The Binding Chair - Kathryn Harrison

This novel follows the life of May, a Chinese woman whose feet were bound against her will at the age of five. Her grandmother, Yu-ying, tells her to be quiet so that they can tell potential suitors "She never cried out". May is forced to be the fourth wife of a rich merchant and is very unhappy, so she hatches a plan to run away - taking revenge on Yu-ying as she makes her way to bustling Shanghai.

In time, May marries ...
...her niece, Alice. The novel opens with the two of them in Nice, where May is beginning to take swimming lessons. The novel is told through a series of 'flashbacks' which some people may find hard to follow, but I personally loved how the story unravelled as sections of May and Alice's lives were revealed.

Even nearing fifty, May is still bound by both the bindings on her deformed feet and the mistakes she's made in her past. As the ... more

This novel follows the life of May, a Chinese woman whose feet were bound against her will at the age of five. Her grandmother, Yu-ying, tells her to be quiet so that they can tell potential suitors "She never cried out". May is forced to be the fourth wife of a rich merchant and is very unhappy, so she hatches a plan to run away - taking revenge on Yu-ying as she makes her way to bustling Shanghai.

In time, May marries into a Jewish family and develops a close relationship with her niece, Alice. The novel opens with the two of them in Nice, where May is beginning to take swimming lessons. The novel is told through a series of 'flashbacks' which some people may find hard to follow, but I personally loved how the story unravelled as sections of May and Alice's lives were revealed.

Even nearing fifty, May is still bound by both the bindings on her deformed feet and the mistakes she's made in her past. As the tale unravels, we find out more of these mistakes. May first met her husband in a Shanghai brothel, where she was working as a prostitute, and - despite campaigning against bound feet - he falls in love with May's. Harrison, while obviously not approving the binding of feet, isn't afraid to delve into the eroticism of the bound foot - a sound decision since the reason for binding girls' feet was to attract a good husband.

The 'flashbacks' reveal several worlds, from May's childhood in the late part of the 19th century to a trip on the Great Siberian Express where a confused Captain Litovsky mistakes Alice for someone called Olga and abducts her, to the English boarding school where Alice and her older sister, Cecily, are sent. Each incident has an effect on Alice or May's life - is it just a coincidence that Alice is seeing a Russian man in 1920s France?

The plot is original and intriguing - I'm always fascinated by worlds I'll never get to see and May's life in China and later in France is fascinating. While Harrison respects Chinese culture in this novel, she doesn't glamorize it (as some historical fiction set in China does) and yet there is something very glamorous about May. The characters of both May and Alice are very well thought-out and complex, as is their relationship.

The writing itself is pretty good; although it doesn't have the flow of some of my favourite authors, it does draw you in. There are many evocative images - Harrison's descriptions of Shanghai are especially interesting - and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. if you're expecting a sentimental portrayal of a bygone age, then you're going to be disappointed - this novel is fresh and unique. Unlike some similar fiction I've read, The Binding Chair doesn't rely on its exotic setting to interest the reader - the characters and plot do that and the setting merely compliments them.

The book is available on Amazon for £5.59 and I'd say it's well worth it. While The Binding Chair didn't exactly blow me away, it is interesting and thought-provoking. Even if you don't normally like historical fiction, I'd recommend reading it because it is a very modern story in an historical setting - it's not overly romantic or nostalgic and you don't have to know anything about the period to enjoy it properly. Of course, if you do like historical fiction (as do I), you should definitely check out this novel. 

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