My Splendid Concubine

A disappointing read for a number of reasons. I had hoped this book would focus on the interaction of Western and Chinese culture, and it did to some extent, but mostly in the context of the struggle between Hart's Christian faith and his physical desire for his Chinese concubines. Hart became an integral part of the Chinese imperial administration, but his impact is often “told” and seldom “shown.”

The quality of writing is amateurish. The dialog is often horrible — either exposition masquerading as speech or just unbelievable. The prose is wooden; declarative sentence after declarative sentence. If it weren't for the many lurid sex scenes and occasional gory battle or execution, one could almost imagine this was written for a young audience.

Despite what I can only hope are the author's best intentions, it was difficult to accept this as a serious look at an important historical figure.