Although many of Pearl Buck's novels centered around themes of marriage and family, PAVILION OF WOMEN was a fairly radical approach to the subject of men and women in the decade of the 40s. Women's liberation was still catching its breath before the next big battle; the sexual revolution was twenty years in the future. Yet Buck tackles these issues head-on through the story of Madame Wu with a frankness that was probably shocking at the time.
Madame Wu, a woman from a prestigious Chinese family, has reached her fortieth birthday and come to a momentous decision. She no longer wishes to have a physical relationship with her husband, but instead declares her intention to find him a suitable concubine. In the tradition of old Chinese families, her sons and their wives and their many children and servants all live within a loosely connected compound. The entire family is outraged at the thought of a "second wife" being insinuated into their home. This is an era of great change in Chinese society; Western ideas are becoming commonly accepted and sanctioned adultery is now scandalous. But Madame Wu is the virtual head of the household and determined to spend the remainder of her life in peaceful pursuits, free from the heavy responsibilities that her position and marriage demand.
Naturally, what seems to be a simple solution to Madame Wu, soon becomes far more complicated than she could have imagined. Aside from the turmoil surrounding the new wife, her sons and their wives have turbulent marriages as well which begin creating havoc in all quarters. Since ancient custom dictates that the mother intervene, she soon finds her days more chaotic and demanding than before. When a liberal-minded priest enters the picture as a tutor, Madame Wu begins to see her carefully arranged plans in an entirely different light and she seeks guidance from a man that will change her life forever.
In the hands of a lesser writer, this story of families and relationships could have quickly become a tiresome melodrama or disintegrated into comic satire. But Buck masterfully brings important ideas to fruition in both dialogue and thought, provoking critical questions on the nature of love and the polarity of men and women. She explores the institution of marriage from every angle, broaching topics of fidelity, compatibility and expectations in relationships. Although these issues are clouded somewhat by the customs indicative of the Chinese culture, the ultimate problems are universal. There will undoubtedly be a great deal in her narration that will sound similar to the mainstream literature today, but some of her conclusions may surprise you.
--- Reviewed by Ann Bruns
• Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.
© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
Back to top.
