“Žena je žena, bila rođena u prašini ili svili.”
“Whether animal or woman, we are a man’s possessions. We women exist to give him heirs and feed, clothe, and amuse him.”
Ženski krug dame Tan donosi nam priču o Kini u 15. stoljeću i Tan Yunxian, djevojci iz ugledne obitelji koju baka podučava osnovama kineske medicine i ženskim bolestima iako u to vrijeme obrazovana žena nije uobičajena. Meiling, njezina vršnjakinja, ali pripadnica siromašnog sloja, vježbenica je za primalju. Uskoro se među njima razvija prijateljstvo koje će preživjeti sve kušnje toga doba.
Prekrasna knjiga o prijateljstvu, ženskoj snazi, upornosti, okrutnosti običaja i položaju žena u Kini u 15. stoljeću. Lisa See odradila je ozbiljan posao istraživanja i uspješno stvorila svijet toga vremena. Dočarala mi je svu bol koju su žene prolazile. Nakon samo par stranica natjerala me na daljnje istraživanje strašnog povezivanja stopala – nešto što mi je bilo potpuno nezamislivo i proširila moje znanje o tom razdoblju.
Ritam je nešto sporiji do posljednje trećine, a onda kao da sve eksplodira i događaji koji uslijede za mene su potpuno neočekivani. Prekrasno pisano, sa besprijekorno razrađenim likovima koji će dugo ostati sa vama. Obožavam knjige koje su istovremeno edukativne i zabavne.
Preporuka svima koji vole snažne ženske likove, povijest i Kinu. A ako vas nakon čitanja i dalje zanima Kina u 15.stoljeću svakako posjetite stranicu LisaSee.com gdje autorica pruža svu pozadinu potrebnu za ovaj roman.
[english]
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women – Lisa See
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women brings us the story of the 15th century China and Tan Yunxian, a girl from a respectable family who is taught the basics of Chinese medicine and women’s diseases by her grandmother even though an educated woman was not common at that time. Meiling, her age but a member of the poor class, is a trainee midwife. Soon a friendship develops between them that will survive all the trials of that era.
A wonderful book about friendship, female strength, perseverance, the cruelty of customs and the position of women in China in the 15th century. Lisa See did a serious research and successfully created the world of that time. She conjured up for me all the pain that women went through. After only a few pages, she made me do further research on the dreaded foot binding – something that was completely unimaginable to me and expanded my knowledge of the period.
The pace is somewhat slower until the last third, and then everything seems to explode and the events that follow are completely unexpected for me. Beautifully written, with impeccably developed characters that will stay with you for a long time. I love books that are educational and entertaining at the same time.
I would recommend it to everyone who likes strong female characters, history and China. And if, after reading, you are still interested in 15th century China, be sure to visit LisaSee.com, where the author provides all the background necessary for this novel.
