Lilian Lee

I thought this was an interesting take on the life of the princess, but I have to admit I was hoping for more accurate detail and less fiction. I was disappointed that there seemed to be something lost or missing in the story. (it is a translation and sometimes when reading translations you get the distinct sense there's something that has been missed or not communicated) There is some serious embroidery in this from the narrative and it may be that that is needed in order to flesh out the novel. It is definitely a light treatment of her life and for certain parts it feels like it is made from whole cloth - to be fair to the author and considering the subject it may well be that here is no other way to treat the topic especially in a narrative historical fiction context.

I'm giving it 2.75 stars for effort. Oh and that little twist at the end was a bit strange. Surely there could have been something more to end on than that after everything...
… (mehr)

This is the book one of my very favorite movies is based on. I was looking for a rich text that the movie implies to me. I didn't find it. Lee's writing style is very simple, even a bit more 'telling' than I like.*

Nonetheless, I found the book enjoyable. It is enough the same as the movie see what she doesn't describe. I also like the ending better than the movie's ending. The ending in the movie is perhaps more dramatic, but in the book the ending is more real.

It is possible that it is the translation that is flat, rather than Lee's style.… (mehr)