped without mention for nearly SEVENTY PAGES, and then suddenly mentioned again as if this were normal.
The descriptions of dreams and food chapter names did nothing to add layers to the book, and instead only came off as -- and I hate this word and try not to use it -- incredibly pretentious. Like the author was desperately trying to be artistic and just falling flat on her face.
Her fascination with men's clothing is never explained beyond one lame line early on, and never explored later on. Her love and loyalty for Japan is never really explained either, and in fact, all of her descriptions of her early life in Japan would make me, and I suspect many others, in fact feel nothing for contempt for the culture and society if that is what I had lived through. These things are both key to what we know about the real Eastern Jewel, and yet they are so unsatisfyingly discussed in this book, it's unbelievable.
Oh, and the ending is just...I mean, really? Seriously? ARGH!
This book is almost nothing but rough sex, dreams, and descriptions of furniture and food. I'd be willing to bet if you took out everything but those 3, you'd take out maybe....60 pages?
I really want to know who the real Eastern Jewel was now; she can't have been as supremely annoying and one-dimensionally awful as portrayed in this book.