Review: The Three-Inch Golden Lotus by Feng Jicai

Title: The Three-Inch Golden Lotus
Author: Feng Jicai
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 978-0824816063
Genre: Historic Fiction, Scar Fiction
Themes: submission and dominance, gender roles, cultural change and revolution, family life, morals, class, food binding, truth vs fiction
Principal Characters: Fragrant Lotus, Mr. Tong, Lotus Heart, Peaches, The Tong Family (including: Golden Treasure, Moon Casia, Moon Orchard, Pretty, Elegance, and their husbands / fathers), Living Sufferer, The maids (Peaches, Grass, Apricot, etc.), Granny and a host of others.

Rating: 3/5

Review:
At first I was put off by this book, it starts with many strange happenings and goes on with many that seem strange to me, but that is mostly the effect of culture. The primary character is Fragrant Lotus, and the primary tale is of her life. The secondary tales weave around her to show the magical reality that she lives in. The cultural revolutions of her the time are set with the allegory of binding and unbinding feet. An interesting read, but do not read lightly some parts range from gruesome to strange and others form sad to confusing.