Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See

27 reviews

hjb_128's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

kaylahcc's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child death, Torture, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual content

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

moon_peach's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I will say at first I thought there were romantic feelings between Yunxian and Meiling and honestly by the end I still felt that, either way the girls (later women) are soulmates.
This story is a feminist one. Not like most stories where the single woman defies all of society's expectations. She still follows much of what is expected of her, including foot binding, but the story is that of supporting women in a society where they have so little. She eventually manages to empathize with every woman she encounters even if she herself would not do what they would. 
It is not on sharing gruesome details of illnesses or the sexism. But if you can manage, it is very worth it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Abortion

alicejm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a gorgeous book that really transports you to its setting of 1400s China. See is an excellent author who does not shy away from the complex flaws in her characters. She is also a meticulous researcher, this book is very informative. Despite the main character being very insulated from the outside world as per the historically accurate setting, there are diverse characters in this novel. This book has many heartbreaks and intimately looks at the consequences of loss, but overall I came out feeling nourished and positive from reading it. All author promises were fully realised, so it is a satisfying read.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

foot binding and the trauma of this features heavily

the goodies win and the baddies lose

mermaidsherbet's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Trafficking, Abortion, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Classism

vireogirl's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Stirring story but such a hard time to live. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Grief and Alcohol

mal_reads_books's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Anybody interested in reading this book should know that this contains gratuitous, disturbing graphic medical detail. This includes foot binding injuries and infections, everything that comes out during childbirth, and more.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women is a historical fiction based on real life doctor Tan Yunxian. The concepts of traditional Chinese medicine are explained in great detail to audiences unfamiliar with it and presents numerous patients to show its uses. Much of the book, especially the first few chapters, is spent educating and showcasing to readers Chinese medicine and Ming dynasty society. As interesting as these topics are, the overdescription bogged down the story for me. For the detail of information shared, I would rather read a nonfiction or watch a documentary.

The writing also had several issues. First, I didn't like the overuse of proverbs because it felt too preachy. Second, I disliked the constant use of euphemisms like "child palace" and "moon water". Apparently these are literal translations of certain words (zigong = uterus = "child palace"). Explaining it once is fine, but seeing the characters constantly say "monthly moon water" got tiresome to read. Third, I felt at times the author exotified the setting and characters; this includes my earlier two points.

What I did like about the book was female solidarity across different classes. There was so much focus on "saving face" and obedience to what was expected of one's role that people would find ways to get around it. The family drama was also kind of fun to read too.

Given the sapphic undertones of Yunxian and Meiling's relationship, I was a little disappointed it didn't turn out that way.

So overall, this book was just ok for me. Lisa See clearly did plenty of research, and I appreciate her thorough approach. It's great that she brought awareness of Tan Yunxian to Westerners. However, the balance between informing and storytelling could've been better.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Infertility, Misogyny, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism

Minor: Sexual content

bendercath's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I really sided with the main character for the entire book … I felt like I was cheering for her and hopeful for her. And now, at the end, I really wish I knew more about the history of this woman and this time. I loved the relationships and how real the emotions seemed, yet at times during the story, I felt like we were definitely hearing this with 2023 ears and not the sensibilities of 600 years ago. Still, I found myself wondering how women in history have not risen up more with people like Lady Tan around! And the whole foot binding thing … yuck! So so so brutal. I just do not get how that lasted for so many centuries.

The other thing that really struck me in this book: how through eternity, we have tried to understand the human body. And we don’t really know that much even now, despite humanity’s endless attempts.

All in all, a lovely book, easy to follow as an audiobook. I definitely learned something new.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Sexual content

reading_ladies_blog's review against another edition

informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism