Three Sisters Paperback – December 1, 2010

Couldn't not read because it was not in English

Boring, morose, and self pitying, this is the kind of fiction that earns man booker derived awards.Oprah book club admirers will love this, but I thought it stank: no plot, no depth of character development, no writing worth admiring.Best part of the book is that it is a wonderful campaign against both imperialism and statism. Next time you want to bash liberty and justice for all, read this.

The other reviewers have nailed it: great start, lousy finish. I picked up this book because Bi Feiyu is really a very highly regarded author in the PRC. He has produced a ton of work, but not many have been translated into English. I've read "The Moon Opera" and "Three Sisters" and they are both like novellas or short stories rather than novels - and they were translated and sold to the West as novels. They were both rather unsatisfying for all the reasons that the other Amazon reviewers here have elaborated. I recently learned that English-language publishers, editors and translators only *selectively* translate the Chinese text. That they often omit huge chunks is already well-known, but what I didn't know is that they ALSO re-arrange the chronology and even splice-and-dice the text, re-assembling it for what they think the "Western reader" would like in terms of pace. The poor author doesn't even know most of the time, because he or she can't read the English version. I wonder if this was what happened with Three Sisters.The biggest problem I have with the English translations of "Moon Opera" and "Three Sisters" is that they present a China that is rather stereotyped. Everyone is mean, materialistic, sniping, and everyone bears the scars of the Communist era. Either the author really can only write of this type of personality, OR the Western publishers gravitate towards his more stereotypical work because they think it sells and it is consistent with what the West thinks of China.Interestingly, I have read one short story of Bi Feiyu's in its original Chinese. It was very good, very oddball, very dense and very redolent of an authentic China. It was far more experimental and scathing than his English-translated novels.This experience leads me to believe that his best work remains untranslated.

A very adult rated book that explores human lust, sexual awareness blooming in young adults, the intricacy of the Chinese culture of your standing in society marred by the stance of the Chinese revolution under Chairman Mao. Although the exact period is not spelt out in the novel, but you get a sense the people's revolution has been in place for a while, late 70's to early 80's, where the story follows one family, the Wang family, and the story really explores in depth the three of seven daughters: Yumi: the eldest, the one who had the responsibility of looking after the family and siblings and how her quick mind maneuvered to ensure the family's face is saved in on so many occasions because of her father's wondering eyes and her third sister who shared the same `wild' genes; Yuxiu: the third daughter who is her father's favorite daughter has to deal with the humiliation of an event that is considered a big no-no for Chinese girls, and then having to show humiliation when she escapes to live with Yumi, who has resurrected her life as a married woman to a senior general. Then you have the seventh daughter (7 girls and the 8th was the boy), Yuying: who managed to be blessed to have none of the responsibilities of her older sisters and was able to attend an elite school for budding teachers. Her tale follows her through the communist part approach to loyalty to the party, the need to sneak on each other that lead to the discovery of a relationship between student and teacher!I am not sure whether it was the intention of the author to depict how women are treated in Chinese society as third class citizens or whether it reflects his unconscious thought due to his own up bringing? The treatment of women certainly comes across as being quite harsh, but descriptive to be interesting to read about their struggles and how they view themselves in a male dominated society and the importance of a male child to carry on the family name. this novel is not so dated in that it is that far removed from what is still happening in today's society. An interesting read.

The three sisters in this book show the emotions of Chinese women in the l970's. The first sister, who is more or less the mother of the family, is grounded in her world of caregiver to her younger siblings. Her philandering father has used his position to have affairs with many of the town's women. When he makes the mistake of having an affair with the wife of a respected soldier, he loses his position and first daughter must try to regain the family's honor. She does so by marrying an older official and is into a loveless marriage.Second daughter, beautiful and flirtatious, uses her beauty to advance herself in the world, only to come up short. She ends up unmarried and a mother. It seems appropriate for her to come to this end. She has manipulated her way into this condition and bears the fruit of her ways.Third sister's story seems disjointed from the other two. I don't understand where she ends up. The characters around her seem to dominate this chapter. We know more about the teachers than her. The author must have had something in mind but we never know what it is. I enjoyed the book until this last part. I was left with a feeling of disappointment that he didn't give us a true ending.

Was bitterly disappointed by this book. Extremely dull characters who never engaged the reader. Their stories were tiresome, lifeless. I am sure that no one would have been particularly interested in their fates. And really on top of all that nothing really does happen to the sisters that they can't handle. I think that this novel should have won an award must say a lot about the validity of the Asian branch of the Man organisation.

Interesting snippets of social history and the place of women in a society but rather rambling , introspective stories. The coarse language used may be factual but it does not add to the story. Not reading for pleasure .

An interesting approach to describing life in China during the Cultural Revolution by presenting it through the eyes of three sisters - the third one was the weakest and least satisfactory from my point of view

An interesting story about some Chinese girls told in a traditional manner. Enlightening journey regarding the culture and customs of family life.

Not an all time favourite book, but had some really interesting chapters. The three sisters do not relate, so anyone coming from a family of three sisters, will be disappointed. I have to admit, I lost interest towards the end and gave up reading it.