Pavilion of Women

By: Pearl S. Buck

Narrated by: Adam Verner

On her 40th birthday, Madame Wu carries out a decision she has been planning for a long time: she tells her husband that after 24 years their physical life together is now over and she wishes him to take a second wife. The House of Wu, one of the oldest and most revered in China, is thrown into an uproar by her decision, but Madame Wu will not be dissuaded and arranges for a young country girl to come take her place in bed.

Elegant and detached, Madame Wu orchestrates this change as she manages everything in the extended household of more than sixty relatives and servants. Alone in her own quarters, she relishes her freedom and reads books she has never been allowed to touch. When her son begins English lessons, she listens, and is soon learning from the "foreigner," a free-thinking priest named Brother Andre, who will change her life.

Pavilion of Women is a thought-provoking combination of Old China, unorthodox Christianity, and liberation, written by Pearl S. Buck, a Nobel Prize winner born and raised in China. Few stories raise so many questions about the nature and roles of men and women, about self-discipline and happiness. At the center is the amazing Madame Wu - brilliant, beautiful, full of contradictions and authority.

©1990 Pearl S. Buck (P)2011 Oasis Audio

Excellent! I discover a new perspective every time

What an insightful writer. A timeless period piece. Loved every word. I have read all of her books.

Flawlessly beautiful!

A flawlessly written story of how tradition, age old ways and upbringing mould our lives and can change the course of them so quickly. A beautiful quietly strong story, written with flawless beauty that makes you want to close your eyes and be transported into forgotten lands where blossoms, ratan walls, green and jasmine tea and flowing silks quietly form your life. Fragrant rice, small bites of delicious sweetmeats and where all is still and well ordered. But its not! Human spirit, wilfulness and personalities are the same across all cultures and we cannot force people to do what we wish without suffering the consequences.

After finishing this book, I wanted more, I wanted just another few chapters..

Going down as a favorite

A wise and beautiful story. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed reading Pearl S. Buck. I was sorry to see it end.

Things to ponder

This book was beautiful and written well. There is much about this that can be learned in the silence. There is deep spiritual love which is sometimes more real than any other.

Not as good as expected

Interesting insight into the rural high class pre-revolution China, both in their every day lives and their strict cultural structure.
Started confusing but engaging, getting to know the different characters and personalities.
Madame Wu started as a wise, kind head of the household, only to turn into an overly exaggerated fountain of goodness and wisdom. Could not understand the origin of such deep love for Andre, considering the limited time the novel puts them together. Andre is another over the top wise and generous soul. Her constant thoughts of him ended up boring me and couldn't wait for the book to end.
The narration was fine, but I might have enjoyed it more narrated by a woman.