Customer Reviews

The Three-Inch Golden Lotus (Fiction from Modern China)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Subtitled "a novel of foot binding", this book was first published in China in 1986 by the enormously popular Chinese writer, Feng Jicai and translated into English in 1994.

Told as a "once upon a time" story, the writer skillfully combines myth, reason and a compelling tale while bringing the reader into the world of the "three-inch golden lotus", the tiny bound feet of Chinese women.

Everything I have ever wondered about this fascinating custom is right here in this book. From the agonies inflicted upon young girls whose childhood includes broken bones and searing pain to the high esteem these tiny feet bring them as adults, it's all here, including the group of men who erotically adore them.

Set in the early part of the 20th century, Fragrant Lotus has her feet bound by her grandmother as an act of love and tradition. Later, her small feet catch the eyes of a wealthy man who makes her the bride of his oldest son. The women of the family all compete in family "foot contests" at which "lotus loving" friends of her father-in-law spend hours debating the fine points of the history of foot binding and its many nuances.

Through the years, Fragrant Lotus becomes the head of the family and comes face to face with the changing movement to outlaw foot binding.

At only 229 pages, this book is a great read on many levels. The writer really captures the world he has set out to describe, does a excellent job of characterization and keeps the tension high with his minute descriptions of the foot contests. He also has a way of making this all into a satirical tall tale as the concepts of truth and reality are constantly explored. Deceptively simple, this story has a far deeper meaning as a metaphor for the cultural revolution as standards of beauty change.

Highly recommended.

What a treat it is to stumble upon a master storyteller! Feng Jicai tells this story with brilliant wit and intelligence. Kudos to the translator as well. He uses historical references to fill the reader in on the tradition of foot binding, as well as weaves a creative plot. The book focuses on Fragrant Lotus, a girl who has her feet bound in the golden lotus style, and her father-in-law, who collects daughters-in-law to serve his foot fetish. He and his other "lotus loving" friends have contests and long debates in their quest for the perfect bound feet. Fragrant Lotus eventually reigns supreme in the family by virtue of her stylish feet, but Jicai uses an ironic twist at the end of the book to ask the reader an underlying political question-- why the people of China have participated in things that caused them to suffer, such foot binding and the Cultural Revolution, and why social change often comes about with cruelty. This question is all the more touching because Feng Jicai's family was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution.

In 1890, Fragrant Lotus is a young Chinese girl who loves her grandmother very much. But one day her grandmother decides it is time that she bind her granddaughter's feet, a tradition going back a thousand years, and Fragrant Lotus' life changes forever.

Though having bound feet is exceedingly painful, her grandmother does an extremely good job and through the beauty of her feet, Fragrant Lotus is able to move up through society and gain wealth, power, and prestige normally out of reach for the lower-class. However, the Communist revolution is coming.

Where once Fragrant Lotus was the epitome of female beauty, in the 20th Century, footbinding becomes a symbol of the "old" China...a China that the government wants to escape. Fragrant Lotus continues to 'stand up' for footbinding, but it is a losing battle.

In this book of fiction, the author draws comparisons between the bound feet of Chinese women and the "bound" minds of modern China after the Communist revolution. Readers of Chinese fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, and those interested in Chinese history will devour this novel.

A suprising look into the art and culture of foot binding. Explains the inportance of this practice in maintaining traditional values during a period of cultural turmoil. i learned a lot about the subject while engrossed in a solid plot with many ironies. This book ends with a quick, strong twist during a confrontation involving the clash between two periods of cultural values. Educational and fun to read

Three Inch Golden Lotus by Feng Jicai is one of the more controversial novels of his time, emphasizes conflict in the areas of power (within society and between individuals), the old and the new, and what ultimately brings happiness. The novel also addresses the question of standards of beauty and explores the possibilities when two views come into conflict. Jicai uses a style that is meant to provoke by highlighting the extremes without exaggerating the situation and this piece flows even as a translation, with distinct aspects of the Chinese writing style. It serves as a historical, political, cultural and moral piece of writing covering the whole scene of a sliver (dealt exclusively with foot binding) of the transition period between the end and beginning of The Cultural Revolution in 1949.
Although the Cultural Revolution started in 1949, the novel does not center around this event, but follows the timeline of Golden Lotus, the daughter of parents who had died and left her with her grandmother- Granny. First off the novel deals with the serious, life-changing implications of having beautifully bound feet. Jicai cleverly illustrates the situation of a peasant girl who would have been lost in the society where there was a distinguishable split between the rich and poor, where upon being rescued by her bound feet instantly finds herself in a position among which the most influential men in society could be swayed and steered. Soon Golden Lotus finds her enemies cutthroat and oppressive when in the position of power. She has no choice but to play the game for her own survival. It is purely a foot contest. It is through this power struggle that Golden Lotus is taken to the lowest point she has ever encountered in her life. She tries to save her daughter from the game, contrary to what her grandmother has tried to do for her. From Golden Lotus' perspective, in the end it becomes a question of being either powerful with suffering involved or being undistinguished and happy. Despite her efforts, her daughter still ends up in a position of power, which leaves the reader to decipher Golden Lotus' thoughts on this as she passes away.
Irony is prevalent throughout this novel as it is Golden Lotus' daughter who ends up being her greatest enemy. The conflict posed here is one between different standards of beauty. As The Cultural Revolution occurred there were large movements to unbind or not bind feet at all. Jicai addresses the power battle between the two within society as being unnessessary. Originally it is those that were in the Cultural Revolution that initiated the attack against those who still had bound feet. Because Golden Lotus has the most beautiful feet in the most influential family, she was immediately the leader of those who wished to keep their feet bound. In the end Jicai seems to want to convey that change should not be forced upon anyone, but it should let itself take its toll.
Jicai's style conveys his story in the form of a conversation with the reader. His story covers the whole aspect of the lifestyle at this particular time even illustrating a scene where the most respected men get drunk and are forever diminished in the eyes of the reader. For these men women's bound feet are of their only concern, and it is evident that Jicai tries to convey the sexual aspect of the obsession for feet. This may be one of the things overlooked to an unsuspecting reader, as it is almost as if the reader subconsciously rules out this possibility from the beginning due to his own views on what qualifies as being `sexy'. But there is no question about the bound feet's sexual connotation after it is pointed out, which makes Jicai a far more daring writer than one had previously thought, if one were to assume writing about sexual topics in such detail at that time period would generally be inappropriate. But then again, that could be the western assumption - as Jicai constantly tries to evoke the reader and push the reader's perspective. In the end the reader is taken by Jicai's humor, storyline and historical insight and accuracy given the situation, but wonders whether there is much more to be devoured in the Chinese version that didn't quite make its way through to the translation (being from a Chinese background I could pick up on instances where the situation would have been more effective had it been written in its original form and read by a Chinese reader).

This beautifully written (or translated) book is probably your best guidebook to the ancient tradition of Chinese foot-binding. Regardless of your opinion prior to reading this novel, you will close the book with an ambivalent feeling. The author has carefully plotted the novel so that you will no longer know how to feel towards the tradition.

The story revolves around Fragrant Lotus and her pair of astounding bound feet. She rises up the social ladder solely because of her feet, and until her very end, defends the culture of foot-binding. As a female reader, you cannot help sympathizing with her heroism. This novel will also intoxicate you with the splendour and sexuality of three-inch feet. The sexuality is not vulgar or crude; rather it is subtle and suggestive.

The story later depicts a conflict between the traditional and a new unbinding movement, symbolising the Cultural Revolution. The ending is profoundly ironic: you are sure to be caught in surprise.

If I were to mention one flaw of this novel (and I regret having to say this to an otherwise beautiful book), it would have to be of the overly melodramatic storyline: a cinderella-marriage into a rich family, the furtive hatred between two women, the presence of a mysterious old woman, the protagonist rising from the ashes, and the death of a powerful houselord.

Nonetheless, you should consider reading this novel, and enjoy the luxury of judging for yourself.

The realistic, erotic and detailed piece vividly portrays the political and social conditions in China between the 1890's and 1930's. Although the novel's connection to the Cultural Revolution is not readily apparent, it is stated in the "Translators Postscript" that Jicai intended to indirectly expose the reader to the "revolutionary transformation that had spanned the entire twentieth century in China". By exposing the reader to characters such as Fragrant Lotus and her family, he succeeds in conveying a very clear message regarding the presence of the "unmitigated evil": the balancing of historical progress against the suffering of the innocent individual is not worth it.

I was particularly attracted to the novel by its exact descriptions of characters, events and settings. Even though the book is translated from its original Chinese, the descriptions of the scenes are unique and memorable. The author's usage of syntax such as personification and similes, imagery and figurative language brings the piece to life. I particularly thought that the scenes where Jicai personifies the small "bound feet" as some living or non-living creature was profoundly striking. The detailed descriptions serve to bring the piece to life and create a tale that is thoroughly engrossing. The novel is captivating from the very first chapter when the reader is exposed to vivid descriptions of the process of "foot binding".

I recommend this book because it is told as a story; however, there is an unstated meaning behind the play that consists of intricate, yet deep historical interpretations. A satire with literary and historical events of China interwoven with one another, the story is clearly one that is worth reading.

I read this book years ago but am still intrigued by it. It was a fascinating story of a culture I knew little about. The characters brought the reader into tight grips with the author. An exceptional read worth every minute of the time.

On the surface, a chilling account of foot binding in old China. But at the same time, a subtle commentary on the Cultural Revolution. It's entirely possible to miss the connection and still thoroughly enjoy this novel. It gets rather difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction, which is how writing should be. The author is a master of language and of characterization. This is another author who I'm gonna hunt down, and another book I'll reread. I almost never reread anything. It's the highest compliment I can pay a book, because my attention span is horrendously short.

The Three-inch Golden Lotus gives light to and offers a fresh and distinctive perspective on the somewhat mysterious and obscure art of foot-binding. The novel is set in an era of China where tiny bound feet was the quintessence of beauty for women, and where men went crazy for and practically worshipped tiny feet. The novel focuses on the life of Fragrant Lotus, a woman known for her exquisitely tiny bound feet, and how the size of her feet compared to the other ladies in the household affects her power position in the Tong family. Through winning foot competitions and having the most beautiful feet in the household, Fragrant Lotus becomes the head of the Tong Family. However, she and the women with bound feet are then faced with an enemy - women who argue that feet should stay natural and unbound. The story is actually a parody of the Cultural Revolution and captures the struggle between shifting cultural trends and traditional ideas. It portrays the misfortune of those submitting to the society's standards for beauty that are suddenly caught in the change in history where new standards are introduced and those who follow the traditional standards are shunned.

Not only is the story exceptional but the language used to describe the beauty of the shoes is itself exquisite, despite the novel being a translation from Chinese. This was a novel unlike anything I have ever read before, and gave me a new perception of the art of foot-binding. I started reading the book disgusted with the practice, but while reading the novel, I found myself subconsciously sympathizing with the bound-feet women as I started to understand their motives. A recommended read!