Status
Available
Call number
Publication
William Morrow (2013), Edition: Reprint, 373 pages
DDC/MDS
| 813.6 |
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML: A startlingly original voice makes her literary debut with this wondrous coming-of-age story infused with Chinese folklore, romantic intrigue, adventure, and fascinating, dreamlike twists One evening, my father asked me whether I would like to become a ghost bride. . . . Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound. Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, traditional ghost marriages are used to placate restless spirits. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price. After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lims' handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits, and monstrous bureaucracy�??including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family's darkest secrets�??and the truth about her own family�??before she is trapped in this ghostly world fore… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member lexilewords
When I was younger I read a book that was set in far ago Ireland. I don't remember the title exactly, but what I remember best is that the author had immersed me in the culture of ancient Ireland so much that when I finally finished the book I had completely forgotten the story itself. All that
Choo's writing is beautiful, there are no other words for it. The strength of her words are evident in the depiction of Li Lan's genteel poverty versus how her potential "husband"s family, the Lim Family, live and later in the quasi-afterlife that Li Lan fights for her freedom in.
This is a book steeped in traditions, values, hopes and dreams that I was fascinated by. Li Lan's father, an opium addict who cares a great deal for his daughter, but more for his addictive lifestyle, makes it clear from the beginning that its Li Lan's choice. Even though it would be better, for them both, financially if she accepted the Lim's offer, he wanted her to understand what it would mean. What she was giving up (love, children, a living breathing husband) vs. what she would gain (roof over her head, fine clothes, a place in society).
Li Lan, having been sheltered and had very little contact with anyone who wasn't her father or her Amah (nursemaid), accepts an offer from the Lim Family to visit their estate. Curious she goes, but very quickly she figure outs what being the Lims' dead son Tian Ching "Ghost Bride" would mean. Her ghostly spouse's personality is abusive, juvenile and sadistic. Increasingly so as she refuses to play his games. Not aiding the issue is Tian Bai, Tian Ching's cousin. A harmless guy, Li Lan falls for him (I would to if my other choice was Tian Ching) and angsts, endlessly, about how it can never be.
I'll be honest I could have done without THAT particular side plot. It makes sense for her to have developed a crush on him, and even to a certain extent that she is so dramatic about it (sheltered being 17 hopeless situation sadistic ghostly haunting = drama is okay). I just rather wish when things really started going badly for her, she could have been a bit more proactive. It sounds strange to say, considering the limited amount of freedom women had in the world in general during that time period, but Li Lan was a more proactive individual. Not like "Feminism, Equality of Genders, Women's Rights" proactive, but she used what resources were available to her to find answers.
In the quasi-afterlife world that Li Lan increasingly found herself in (through the machinations of Tian Ching and her own explorations) Choo focuses a lot of her writing talent in making the the world immersive and "real" to the reader. Rather then feel like a tourist in some foreign country, I felt as if I was exploring and living as Li Lan did. The atmosphere and the tone of Choo's writing invited me to come be part of the Chinese version of heaven of and hell (which strictly from a non-religious standpoint, sounds so cool).
Some plot points are more predictable then others (the "mysterious stranger" for instance), and the story moves at its own pace, which might be too slow of a burn for most people. There isn't any "action" persay, moments of excitement and suspense and exhilieration, moments that will keep your heart pumping for sure. The various ways the book could have ended for Li Lan are numerous, made moreso by the many many plot lines that tie into one and other.
If you're looking for something that is outside the norm for historical fiction, with elements of fantasy and boatloads of culture, I highly recommend this novel.
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remained was the land and its people and its culture. THE GHOST BRIDE is very much like this. I went into the story very intrigued by the notion of a "Ghost Bride". I am interested in Asian culture in general, but the "Ghost Bride" aspect is not one that I've encountered that often before (it was part of a TV series I watched a long time ago called "Restless", which I believe was actually a Thai show).Choo's writing is beautiful, there are no other words for it. The strength of her words are evident in the depiction of Li Lan's genteel poverty versus how her potential "husband"s family, the Lim Family, live and later in the quasi-afterlife that Li Lan fights for her freedom in.
This is a book steeped in traditions, values, hopes and dreams that I was fascinated by. Li Lan's father, an opium addict who cares a great deal for his daughter, but more for his addictive lifestyle, makes it clear from the beginning that its Li Lan's choice. Even though it would be better, for them both, financially if she accepted the Lim's offer, he wanted her to understand what it would mean. What she was giving up (love, children, a living breathing husband) vs. what she would gain (roof over her head, fine clothes, a place in society).
Li Lan, having been sheltered and had very little contact with anyone who wasn't her father or her Amah (nursemaid), accepts an offer from the Lim Family to visit their estate. Curious she goes, but very quickly she figure outs what being the Lims' dead son Tian Ching "Ghost Bride" would mean. Her ghostly spouse's personality is abusive, juvenile and sadistic. Increasingly so as she refuses to play his games. Not aiding the issue is Tian Bai, Tian Ching's cousin. A harmless guy, Li Lan falls for him (I would to if my other choice was Tian Ching) and angsts, endlessly, about how it can never be.
I'll be honest I could have done without THAT particular side plot. It makes sense for her to have developed a crush on him, and even to a certain extent that she is so dramatic about it (sheltered being 17 hopeless situation sadistic ghostly haunting = drama is okay). I just rather wish when things really started going badly for her, she could have been a bit more proactive. It sounds strange to say, considering the limited amount of freedom women had in the world in general during that time period, but Li Lan was a more proactive individual. Not like "Feminism, Equality of Genders, Women's Rights" proactive, but she used what resources were available to her to find answers.
In the quasi-afterlife world that Li Lan increasingly found herself in (through the machinations of Tian Ching and her own explorations) Choo focuses a lot of her writing talent in making the the world immersive and "real" to the reader. Rather then feel like a tourist in some foreign country, I felt as if I was exploring and living as Li Lan did. The atmosphere and the tone of Choo's writing invited me to come be part of the Chinese version of heaven of and hell (which strictly from a non-religious standpoint, sounds so cool).
Some plot points are more predictable then others (the "mysterious stranger" for instance), and the story moves at its own pace, which might be too slow of a burn for most people. There isn't any "action" persay, moments of excitement and suspense and exhilieration, moments that will keep your heart pumping for sure. The various ways the book could have ended for Li Lan are numerous, made moreso by the many many plot lines that tie into one and other.
If you're looking for something that is outside the norm for historical fiction, with elements of fantasy and boatloads of culture, I highly recommend this novel.
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LibraryThing member teachkids
At first I thought this would be an interesting read, finding out how Li Lan would fare being married to the dead son of a wealthy family, even though she is in love with the cousin Tian Bai. After overdosing on some opium-laced tea, Li Lan goes to search in the Chinese after-life for her mother
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and Lim Tain Ching to find out if this son was actually murdered, as was the rumor. The story drags as Li Lan is out getting lost in this strange world. Here she also falls in love with Er Lang an after life high level spirit. Some of the cultural customs come through in the Malaya/Chinese traditions of marriage and life. Parts of the book were intriguing and interesting, but in all, I found it slow and long. If you like tales of the supernatural, you might like this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member yourotherleft
Li Lan comes from a family that used to be wealthy but has crumbled in the aftermath of her mother's death. When finances get tight, her father brings up the possibility of her becoming a ghost bride for a wealthy family who has recently lost a son. Being a ghost bride would ensure a life of luxury
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for Li Lan in the Lim mansion, but spending her life married to and placating a haunting ghost of the family's spoiled son is not what Li Lan hopes for her future. When Li Lan herself comes too close to death for comfort, what ensues is a tale populated with conniving vengeful ghosts, shadow worlds that imperfectly mirror reality, and a mysterious figure who could be the only one who can help Li Lan's spirit return to her body before its too late. Choo's book offers a compellingly drawn window into Chinese culture and views of the afterlife. It smacks of a modern day folk tale. There are parts of the story that really shine, but I also found it overlong and draggy in places. In fact, it took more than half of the book for me to become truly invested in Li Lan's story and wandered dangerously close to my "did not finish" book pile before sucking me back into Li Lan's vaguely terrifying sojourn through the Plains of the Dead. Not a bad book, just requires a little extra patience. Show Less
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Ever since her mother died from smallpox and her father retreated from society, Li Lan has been largely isolated from the world of colonial Malaysia, not to mention people her own age. So when her father mentions that she has received a marriage proposal, she is surprised… but then she
Review: This book has a lot of elements that Yangzee Choo is trying to juggle at once, which both works for the book as well as occasionally against it. In its favor, this book is packed with really interesting things and ideas and characters. I knew very, very little about Chinese mythology and the Chinese version of the afterlife before reading this book, and although Choo mentions in her author's note that many parts of the afterlife in this book are her own invention, I felt like at least the flavor and nature of the world she created were authentic to Chinese (or more specifically, Malaysian Chinese) culture. It definitely had the tone and rhythms of a familiar fairy tale or myth, for all that the actual players were unfamiliar to me. I also enjoyed her non-supernatural setting as well - colonial Malaysia was not somewhere I'd given much thought to before, although it was a little strange coming out of reading The Windup Girl so recently, which also featured wealthy expats in an Asian city, albeit in a very (very!) different context. Choo's writing is lovely and evocative, and created these historical and fantastic worlds with equal clarity and vividness.
I also really enjoyed the characters, and the progression of Li Lan's story. The only snag I hit in this book was that there are so many elements, and so many subplots, that they don't really all come together in the end. For example, initially there's a big deal made out of the fact that Lim Tiang Ching hints that Tian Bai murdered him in order to take his place as the family's heir. For a while, it seemed as though the book was setting itself up to be a murder mystery, with Li Lan tasked with solving it, but eventually that plotline kind of peters out. There's also a bunch of stuff about the judges of the afterlife, and the bureaucracy and whether or not Lim Tiang Ching is bribing the officials, and so then I was expecting *that* to be a thing, but as the focus carries on with Li Lan's journey, the bribery storyline is mostly dropped, and is wrapped up offscreen by another character. So, while I found each of the pieces interesting, and Li Lan's story certainly kept me involved throughout, the various underdeveloped subplots did make the whole thing feel a little disjointed - which, actually, is not entirely out of keeping with the tone of a book about the afterlife. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Quite enjoyable; particularly recommended to those who like books involving mythology and the afterlife and quest-y or Odyssey-like journeys, and/or Chinese culture and traditions.
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learns that she is to become a ghost bride, wed in a ceremony to the spirit of the dead son of her father's former business associate, Lim Tiang Ching. She wants no part of such a marriage, especially once the ghost in question begins haunting her dreams, and he turns out to be self-centered and obnoxious, especially in comparison to his very much alive (and very attractive) cousin, Tian Bai. As Li Lan grows increasingly desperate, she takes an unthinkable step, and soon finds herself trapped in the spirit world, where she must travel to the Plains of the Dead if she ever hopes to untangle herself from the machinations of the Lim family and return to the world of the living.Review: This book has a lot of elements that Yangzee Choo is trying to juggle at once, which both works for the book as well as occasionally against it. In its favor, this book is packed with really interesting things and ideas and characters. I knew very, very little about Chinese mythology and the Chinese version of the afterlife before reading this book, and although Choo mentions in her author's note that many parts of the afterlife in this book are her own invention, I felt like at least the flavor and nature of the world she created were authentic to Chinese (or more specifically, Malaysian Chinese) culture. It definitely had the tone and rhythms of a familiar fairy tale or myth, for all that the actual players were unfamiliar to me. I also enjoyed her non-supernatural setting as well - colonial Malaysia was not somewhere I'd given much thought to before, although it was a little strange coming out of reading The Windup Girl so recently, which also featured wealthy expats in an Asian city, albeit in a very (very!) different context. Choo's writing is lovely and evocative, and created these historical and fantastic worlds with equal clarity and vividness.
I also really enjoyed the characters, and the progression of Li Lan's story. The only snag I hit in this book was that there are so many elements, and so many subplots, that they don't really all come together in the end. For example, initially there's a big deal made out of the fact that Lim Tiang Ching hints that Tian Bai murdered him in order to take his place as the family's heir. For a while, it seemed as though the book was setting itself up to be a murder mystery, with Li Lan tasked with solving it, but eventually that plotline kind of peters out. There's also a bunch of stuff about the judges of the afterlife, and the bureaucracy and whether or not Lim Tiang Ching is bribing the officials, and so then I was expecting *that* to be a thing, but as the focus carries on with Li Lan's journey, the bribery storyline is mostly dropped, and is wrapped up offscreen by another character. So, while I found each of the pieces interesting, and Li Lan's story certainly kept me involved throughout, the various underdeveloped subplots did make the whole thing feel a little disjointed - which, actually, is not entirely out of keeping with the tone of a book about the afterlife. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Quite enjoyable; particularly recommended to those who like books involving mythology and the afterlife and quest-y or Odyssey-like journeys, and/or Chinese culture and traditions.
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LibraryThing member roses7184
I don't think I was quite expecting what I found between the pages of The Ghost Bride. Perhaps it's because I glazed over the synopsis, rather than reading it carefully, but I wasn't ready for the more fantasy driven part of this book. I was expecting a story about a girl who was fated to be sold
I'm not entirely sure when this book is meant to take place, but Li Lan reads as a more modern woman than I was anticipating. She's opinionated and intelligent. Her views on women and society are at odds with the others around her. I was charmed by her fresh, no-nonsense take on the world around her. What really threw me for a loop though is how young she really seems. I've seen this book labeled as adult fiction, but Li Lan's personality really feels like it has more of a young adult feel. Especially once the paranormal aspect comes into play.
However the biggest issue I had with The Ghost Bride was the writing style. Lots of telling, instead of showing. For example, describing an article of clothing. Rather than have the reader infer what it is through the writing, Li Lan will just directly explain what it is for, how it's worn and how she knows. If the protagonist I'm following is of the culture the book is based in, I somewhat assume they know about traditional clothing. I felt like I was being lead of a guided tour, instead of swept up in a mysterious story. That's not to say that the story itself isn't ultimately interesting. The folklore, mystery, and unexpected twists definitely created a need to keep reading. If you can see past the writing style, the story underneath is actually very well done.
My very jumbled feelings are why I ultimately decided on a three star rating for this book. There were aspects of The Ghost Bride that I really enjoyed, and others that took away from the journey. If you are a reader who often reads historical fiction, this might be something you enjoy. Especially since it has the added bonus of a bit of mythology to keep things fresh.
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off as a ghost bride. A story rich with history. I was given both of these things, but also so much I didn't see coming. Li Lan's story is based around her Chinese culture, but with a paranormal twist stemming from mythology.I'm not entirely sure when this book is meant to take place, but Li Lan reads as a more modern woman than I was anticipating. She's opinionated and intelligent. Her views on women and society are at odds with the others around her. I was charmed by her fresh, no-nonsense take on the world around her. What really threw me for a loop though is how young she really seems. I've seen this book labeled as adult fiction, but Li Lan's personality really feels like it has more of a young adult feel. Especially once the paranormal aspect comes into play.
However the biggest issue I had with The Ghost Bride was the writing style. Lots of telling, instead of showing. For example, describing an article of clothing. Rather than have the reader infer what it is through the writing, Li Lan will just directly explain what it is for, how it's worn and how she knows. If the protagonist I'm following is of the culture the book is based in, I somewhat assume they know about traditional clothing. I felt like I was being lead of a guided tour, instead of swept up in a mysterious story. That's not to say that the story itself isn't ultimately interesting. The folklore, mystery, and unexpected twists definitely created a need to keep reading. If you can see past the writing style, the story underneath is actually very well done.
My very jumbled feelings are why I ultimately decided on a three star rating for this book. There were aspects of The Ghost Bride that I really enjoyed, and others that took away from the journey. If you are a reader who often reads historical fiction, this might be something you enjoy. Especially since it has the added bonus of a bit of mythology to keep things fresh.
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LibraryThing member agarcia85257
The Ghost Bride is a journey into the realm of Chinese Mysticism and the afterlife. As well as the beings and spirits that dwell there.
Li Lan, the daughter of a bankrupt family has seen her future change and now with little to no opportunities she is offered a chance out of the looming poverty that
..."Hush," said my father. "Don't fret so. Whatever else I've failed to do. I won't force you into this ghost marriage. I thought that the best thing would be to betroth you to someone else. Then everyone would save some face. I've been asking around discreetly, but have had no luck. It's my fault. I didn't cultivate new or useful friendships since your mother died. Those old friends I approached were under the impression, no doubt from Lim, that you were always betrothed to his son. But we'll think of something."
Tears filled my eyes. If I started to cry. I would be unable to stop. My father stared at his desk, guilt and shame written across his countenance. Then he glanced involuntarily at his opium pipe. I felt a stinging rebuke rise to my lips. No wonder Amah had grumbled at him so often. I had always defended him, feeling that my father doted on me and was sweetly unworldly. But now I began to comprehend the true cost of his failure...
To add to Li Lam's despair, she begins to receive a nightly visitor in her dreams. Her dead betroth. The ghost of the son of the Lim family and he is waiting for her to be his bride.
Li Lam must find a way out of the ghost marriage and in doing so begins a journey into the spirit world where she is neither dead nor alive. As her spirit travels she begins to understand the anger of Lim's dead son. His murder and cover up. His inheritance given to another. His anger at all that was taken away and the one thing he will have is his bride.
Li Lam will also uncover the secrets of her own family and how the Lims and her family are closer than even they will tell.
The Ghost Bride is a well written novel of love and fear and the realm of the Chinese spirit world and all it entails. The tale of a young bride and her desires to live her own life.
Li Lan, the daughter of a bankrupt family has seen her future change and now with little to no opportunities she is offered a chance out of the looming poverty that
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is coming for her and her family. A Ghost Marriage. She is to be betrothed to the dead son of a wealthy family. The rich Lim family want her to be wed to their dead son in an effort to appease the unsettled spirit...."Hush," said my father. "Don't fret so. Whatever else I've failed to do. I won't force you into this ghost marriage. I thought that the best thing would be to betroth you to someone else. Then everyone would save some face. I've been asking around discreetly, but have had no luck. It's my fault. I didn't cultivate new or useful friendships since your mother died. Those old friends I approached were under the impression, no doubt from Lim, that you were always betrothed to his son. But we'll think of something."
Tears filled my eyes. If I started to cry. I would be unable to stop. My father stared at his desk, guilt and shame written across his countenance. Then he glanced involuntarily at his opium pipe. I felt a stinging rebuke rise to my lips. No wonder Amah had grumbled at him so often. I had always defended him, feeling that my father doted on me and was sweetly unworldly. But now I began to comprehend the true cost of his failure...
To add to Li Lam's despair, she begins to receive a nightly visitor in her dreams. Her dead betroth. The ghost of the son of the Lim family and he is waiting for her to be his bride.
Li Lam must find a way out of the ghost marriage and in doing so begins a journey into the spirit world where she is neither dead nor alive. As her spirit travels she begins to understand the anger of Lim's dead son. His murder and cover up. His inheritance given to another. His anger at all that was taken away and the one thing he will have is his bride.
Li Lam will also uncover the secrets of her own family and how the Lims and her family are closer than even they will tell.
The Ghost Bride is a well written novel of love and fear and the realm of the Chinese spirit world and all it entails. The tale of a young bride and her desires to live her own life.
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LibraryThing member MaryEvelynLS
I was at the library when the gorgeous cover of the Ghost Bride caught my attention. Glad it did because Ghost Bride was wonderful and beautifully written. Choo describes places, people , and food vividly so it was easy to imagine the story as I read. The book was completely absorbing for me
Li Lan, the young and beautiful main character, learns that her father, who has retreated from public life due to a horrific illness with smallpox that left him scarred, widowed, financially strapped, and dependent on opium, has recently received an offer of marriage from a wealthy family for Li Lan in exchange for his debts. Unfortunately for Li Lan, the offer is not for a traditional marriage but as a ghost bride. Li Lan will have the traditional wedding, traditional feasts, and the comfortability the in-laws money will provide but standing in for the deceased groom will be a rooster. No husband! A rooster!! One can only imagine the grim future that must lay ahead for a bride that is to become an instant widow. Uh..no thank you! Of course, Li Lan feels the same way and is horrified of such a marriage happening. She then begins to have nightmares that consume her waking hours and drain her of happiness and cause her to become ill. It is here that the story really takes off and introduces the reader to such beliefs as the Chinese afterlife and the ghostly worlds that can be found there.
I really enjoyed Ghost Bride. Very different from what I normally read but it was reminiscent of Amy Tan's The Hundred Secret Senses and I loved that book. Ghost Bride is great book. Period. One cannot go wrong by picking up this book to read. In fact, I plan to buy a copy to add to my bookshelves because i just might read it again one day and it is such a lovely book to own. Enjoy!!
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because I found the cultural beliefs to be so interesting and in depth. Becoming a ghost bride was a rare practice but when it was offered from one family to another family's daughter it was usually to appease the restless soul of the deceased.Li Lan, the young and beautiful main character, learns that her father, who has retreated from public life due to a horrific illness with smallpox that left him scarred, widowed, financially strapped, and dependent on opium, has recently received an offer of marriage from a wealthy family for Li Lan in exchange for his debts. Unfortunately for Li Lan, the offer is not for a traditional marriage but as a ghost bride. Li Lan will have the traditional wedding, traditional feasts, and the comfortability the in-laws money will provide but standing in for the deceased groom will be a rooster. No husband! A rooster!! One can only imagine the grim future that must lay ahead for a bride that is to become an instant widow. Uh..no thank you! Of course, Li Lan feels the same way and is horrified of such a marriage happening. She then begins to have nightmares that consume her waking hours and drain her of happiness and cause her to become ill. It is here that the story really takes off and introduces the reader to such beliefs as the Chinese afterlife and the ghostly worlds that can be found there.
I really enjoyed Ghost Bride. Very different from what I normally read but it was reminiscent of Amy Tan's The Hundred Secret Senses and I loved that book. Ghost Bride is great book. Period. One cannot go wrong by picking up this book to read. In fact, I plan to buy a copy to add to my bookshelves because i just might read it again one day and it is such a lovely book to own. Enjoy!!
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LibraryThing member Pattymclpn
This is mostly a supernatural story with the main character being Li Lan’s soul. Li Lan’s soul or spirit travels back in time before she was born to find out her history and who she really is. This is a supernatural phenomena kind of story. Li Lan meets many interesting people on her journey.
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She has the capability to enter people’s dreams also and she tries to give them information this way and change the future. This is not exactly action packed it moves a little slow, but I did really enjoy the ending. This contains a little romance, a little history and some Chinese culture and tradition on the side. An element of Asian folklore is also present. It has many facets. I also enjoyed this writer’s writing style. Here is a hint: if you decide to read this, read the afterword first. I think that it adds to the understanding of the story immensely. Maybe I liked this better than the last book because of the paranormal slant? I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member brandyhei
Sad, spooky, and hopeful. A proposal for a spirit marriage draws naive young Li Lan into the lush and terrifying Chinese spirit world, where the doom of limbo hangs over her. A murder mystery and family secrets against an unusual and fantastic backdrop. I wanted to love this book, and I did.
LibraryThing member Jennifer35k
The idea of the afterlife has been a subject that has weighed heavily on my mind since the death of my grandfather last year. Since his passing I have occasionally found myself wondering how he is and what the afterlife must be like. Although I am in no hurry to find out, I can’t help but wonder
This book is phenomenal. I would compare it to such stories like ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ or ‘Spirited Away’. There is a massive amount of potential for this book to go toward the movie screens. In fact, I am almost too excited to write this review. I love the rich history and the creative descriptions that the author used to describe the afterlife. I felt as if I was watching another movie in my mind as I read this book. I hope this book is picked up by someone that is in the animation industry. It would be an AMAZING movie to watch! If you have not already figured out by now that I adore this book, than you need to read this review again. I would recommend this book to everyone and that includes the people I don’t like! I have much respect for the author and am very excited about her other books. In the mean time I will have to send deep thoughts to the people in the animation world and somehow get them to read this damn book!
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if heaven is really what it is described as. Another side of me wonders if heaven is just like this life or maybe the living are actually dead and don’t start really living until they die. Most of the time I don’t give the afterlife too much thought and prefer to leave it to the preachers and the priests. However, this book touches the subject of heaven in an ingenious way. It is a colorful story about a young woman named Li Lan that finds herself in a most unusual circumstance, for she has unwillingly become a ‘ghost bride’. A woman that is doomed to live her life as a widow, due to her father’s opium addiction. Not wanting to spend her days as a widow, she pines after another and desperately tries to find a way out of her engagement. Plagued by nightmares of her ghostly betrothed, she turns to medicine to ease her mind into sleep. One night while she anticipates another nightmare she takes too much medicine and finds herself in the world of the spirits. From there Li Lan’s adventure takes off and the reader is introduced to a world that is best left to the eyes. Will Li Lan manage to return to her body? Will she find a way to break her ungodly engagement? Can she find her true soul mate?This book is phenomenal. I would compare it to such stories like ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ or ‘Spirited Away’. There is a massive amount of potential for this book to go toward the movie screens. In fact, I am almost too excited to write this review. I love the rich history and the creative descriptions that the author used to describe the afterlife. I felt as if I was watching another movie in my mind as I read this book. I hope this book is picked up by someone that is in the animation industry. It would be an AMAZING movie to watch! If you have not already figured out by now that I adore this book, than you need to read this review again. I would recommend this book to everyone and that includes the people I don’t like! I have much respect for the author and am very excited about her other books. In the mean time I will have to send deep thoughts to the people in the animation world and somehow get them to read this damn book!
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LibraryThing member A_Reader_of_Fictions
There’s no review I hate to write more than an ambivalent one, but, yet again, I must venture forth. With books I love or loathe, I have so much to comment on generally, but, when I’m smack dab in the middle, I just kind of want to sigh and walk away. The Ghost Bride had its moments of
The opening of The Ghost Bride really drew me in and made me think I would end up loving this book. Yangsze Choo’s writing is beautiful and rather ethereal, perfectly fitting the ghostly, subtle horror of the subject matter. Plus, the setting, colonial Malaya is unique and of almost endless fascination to me. Malacca, the port town in which Li Lan lives, shows evidence of the intertwining of traditional Chinese beliefs with some of the traditions of the British overlords, and all of that was great.
The main plot of The Ghost Bride centers around the creepy concept of ghost marriage, in which a living person would be married to someone already deceased. There were some legitimate reasons for this, like making a mistress a wife so that her child would no longer be a bastard and could inherit. However, sometimes, as in this case, the ghost would visit a family member and ask for a bride. In this case, the unlucky bride is Li Lan.
The oldest son of the Lim family pursues Li Lan from the underworld, haunting her dreams every night. She cannot resist his dream visitations, and it’s seriously stalkerish and not okay. Even worse, her spirit becomes disconnected from her body, and she has to go on a journey to free herself from the deceased Lim son and to get back into her body. That’s a pretty cool plot in theory.
I say “in theory” because they story line quickly lost its charm in The Ghost Bride. As soon as Li Lan popped out of her body, the story took an abrupt turn for the mind-numbingly boring. Finishing this book took me much longer than it should have, because I had no desire to listen to any more. Essentially, the whole middle part of the book accomplishes almost nothing from a plot perspective, and there’s not enough characterization to pull off such a slow, dithering pace. Things happen because of reasons and I don’t care about them in the slightest.
So far as the romance goes, I’m of two minds, but think I come down more on the positive side. Choo never really hit a swoony note, but both love interests are conceivable options with different sorts of appeal for Li Lan. Initially, Li Lan’s feelings for Tian Bai are quite instalovey, but, in a society where there wasn’t much courting, it made sense for her to seize on him, especially when desperate to escape this ghost marriage. I also liked that she came to see that her intense attraction to him initially was just that, and not the true love she’d imagined. View Spoiler »
Author narration can be a tricky business. In theory, it’s a great idea, because who knows the work and characters and intended inflections on dialog better than the author? Still, not every author has a voice for narration. Thankfully, Choo does. She’s got a British accent (and you know how I feel about those), and a measured, polished tone. While she isn’t the best at characters, she does a pretty good job for a first time narrator.
What it comes down to is that I would have really enjoyed The Ghost Bride had it been at least a third shorter. A lot of the plot drifted and accomplished little, and I was mired in that dreary middle for a long time.
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brilliance where I thought it would live up to that cover, which is one of the prettiest ever, but overall was rather tedious.The opening of The Ghost Bride really drew me in and made me think I would end up loving this book. Yangsze Choo’s writing is beautiful and rather ethereal, perfectly fitting the ghostly, subtle horror of the subject matter. Plus, the setting, colonial Malaya is unique and of almost endless fascination to me. Malacca, the port town in which Li Lan lives, shows evidence of the intertwining of traditional Chinese beliefs with some of the traditions of the British overlords, and all of that was great.
The main plot of The Ghost Bride centers around the creepy concept of ghost marriage, in which a living person would be married to someone already deceased. There were some legitimate reasons for this, like making a mistress a wife so that her child would no longer be a bastard and could inherit. However, sometimes, as in this case, the ghost would visit a family member and ask for a bride. In this case, the unlucky bride is Li Lan.
The oldest son of the Lim family pursues Li Lan from the underworld, haunting her dreams every night. She cannot resist his dream visitations, and it’s seriously stalkerish and not okay. Even worse, her spirit becomes disconnected from her body, and she has to go on a journey to free herself from the deceased Lim son and to get back into her body. That’s a pretty cool plot in theory.
I say “in theory” because they story line quickly lost its charm in The Ghost Bride. As soon as Li Lan popped out of her body, the story took an abrupt turn for the mind-numbingly boring. Finishing this book took me much longer than it should have, because I had no desire to listen to any more. Essentially, the whole middle part of the book accomplishes almost nothing from a plot perspective, and there’s not enough characterization to pull off such a slow, dithering pace. Things happen because of reasons and I don’t care about them in the slightest.
So far as the romance goes, I’m of two minds, but think I come down more on the positive side. Choo never really hit a swoony note, but both love interests are conceivable options with different sorts of appeal for Li Lan. Initially, Li Lan’s feelings for Tian Bai are quite instalovey, but, in a society where there wasn’t much courting, it made sense for her to seize on him, especially when desperate to escape this ghost marriage. I also liked that she came to see that her intense attraction to him initially was just that, and not the true love she’d imagined. View Spoiler »
Author narration can be a tricky business. In theory, it’s a great idea, because who knows the work and characters and intended inflections on dialog better than the author? Still, not every author has a voice for narration. Thankfully, Choo does. She’s got a British accent (and you know how I feel about those), and a measured, polished tone. While she isn’t the best at characters, she does a pretty good job for a first time narrator.
What it comes down to is that I would have really enjoyed The Ghost Bride had it been at least a third shorter. A lot of the plot drifted and accomplished little, and I was mired in that dreary middle for a long time.
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LibraryThing member brangwinn
For people interest in Malaysia and Chinese concepts of death this is not only an excellent story, but a history lesson as well. I've always wondered about the paper houses and other earthly accoutrements that are burned at Chinese funerals and know I know more. When Li Lan is requested as a ghost
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bride, a bride for a son who has died, she herself, finds herself in the ghost world. Hungry ghosts, the Land of the Dead, as well as a look at the British ruled Malaya of the 19th century are visited in this story. It's not morbid. Yangsze Choo is a master storyteller introducing us to a world few of understand. Show Less
LibraryThing member Margitte123
The title of the book captured my attention immediately. I just had to read it.
Li Lan, the eighteen-year-old narrator stemmed from a Chinese family who settled in Malaya in the 1800s. Although there were various other influences in their lives from the multitude of cultures present at the time,
When her formerly affluent father landed in dire straits, losing his inherited wealth, he asked her to become the ghost bride to the deceased son of the Lim family. Through the meddling of his mother, a grieving woman, Lim Tian Ching accessed Li Lan's dreams, haunting and harassing her to become his wife. When she refused, ghost started to fly. Literary!
Through different avenues and assistants, she managed to meet up with more deceased members of both her and her supposedly new family-in-law, resulting in one fast-paced exhilarating journey through different worlds with different tutors in the form of different characters that died and were waiting to be called to Judgement Day. They would ultimately teach her enough so that she can meet love on her own terms in the end. And what a surprise it was.
******
I haven't read a book like this before and did not want to be trapped in a spiritual world much longer than the first few chapters, as it made me uncomfortable, but the writing was so good, that I just could not stop reading after I started! In the process I learnt so much more about all the different Malay cultures - I even looked up how to roast water melon seeds the right way.
The book is a complete testament to Chinese food, languages, beliefs, and cultural practices. Informative, thrilling, and evocative.
Mmm, I did not believe in ghosts before, but now I wonder.... ;-)
Li Lan, the eighteen-year-old narrator stemmed from a Chinese family who settled in Malaya in the 1800s. Although there were various other influences in their lives from the multitude of cultures present at the time,
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including the British influences, her family, as most Chinese families, still maintained their own belief systems. Hence it resulted in her being subjected to one of the traditions of providing prosperity and catering to all the needs of the deceased in the afterlife.When her formerly affluent father landed in dire straits, losing his inherited wealth, he asked her to become the ghost bride to the deceased son of the Lim family. Through the meddling of his mother, a grieving woman, Lim Tian Ching accessed Li Lan's dreams, haunting and harassing her to become his wife. When she refused, ghost started to fly. Literary!
Through different avenues and assistants, she managed to meet up with more deceased members of both her and her supposedly new family-in-law, resulting in one fast-paced exhilarating journey through different worlds with different tutors in the form of different characters that died and were waiting to be called to Judgement Day. They would ultimately teach her enough so that she can meet love on her own terms in the end. And what a surprise it was.
******
I haven't read a book like this before and did not want to be trapped in a spiritual world much longer than the first few chapters, as it made me uncomfortable, but the writing was so good, that I just could not stop reading after I started! In the process I learnt so much more about all the different Malay cultures - I even looked up how to roast water melon seeds the right way.
The book is a complete testament to Chinese food, languages, beliefs, and cultural practices. Informative, thrilling, and evocative.
Mmm, I did not believe in ghosts before, but now I wonder.... ;-)
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LibraryThing member zeborah
A good read in a fascinating setting which managed to surprise me in the romance department (which was, besides, less important to the story than the mystery and its unravelling).
LibraryThing member dizzyweasel
The Ghost Bride is a gentle and timeless folkloric journey into romance, another culture, another time, and another world. One part Victorian haunting, one part mythic katabasis (journey to the underworld), one part historical romance, The Ghost Bridge is a satisfying novel. Li Lan, daughter of a
That's part 1. There are four parts. As Li Lan's story progresses, she passes through different stages and roles: she lives a half-life, visits the underworld, searches for her long-dead mother, falls in with a variety of shady but fascinating characters, and performs tasks for a shadowy fellow, Er Lang, who vaguely calls himself a 'minor official' in the underworld. Li Lan's journey to resolve all of these aspects (and finally rid herself of Lim Tian Ching) drives the narrative, but her gentle yet pragmatic character, her resourcefulness, and her internal struggles with sense of self, love, and duty compel the reader. Though many of the characters are archetypes (as in most fairytales/folktales) representing various aspects of humanity, Yangsze Choo infuses them all with life (or afterlife). Her clearly shaped creation of the Plains of the Dead and her seamless interweaving of Chinese and native Malaysian folklore offer a fascinating and engrossing alternative to the traditional gothic novel. I was also occasionally reminded of traditional Greek and Roman folktales (where the katabasis features heavily, coupled with the hero's journey trope), particularly the myth of Cupid and Psyche, the second part of which follows Psyche's journey to save herself, reunite herself with her love, reconnect with a mother figure, and complete daunting tasks with the aid of several wily characters.
I loved this book from start to finish, and I was so sorry to see it end. I also greatly appreciated that the author did not make the ending tediously obvious from the beginning. I genuinely felt that the heroine's actions and own personal growth dictated the course of the narrative, rather than fitting awkwardly into a predetermined teleology. Such a fantastic read.
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once prosperous but now poverty-stricken merchant in Malaya (Malaysia) in the 19th century, is asked to become the ghost bride of the recently dead heir of the Lim family, a wealthy house in Malacca. Li Lan balks at the prospect, never having liked Lim Tian Ching when he was alive, and wanting more for herself than perpetual childlessness and widowhood. Then the haunting begins. Unable to escape Lim Tian Ching in her dreams, and unable to avoid his family in waking, Li Lan turns to a medium to help her be rid of her ghostly visitor, while at the same time falling in love with the new heir of the Lim family, Tian Bai.That's part 1. There are four parts. As Li Lan's story progresses, she passes through different stages and roles: she lives a half-life, visits the underworld, searches for her long-dead mother, falls in with a variety of shady but fascinating characters, and performs tasks for a shadowy fellow, Er Lang, who vaguely calls himself a 'minor official' in the underworld. Li Lan's journey to resolve all of these aspects (and finally rid herself of Lim Tian Ching) drives the narrative, but her gentle yet pragmatic character, her resourcefulness, and her internal struggles with sense of self, love, and duty compel the reader. Though many of the characters are archetypes (as in most fairytales/folktales) representing various aspects of humanity, Yangsze Choo infuses them all with life (or afterlife). Her clearly shaped creation of the Plains of the Dead and her seamless interweaving of Chinese and native Malaysian folklore offer a fascinating and engrossing alternative to the traditional gothic novel. I was also occasionally reminded of traditional Greek and Roman folktales (where the katabasis features heavily, coupled with the hero's journey trope), particularly the myth of Cupid and Psyche, the second part of which follows Psyche's journey to save herself, reunite herself with her love, reconnect with a mother figure, and complete daunting tasks with the aid of several wily characters.
I loved this book from start to finish, and I was so sorry to see it end. I also greatly appreciated that the author did not make the ending tediously obvious from the beginning. I genuinely felt that the heroine's actions and own personal growth dictated the course of the narrative, rather than fitting awkwardly into a predetermined teleology. Such a fantastic read.
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LibraryThing member lauriebrown54
In Malaya in the 1890s, 19 year old Li Lan lives with her opium addicted, widowed father. Formerly a wealthy man, opium use has caused her father to trust the business to partners who took all his money, leaving them alone in a big house with only a cook, a maid, and Li Lan’s Amah- the
Li Lan is in danger of becoming an old maid, but has given no thought to marriage, preferring reading and studying. So she is surprised when one day her father asks her, out of the blue, if she would like to become a ghost bride to the recently deceased son of one of the richest families in the city. To become a ghost bride is to wed someone who has died, and live with their husband’s family as if a widow. Li Lan turns down the offer and thinks nothing will come of it. But it’s just the start of an incredible story that’s part Chinese mythology, part fantasy, part romance, part murder mystery and part espionage, as the sheltered Li Lan finds herself under attack by demons and ends up in the land of the dead. Can she find her way back? Who is the mysterious Er Lang? Was her prospective bridegroom murdered, and if so, by who? More than one person had motive and opportunity, including a man that Li Lan desperately hopes did not do it. Who can she trust in this weird place?
I like Li Lan, a smart girl whose ingenuity and strength get her through many bad situations- even though she has a few panic moments. The story flows compellingly, and the setting is vividly portrayed. Although written for adults, I think this novel would be enjoyed by young adults, also, as it’s also a coming of age tale. This is Choo’s first novel, and I hope it won’t be her only one.
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nurse/nanny who brought up Li Lan and also her mother. While having three servants sounds fabulous to our modern mindset, in that time and place it was the bare minimum. Li Lan is in danger of becoming an old maid, but has given no thought to marriage, preferring reading and studying. So she is surprised when one day her father asks her, out of the blue, if she would like to become a ghost bride to the recently deceased son of one of the richest families in the city. To become a ghost bride is to wed someone who has died, and live with their husband’s family as if a widow. Li Lan turns down the offer and thinks nothing will come of it. But it’s just the start of an incredible story that’s part Chinese mythology, part fantasy, part romance, part murder mystery and part espionage, as the sheltered Li Lan finds herself under attack by demons and ends up in the land of the dead. Can she find her way back? Who is the mysterious Er Lang? Was her prospective bridegroom murdered, and if so, by who? More than one person had motive and opportunity, including a man that Li Lan desperately hopes did not do it. Who can she trust in this weird place?
I like Li Lan, a smart girl whose ingenuity and strength get her through many bad situations- even though she has a few panic moments. The story flows compellingly, and the setting is vividly portrayed. Although written for adults, I think this novel would be enjoyed by young adults, also, as it’s also a coming of age tale. This is Choo’s first novel, and I hope it won’t be her only one.
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LibraryThing member 68papyrus
The Ghost Bride is a suspenseful and haunting tale of love, revenge and cultural traditions. Li Lan the only child of a once powerful family which is now in financial ruin receives an unusual request from the Lims to marry their recently deceased son. If Li Lan accepts the proposal her family's
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debts will be paid in full by the Lim family. While the prospect of having her family be placed in a better financial situation is appealing, Li Lan has no desire to marry the son. The Ghost Bride was a well written and interesting read. There were a couple of spots where the pacing was a bit slow but overall the book held my interest. This impressive debut novel is perfect for fans of Lisa See. Show Less
LibraryThing member yoyogod
Yangsze Choo's The Ghost Bride is certainly not the sort of book I normally read. Yes, it is essentially a historical fantasy, but it's labelled as simply fiction to appeal to a wider audience. This is a good thing, since it is the sort of book that is likely to be enjoyed by non-fantasy fans, but
The Ghost Bride is the story of Li Lan, a young, 19th century Malaysian woman. Her father tells her that a wealthy family has expressed interest in having her marry their recently deceased son. Naturally, she doesn't want to do it, especially after she encounters the ghost of said son, and he proves to be annoyingly self-centered. Soon Li Lan is traveling through the world of the spirits, investigating corruption in the court of Hell (and the alleged murder of her would-be groom).
There is some good adventure. There's romance. There are demons and hungry ghosts. There's a good bit of Chinese folklore. It all makes for a very entertaining read.
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it's also a bad thing, since that means fantasy fans are less likely to be aware of it, and I think they'd enjoy it too. I know I did.The Ghost Bride is the story of Li Lan, a young, 19th century Malaysian woman. Her father tells her that a wealthy family has expressed interest in having her marry their recently deceased son. Naturally, she doesn't want to do it, especially after she encounters the ghost of said son, and he proves to be annoyingly self-centered. Soon Li Lan is traveling through the world of the spirits, investigating corruption in the court of Hell (and the alleged murder of her would-be groom).
There is some good adventure. There's romance. There are demons and hungry ghosts. There's a good bit of Chinese folklore. It all makes for a very entertaining read.
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LibraryThing member UberButter
The Ghost Bride Yangsza Choo
362 pages
★★★ ½
Description via Amazon: Li Lan, the daughter of a respectable Chinese family in colonial Malaysia, hopes for a favorable marriage, but her father has lost his fortune, and she has few suitors. Instead, the wealthy Lim family urges her to become a
Ok, so I feel like I can only partially judge this book. After all, there were several things that I knew were not my cup of tea to begin with. That paranormal part, while part of Chinese culture, was not something I’ve ever fully gotten into in fiction. Also, as far as Asian history (whether fiction or non-fiction) has always been hard for me to follow. I have difficulties with the names, don’t know why, my brain just tends to meld them together (Asian history in college for me was brutal) so I kept getting characters mixed up. And lastly, I was listening to the audio version of this book. My mind would wander and then…well I’m sure I missed something of importance. So why delve into it? Because I wanted something different and this book covered that want.
But with that being said, I did not mind this book. It is a well written book by a debut author. The description found throughout was quite good. I found the main character, Li Lan, very likable and the other characters were well done as well. As for the audio version? I enjoyed it. The book is narrated by the author- she has a soothing voice and easily listenable. If you are into historical fiction and the Asian culture, I definitely think this a book to look into. I cannot deny that this is a beautifully written book. The notes at the end of the book add to the history of Chinese afterlife and culture, which I found quite fascinating. It is of no fault of the author that I chose to dig into a book that barely fit my tastes to begin with.
362 pages
★★★ ½
Description via Amazon: Li Lan, the daughter of a respectable Chinese family in colonial Malaysia, hopes for a favorable marriage, but her father has lost his fortune, and she has few suitors. Instead, the wealthy Lim family urges her to become a
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“ghost bride” for their son, who has recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at what price? Night after night, Li Lan is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, where she must uncover the Lim family’s darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family. Ok, so I feel like I can only partially judge this book. After all, there were several things that I knew were not my cup of tea to begin with. That paranormal part, while part of Chinese culture, was not something I’ve ever fully gotten into in fiction. Also, as far as Asian history (whether fiction or non-fiction) has always been hard for me to follow. I have difficulties with the names, don’t know why, my brain just tends to meld them together (Asian history in college for me was brutal) so I kept getting characters mixed up. And lastly, I was listening to the audio version of this book. My mind would wander and then…well I’m sure I missed something of importance. So why delve into it? Because I wanted something different and this book covered that want.
But with that being said, I did not mind this book. It is a well written book by a debut author. The description found throughout was quite good. I found the main character, Li Lan, very likable and the other characters were well done as well. As for the audio version? I enjoyed it. The book is narrated by the author- she has a soothing voice and easily listenable. If you are into historical fiction and the Asian culture, I definitely think this a book to look into. I cannot deny that this is a beautifully written book. The notes at the end of the book add to the history of Chinese afterlife and culture, which I found quite fascinating. It is of no fault of the author that I chose to dig into a book that barely fit my tastes to begin with.
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LibraryThing member amandacb
Yangsze Choo’s The Ghost Bride deeply delves into the underbelly of the Malayan afterlife; after the son of a rich household dies without a wife, Li Lan’s family is approached with an offer for her to become a “ghost bride” to the deceased. Naturally, Li Lan balks, but not before forming
When a medicinal treatment goes awry, Li Lan learns firsthand what the spirits in the Malayan afterlife experience; she is not yet a ghost but she is not fully in the land of the living. A rich mythology of beliefs combine to form a fascinating portrayal of the afterlife; will Li Lan be able to find her mother, long since deceased, in the Plains of the Dead? Can the mysterious Er Lang assist her in breaking the bonds with her near-ghost-husband?
I found this to be a very dream-like novel, one in which Malayan notions of the afterlife were so contrary to my own that it was difficult for me to relate. However, it is truly fascinating, and Choo does a commendable job in melding together multiple religious viewpoints (as is the case with such territories as Malaya). Perhaps the ending tied up too neatly and quickly, yes. And perhaps I finished the book and found the notes, and thought, “How handy this would have been beforehand!” So, if you haven’t read this yet, definitely be aware there are nifty notes in the back that explain quite a bit.
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what can only be described as a crush on the nephew of the household, Tian Bai.When a medicinal treatment goes awry, Li Lan learns firsthand what the spirits in the Malayan afterlife experience; she is not yet a ghost but she is not fully in the land of the living. A rich mythology of beliefs combine to form a fascinating portrayal of the afterlife; will Li Lan be able to find her mother, long since deceased, in the Plains of the Dead? Can the mysterious Er Lang assist her in breaking the bonds with her near-ghost-husband?
I found this to be a very dream-like novel, one in which Malayan notions of the afterlife were so contrary to my own that it was difficult for me to relate. However, it is truly fascinating, and Choo does a commendable job in melding together multiple religious viewpoints (as is the case with such territories as Malaya). Perhaps the ending tied up too neatly and quickly, yes. And perhaps I finished the book and found the notes, and thought, “How handy this would have been beforehand!” So, if you haven’t read this yet, definitely be aware there are nifty notes in the back that explain quite a bit.
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LibraryThing member BooksCooksLooks
I remember when The Ghost Bride came out last year and I was very interested in reading it but it never crossed my review list. Now that it's being released in paperback I finally had the opportunity to read it. The synopsis sounded so mysterious and intriguing and it turned out to be so much more
Her father mentions a marriage proposal but it's to be a Ghost Bride - a marriage to man who has died. This being a concept so far removed from anything I understand it took a while for me to wrap my head around the Chinese customs and stories of the afterlife. Once I sorted them out I found it to be a fascinating world.
I found myself lost in the story and the world created by Yangsze Choo. Li seemed very unprepared for life outside of her house since her father paid her and her future little mind. But she stumbled along and she grew stronger as she learned more about her family and the afterlife. She finds herself torn between a man in the physical world and a being in the afterlife and doesn't know either one well enough to answer their demands on her life.
This was a book that kept my interest and taught me something about a different culture. It took me to several different worlds both real and fantastic. I don't usually like books not grounded in reality but this one was very well written and it held my interest from beginning to end.
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than it promised. Li Lan is the daughter of a man who basically withdrew from life after his wife died from smallpox and he did not. His face shows the ravages of the disease and he spends his time reading poetry and smoking opium. Li Lan is cared for by her Amah and while she is 18 years old her maturity level seems to be of a girl very much younger since she never leaves the house and has little interaction with other people.Her father mentions a marriage proposal but it's to be a Ghost Bride - a marriage to man who has died. This being a concept so far removed from anything I understand it took a while for me to wrap my head around the Chinese customs and stories of the afterlife. Once I sorted them out I found it to be a fascinating world.
I found myself lost in the story and the world created by Yangsze Choo. Li seemed very unprepared for life outside of her house since her father paid her and her future little mind. But she stumbled along and she grew stronger as she learned more about her family and the afterlife. She finds herself torn between a man in the physical world and a being in the afterlife and doesn't know either one well enough to answer their demands on her life.
This was a book that kept my interest and taught me something about a different culture. It took me to several different worlds both real and fantastic. I don't usually like books not grounded in reality but this one was very well written and it held my interest from beginning to end.
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LibraryThing member bookqueenshelby
When I was a little girl I found a set of books that had folk lore tales in them. They had China, Japan and several other countries stories-I inhaled them all. I love, love, love that kind of thing.
This book is like that. Go into it with an open mind. When I first heard of it I kept wondering how
It surprises you in the thinking that it's going to be a love story. It really isn't. Twists and turns at every junction. But enjoy them I did. Now however, I am kinda freaked out thinking about the Plains of the Dead. I do not think I would want to spend any time there.
The story did stall for me at one point and I thought it was going to get boring but it picked back up and I enjoyed the ride.
This book is like that. Go into it with an open mind. When I first heard of it I kept wondering how
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the heck do you marry a ghost? The author answered that very well. It surprises you in the thinking that it's going to be a love story. It really isn't. Twists and turns at every junction. But enjoy them I did. Now however, I am kinda freaked out thinking about the Plains of the Dead. I do not think I would want to spend any time there.
The story did stall for me at one point and I thought it was going to get boring but it picked back up and I enjoyed the ride.
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LibraryThing member KateRobinson
A wonderful paranormal fantasy made all the more real with exquisite writing and a historic background.
LibraryThing member pennsylady
The Ghost Bride is a debut novel.
The author, Yangsze Choo is a fourth generation Malaysian of Chinese descent.
In parallel worlds, the story weaves between 1893 in colonial Malaya and a complex Chinese world of the afterlife.
"The folk tradition of marriages to ghosts, or between ghosts, usually
Matches were sometimes made between two deceased persons, with the families on both sides recognizing it as a tie between them."
HOWEVER, THERE ARE OTHER CASES (RARE) WHEN A LIVING PERSON WAS MARRIED TO THE DEAD.
Li Lan is called upon to be such, a ghost bride, and to be taken into a household of Lim Teck Kiong as a widow in order to perform the ancestral rites for the son (Lim Tian Ching) who died without a wife or descendants.
Li Lan , weakened by tortuous dreams of Lim Tian Ching, injests a potion and barely alive, she moves into the shadowy world of spirit.
This book details her quest, with the appearance of many significant characters and adventures.
fantasy...mystery...mythology and folklore...adventure..jealousy...strategies of revenge....murder????....
Yangsze Choo includes excellent notes about the "folk" tradition of ghost marriages, Chinese notions of the afterlife, Chinese communities in Malaya, dialects, and Chinese names and their meanings
...a curious, arresting tale....
4.5 ★”
The author, Yangsze Choo is a fourth generation Malaysian of Chinese descent.
In parallel worlds, the story weaves between 1893 in colonial Malaya and a complex Chinese world of the afterlife.
"The folk tradition of marriages to ghosts, or between ghosts, usually
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occurred in order to placate spirits or repair familial relations.Matches were sometimes made between two deceased persons, with the families on both sides recognizing it as a tie between them."
HOWEVER, THERE ARE OTHER CASES (RARE) WHEN A LIVING PERSON WAS MARRIED TO THE DEAD.
Li Lan is called upon to be such, a ghost bride, and to be taken into a household of Lim Teck Kiong as a widow in order to perform the ancestral rites for the son (Lim Tian Ching) who died without a wife or descendants.
Li Lan , weakened by tortuous dreams of Lim Tian Ching, injests a potion and barely alive, she moves into the shadowy world of spirit.
This book details her quest, with the appearance of many significant characters and adventures.
fantasy...mystery...mythology and folklore...adventure..jealousy...strategies of revenge....murder????....
Yangsze Choo includes excellent notes about the "folk" tradition of ghost marriages, Chinese notions of the afterlife, Chinese communities in Malaya, dialects, and Chinese names and their meanings
...a curious, arresting tale....
4.5 ★”
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LibraryThing member susiesharp
This book started out with promise but less than half way through and I was getting a bit bored, I really wanted to like this one. I have 4 hours left and want it to be over. Also, I can’t quite get a grasp on what year this is supposed to be set in the language feels modern but the story
This one just didn’t do it for me, I didn’t connect with any of the characters and the story was confusing at times. I don’t know what else to say about it. Just not my cup of tea.
I will say though that the author narrated this very well and I was surprised it wasn’t a professional narrator.
2 stars
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old.This one just didn’t do it for me, I didn’t connect with any of the characters and the story was confusing at times. I don’t know what else to say about it. Just not my cup of tea.
I will say though that the author narrated this very well and I was surprised it wasn’t a professional narrator.
2 stars
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Language
Original publication date
2013-08-06
ISBN
9780062227386