getting great buzz everywhere, so ordered it.

Heard and read a great deal about this. The prologue made me impatient to get going. I found both the Korean Princess' tale and the British scholar tales interesting and the latter certainly rang true. I was not so sure about the denouement aspects of it, and will look forward to reading what others have to say about it. This is the first Margaret Drabble I've read, and I don't like her self interjection at the end. Nevertheless a fast and absorbing read. To be released to FSR and thence?

Received yesterday. Thanks.

I thought this one was a bit of a trudge...an impression heightened by the authors choice to skip chapter divisions entirely in favor of 3 hundred-plus "books". In all, I thought the idea was pretty good, but I think it would have worked better if she had integrated the different time periods by alternating the two stories.
Reserved for Lotusflower.

Released on Monday, December 27, 2004 at about 6:00:00 PM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at n/a in n/a, By Post Controlled Releases.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sending to Lotusflower. Enjoy!

I found this book waiting for me when I returned from India yesterday. A big thank you to fsr44 for sending it to me and also to truthteller who I see registered the book initially. A couple of months ago I read "Empress Orchid" and ever since then I have had a hankering for another book on court life in the ancient Far East. Will journal once more after I am done reading it.

LOVED,LOVED,LOVED the first section - just skimmed the second section. I have a full review at my blog:

http://lotusreads.blogspot.com/