Am back now!!! Also on DooYoo as Kaitlinsmummy xx
OMG! Have won an experience voucher, have no clu...
Am back now!!! Also on DooYoo as Kaitlinsmummy xx
OMG! Have won an experience voucher, have no clue what it is but i never win anything, so mega excited!! xx
Member since:11.05.2007
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On one of my many, many trips to my local library I was thrilled to discover that there was another book sale, unfortunately the books on sale were not of the usual reading material that I go for, hence the review I will now write.
The book I will now review is “ The binding chair by Kathryn Harrison”
As I stated earlier this is not the sort of book I would normally go for, more of a semi fictional history book this only appealed in the fact that it was A, on sale for 20p, and B, I liked the cover! (Sorry I am so shallow!).
The cover doesn’t really give much indication as to what the book is about, aside from the fact that the binding chair in question is the piece of apparatus that Chinese girls sat in to have there feet bound. Not being that knowledgeable on the subject of Chinese history or the barbaric traditions behind the binding of young girls feet, the book suddenly became a little more interesting.
The story is, as I said earlier, semi fictional, fictional in the sense that the history aspect of the story, I assume, is as true to the times as possible, but the story is based around the life of the fictitious character of May.
The story starts with May’s childhood, at the time she was known as Chao-tsing, which was her birth name. Her mother was said to be “putting off” the task of binding her young daughters feet, this was seen by her mother in law as an abomination and soon put right. The fact that after having her feet bound for the first time, and feeling intense pain she receives not support from her father, who once she is of age washes his hands of her, mostly due to the fact she is not the long wanted son. The thing that strikes me as particularly cruel, and also illustrates the fact that , at the time, females were viewed as second rate citizens, is the tutelage she receives from her grandmother when she is binding her feet. Whilst she explains why she must have her feet bound (for better marriage prospects), she also states that she must never reveal how much her feet binding hurts, she must tell her future husband how she never “cried out loud”, truly horrific to read.
The story then jumps forward to Chao-tsings marriage to a wealthy merchant, this is where May’s story really begins. After some truly horrific treatment at the hands of her new husband and his three wives, she flee’s to Shanghi , she starts a new life, learning new languages and starting a new…… profession, I won’t elaborate any more than that as this part of the story is the turning point, and I don’t want to spoil it for any future readers.
This is an incredible book. At time I truly found it hard to read, there is so much heartache and misery in the characters life, the ending is no better, but you will still be shocked at what happens, it made me gasp and cringe inside. Having no prior knowledge on this subject I cannot comment on how factual it actually is, needless to say it is vivid and descriptive enough to paint a picture in your mind, placing you at the scene, I always think that is the true character of a writer, showing great ability.
This book is available from Amazon under the title “The binding chair” or “A visit from the foot emancipation society” for the price of £5.49 new.
The second of the two titles may seem a little strange but further on in the book she is visited from the above mentioned society by a strange English man, whom she falls madly in love with, setting the book onto a completely different tangent.
For further information on this book visit - www.4thestate.co.uk
I cannot recommend this book high enough, for all the sadness and cruelty in the book, for all the times I had to put the book down and read it after taking a break it was a book I thoroughly enjoyed. This was an incite into a world I once knew nothing about, but feel a little more knowledgeable about now.
Thanks for reading x
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The Binding Chair offers up a captivating brew combining the turbulence of ... more
turn-of-the-century Shanghai, Russia, London, and 1920s Nice, weaving back and forth in place and time in the lives of a rich cast of characters, all of whom are dominated by th...
Postage & Packaging: Check Site. Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Mar 16th, 2009
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