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    The Ghost Bride
    The Ghost Bride
    The Ghost Bride
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Ghost Bride

    Written by Yangsze Choo

    Narrated by Yangsze Choo

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A startlingly original voice makes her literary debut with this wondrous coming-of-age story infused with Chinese folklore, romantic intrigue, adventure, and fascinating, dreamlike twists

    One evening, my father asked me whether I would like to become a ghost bride. . . .

    Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound.

    Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, traditional ghost marriages are used to placate restless spirits. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price.

    After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lims' handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits, and monstrous bureaucracy—including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family's darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family—before she is trapped in this ghostly world forever.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateAug 6, 2013
    ISBN9780062263346
    The Ghost Bride
    Author

    Yangsze Choo

    Yangsze Choo is the New York Times bestselling author of The Ghost Bride (now a Netflix Original series) and The Night Tiger, a Reese’s Book Club Pick, and a Big Jubilee Read selection for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. She lives in California with her family and loves to eat and read (often at the same time). The Fox Wife and all previous novels would not have been possible without large quantities of dark chocolate. Yangsze is happy to visit book clubs via Zoom! You can find her on her website, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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    Reviews for The Ghost Bride

    4/5

    570 ratings70 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I found myself consumed by this book. I couldn't stop listening once I started. Being a Malaysian Chinese, a lot of the customs described in the book were familiar to me. It was rather thrilling to be taken on a journey into the world of the spirits and the dead.
    • 2/5





      Not so fond of the way that the fantasy elements are used, nor of the neat sewing up at the end. In my opinion, fantasy in literature should not be used to fix everyday problems, but rather as just another tool that exists. Having the main character whisked away from a life of tedium by a dragon was disappointing.
    • 3/5
      The Ghost Bride Yangsza Choo
      362 pages

      ★★★ ½

      Description via Amazon: Li Lan, the daughter of a respectable Chinese family in colonial Malaysia, hopes for a favorable marriage, but her father has lost his fortune, and she has few suitors. Instead, the wealthy Lim family urges her to become a “ghost bride” for their son, who has recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at what price? Night after night, Li Lan is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, where she must uncover the Lim family’s darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family.

      Ok, so I feel like I can only partially judge this book. After all, there were several things that I knew were not my cup of tea to begin with. That paranormal part, while part of Chinese culture, was not something I’ve ever fully gotten into in fiction. Also, as far as Asian history (whether fiction or non-fiction) has always been hard for me to follow. I have difficulties with the names, don’t know why, my brain just tends to meld them together (Asian history in college for me was brutal) so I kept getting characters mixed up. And lastly, I was listening to the audio version of this book. My mind would wander and then…well I’m sure I missed something of importance. So why delve into it? Because I wanted something different and this book covered that want.

      But with that being said, I did not mind this book. It is a well written book by a debut author. The description found throughout was quite good. I found the main character, Li Lan, very likable and the other characters were well done as well. As for the audio version? I enjoyed it. The book is narrated by the author- she has a soothing voice and easily listenable. If you are into historical fiction and the Asian culture, I definitely think this a book to look into. I cannot deny that this is a beautifully written book. The notes at the end of the book add to the history of Chinese afterlife and culture, which I found quite fascinating. It is of no fault of the author that I chose to dig into a book that barely fit my tastes to begin with.
    • 5/5
      Right, okay. Where do I start with The Ghost Bride? It truly, genuinely, really is the book of my heart. The Ghost Bride tells the story of a Chinese-Malay girl, Pan Li Lan who has been asked to be a ghost bride in the 1890s. The books follows her tale after she was offered to be a ghost bride, and what kind of troubles and adventures she must encounter following the offer.

      And the excitement of that adventure kept me going through the entire book.

      Admittedly, I found Part One a little slow, and it took me quite a while to get it done with, especially with the amount of descriptions there were in the book. I did, however, enjoyed those descriptions a lot more during my second read. For one, I understand that those descriptions were there for people who are unfamiliar with the culture, both Chinese and Malaysian alike. As a Chinese & Indonesian, I myself was familiar with both these cultures to a certain extent, which was why I found them rather ‘too much’ during my first read. My second read changed my mind on it. I still do think that some of the descriptions took me out of the reading experience just a little, partly because it felt like reading a history textbook, but it also strangely worked, mostly because it was within the main character’s voice to ramble on.

      Li Lan is such a fascinating narrator, and I think Choo really did well with this book because as readers, she made us feel like we were experiencing 1890s Malacca with Li Lan, and quite frankly, achieving that is not always easy. And despite all her flaws, I found myself easily rooting for Li Lan too. She makes some stupid, reckless decisions, but it is entirely within her character, and she is very much a realistic seventeen-year-old teenager, which I found very refreshing to read about.

      **SLIGHT SPOILERS BELOW.**

      And when Part Two and Part Three came around, I found myself hooked on this book. The first time I read the book, I devoured both Part Two & Three in one sitting. There was just so much intrigue, so much mystery and I couldn’t help but want to know what happened to Li Lan and how her connection to the spirit world would affect her and the people around her. The side characters too really made this book, particularly the later two parts of it. Old Wong and Amah’s interactions with Li Lan are equal parts touching and humourous, while her interactions with Tian Ching, Tian Bai and Er Lang showed the different parts of who she is. I found the chemistry between Li Lan and Er Lang incredibly fun too, and even before she realised her feelings towards him, I felt myself rooting for their relationship already.

      **SPOILERS END.**

      But I think what made the book for me ultimately was the fact that the backdrop that it was set in was glorious. Choo painted 1890s Malacca is such great and wonderful details in The Ghost Bride, whether it was the waking world or the spirit world. The set was also utilised to make a LOT of subtle commentaries on colonialism, cultures converging and Chinese household politics. They were not only fun to read about, but they also hit close to home as both a Southeast Asian and a Chinese diaspora. While the story of The Ghost Bride was so much fun, I feel like this addition was ultimately what pushed the book to a 5 star for me.

      So if you’re looking for an intriguing historical fantasy that is also ownvoices, this book is for you. Trust me. Read it, and when you finish the book you’ll not only finish a fascinating tale but learn a few new things.
    • 3/5
      This was an interesting read. The concept was cool, but I wasn't sure how the story would go. It definitely did not go the way I thought it would. It was really interesting reading about Chinese culture that wasn't necessarily in China. Their notions of afterlife and how their religions overlap and make things complicated was really interesting and intricate. The atmosphere of this book was kind of chilling and ethereal. I really liked Li Lan as a character, you can see her development throughout, and I quite enjoyed reading about her and her journey. This is just a jumble of thoughts and I am going to stop now.

      I quite enjoyed this novel, but at the same time it was a little slow and not my typical read. 3.5/5 stars.
    • 4/5
      I remember when The Ghost Bride came out last year and I was very interested in reading it but it never crossed my review list. Now that it's being released in paperback I finally had the opportunity to read it. The synopsis sounded so mysterious and intriguing and it turned out to be so much more than it promised. Li Lan is the daughter of a man who basically withdrew from life after his wife died from smallpox and he did not. His face shows the ravages of the disease and he spends his time reading poetry and smoking opium. Li Lan is cared for by her Amah and while she is 18 years old her maturity level seems to be of a girl very much younger since she never leaves the house and has little interaction with other people.Her father mentions a marriage proposal but it's to be a Ghost Bride - a marriage to man who has died. This being a concept so far removed from anything I understand it took a while for me to wrap my head around the Chinese customs and stories of the afterlife. Once I sorted them out I found it to be a fascinating world.I found myself lost in the story and the world created by Yangsze Choo. Li seemed very unprepared for life outside of her house since her father paid her and her future little mind. But she stumbled along and she grew stronger as she learned more about her family and the afterlife. She finds herself torn between a man in the physical world and a being in the afterlife and doesn't know either one well enough to answer their demands on her life.This was a book that kept my interest and taught me something about a different culture. It took me to several different worlds both real and fantastic. I don't usually like books not grounded in reality but this one was very well written and it held my interest from beginning to end.
    • 4/5
      It was interesting to read because it's very different from what I'm used to. I should have read what it was about more carefully though because I thought the book was about something else entirely. Its not really for me though I think other people would enjoy it more.
    • 5/5
      it's very magical and i love er lang/li lan so much!
    • 5/5
      I thought it was interesting and easy to follow, and I learned a lot about old Chinese traditions/superstitions I’d otherwise be ignorant of. The world building was creative and interesting. The characters were somewhat predictable but still worth following along with.
    • 3/5
      I thought it was an okay story but it dragged in so many places and I just kept listening because the author did a good job of narrating it
    • 5/5
      Loved the story so much it's one of my favourites now. I am certainly purchasing a physical book copy to add to my shelves. Extremely well written dialogue and descriptions. The main character was well developed and it was exciting to follow on her journey. The romance balanced nicely with a flavourful account of cultural folklore of 18th cen. Malaysia. Plot wise there are so many unexpected twist and turns that, by the end, it's surprising how much had happen in less than 400 pages. The audiobook was read by the author who did a great job with changing her voice to well-suitedly discern among various characters. I sincerely hope there is a sequel in the making!
    • 5/5
      A fascinating story of the spirit or ghost world based on Chinese beliefs and culture. Set in Malacca, Malaya, the book also gives a view of life and cuture in that period. A good read / listen. The author reads well.
    • 5/5
      Love the book!!!! Ending we horrible tho Wish it gave more details!!
    • 3/5
      This book has everything I like. There is an interesting heroine. There is a trip to the world of the dead. There is true love. There is interesting culture. There are ghosts. There is murder most foul. There are monsters. There are dragons. There is a beautiful writing style.Yet, somehow, these wonderful components never managed to come together into a cohesive whole for me. This is a first novel for Yangsze Choo and I really want to love her work. As such, I will wait for the second book to judge.
    • 3/5
      This was a pleasant and quick read, as compelling as a well-done book ought to be. Read this for the Plagues, Witches and War course online, and the discussion of genre was interesting, as this book is situated on the brink of historical fiction and fantasy, with strong romance components and even a bit of mystery. It was done particularly naturally, though, and I think that owes something to the particularly rich history of Chinese ghost stories and other literature that Choo credits having read as a child.
    • 5/5
      Really good novel

      Quiet gem of a book that perhaps hasn't been as marketed or pushed as it deserved to be. I thought it was generally brilliant with a great non western narrative structure.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this strange, off-kilter magical realist tale of the role of women in traditional cultures: Necessary, but might as well be dead for all the respect they're paid. Until they're necessary. Then, once the problem is solved, status quo ante. Unless you're Li Lan....Big plus for the gloriously weird Chinese afterlife painted by Choo's ghost bride, Li Lan. Her, well, matter-of-factness in the face of goins-on that'd make me feel I was insane was pitch-perfect and the sheer gonzo "right, this is what I'm doing and this is where we are so just deal with it suckas" prose...modulated madness...is heaven to read. All those traps of OTT verbiage that frequently sink books presenting "exotic" cultures to non-native audiences are simply ignored. One thing I'm not too big on is the patness of the ending. The Big Reveal was curiously flat for me, lacking as it did a sense of organic development from Li Lan's adventures. But it's clearly not a deal breaker, look at those four shiny stars.Thank you to the publisher for providing me a review copy via LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
    • 2/5
      There's a wonderful concept here. The story itself has potential. The problem for me all comes down to orchestration.First, the author explains far too much. Authors need to trust the reader to figure some things out.The bigger issue is that most of the story is replayed through conversation. There's not much actual story here. Li Lan talks to another character, then another, then eavesdrops on two characters, etc. This novel is almost entirely made up of two characters talking, sharing much more than they ever would in reality. Personally, I think that's poor storytelling, and also rather boring.
    • 4/5
      Slow starting, this adventure which spends time in a Chinese afterlife, both is and is not strange and new. Li Lan is sought as a ghost bride of a recently deceased son of the wealthy Lim family and because her father has lost the family fortune and taken to opium she has few choices. The pacing could be better and the plot is tracing paper close to YA girl with something special, though, Li Lan is in the story because she was chosen to be the ghost bride, though her inquiring attitude, scholarship and stubbornness make her a participant and not just a pretty prize.
    • 3/5
      I have such mixed feelings about this book.

      I wanted to love this so much. The cover is lovely, and the premise was intriguing. The descriptions of landscapes and clothing, and the historical and cultural background of both Malaysia and the spirit world were incredibly beautiful and informative. I love the idea of supernatural romances, but I have found very few that catch my eye and don't take the form of the dozens of cheesy and generic vampire/werewolf stories.

      The book is broken into four parts, and, while the first part immediately drew me in, unfortunately, the second and third were a slog. I was not expecting so much of the book to take place in the spirit realm, and the book didn't go in the direction I was expecting at all based on the summary. That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but there was waaaaay too much time spent on Li Lan's struggle to return to her body. Too much back and forth, wandering around town, wandering around the Plains of the Dead, wandering around houses, wandering wandering wandering. When it first happened, I was expecting it to be a short dilemma in the plot, not the main conflict. The detailed descriptions of ghosts and the afterlife just weren't enough to offset that.

      Another issue was in Li Lan needing someone to save her throughout 90% of the book, or being incredibly stupid and making assumptions that were ridiculously unfounded. She did very little for herself, and, again, there was so much aimless wandering that it was driving me nuts. I liked her well enough in the beginning and very end, but she was a pretty weak character for the majority of the book. She was presented as educated and not as well versed in embroidery and other "womanly" tasks, so I was expecting more strength to her character, but she was also very sheltered. I tried to keep that in mind, and I didn't outright dislike her.

      Er Lang was absolutely the best part of the book--his quick retorts and wit were refreshing.

      I was pleased with the ending, and with the bit of strength Li Lan finally expressed in the last few pages. This just took me much longer to read because I really struggled to get through the two middle parts of the book.
    • 3/5
      I would give this a solid 3.5 rating. It was quite good, but missed the mark on greatness. Solid plotting, interesting characters who mostly evolve, some decent prose, and a slight twist at the end, combine to make this a very enjoyable read for me.
      I have never been a huge fan of the Oriental culture in literature phenomena, although I did love Memoirs of a Geisha. This managed to pique my interest however, because of the location involved, as well as the time frame and the culture! Set in Malaya in British Colonial times, this novel illustrates the period that bridges the Old Orient, with its rigid systems and dark underbelly, to the new booming economic powerhouse of today's Modern Asia. Yangsze Choo has painted a detailed and vivid picture of life in Mallaca in 1893.
      I would recommend this novel to someone who liked Memoirs of a Geisha, and also to those who enjoyed The Thirteenth Tale, as there is a prevalent story-line of the "supernatural", which really fills out the cultural viewpoint of the protagonist, Li Lan.
    • 2/5
      I enjoyed The Night Tiger by the same author, but finally had to abandon The Ghost Bride. The scenes of the nether world weighed too heavily on the narrative.
    • 3/5
      A strange tale set in Malaysia. A young woman without many prospects in approached by a wealthy family who want her to be a ghost bride to their recently deceased son. She would marry him - in name only of course - and go to live with their family at their estate as his bride. The young woman is hesitant to accept this strange proposal - and then she is visited by the prospective bridegroom in her dreams. She then embarks on a strange journey, one that takes her to the Chinese/Malaysian afterlife - a world of spirits and ghosts where she discovers many secrets but must also escape to return to her real life and body. It was strange, but great for discussion and an interesting look into another culture.
    • 5/5
      Li Lan's family has fallen on hard times, so much so that her father is considering allowing Li Lan to become a "ghost bride" -- ceremonially married to the deceased son of a richer neighbor. Before she even realizes what is happening, Li Lan is pulled deeper and deeper into the supernatural world, desperately trying to find a way to stay in the realm of the living and maybe even be lucky enough to marry the living man she so admires.This was an excellent read that has a unique premise. The beginning was perhaps a tad bit slow as the characters and concepts were introduced, but it quickly took off from there; the last 100 pages or so were entirely compelling chapters and the book was difficult to put down at this point. Some of the reveals were somewhat anticipated, but others were complete shocks. The characters were well done and engaging, and Choo found a good middle ground of describing various bits of the historical culture for the modern-day audience without being overly didactic. There is also plenty to discuss here, which would make this book a good pick for book clubs.
    • 4/5
      This was a really interesting book. It takes the reader deep into the Chinese beliefs of an afterlife. There is also a good look at how the wealthier Chinese-Malaysians lived in the late 1800's. There is much intrigue and political maneuvering between the many wives and concubines, and their many children. As Li Lan moves from the real world to the spirit world, she finds that the spirit world is also filled with politics, and ghosts hungry for revenge. This book gave me a good feel for the spiritual beliefs of this culture.
    • 3/5
      In The Ghost Bride, author Yangsze Choo explores the “spirit marriage” custom among Chinese immigrants in Malaya. The purpose of these marriages were to placate a restless spirit. The Chinese immigrants of Malaya were mostly part of the business upper class and although they worked toward western material success, they maintained strong ties to their ancestral clans and traditions.The book takes place in 1893 and is set in Malacca. Li Lan is a young girl whose father has fallen into debt and who spends most of his time under the spell of opium. Her prospects for a good marriage are slim but then they receive a proposition from the wealthy Lim family. Unfortunately this wealthy family want Li Lan to marry their dead son as a ghost bride. This would allow her a comfortable life as a widow and help her family financially but she is horrified by the prospect. To make matters worse, she starts to receive visitations from the dead groom while at the same time she meets and finds herself attracted to his handsome cousin. Confused and frightened, she overdoses on a sleeping medication and finds herself trapped between the real world and the spirit world. Li Lan now embarks on a series of travels and adventures as she attempts to return to her former self and to find a way towards living a happy life.While the author gives the reader a lot of insight into Chinese beliefs, I struggled with this book finding it very slow moving with endless explanations and descriptions breaking up the flow of the story. The main character, Li Lan, was rather stiff and one-dimensional and overall the story lacked depth and emotion. The Ghost Bride is part historical fiction and part fantasy but, for me, rather a meh read.
    • 3/5
      I don't think I was quite expecting what I found between the pages of The Ghost Bride. Perhaps it's because I glazed over the synopsis, rather than reading it carefully, but I wasn't ready for the more fantasy driven part of this book. I was expecting a story about a girl who was fated to be sold off as a ghost bride. A story rich with history. I was given both of these things, but also so much I didn't see coming. Li Lan's story is based around her Chinese culture, but with a paranormal twist stemming from mythology.

      I'm not entirely sure when this book is meant to take place, but Li Lan reads as a more modern woman than I was anticipating. She's opinionated and intelligent. Her views on women and society are at odds with the others around her. I was charmed by her fresh, no-nonsense take on the world around her. What really threw me for a loop though is how young she really seems. I've seen this book labeled as adult fiction, but Li Lan's personality really feels like it has more of a young adult feel. Especially once the paranormal aspect comes into play.

      However the biggest issue I had with The Ghost Bride was the writing style. Lots of telling, instead of showing. For example, describing an article of clothing. Rather than have the reader infer what it is through the writing, Li Lan will just directly explain what it is for, how it's worn and how she knows. If the protagonist I'm following is of the culture the book is based in, I somewhat assume they know about traditional clothing. I felt like I was being lead of a guided tour, instead of swept up in a mysterious story. That's not to say that the story itself isn't ultimately interesting. The folklore, mystery, and unexpected twists definitely created a need to keep reading. If you can see past the writing style, the story underneath is actually very well done.

      My very jumbled feelings are why I ultimately decided on a three star rating for this book. There were aspects of The Ghost Bride that I really enjoyed, and others that took away from the journey. If you are a reader who often reads historical fiction, this might be something you enjoy. Especially since it has the added bonus of a bit of mythology to keep things fresh.
    • 3/5
      A cute story with magnificent imagery. Naive but still an immensely enjoyable read (sorry, listen). The only thing that I find really distracting in books of this type is how authors try to describe mundane details of everyday life of the time while maintaining first person narrative. A person telling her story would not describe ingredients of common dishes or common practices/traditions. She would assume the listeners know this. In my personal opinion, footnotes would do a much better job of filling the readers' knowledge gaps without interrupting the flow of narration.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. It is set mostly, but not totally, in the afterlife or spirit world. I enjoyed the characters, both dead and alive and I was sorry to come to the end.
    • 4/5
      A beautiful story set in nineteenth century Malaya about a young girl betrothed to the dead son of a corrupt family, sort of a blend of YA fantasy novel and gothic romance. Captivating, but slightly overlong.