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Jade: A Novel of China
Daughter of English missionaries, Alice Greenwood is captured during a massacre of Christians and taken away to Hunan, where she becomes a concubine in the house of Chu
597 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 25, 2016
DNF...because zero fucks were given & life's too short to waste on boring doorstoppers. Clearly the author did her (his? their?) research, but the flat characters & stilted language doth not engage my attention. I've nibbled & pecked at this for days & the pace still crawls while I eyeball other books on my shelf.
Nope. Moving on.
Nope. Moving on.
September 22, 2015
It started out fairly well. The cultural and historical settings were interesting. I felt compassion for Alice as much of her unfortunate circumstance was out of her control. I hoped that when she gained her independence and matured that she would make better choices. That didn't happen so it was a real let down and the book seemed rather pointless. The story should have ended about 200 pages sooner than it did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2017
È il giusto connubio fra storia e finzione. Alice in Cina vive tutti i disagi che un inglese non si sognerebbe mai di dover affrontare, ma in questo caso è lei la straniera, la reietta.
Quasi ridotta in schiavitù, diviene la serva di una ricca famiglia cinese, poi la concubina del padrone e infine, quando ritrova la libertà fra la sua gente scopre di sentirsi più prigioniera di prima.
Le sue vicende sono un po' troppo estreme per essere considerate reali, ma poco importa.
In questo libro c'è spazio per affrontare temi quali la fasciatura dei piedi, l'odio razziale fra cinesi e colonizzatori inglesi, l'emancipazione femminile e la contaminazione fra due mondi differenti e inconciliabili.
Quasi ridotta in schiavitù, diviene la serva di una ricca famiglia cinese, poi la concubina del padrone e infine, quando ritrova la libertà fra la sua gente scopre di sentirsi più prigioniera di prima.
Le sue vicende sono un po' troppo estreme per essere considerate reali, ma poco importa.
In questo libro c'è spazio per affrontare temi quali la fasciatura dei piedi, l'odio razziale fra cinesi e colonizzatori inglesi, l'emancipazione femminile e la contaminazione fra due mondi differenti e inconciliabili.
April 15, 2011
This is a very thick 600 page novel about China during the last half of the 19th century. I almost rated it as a 4 because it is well written and seems to have been well researched. But I wouldn't recommend it to any of my friends as a good read, so therefore left it as a 3. My biggest complaint is that I didn't care for the main character or her actions. In fact, I didn't much care for any of the people in the book. What I did enjoy about it was learning more about the encroachment of foreign powers in China during this time period.
March 17, 2014
I read this book about 15 years ago and it has never left me. It took me quite a while to find it again. I must say, it is one of the very best books I have ever read on China. It's historical fiction and I can't recommend it highly enough. It is truly a classic.
March 20, 2013
A random book fair find. I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed learning about the history of China. The main character did seem a bit implausible though, being so independent and such during the late 19th century.
January 29, 2013
Great book. One of those that stays with you forever....
May 22, 2022
I started getting extremely bored about 400 pages into this 597 page book. I just never engaged with the main character, Alice Greenwood or Jade - I neither liked nor disliked her. The author covers a great deal of the nineteenth and early twentieth century collision of China and the predatory Europeans, and later, Japanese. Alice and her younger brother Frank, having been kidnapped as a children during the Tientsin (Tianjin) massacre of missionaries, spend about five years in the Chu household.
Thereafter they return to the Europeans in China, allowing Barr to send them to important events and examine the Chinese-European interactions chiefly through Alice, who has an understanding of both. I was already somewhat familiar with this period, so I had a basic understanding of what is going on, and I am also familiar with some issues not too well examined. Barr presents the Chinese as a glorious, but self-satisfied culture having trouble accepting that change is being forced upon them and they must adapt. Those who do understand, and Alice works with them, are very unpopular.
Barr is generally hostile to the Europeans, and while I disapprove of their thrusting themselves into countries that do not want them, this is unfortunately a very human tendency, as the minority people of China, like the Uighurs, Mongols, Tibetans or the Miao could attest. Alice is accompanied in some of her earlier adventures by an escaping Miao slave, an abo, as the Chinese jeeringly call her, Kau, so the issue is touched on, but only lightly and briefly. I say this not to suggest that two wrongs make a right, especially since the people that the Chinese have wronged are not being helped by the Europeans, but as a need to be less blindly partisan, - as the Christians put it, not criticize the mote in another's eye, when one has a beam in one's own. That attitude ends up being used to justify all sorts of atrocious conduct on all levels from personal to international.
Barr has Alice is reflecting contemptuously that the Europeans are living in luxury in China when they would be nobodies in their own countries (not always true) as opposed to the Chus who apparently deserve to be the ruling class, supported by slaves, servants, and peasants. Barr laments the destruction of the old summer palace, Yuanmingyuan, and I would agree that destroying such a marvel of architecture and landscaping should be a war crime, but she doesn't mention that it was in retaliation for the Chinese/Manchus torturing and killing European and Indian members of a delegation, including diplomatic envoys. Lord Elgin, (son of the Elgin associated with the Greek marbles) who ordered the destruction is supposed to have thought it better than destroying Peking (Beijing), which he saw as his other option. (Destroying their favorite palace grounds certainly hit the Imperial Manchus where they lived, literally, but couldn't he think of something severe but less destructive?)
I wouldn't say, don't consider reading it, but I personally only got through the last hundred pages in determined short bits.
Thereafter they return to the Europeans in China, allowing Barr to send them to important events and examine the Chinese-European interactions chiefly through Alice, who has an understanding of both. I was already somewhat familiar with this period, so I had a basic understanding of what is going on, and I am also familiar with some issues not too well examined. Barr presents the Chinese as a glorious, but self-satisfied culture having trouble accepting that change is being forced upon them and they must adapt. Those who do understand, and Alice works with them, are very unpopular.
Barr is generally hostile to the Europeans, and while I disapprove of their thrusting themselves into countries that do not want them, this is unfortunately a very human tendency, as the minority people of China, like the Uighurs, Mongols, Tibetans or the Miao could attest. Alice is accompanied in some of her earlier adventures by an escaping Miao slave, an abo, as the Chinese jeeringly call her, Kau, so the issue is touched on, but only lightly and briefly. I say this not to suggest that two wrongs make a right, especially since the people that the Chinese have wronged are not being helped by the Europeans, but as a need to be less blindly partisan, - as the Christians put it, not criticize the mote in another's eye, when one has a beam in one's own. That attitude ends up being used to justify all sorts of atrocious conduct on all levels from personal to international.
Barr has Alice is reflecting contemptuously that the Europeans are living in luxury in China when they would be nobodies in their own countries (not always true) as opposed to the Chus who apparently deserve to be the ruling class, supported by slaves, servants, and peasants. Barr laments the destruction of the old summer palace, Yuanmingyuan, and I would agree that destroying such a marvel of architecture and landscaping should be a war crime, but she doesn't mention that it was in retaliation for the Chinese/Manchus torturing and killing European and Indian members of a delegation, including diplomatic envoys. Lord Elgin, (son of the Elgin associated with the Greek marbles) who ordered the destruction is supposed to have thought it better than destroying Peking (Beijing), which he saw as his other option. (Destroying their favorite palace grounds certainly hit the Imperial Manchus where they lived, literally, but couldn't he think of something severe but less destructive?)
I wouldn't say, don't consider reading it, but I personally only got through the last hundred pages in determined short bits.
April 13, 2020
I don't think this author's writing style of for me. There were a lot of stuff that could honestly be cut out as they were boring, unnecessary and has nothing to do with Alice. Although, to be honest, I would have preferred not to have read about Alice at all. I found Alice to be very reckless, single minded (only thinking about herself during moments of crisis.... like she could have at least attempted to persuade Jessie from becoming a martyr but no she hurries away to go hide in the attic of a sympathetic family), selfish (she wanted to go on more adventures and pushed the responsibility of looking after her mother Eliza onto her older brother) and headstrong (she always gets so frustrated that no men understands her and doesn't allow her to break free from the traditional women structures and roles in either Western or Eastern society, instead of learning from the experience and ends up just wallowing in misery or getting hot headed)
The story tells of a time when China was on the brink of changing and near the end of a long dynastic era. Changes were coming, and with it a clash of old and new ideas, weapons, reforms, technology, politics, religion and gender. Alice is not the best character to guide us through all the interesting historical events during that time period, as she is easily sidetracked, highly biased towards the Easterners (not necessarily a bad thing) and frowns upon tradition of any sort.
I had a good laugh about the sex positions that the elder Chu taught Alice. Seems out of place and super laughable. I find the talk of Christianity and them trying to make Alice into a nice little missionary wife very nauseating and boring. A lot of this can be cut out in the early part of the book. I understand religion played a big role in history in China but this took it too far as it got really irritating to read over and over again and with everyone's attempts failing to "convert" Alice.
Poor Flossie Carr, entirely forgotten by Alice, especially 5 years after she made a promise to Stewart to do something, instead she kept the loot and used it for herself. Oh but karma likes to play tricks. Alice seems like a whiny girl. It is hard when you are not quite part of both worlds and are confined to what society dictates of each gender. Good for her for trying to fight it and do something. But of course totally did not feel any of the romances, except with Lin, but that was more of an obsession of hers over the years that she can't quite shake.
While this showed a glimpse of both sides (Western and Eastern) of what was happening during this time period, the main character was quite flat. A lot of flowery language was used, endless political and reformer stuff and way too much missionary/religious stuff. All of this added up to a lot of boring and drawn out moments, I started skimming a good chunk of the story by the last 1/4 of the book.
The story tells of a time when China was on the brink of changing and near the end of a long dynastic era. Changes were coming, and with it a clash of old and new ideas, weapons, reforms, technology, politics, religion and gender. Alice is not the best character to guide us through all the interesting historical events during that time period, as she is easily sidetracked, highly biased towards the Easterners (not necessarily a bad thing) and frowns upon tradition of any sort.
I had a good laugh about the sex positions that the elder Chu taught Alice. Seems out of place and super laughable. I find the talk of Christianity and them trying to make Alice into a nice little missionary wife very nauseating and boring. A lot of this can be cut out in the early part of the book. I understand religion played a big role in history in China but this took it too far as it got really irritating to read over and over again and with everyone's attempts failing to "convert" Alice.
Poor Flossie Carr, entirely forgotten by Alice, especially 5 years after she made a promise to Stewart to do something, instead she kept the loot and used it for herself. Oh but karma likes to play tricks. Alice seems like a whiny girl. It is hard when you are not quite part of both worlds and are confined to what society dictates of each gender. Good for her for trying to fight it and do something. But of course totally did not feel any of the romances, except with Lin, but that was more of an obsession of hers over the years that she can't quite shake.
While this showed a glimpse of both sides (Western and Eastern) of what was happening during this time period, the main character was quite flat. A lot of flowery language was used, endless political and reformer stuff and way too much missionary/religious stuff. All of this added up to a lot of boring and drawn out moments, I started skimming a good chunk of the story by the last 1/4 of the book.
May 7, 2021
La storia parla di Alice, figlia di missionari inglesi nella Cina dell'Ottocento che a seguito di una violenta rivolta contro gli stranieri, viene rapita assieme al fratello Frank e portati nella casa di un ricco signore cinese, Lung Kuang, dove verranno impiegati come servi. Con il passare del tempo Alice comincia a prendere familiarità con la lingua e la cultura cinese, grazie anche all'amicizia con la figlia del padrone ed ad una spiccata intelligenza.
Il destino di Alice è purtroppo quello di rimanere un'outsider. Inglese fra i cinesi e cinese fra gli inglesi. Pat Barr ci offre il ritratto di una donna colta ed emancipata, in una Cina affascinante ed ormai perduta.
Il destino di Alice è purtroppo quello di rimanere un'outsider. Inglese fra i cinesi e cinese fra gli inglesi. Pat Barr ci offre il ritratto di una donna colta ed emancipata, in una Cina affascinante ed ormai perduta.
September 13, 2017
Good and interesting depiction of China under British influence. The book also very well describes the timeless struggle of having been born into one culture and then highly influenced by another, just to realise you fit into neither.
November 15, 2021
A massive volume telling the story of Chinese Alice over four decades. Uncut Jade was born to British missionaries. We hear of historical disturbances before the turn of the 19 the to 20th century in great detail and develop a feel to how China might have been.
January 29, 2020
One of the best books I've ever read. I still have my original copy from 1981.
March 17, 2010
I really like this book. It had a unique plot and great characters. The main character, Jade is a white woman who grows up in China. Jade is a strong and independent character, starting her own business, campaigning for women's rights and living life how she wants to. I loved this character, and I was very interested in learning what happened to her throughout the whole book. We watch her grow from a child, into a middle aged woman. I learned a lot about China and about varieties in life in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2015
EXCELLENT BOOK!AUTHOR WRITRS TREMENDOUSLY WELL, MAKING U FEEL AS IF THE CHARACTERS ARE ACTUALLY REAL PPL WHOM U KNOW INTIMATELY! Especially the main character, Alice Greenwood, aka- "Uncut Jade" to the Chinese. Amazing how well he writes about China! A lot of very horrible, inhumane, cruel things happen to Jade & her brother as children by the Chinese, however, it's these ppl they most relate to & understand years later, instead of their own kind-the white ppl. A terrific novel! Very informative abt the mysterious land of China.
September 9, 2008
This book was hard to get through, I just read it every now and then, not a page turner for sure. It was very interesting, and I learned a lot about China, but it is an English girls view of China having grown up there in the late 1800's (her dad was a missionary). You can tell it was written in the 1980's if that makes any sense. Probably wouldn't recommend it, there are lots of other books out there that are better.
September 25, 2012
I really enjoyed this historical novel set in an extremely turbulent time in China's long history. The heroine, Alice, also called Uncut Jade, is an unconventional woman during times when unconventional women were not treated very well. Her story of trying to make it by herself was as interesting as the times that she lived in. Well worth the effort of almost 600 pages!
August 7, 2011
Though I do not mind reading a detailed story; I found the book too long. I felt like the same thing was happening with the different characters. I enjoyed the description of the Chinese culture at the first sections though ;)
December 12, 2023
Jade...!The story of Alice Greenwood - born to an England she could not love, bound to a China she could not leave.
This is not a page turning book and will probably only interest readers have oriental experiences!
This is not a page turning book and will probably only interest readers have oriental experiences!
March 6, 2014
On to Wanda in GA
She was twelve when rioters swept through the streets of Tientsin, murdering her missionary father, sweeping her and her brother into a Chinese world...
She was twelve when rioters swept through the streets of Tientsin, murdering her missionary father, sweeping her and her brother into a Chinese world...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2012
long book story good names a little confusing in the beginning
Read
February 10, 2017Ned. Titel: ogen van jade
August 8, 2013
I read this book in 1988 and have never forgotten it. It is a very large, long book but a very good story. Recommended for avid readers
June 2, 2015
Bem entediante... quase não terminei de ler -.-
September 24, 2018
This was one of the best books I ever read. Such great development of the characters against the backdrop of China and her history. So detailed and both truly heartwrenching and soaring at the same time.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews