Pavilion of Women - Pearl S. Buck - ★★★.¾

AUTHOR: Pearl S. Buck

GENRE: Historical Fiction.

PUBLICATION DATE: January 1, 1946

RATING: 3.75 stars.

Madame Wu takes an unheard-of decision on her fortieth birthday. She decides to withdraw from her "marital duty" [sic] and ask her husband to take a concubine to satisfy his physical needs. On top of that, she decides to search for the suitable concubine herself, because she feels she knows her husband best. This happens in chapter one. What happens as a result of this decision comprises the rest of the 466 page book.

If you can forgive the excessive religious ideas (Pearl S Buck's father was a missionary, and that shows in her writing), then the book is definitely worth your time. 

Madame Wu is a character who will stay with you. The other female characters are quite intriguing too, each facing their own demons and dealing with them in different ways. 

The book is fantastic almost entirely. Unfortunately, it falls flat towards the end (say, the last 70 or so pages.) I just wish the end had been written better; I would have loved this book much more. It just seems very contrived.