What do you think?
Rate this book
The Shogun Quartet #3
De courtisane en de samoerai
Japan, 1868. Hana is nog maar zeventien wanneer haar echtgenoot het leger in gaat en zij alleen achterblijft. Al snel wordt haar huis geplunderd door vijandige soldaten en moet ze vluchten voor haar leven. Ze vindt uiteindelijk onderdak in de Yoshiwara, de Stad Zonder Nacht. In die beruchte rosse buurt van Tokio, waar drieduizend courtisanes leven, moet ook zij haar lichaam te koop aanbieden om het hoofd boven water te kunnen houden. Daar ontmoet ze Yozo, een avonturier en briljant zwaardvechter die zich als ontsnapt krijgsgevangene schuilhoudt voor de autoriteiten. Nergens kan dat beter dan in de Yoshiwara. Al snel bloeit er een voorzichtige liefde op tussen Hana en Yozo. Maar beiden verbergen een geheim dat zo verschrikkelijk is dat het hun leven in gevaar kan brengen...
366 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
30 people are currently reading
994 people want to read
About the author
Lesley Downer
28 books257 followersI write historical fiction set in Japan - women’s untold stories, largely true and based on meticulous and detailed research, though primarily, of course, good yarns. I’ve just finished The Shogun’s Queen, the fourth of The Shogun Quartet, four novels set in the nineteenth century during the tumultuous fifteen years when Japan was convulsed by civil war and transformed from rule by the shoguns into a society that looked to the west.
Preorder: http://bit.ly/TheShogunsQueen
The second, The Last Concubine, was shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year 2009 and translated into 30 languages. The other two novels are The Courtesan and the Samurai and The Samurai’s Daughter. My non-fiction on Japan includes Geisha: The Remarkable Truth Behind the Fiction and Madame Sadayakko: The Geisha who Seduced the West. I’m also a journalist and travel writer, give lectures and teach Creative Writing at City University in London.
Preorder: http://bit.ly/TheShogunsQueen
The second, The Last Concubine, was shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year 2009 and translated into 30 languages. The other two novels are The Courtesan and the Samurai and The Samurai’s Daughter. My non-fiction on Japan includes Geisha: The Remarkable Truth Behind the Fiction and Madame Sadayakko: The Geisha who Seduced the West. I’m also a journalist and travel writer, give lectures and teach Creative Writing at City University in London.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
May 17, 2011
I wanted to like this book. After all, I preordered it a year ago and waited and waited waited for it to grace my mailbox... so it's with some disappointment that I write this.
The Courtesan is Hana. In the beginning her husband is leaving for war and she wields a sword to defend her home. I thought, "Oh goody, a chick with balls!" Not really... She is terribly naive and ends up permitting some strange woman to sell her into prostitution. And well... I'm all for making the most of a bad situation, but this chick ends up actually liking her new profession. I didn't like this partly because I don't like the damsel in distress bit and partly because I think the whole geisha thing is overdone.
The Samurai is Yozo. His parts are full of ships sinking, war strategies, and fights. Basically: testosterone. Naturally, his parts didn't interest me all that much. Nevertheless: my number one complaint: This was supposed to be a forbidden romance. I picked this up hoping for something along the lines of The Scarlet Kimono. However, the Courtesan and Samurai don't even meet until page 295!
Just not for me.
The Courtesan is Hana. In the beginning her husband is leaving for war and she wields a sword to defend her home. I thought, "Oh goody, a chick with balls!" Not really... She is terribly naive and ends up permitting some strange woman to sell her into prostitution. And well... I'm all for making the most of a bad situation, but this chick ends up actually liking her new profession. I didn't like this partly because I don't like the damsel in distress bit and partly because I think the whole geisha thing is overdone.
The Samurai is Yozo. His parts are full of ships sinking, war strategies, and fights. Basically: testosterone. Naturally, his parts didn't interest me all that much. Nevertheless: my number one complaint: This was supposed to be a forbidden romance. I picked this up hoping for something along the lines of The Scarlet Kimono. However, the Courtesan and Samurai don't even meet until page 295!
Just not for me.
December 22, 2012
I had my doubts about this book to begin with because the title is a little cheesy but let me reassure you, its a beautiful gem of a holiday read!
I wasnt able to put it down and found myself entranced by two aspects of Lesley Downer's creativity.
First of all she writes beautifully - it is so easy to read and the way she describes situations, conditions, nature, forces of nature, human nature etc were just so spot on for me and done in a beautiful manner.
I knew also from the beginning that this lady had really done her research and knew her subject well. She wrote with great skill and confidence and wound a story around some factual events and people which to me was so brilliant. Downer truely captured the essence of the time and era : Japan during a civil war in the late 1900's.
The story centres around two individuals : a hero and heroine I would say in the form of Yozo and Hana. The book is set over a period of winter,spring, summer and autumn and follows the characters in their quest to stay alive and find happiness.
I wasnt able to put the book down and will definitely be reading more of Ms Downers accomplishments in the coming future days.
I wasnt able to put it down and found myself entranced by two aspects of Lesley Downer's creativity.
First of all she writes beautifully - it is so easy to read and the way she describes situations, conditions, nature, forces of nature, human nature etc were just so spot on for me and done in a beautiful manner.
I knew also from the beginning that this lady had really done her research and knew her subject well. She wrote with great skill and confidence and wound a story around some factual events and people which to me was so brilliant. Downer truely captured the essence of the time and era : Japan during a civil war in the late 1900's.
The story centres around two individuals : a hero and heroine I would say in the form of Yozo and Hana. The book is set over a period of winter,spring, summer and autumn and follows the characters in their quest to stay alive and find happiness.
I wasnt able to put the book down and will definitely be reading more of Ms Downers accomplishments in the coming future days.
July 30, 2019
I enjoyed this novel, more for the rich historical detail than the actual love story between Yozo and Hana. I know little about this period of Japanese history and found this aspect of the novel absorbing. The details of the lives of courtesans in Yoshiwara were intriguing, as was Yozo’s story as one of several Japanese who spent time in the west.
January 29, 2015
2.5/5
Deludente.
Ammetto di avere un debole per i "romanzi storici" ambientati in Giappone, ma questo di storico ha davvero pochissimo. La narrazione di Yozo è lenta e noiosa, ed in alcuni punti troppo prevedibile (il marito di Hana che ritorna anche se tutti lo davano per morto è un'uscita da Harmony). Per quanto riguarda Hana non mi è piaciuta e non mi ha convinto.
Non critico il fatto che si sia dovuta vendere, infondo aveva poche alternative soprattutto dopo essere stata venduta, ma è fastidioso il fatto che continui ad essere descritta ed a considerarsi lei stessa come diversa dalle altre e "pura" quando di sicuro è tutto tranne che innocente.
Finale scontato poi, speravo in qualcosa di meglio.
Deludente.
Ammetto di avere un debole per i "romanzi storici" ambientati in Giappone, ma questo di storico ha davvero pochissimo. La narrazione di Yozo è lenta e noiosa, ed in alcuni punti troppo prevedibile (il marito di Hana che ritorna anche se tutti lo davano per morto è un'uscita da Harmony). Per quanto riguarda Hana non mi è piaciuta e non mi ha convinto.
Non critico il fatto che si sia dovuta vendere, infondo aveva poche alternative soprattutto dopo essere stata venduta, ma è fastidioso il fatto che continui ad essere descritta ed a considerarsi lei stessa come diversa dalle altre e "pura" quando di sicuro è tutto tranne che innocente.
Finale scontato poi, speravo in qualcosa di meglio.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2021
"I saw southern faces on the street out there," he muttered. "I heard their voices. You women sell your bodies to the enemy."
Hana recoiled as of she'd been hit. "We've all had to find a way to survive," she said at last her voice shaking. "I'm alive, you're alive. It's best not to ask how." — Yozo Tajima & Hana
This is a well written but slightly hard to define book. When you read the blurb it reads as a romance type concept. It definitely has that element but that is far from the focus. It's after the 50% mark before the main characters even meet. This feels like a way to explore some of Japan during the Edo period. Including some exploration of the strange ways peoples lives can intersect (because all the connections feel natural), the ramifications of actions and what we do to survive. The romance between Han and Kozo is clumsy or could be genius depending on your perspective. It all happens between them really fast nothing to almost everything in the best way in 2 days. But it really does make sense for Hana, Kozo is real and grounding, he doesn't accept her courtesan tricks. For Kozo, Hana is beauty, humanity, all he had lost and importantly she doesn't fear him.
The main characters are Hana, a courtesan and Kozo, a swordsman. For the most part, the characters have completely different supports and people around them, they live in different worlds. One character acknowledges that the Yoshiwara is its own country with its own laws. That is Hana's world. When 17-year-old Hana's husband leaves her to join the resistance and soldiers come for her Hana is forced to flee. She is sold and forced to become a courtesan. Her beauty and skill give her the ability to reclaim her debt on her own terms. Her terms, only sleeping with the men she wants to. Hana is resilient, intelligent and human. She is what we would all hope to be in this situation. In modern terms, she's a domestic abuse survivor, but it's hard to consider her that given gender roles and expectations in different time periods. Primarily she is surrounded by women. It isn't as backstabbing and sniping as I would have expected, Tama is the courtesan to trains her and becomes her ally. Otsuné is such a loyal confidant who risks everything to help her. There are a couple of men filling the roles you would expect for a courtesan, a patron and an owner. The patron is an odd character I didn't expect him. I will say no more on Masaharu to avoid spoilers.
Kozo is I think 27 and is a bit of an outsider after travelling the world for 6 years. Kozo is an insanely loyal, idealistic and talented swordsman and sailor working with Northerners to try and put the Shogun back on the throne. He spends most of the first half of the book at the frozen Ezo (Hokkaido) building the Republic of Ezo. His closest friends and allies are those he travelled with, especially Enomoto and Kitaro. Kitaro and Kozo have this lovely sibling-like relationship I kinda saw them as two sides of the same coin the fighter and the philosopher. Kitaro is Enotomo's advisor one of the few people who will be honest with him as he gains power. Kozo has an adversarial relationship with Commander Yamamoto this relationship is pivotal to the story.
The plot follows Hana and Kozo's independent plots for the most part. Hers coming to terms with her place and position in the Yoshiwara, including her high points and her low points and her debut with is kinda both. His the struggles of a failing rebellion and how it all falls apart. There are ties that pull them together, ties that aren't hidden through the novel but are eventually spelt out. The secrets of the blurb are linked to the ties that bind. Look it's less than subtle or maybe I read too much either way I appreciate the way all the cards end up on the table. The ending is effective if maybe a little abrupt. As with nearly all historical fiction nothing is irrelevant, every detail revealed in the early chapters is used later. I found the ending or at least elements of it unexpected. Downer describes environments well. From the luxury of Tama's rooms in the Corner Tamaya to the storm around the Kaiyo Maru and the variety of living space in the Yoshiwara. I think appreciate the writing more than the plot if I'm honest.
One thing that did slightly irk me was the names. Japanese naming convention is family name first, when the full name is given here it is given name family name. It's not a hard and fast rule just a general writing format. In some ways, the writing for name conventions feels off. I can't explain it goes beyond the names. I'm wondering if it might be partially to do with the stereotypes or expectations for language more than practical language use in Japan now or then. I feel that this sort of major linguistic flaw is something that such a well-researched book is unlikely, it is possible that the convention was ignored for the sake of readability by a wider (read Western) audience.
I did enjoy this. I like the characters and I like the slightly risky writing given the blurb. The world is built well and the environments Hana and Kozo inhabit are distinct as they should be, these are characters from two walks as we see it. While it is part of the series the books do stand-alone, they are linked in theme only.
"Men love you, that's what Tama says. You were wasted being a wife and hiding your talents away." — Otsuné
A representative gif:
February 19, 2024
Úžasne! Milujem to historické Japonsko. Veľmi krásne opísané prostredie a postavy. Vyvíjali sa, bola ľahké chápať ich myšlienky a ocitnúť sa v deji. Zvláštne ale ako kedysi boli kurtizány vážené a teraz je to spodina.
October 2, 2014
After reading Lesley Downer's other works, I found the Courtesan and the Samurai rather disappointing. The novel isn't bad- it's clearly been well researched and there are some exciting parts, but to me, the storyline seemed weak and the characters and certain plots weren't as well developed as they could have been.
My main criticism is that the novel felt rather rushed or a bit too sparse- there was a lot of potential there and aspects I would have liked to hear more about. Leads and suggestions in the story were dropped with little or no resolution, and the relationship between Hana and Yozo began unconvincingly quickly, which lessened the emotional impact later in the book.
Unfortunately, Downer's fiction does not match the standard of her factual works, but thankfully her knowledge of Japan saves what would otherwise be a rather dire read.
My main criticism is that the novel felt rather rushed or a bit too sparse- there was a lot of potential there and aspects I would have liked to hear more about. Leads and suggestions in the story were dropped with little or no resolution, and the relationship between Hana and Yozo began unconvincingly quickly, which lessened the emotional impact later in the book.
Unfortunately, Downer's fiction does not match the standard of her factual works, but thankfully her knowledge of Japan saves what would otherwise be a rather dire read.
April 10, 2014
I enjoyed the descriptions of life as a courtesan and the bit of history I learnt from the book but the actual love story didn't quite work for me, it felt a bit too good to be true.
July 26, 2015
I liked the book for the subject matter (Yoshiwara, the most famous of Japan's pleasure quarters), but less for the story and research, or rather for the impact the research has had on the story.
No, I don't think that in a novel, even in a historical one, everything has to be accurate in order for the reader to enjoy it. Yet, the choices of a particular time and place do affect the story, and often force the writer to make specific plot decisions. I mean "force" in a challenging way, like having characters choose a more likely course of action, or a less anachronistic reaction to some situations. I believe that this is actually what produces twists and surprises in historical fiction.
The story in The Courtesan and the Samurai is as follows: in the period of anarchy between the fall of the last shogun and Meiji Restoration, the young samurai wife Hana, whose husband is fighting on the shogun's (losing) side, learns that all her family is dead. She has to leave her house and look for protection at the address her husband had given her before he left. But the place is deserted and Hana has nowhere to go. She is found by a procuress and sold to Yoshiwara, where she becomes the most famous lady of the night. Here she meets a young samurai named Yozo, who had fought alongside her husband and killed him (or so he thinks). They fall in love, Hana is rescued from an impossibly repulsive suitor who bought her contract, Yozo gets to kill her husband again when the latter returns to his unfaithful - therefore deserving to die - wife, and all ends well.
Yozo (a fictional character) is one of fifteen young samurai (not fictional) who had been sent to the West by the shogunate to learn Western ways. Yet, he is way less Westernized than Hana. He shoots the Commander (Hana's abusive husband, a character based loosely on Hijikata Toshizo of Shinsengumi fame) to avenge his friend Kitaro, he dreads Hana's reaction to his confession, he has doubts whether he should choose Hana over his comrades. She on the other hand - a samurai wife and daughter - has almost no qualms about her choices. She leaves the house to an infirm old man and a maid and does not give them a thought until much later. She lets the panderer Fuyu sell her to Yoshiwara, protects very feebly, then... I don't really know, the way it is described, she treats her life in Yoshiwara as a sort of a luxurious game. But the really monstrous thing is her reaction to Yozo's confession: not only she doesn't mind his killing her husband, but the thought of revenge doesn't even cross her mind. Or Yozo's, for that matter.
Lesley Downer's previous novel set in the same period, The Last Concubine, was so good because the heroine Sachi had her doubts about succumbing to her love - and she wasn't even a wife, she was a concubine of a dead man. Hana is a woman born to be a vassal to her husband, responsible to his clan, bound to avenge his death. I certainly don't think she couldn't have hated him or wish him dead, far from that. She could have behaved like she did, even. But the thought of her duty - killing Yozo - would certainly have occurred to both of them, be it as the furthest of possibilities. For the story to be concluded as it is, she and Yozo both would have to be different persons: she more ruthless and cunning, he much more cynical and wise.
Here's where the story crumbles. Well, I guess it is a minor thing, if all one wants is a romance with some Oriental scenery. So, all right. Sadly I read on. Then I thought about the very situation in which Hana was sold to the Corner Tamaya (the brothel). The woman who sold her, Fuyu, who is a pawnbroker's servant, happened to pick her up on the street, then brought her to Yoshiwara. Then bang, Hana was sold, and every once in a while there would be some talking about her debt. I couldn't understand why. Who was that Fuyu woman to her, anyway? What was her claim on Hana? She wasn't even a professional procuress. Why would she sell her to Yoshiwara, and not to one of the dozens of other pleasure quarters in Edo? And if the Corner Tamaya was as great an establishment as it was shown to be, they would have cooperated with a professional.
Maybe they somehow knew Hana wouldn't have protested too much. It seemed as if she couldn't really decide if she liked her new life or not. One moment she basked in the attention and splendor, then she moaned about the loss of her "freedom". It is true that many samurai women at that time were left without means for a living, or they sold themselves to brothels in order to help their families, and that no one can tell what they really felt, but life in Yoshiwara would be one of luxury for women from very poor backgrounds, not for Hana, and even then it was quite hard.
For a courtesan so popular as Hana was (why exactly had she became so famous, I couldn't understand), she certainly had a lot of time to wander around, visit Otsune (why not just Tsune? why not Ohana, then?), let Yozo lounge in her parlor and stuff. There was no mention of anything unpleasant, of irregularity of life, short nights, lots of alcohol, daily gynecological inspections, scarce meals. It was all prancing about in glittery kimonos. Again, I'm sure there were women who enjoyed that life, as I would want them to, but it wasn't the life described in the book.
There were some great moments - the courtesans' procession, the rooms, the final party, and above all the devastated Edo/Tokyo. There were good details of Yoshiwara life: servants, geishas, streets, food, clothes and hairstyles. Then the whole Saburosuke business... I know I'm talking too much, but OMG! Why oh why must the villain be fat, foulmouthed, foolish and filthy? Does it even feel satisfying for the good guys, to defeat such a pathetic puppet? And most definitely he would not be as revered in Yoshiwara as he was, despite all his wealth. Yes, Yoshiwara was evil and all about money, but Yoshiwara was also a part of Edo, and Edo people took pride in their good taste, which had to accompany generosity. All right, a minor thing, but why oh why?
The pace of the story was good, although I didn't care for the Hokkaido parts and only waited for the parts with Hana, and she and Yozo met quite late in the book. I liked Otsune and maybe Yozo a little bit. Of course the husband was crazy and evil, his family too. Tama, the leading courtesan, would be likable if not for her total benevolence towards her rival Hana. I'd have liked Kaoru, who was kind of Hana's enemy, but there was too little of her.
Now, I think I'll reread The Last Concubine or something. I don't know. The Courtesan and the Samurai was definitely better paced and more interesting as a whole. Or maybe it's the Yoshiwara thing. Ah.
No, I don't think that in a novel, even in a historical one, everything has to be accurate in order for the reader to enjoy it. Yet, the choices of a particular time and place do affect the story, and often force the writer to make specific plot decisions. I mean "force" in a challenging way, like having characters choose a more likely course of action, or a less anachronistic reaction to some situations. I believe that this is actually what produces twists and surprises in historical fiction.
The story in The Courtesan and the Samurai is as follows: in the period of anarchy between the fall of the last shogun and Meiji Restoration, the young samurai wife Hana, whose husband is fighting on the shogun's (losing) side, learns that all her family is dead. She has to leave her house and look for protection at the address her husband had given her before he left. But the place is deserted and Hana has nowhere to go. She is found by a procuress and sold to Yoshiwara, where she becomes the most famous lady of the night. Here she meets a young samurai named Yozo, who had fought alongside her husband and killed him (or so he thinks). They fall in love, Hana is rescued from an impossibly repulsive suitor who bought her contract, Yozo gets to kill her husband again when the latter returns to his unfaithful - therefore deserving to die - wife, and all ends well.
Yozo (a fictional character) is one of fifteen young samurai (not fictional) who had been sent to the West by the shogunate to learn Western ways. Yet, he is way less Westernized than Hana. He shoots the Commander (Hana's abusive husband, a character based loosely on Hijikata Toshizo of Shinsengumi fame) to avenge his friend Kitaro, he dreads Hana's reaction to his confession, he has doubts whether he should choose Hana over his comrades. She on the other hand - a samurai wife and daughter - has almost no qualms about her choices. She leaves the house to an infirm old man and a maid and does not give them a thought until much later. She lets the panderer Fuyu sell her to Yoshiwara, protects very feebly, then... I don't really know, the way it is described, she treats her life in Yoshiwara as a sort of a luxurious game. But the really monstrous thing is her reaction to Yozo's confession: not only she doesn't mind his killing her husband, but the thought of revenge doesn't even cross her mind. Or Yozo's, for that matter.
Lesley Downer's previous novel set in the same period, The Last Concubine, was so good because the heroine Sachi had her doubts about succumbing to her love - and she wasn't even a wife, she was a concubine of a dead man. Hana is a woman born to be a vassal to her husband, responsible to his clan, bound to avenge his death. I certainly don't think she couldn't have hated him or wish him dead, far from that. She could have behaved like she did, even. But the thought of her duty - killing Yozo - would certainly have occurred to both of them, be it as the furthest of possibilities. For the story to be concluded as it is, she and Yozo both would have to be different persons: she more ruthless and cunning, he much more cynical and wise.
Here's where the story crumbles. Well, I guess it is a minor thing, if all one wants is a romance with some Oriental scenery. So, all right. Sadly I read on. Then I thought about the very situation in which Hana was sold to the Corner Tamaya (the brothel). The woman who sold her, Fuyu, who is a pawnbroker's servant, happened to pick her up on the street, then brought her to Yoshiwara. Then bang, Hana was sold, and every once in a while there would be some talking about her debt. I couldn't understand why. Who was that Fuyu woman to her, anyway? What was her claim on Hana? She wasn't even a professional procuress. Why would she sell her to Yoshiwara, and not to one of the dozens of other pleasure quarters in Edo? And if the Corner Tamaya was as great an establishment as it was shown to be, they would have cooperated with a professional.
Maybe they somehow knew Hana wouldn't have protested too much. It seemed as if she couldn't really decide if she liked her new life or not. One moment she basked in the attention and splendor, then she moaned about the loss of her "freedom". It is true that many samurai women at that time were left without means for a living, or they sold themselves to brothels in order to help their families, and that no one can tell what they really felt, but life in Yoshiwara would be one of luxury for women from very poor backgrounds, not for Hana, and even then it was quite hard.
For a courtesan so popular as Hana was (why exactly had she became so famous, I couldn't understand), she certainly had a lot of time to wander around, visit Otsune (why not just Tsune? why not Ohana, then?), let Yozo lounge in her parlor and stuff. There was no mention of anything unpleasant, of irregularity of life, short nights, lots of alcohol, daily gynecological inspections, scarce meals. It was all prancing about in glittery kimonos. Again, I'm sure there were women who enjoyed that life, as I would want them to, but it wasn't the life described in the book.
There were some great moments - the courtesans' procession, the rooms, the final party, and above all the devastated Edo/Tokyo. There were good details of Yoshiwara life: servants, geishas, streets, food, clothes and hairstyles. Then the whole Saburosuke business... I know I'm talking too much, but OMG! Why oh why must the villain be fat, foulmouthed, foolish and filthy? Does it even feel satisfying for the good guys, to defeat such a pathetic puppet? And most definitely he would not be as revered in Yoshiwara as he was, despite all his wealth. Yes, Yoshiwara was evil and all about money, but Yoshiwara was also a part of Edo, and Edo people took pride in their good taste, which had to accompany generosity. All right, a minor thing, but why oh why?
The pace of the story was good, although I didn't care for the Hokkaido parts and only waited for the parts with Hana, and she and Yozo met quite late in the book. I liked Otsune and maybe Yozo a little bit. Of course the husband was crazy and evil, his family too. Tama, the leading courtesan, would be likable if not for her total benevolence towards her rival Hana. I'd have liked Kaoru, who was kind of Hana's enemy, but there was too little of her.
Now, I think I'll reread The Last Concubine or something. I don't know. The Courtesan and the Samurai was definitely better paced and more interesting as a whole. Or maybe it's the Yoshiwara thing. Ah.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2017
Initially I thought the first half of the book dragged on for a while. The connection between the two main protagonists was also not well developed as it started only in the 2nd half of the book. However, the afterword made me appreciate the book and its slow development and I understood why the author described certain scenes as lengthily as she did. It would help if some of the important information in the afterword was placed at the start of the story; that way, the readers would be able to appreciate why she wrote it that way. Many key scenes and parts of the story were true events; some of the characters are also based on real people who lived and were involved in the Northerner's struggle to reinstate the shogun.
July 13, 2010
‘We need to look to the future, not back at the past.’
This novel is set in 1868/69, during the period of civil war (known as the Meiji Restoration) between the shogunate forces (the northerners) and the imperial Japanese forces (the southerners).
The novel’s protagonist, Hana, is seventeen when her husband, a commander in the Northern Alliance, leaves her to go to war. Hana is the daughter of a samurai, and her duty as a samurai wife is clear. The northerners are losing, and when the southerners attack her home and she is unable to defend it she flees for her life across the shattered city of Edo (later renamed Tokyo). Hana is first helped, and then sold, by a procuress to become a courtesan in the five streets of the Yoshiwara.
Yozo Tajima returns to Japan after four years in the West, just in time to find the world he left behind in the last throes of destruction. He is captured while travelling north to rejoin his comrades, but escapes and makes his way to the Yoshiwara. Here he meets Hana, and they fall in love. They are, it appears, fated to be together but there are certain obstacles to overcome first.
I enjoyed this novel, more for the rich historical detail than the actual love story between Yozo and Hana. I know little about this period of Japanese history and found this aspect of the novel quite absorbing. The details of the lives of courtesans in Yoshiwara were intriguing, as was Yozo’s story as one of a number of Japanese who spent time in the west.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This novel is set in 1868/69, during the period of civil war (known as the Meiji Restoration) between the shogunate forces (the northerners) and the imperial Japanese forces (the southerners).
The novel’s protagonist, Hana, is seventeen when her husband, a commander in the Northern Alliance, leaves her to go to war. Hana is the daughter of a samurai, and her duty as a samurai wife is clear. The northerners are losing, and when the southerners attack her home and she is unable to defend it she flees for her life across the shattered city of Edo (later renamed Tokyo). Hana is first helped, and then sold, by a procuress to become a courtesan in the five streets of the Yoshiwara.
Yozo Tajima returns to Japan after four years in the West, just in time to find the world he left behind in the last throes of destruction. He is captured while travelling north to rejoin his comrades, but escapes and makes his way to the Yoshiwara. Here he meets Hana, and they fall in love. They are, it appears, fated to be together but there are certain obstacles to overcome first.
I enjoyed this novel, more for the rich historical detail than the actual love story between Yozo and Hana. I know little about this period of Japanese history and found this aspect of the novel quite absorbing. The details of the lives of courtesans in Yoshiwara were intriguing, as was Yozo’s story as one of a number of Japanese who spent time in the west.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
January 21, 2016
Cartea asta m-a dus cu gândul la „Memoriile unei gheișe”. Hana e o ființă așa firavă și naivă și totuși mă bucură faptul că a dovedit că are într-adevăr suflet de samurai, atât la început, cât și la sfârșit. Citind ultimele pagini am stat ca pe ace cu gândul că va pieri precum o floare smulsă cu brutalitate, însă temerile nu mi-ai fost întemeiate, căci totul s-a sfârșit cu bine. Am rămas cu un zâmbet întipărit pe buze.
November 12, 2013
Eine schöne aber nicht allzu tiefgründige Handlung, die ins alte Japan zu Kriegszeiten führt.
Die Szenerie finde ich gut beschrieben, doch der Ausgang der Spannungsbögen waren mir zu vorhersehbar.
Dennoch war es ein angenehmes Vergnügen das Buch zu lesen. :)
Die Szenerie finde ich gut beschrieben, doch der Ausgang der Spannungsbögen waren mir zu vorhersehbar.
Dennoch war es ein angenehmes Vergnügen das Buch zu lesen. :)
March 1, 2019
Hana è la moglie di un samurai giapponese che si trova a combattere al fianco dell'esercito del Nord nella guerra civile scoppiata dopo la cacciata dello shogun.
Mentre il marito è via, Hana rimane nella grande casa vuota, che, però, viene assediata dai militari. Hana fugge ma, sola, sconsolata ed ingenua, finisce con l'essere venduta ai proprietari di una casa di geishe e costretta con la violenza alla prostituzione.
La donna prova a ribellarsi, ma poi si adatta alla nuova situazione e pian pianino si rassegna a rimanere nel quartiere a luci rosse, lontana dalla guerra e circondata dal lusso.
Nel frattempo Yozo, uno dei pochi giapponesi che è uscito dai confini del paese e ha conosciuto l'Europa, combatte per lo shogun, nonostante non sia pienamente accettato dagli altri soldati perchè considerato un traditore della patria. Anche Yozo, per motivi diversi da Hana, si ritrova nel quartiere a luci rosse delle geishe, e, ovviamente, l'incontro tra i due protagonisti fa scoccare un sentimento molto intenso.
Yozo giura ad Hana che la tirerà fuori da quella prigione...
Devo ammettere che all'inizio questo libro mi ha annoiata non poco, ma poi la narrazione è riuscita a coinvolgermi, senza, però, conquistarmi completamente. Godibile, anche se scontati alcuni passaggi.
Mentre il marito è via, Hana rimane nella grande casa vuota, che, però, viene assediata dai militari. Hana fugge ma, sola, sconsolata ed ingenua, finisce con l'essere venduta ai proprietari di una casa di geishe e costretta con la violenza alla prostituzione.
La donna prova a ribellarsi, ma poi si adatta alla nuova situazione e pian pianino si rassegna a rimanere nel quartiere a luci rosse, lontana dalla guerra e circondata dal lusso.
Nel frattempo Yozo, uno dei pochi giapponesi che è uscito dai confini del paese e ha conosciuto l'Europa, combatte per lo shogun, nonostante non sia pienamente accettato dagli altri soldati perchè considerato un traditore della patria. Anche Yozo, per motivi diversi da Hana, si ritrova nel quartiere a luci rosse delle geishe, e, ovviamente, l'incontro tra i due protagonisti fa scoccare un sentimento molto intenso.
Yozo giura ad Hana che la tirerà fuori da quella prigione...
Devo ammettere che all'inizio questo libro mi ha annoiata non poco, ma poi la narrazione è riuscita a coinvolgermi, senza, però, conquistarmi completamente. Godibile, anche se scontati alcuni passaggi.
January 7, 2023
Wer such auf eine ausführlichen Liebesgeschichte freut wird hier eher enttäuscht.
Wer jedoch in das Leben und die alte Kultur Japans eintauchen möchte, hat mit diesem Buch sicher einen guten Einstieg.
Wer jedoch in das Leben und die alte Kultur Japans eintauchen möchte, hat mit diesem Buch sicher einen guten Einstieg.
September 27, 2016
Lo cierto es que no esperaba grandes cosas de este libro. Nada más leyendo la sinopsis sabía perfectamente qué me iba a encontrar, y como nunca he sido una gran amante de la novela romántica per se, no tenía demasiadas expectativas con respecto a esta novela. Así que, ¿qué decir de ella?
En general está bien. Tiene una lectura muy fácil y los capítulos son cortos, lo que agiliza el proceso y hace que prácticamente te comas el libro en muy pocos días. Eso es algo que agradezco mucho de esta literatura que, como ya he dicho, no es precisamente mi predilecta. Aunque la historia no es especialmente complicada ni tiene grandes giros argumentales, está bien; sí que me recordaba a Memorias de un geisha en cuanto a la idea general de 'muchacha vendida para servir y trabajar deleitando a los hombres', aunque el trasfondo es bastante diferente (más duro, más oscuro en algunos sentidos), pues una geisha no es lo mismo que una cortesana (como llaman amablemente en este libro a las prostitutas del Yoshiwara).
La ambientación del barrio de Yoshiwara es bastante chula y puedes visualizarla claramente en tu cabeza mientras Hana recorre sus calles. Sus partes me parecieron las más interesantes -todo el funcionamiento del barrio, la vida de una cortesana, etc-, al contrario de las de Yozo, que me resultaron un tanto tediosas. Quizás será porque la vida militar y los barcos no son lo mío. Sí me desconcertó a nivel histórico, pues había muchas cosas que desconocía de lo sucesivo a la Restauración Meiji, y eso me gustó, que la investigación sobre la época estuviese trabajada y detallada lo suficiente.
Los personajes, tanto los principales como los secundarios, están bien, aunque no me he sentido especialmente identificada ni apegada a ninguno de ellos; quizás porque no profundiza mucho en ellos, ya que el libro es bastante corto, y eso es una pega, como la impresión que he tenido de que todo se apresura demasiado al final. Creo que podría haberlo resuelto mejor y que el libro podría haber sido mejor en general, pero si lo que quieres es distraerte unos cuantos días, este libro es el adecuado, entonces.
En general está bien. Tiene una lectura muy fácil y los capítulos son cortos, lo que agiliza el proceso y hace que prácticamente te comas el libro en muy pocos días. Eso es algo que agradezco mucho de esta literatura que, como ya he dicho, no es precisamente mi predilecta. Aunque la historia no es especialmente complicada ni tiene grandes giros argumentales, está bien; sí que me recordaba a Memorias de un geisha en cuanto a la idea general de 'muchacha vendida para servir y trabajar deleitando a los hombres', aunque el trasfondo es bastante diferente (más duro, más oscuro en algunos sentidos), pues una geisha no es lo mismo que una cortesana (como llaman amablemente en este libro a las prostitutas del Yoshiwara).
La ambientación del barrio de Yoshiwara es bastante chula y puedes visualizarla claramente en tu cabeza mientras Hana recorre sus calles. Sus partes me parecieron las más interesantes -todo el funcionamiento del barrio, la vida de una cortesana, etc-, al contrario de las de Yozo, que me resultaron un tanto tediosas. Quizás será porque la vida militar y los barcos no son lo mío. Sí me desconcertó a nivel histórico, pues había muchas cosas que desconocía de lo sucesivo a la Restauración Meiji, y eso me gustó, que la investigación sobre la época estuviese trabajada y detallada lo suficiente.
Los personajes, tanto los principales como los secundarios, están bien, aunque no me he sentido especialmente identificada ni apegada a ninguno de ellos; quizás porque no profundiza mucho en ellos, ya que el libro es bastante corto, y eso es una pega, como la impresión que he tenido de que todo se apresura demasiado al final. Creo que podría haberlo resuelto mejor y que el libro podría haber sido mejor en general, pero si lo que quieres es distraerte unos cuantos días, este libro es el adecuado, entonces.
June 25, 2017
Ich habe lange vor diesem Buch gestanden und wollte es unbedingt haben.
Allein schon der Titel hat in mir Assoziationen wachgerufen, die mir gesagt haben, das wird ein geniales Buch und auch die Kurzbeschreibung klang in meinen Ohren sehr vielversprechend. Außerdem war mir auch die Autorin ein durchaus positivbehafteter Begriff.
Vielleicht aus genau diesen Gründen und auf der Tatsache basierend, dass ich sehr hohe Erwartungen an dieses Buch hatte, bin ich schwer entäuscht worden.
Die Charaktere waren -meiner Meinung nach- wandelnde Stereotype. Die Handlung leider auch. Sie war vorhersehbar und erfüllte so ziemlich jedes Cliché. Mir fallen nur wenige Dinge aus dieser Kiste jetzt noch fehlen ein. Außer vielleicht noh Hochzeit und Kind. Aber egal.
Gut gefallen hat mir die Sprache. Sie war angemessen. Leider wurden teilweise Begriffe in den Raum geworfen, mit denen "normale" Leser nicht unbedingt etwas anfangen können und die dann auch nicht, oder nur unzureichend erklärt werden. Das hat mich besonders gestört, da ich um meine Wissenslücken aufzufüllen immer abbrechen musste, um dann die Informationen nachzuschlagen. Mir hat das die Lesefreude deutlich getrübt.
Ich hätte eine etwas bildreichere Sprache noch passender für die angestrebten Wirkung und Wahrnehmung des Buches gefunden.
Wirklich gut war meiner Meinung nach die Recherche für dieses Buch. Allerdings ist das in meinr Auffassung auch selbstverständlich für einen guten Historienroman.
Ganz nebenbei flossen hier interessante geschichtliche Fakten mit ein. Das hat mir wirklich gut gefallen.
Nichts desto trotz fand ich das Buch eher mau. Das Geld hätte ich auch anderweitig investieren können und nochmal lesen wrde ih diesen Roman in näherer Zukunft wohl auch nicht.
Allein schon der Titel hat in mir Assoziationen wachgerufen, die mir gesagt haben, das wird ein geniales Buch und auch die Kurzbeschreibung klang in meinen Ohren sehr vielversprechend. Außerdem war mir auch die Autorin ein durchaus positivbehafteter Begriff.
Vielleicht aus genau diesen Gründen und auf der Tatsache basierend, dass ich sehr hohe Erwartungen an dieses Buch hatte, bin ich schwer entäuscht worden.
Die Charaktere waren -meiner Meinung nach- wandelnde Stereotype. Die Handlung leider auch. Sie war vorhersehbar und erfüllte so ziemlich jedes Cliché. Mir fallen nur wenige Dinge aus dieser Kiste jetzt noch fehlen ein. Außer vielleicht noh Hochzeit und Kind. Aber egal.
Gut gefallen hat mir die Sprache. Sie war angemessen. Leider wurden teilweise Begriffe in den Raum geworfen, mit denen "normale" Leser nicht unbedingt etwas anfangen können und die dann auch nicht, oder nur unzureichend erklärt werden. Das hat mich besonders gestört, da ich um meine Wissenslücken aufzufüllen immer abbrechen musste, um dann die Informationen nachzuschlagen. Mir hat das die Lesefreude deutlich getrübt.
Ich hätte eine etwas bildreichere Sprache noch passender für die angestrebten Wirkung und Wahrnehmung des Buches gefunden.
Wirklich gut war meiner Meinung nach die Recherche für dieses Buch. Allerdings ist das in meinr Auffassung auch selbstverständlich für einen guten Historienroman.
Ganz nebenbei flossen hier interessante geschichtliche Fakten mit ein. Das hat mir wirklich gut gefallen.
Nichts desto trotz fand ich das Buch eher mau. Das Geld hätte ich auch anderweitig investieren können und nochmal lesen wrde ih diesen Roman in näherer Zukunft wohl auch nicht.
September 26, 2017
Enttäuschend und langatmig
Während der Bürgerkrieg in Japan tobt und die Meiji-Ära eingeleitet wird muss Hana aus ihrem Zuhause fliehen, da ihr Mann auf der falschen Seite steht. Ihr bleibt nur die Flucht nach Yoshiwara, ein Vergnügungsviertel. Sie steigt rasch zur begehrtesten Kurtisane auf. Sie begegnet dem Samurai Yozo, der im Krieg ebenfalls zu den Verlierern gehörte, und beide fühlen sich sofort zueinander hingezogen. Doch eine Kurtisane darf sich nicht verlieben…
Das Buch ist großartig recherchiert, soweit ich das Beurteilen kann, und spiegelt die Verhältnisse zu dieser Zeit gut wieder. Der Schreibstil ist angenehm wortgewandt und schön zu lesen.
Allerdings wird dieses Buch als „Liebesroman“ geführt, die „Liebenden“ treffen sich allerdings erst nach etwa zwei Dritteln des Buches. Davor muss man seitenlange Beschreibungen von Landschaften, Kimonos und dem Krieg über sich ergehen lassen, die die Geschichte sehr langatmig wirken lassen. Ich habe dieses Buch mit der Erwartung gelesen, eine Liebesgeschichte zu bekommen und das ist es meiner Meinung nach nicht. Als Hana und Yozo sich endlich treffen, ist das Buch fast vorbei, bis überhaupt etwas passiert. Dann nimmt das Tempo der Erzählung rasend schnell zu und wenige Seiten später ist der Roman zu Ende.
Das Buch würde besser als historischer Roman mit romantischem Einschlag verkauft und nicht als Liebesroman, denn das weckt falsche Vorstellungen beim Leser. Ich bin wirklich etwas enttäuscht von diesem Buch.
Trotzdem drei Sterne, weil es gut recherchiert und sauber geschrieben ist.
Während der Bürgerkrieg in Japan tobt und die Meiji-Ära eingeleitet wird muss Hana aus ihrem Zuhause fliehen, da ihr Mann auf der falschen Seite steht. Ihr bleibt nur die Flucht nach Yoshiwara, ein Vergnügungsviertel. Sie steigt rasch zur begehrtesten Kurtisane auf. Sie begegnet dem Samurai Yozo, der im Krieg ebenfalls zu den Verlierern gehörte, und beide fühlen sich sofort zueinander hingezogen. Doch eine Kurtisane darf sich nicht verlieben…
Das Buch ist großartig recherchiert, soweit ich das Beurteilen kann, und spiegelt die Verhältnisse zu dieser Zeit gut wieder. Der Schreibstil ist angenehm wortgewandt und schön zu lesen.
Allerdings wird dieses Buch als „Liebesroman“ geführt, die „Liebenden“ treffen sich allerdings erst nach etwa zwei Dritteln des Buches. Davor muss man seitenlange Beschreibungen von Landschaften, Kimonos und dem Krieg über sich ergehen lassen, die die Geschichte sehr langatmig wirken lassen. Ich habe dieses Buch mit der Erwartung gelesen, eine Liebesgeschichte zu bekommen und das ist es meiner Meinung nach nicht. Als Hana und Yozo sich endlich treffen, ist das Buch fast vorbei, bis überhaupt etwas passiert. Dann nimmt das Tempo der Erzählung rasend schnell zu und wenige Seiten später ist der Roman zu Ende.
Das Buch würde besser als historischer Roman mit romantischem Einschlag verkauft und nicht als Liebesroman, denn das weckt falsche Vorstellungen beim Leser. Ich bin wirklich etwas enttäuscht von diesem Buch.
Trotzdem drei Sterne, weil es gut recherchiert und sauber geschrieben ist.
May 1, 2015
3.5 Stars. This was hard to get through. It had a lot of potential, and while it had a lot of wonderful information about Japan and it's traditions and culture, much like her other book The Last Concubine, which I did enjoy, though it shared some of the same issues. Unfortunately it also had a lot of dead spots and slow moving spaces. For me there was too much about the war and war fare, I see how it all adds up in the end, but I was looking more of the courtesan and her life. And it's not until well over 2/3rd's of the book that the lovers finally meet. I switched between an ebook and unabridged audio book, and don't think I would have stuck with it other wise. When it was good it was good, the descriptions of the brothel life, clothing, the bonding of the girls and their habits, but could have been much shorter all around. A little more depth placed around Hana and her past than on battles and such.
Probably won't be a reread, but might be a re-listen on a bad night to help me sleep. The reader was great really made it come alive, with a comfortable voice to listen to, though I found her pronunciation of Samurai odd. She did a good job at differentiating the voices, though some interesting accent choices for the Northern Japanese at some points, almost Scot like!
Probably won't be a reread, but might be a re-listen on a bad night to help me sleep. The reader was great really made it come alive, with a comfortable voice to listen to, though I found her pronunciation of Samurai odd. She did a good job at differentiating the voices, though some interesting accent choices for the Northern Japanese at some points, almost Scot like!
April 28, 2015
At the age of seventeen, Hana is expected to lead a life of a demure wife; however, due to a civil war sweeping over Japan, Hana’s husband must leave her to fight for the shogun. Alone and vulnerable, Hana’s household comes under attack by enemy soldiers, and is forced to flee. Seeking refuge in the Yoshiwara, Hana is suddenly sold and forced to train as a courtesan. During her time as a courtesan, Hana meets Yozo, an ally fugitive, and provides him with shelter. When an influential gangster attempts to buy Hana, she and Yozo must find a way to escape for their lives.
The Courtesan and the Samurai by Lesley Downer is a historical fiction novel that focuses on the Japanese civil war in 1868, and contains a hint of romance. This is the second time I have read this novel, and I have enjoyed it far more this time around.
The characters and their surrounding were described so well that I felt as though I was right there with them. I really enjoyed reading about the Yoshiwara, and wished that the novel focused a bit more on that. I really enjoyed reading it, and found it very absorbing.
For my full review, please follow the link: http://thebasicbookworm.blogspot.com/...
The Courtesan and the Samurai by Lesley Downer is a historical fiction novel that focuses on the Japanese civil war in 1868, and contains a hint of romance. This is the second time I have read this novel, and I have enjoyed it far more this time around.
The characters and their surrounding were described so well that I felt as though I was right there with them. I really enjoyed reading about the Yoshiwara, and wished that the novel focused a bit more on that. I really enjoyed reading it, and found it very absorbing.
For my full review, please follow the link: http://thebasicbookworm.blogspot.com/...
June 5, 2014
Lesley Downer s-a născut la Londra și a crescut într-o casă plină de cărți despre cultura și civilizația Asiei care i-au servit mai apoi drept inspirație și imbold pentru continuarea studiilor în Japonia. Aici rămâne timp de cinsprezece ani și se documentează pentru numeroasele cărți dedicate Țării Soarelui-Răsare.
Curtezana și samuraiul este doar una dintre operele care dezvăluie lumea exotică a gheișelor, alături de Madame Sadayakko: The Gheisha who Seduced the West (biografia actriței japoneze care a inspirat povestea operei Madame Butterfly de Puccini) și Ultima concubină.
Romanul porneşte acţiunea în anul 1868, într-o Japonie sfâşiată de un război civil care zguduie din temelii orânduiala clasică a lucrurilor. Ultimul shogun este învins şi soarele abia răsare asupra epocii împăraţilor. Schimbările de ordin politic sunt redate pe două planuri paralele care ajung să se întretaie printr-o frumoasă poveste de iubire dintre un samurai și o gheișă.
Continuarea recenziei o găsești aici http://www.bookblog.ro/recenzie/lumea...
Curtezana și samuraiul este doar una dintre operele care dezvăluie lumea exotică a gheișelor, alături de Madame Sadayakko: The Gheisha who Seduced the West (biografia actriței japoneze care a inspirat povestea operei Madame Butterfly de Puccini) și Ultima concubină.
Romanul porneşte acţiunea în anul 1868, într-o Japonie sfâşiată de un război civil care zguduie din temelii orânduiala clasică a lucrurilor. Ultimul shogun este învins şi soarele abia răsare asupra epocii împăraţilor. Schimbările de ordin politic sunt redate pe două planuri paralele care ajung să se întretaie printr-o frumoasă poveste de iubire dintre un samurai și o gheișă.
Continuarea recenziei o găsești aici http://www.bookblog.ro/recenzie/lumea...
July 12, 2016
Certain parts, like with Hana and the Courtesans she interacted with was fun to read as was the exciting fight scenes with the love interest. I did find myself daydreaming away through some parts with the whole wad of useless information or seemingly endless battle strategies. The ending I found slightly disappointing. I guess after all the excitement and the rich environment that they left behind the lovely dovey rubbish just couldn't get a reaction from me. I also wasn't surprised when someone shows up again, although I had imagined that Hana would have face her biggest fear and fought, even if she was going to die because she isn't as skilled. I guess I didn't like the fact that it was a man who had to be the thing to spark her desire to live and not her own possible freedom had she won the fight. We knew she could fight, she's a samurai wife for heavens sake, so you'd think after all the changes she went though and how comfortable she became in herself that she'd put up more of a fight.
February 18, 2018
Un po' banale la storia, con "concidenze" leggermente forzate, ma riesce comunque ad essere una lettura piacevole. Si vede chiaramente che l'autrice si intende di cultura e storia giapponesi. Gli avvenimenti che fanno da sfondo alla storia di Hana e Yozo sono storicamente accaduti, seppur aggiustati un poco per far filare il romanzo coi suoi personaggi fittizi. Non ci sono dubbi che ci sia stato uno studio accurato della Downer prima di cominciare a scrivere il romanzo.
October 23, 2011
I picked up this book because of the title and of course the summary. And the mysterious cover. I guess I started reading books like this since 'The Memoirs of a Geisha' (definitely worth reading!). However, this book disappoint me as it wasn't as good as The Memoirs of a Geisha and the real romance story only came in in the middle of the book.
Somewhere in the middle, the main character actually started to like her profession as a courtesan. And the way the author wrote the story is great but I somehow felt like skipping the part when the war talks came in. And it's pretty obvious that the Commander was actually Hanna's husband.
I was glad when I finally finished reading. It was an okay book, but not a book I would read twice.
Somewhere in the middle, the main character actually started to like her profession as a courtesan. And the way the author wrote the story is great but I somehow felt like skipping the part when the war talks came in. And it's pretty obvious that the Commander was actually Hanna's husband.
I was glad when I finally finished reading. It was an okay book, but not a book I would read twice.
August 3, 2012
Un piccolo gustoso capolavoro di storia giapponese.
La storia si svolge all'inizio dell'era Meiji, tra Yoshiwara - una famosa "città nella città" del piacere alle porte di Edo/Tokyo - e l'isola di Ezo (l'isola di Hokkaido ai giorni nostri), tra una guerra tra i più "civilizzati" uomini del sud e i più tradizionali uomini del nord, e una donna, Hana, moglie di un samurai, che si ritrova a diventare una delle più rinomate cortigiane del quartiere.
Un libro delizioso, alla rinnovata scoperta dei usi e costumi dei quartieri del piacere in Giappone, e che porta a conoscenza di un'interessante e, per me, sconosciuta, fetta della storia giapponese.
La storia si svolge all'inizio dell'era Meiji, tra Yoshiwara - una famosa "città nella città" del piacere alle porte di Edo/Tokyo - e l'isola di Ezo (l'isola di Hokkaido ai giorni nostri), tra una guerra tra i più "civilizzati" uomini del sud e i più tradizionali uomini del nord, e una donna, Hana, moglie di un samurai, che si ritrova a diventare una delle più rinomate cortigiane del quartiere.
Un libro delizioso, alla rinnovata scoperta dei usi e costumi dei quartieri del piacere in Giappone, e che porta a conoscenza di un'interessante e, per me, sconosciuta, fetta della storia giapponese.
September 12, 2012
The book is named The Courtesan and the Samurai, still it takes more than a half of the book (if you want the exact numbers it's 62,5%) for them to meet and a couple of pages to fall in love. Combined with a boring start and melodramatic in-the-last-second ending, I can't give it more than two stars. If you want a good japan historical book with a love story at its midst I recommend you to go for The Last Concubine instead.
November 8, 2016
Japanese setting with a Western story and Western body language, but not bad.
The period immediately after the Meiji restoration is a bit of a gray area for me, so it was interesting to get a tiny glimpse of it here. I can't say I learned a huge amount about the historical period as a whole but the descriptions of life in the pleasure district of Yoshiwara sounded quite convincing. I really enjoyed the brief non-fictional afterward at the end of the book and I have a feeling it might be worth reading Lesley Downer's documentary works about geisha in Kyoto.
The period immediately after the Meiji restoration is a bit of a gray area for me, so it was interesting to get a tiny glimpse of it here. I can't say I learned a huge amount about the historical period as a whole but the descriptions of life in the pleasure district of Yoshiwara sounded quite convincing. I really enjoyed the brief non-fictional afterward at the end of the book and I have a feeling it might be worth reading Lesley Downer's documentary works about geisha in Kyoto.
March 5, 2017
Me gustan las novelas con un toque de historia. Refleja mucho la sociedad japonesa a finales de la era Tokugawa. He leído reviews del libro y muchos se fueron con la finta de que es una novela de amor pero no es así. Su narrativa tiene dos enfoques: Hana, una abnegada esposa de un Samurai que por situaciones de guerra se ve obligada a ser cortesana y de Yozo, un Samurai fugitivo del ejército del shogunato.
Si bien hubo un punto en el que la novela me desesperó con la escritura en primera persona, se vuelve interesante a medida en que ambas historias se relacionan.
Si bien hubo un punto en el que la novela me desesperó con la escritura en primera persona, se vuelve interesante a medida en que ambas historias se relacionan.
June 1, 2021
I really enjoyed this book! Pretty much flew through it. I loved the historical setting and the characters. The only issue I had was the pacing where the book felt rushed towards the end. It took too long before the two main characters meet that by that point, there wasn't enough time to develop their relationship or the plot that followed. Surprisingly enough I actually enjoyed the insta-love in this book because I was invested in both of the characters prior to them meeting and by extension, ended up rooting for their romance despite the fact that it was underdeveloped.
March 22, 2011
Titolo italiano: Il kimono rosso
Senza mai scendere di ritmo il libro narra la storia di Hana e quella di Yozo, una giovane sposa ed un militare giapponese, durante il periodo delle guerre interne ottocentesche. Leggendo ci si immerge nello spirito vitale dell'epoca, molto diverso da quello occidentale, e se ne possono imparare con molta accuratezza usi e costumi.
La Downer è riuscita nell'impresa di trasmettere vita al suo romanzo.
Senza mai scendere di ritmo il libro narra la storia di Hana e quella di Yozo, una giovane sposa ed un militare giapponese, durante il periodo delle guerre interne ottocentesche. Leggendo ci si immerge nello spirito vitale dell'epoca, molto diverso da quello occidentale, e se ne possono imparare con molta accuratezza usi e costumi.
La Downer è riuscita nell'impresa di trasmettere vita al suo romanzo.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews