Стъклени гейши

by Susanna Quinn, Сузана Куин

Всяко момиче си има цена…

За Стефани работата в квартала за забавления „Ропонги” в Токио изглежда неустоимо привлекателна и доходна. Компаньонка в бар? Защо не! Съвременна гейша – приятен флирт с богати бизнесмени, изискани питиета, отлично заплащане и… никакъв секс. Приятелките й от училище Джулия и Анабел печелят много и твърдят, че всичко е напълно безопасно.

Да започне е лесно – клубовете търсят красиви европейки. Но почти веднага Стефани осъзнава, че Анабел е изчезнала, а Джулия се е превърнала в развалина. Зад блясъка и шума на нощните заведения се крие една перфектно смазана машина, която осигурява всякакви удоволствия на клиентите. Алкохолът и дрогата са неразделна част от живота.

Докато търси Анабел, Стефани се запознава с властната и харизматична Мама сан, която знае всичко за мъжете. И занаята. Историята на секс индустрията, разказана от нея пред английски журналист, се превръща в бестселър. Затова, когато Стефани „открадва” клиент от клуба й, за да изкара повече пари, тя си създава сериозен враг. Опасността става още по-голяма, когато младата жена неволно попада на етажа, където определено се вършат нередни неща. Стефани осъзнава, че трябва да напусне „Ропонги” възможно най-бързо. Ако иска да се върне в реалността.

Вдъхновена от истински случай, тази книга ще се запомни с емоционалното напрежение и усещането за автентичност. Запознайте се с тъмната страна на Токио!

Genres: Japan, Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

AKA J. Lerman
S. Quinn
S.K. Quinn

Reviews

[Isabel Hodges · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm quite intrigued by Japanese culture, and have read a non-fiction book recently about western girls who go missing in Roppongi, so I was immediately interested when I came across this book.

Subject matter wise, it didn't disappoint. I'm no expert but many of the factual parts of the story matched up with what I've read previously so it seems the author did her homework. I also liked the writing style. It was pretty light and easy to read, with an interesting thriller/mystery edge to the plot.

There are, however, a few things I disliked about this book. Each chapter follows one of three characters, Steph, Mama or Chastity. I feel that Chastity's chapters added little value to the book as a whole and I would have preferred the story of Steph or Mama to be built upon. I didn't particularly like any of the characters either. Steph doesn't listen to anyone, ignores all advice, doesn't take obvious hints and at the end I was left wondering if her actions actually helped anybody.

Much of the action and drama doesn't come until the end of the book and is over quite quickly, I would have liked more of this.

Overall, good idea, characters needed more development, and a bit more suspense wouldn't have gone amiss.

[M.L. Sparrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book turned out to be a bit of a disappointment to be honest. The blurb sounded really interesting and I love books about Japan, but this book failed to interest me. I did read it all the way through, which is why I'm doing this review, but it took me forever to finish and there were times I just wanted to stop all together. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all bad - I liked the insight into the shadier side of Japan and it was well written, if a little simplistic. Also, I liked Luke, though he didn't play a big part; he was the only well rounded Westener in the whole book. Mrs Sato was also a good character and she helped Steph to find herself.  

However, the problem I had with it was that I felt no connection with any of the characters. Steph drove me nuts in places, seriously how stupid and naive can you be? Common sense didn't play any part in this book. Also, ever ten seconds it was mentioned that she was looking for Annabel, or a reason was made for why she wasn't currently looking - I have an attention span and I don't constantly need things to be repeated! 

Also, the ending... There were a couple of good twists at the end which I didn't see coming, but I felt they were underdeveloped. Also, it seemed to end very abruptly. The whole book leads up to finding Annabel, then the mystery is solved in a few sentances, but nothing is done. It all felt very anti-climatic. 

All in all, if you feel like giving this book a try, I won't deter you because everyone has different tastes, but personally I felt it was a bit of a let down, especially when it had such a pretty cover. 

For more reviews and to see my favourite quotes from this book, check out my blog at http://mlsparrow.wix.com/mlsparrow

[Keira · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story follows Steph as she leaves her life behind to work as a hostess in Japan. Her plan is to meet up with two of her friends and earn enough money so that she could pay course fees at home. However things don't go exactly to plan.

This book grabbed my interest right away with it's theme and I thought it was pretty good. It explored the world of Japan's sex industry very well and I enjoyed the back story behind "Mama". Overall I loved the whole setting, however I felt it flopped slightly in plot and character area.

Steph came off as very rude and unlikeable to me. She came to the most expensive city in Japan with little money and presumed her friends would be there to care for her, despite having not spoken to them in months. She took months to finish reading Annabel's diary and kept loosing it for no reason other than simply leaving it in places.

There also the emails by Chastity that lead to nowhere and weren't really necessary.

[Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes I enjoyed the book, and after reading the Memoirs of a Geisha, I thought I would give this book a go - it was interesting to see the supposedly darker side of the water trade, and the nuggets of Japanese culture were the best parts by far. Steph was the most annoying protagonist, and it was so frustrating to read how she was looking for Annabel every other line, like yes, we as the reader DO understand that you are looking for Annabel. As a result, I feel like the Annabel reveal was anticlimactic and what should have been a great moment in the book ended up like a tyre slowly losing air. But the whole sleeping beauty subject was quite dark and interesting, and I do wish that we got to see more of Luke. The ending too was quite abrupt, I do wish it had carried on a little longer.

[Melda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seriously, did the lead character need to be such a moron?? Against the back drop of Tokyo's sex district Roppongi, we watch our lead actress get in, -get kicked in the butt- and get out of "the life of a sex worker". Of course, she has to meet an old and wise Geisha who "shows her the ropes" even though our girl somehow doesn't wake up and smell the coffee till the last second. I gave it two stars only because the life in the red light district of Tokyo that the author created sounded realistic.

[Greta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good idea, poor execution. Characters not likeable and lacking depth, story slowly builds to disappointing conclusion. Could have been so much better.

[Dawn Peers · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would be tacky for me to say "I'm really interested in Japanese culture, and have also read Memoirs Of A Geisha" however, I *am* really interested in Japanese culture and history and, in terms of literature, Memoirs of a Geisha is the only other book I have read that I can draw from in review of "Glass Geishas".

This is primarily because the books are different sides of the same coin, and both were brilliant. If you have read one and haven't read the other, I sincerely recommend that you do so.

Glass Geisha's is the "dark side" of Japan culture. Away from the delicately hard upbringing and training of the Kyoto Geisha, Quinn's novel is a hard hitting interpretation of the sex trade in Tokyo, and the way the lures of the bright lights and easy money can easily change even the most resolute of hearts. With one, you see the cultivation of a creature of intrigue and beauty over years of artisan training. With another, you see a drugs, alcohol and Yakuza-run industry breaking down the resolution and heart of intelligent young European girls in a mere matter of weeks.

I was surprised to learn that this is Quinn's first novel, and I read this in one full sitting. It is an accomplished and well-written book that is engaging in tone and does keep you turning the pages. It is graphic without being too full-on. It is scandalous without being disgusting. It is a book you really do have to read.

* this book was received free to review as part of the Amazon Vine program *

[Roxy Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glass Geishas pulled me in from the very first page. The writing style is fluid and engaging and the story incredibly gripping. I read it, cover to cover, in two sittings and was left wanting more. The Japanese culture is one that I knew nothing about, but the author has thoroughly researched the subject matter and goes onto to purvey her findings in incredible detail.

The story follows a young, naive, English girl who goes to Roppongi to meet up with some school friends and make some quick money. She instantly finds herself involved in the seedy world of the Japanese club scene with a string of debts and a lack of friends. The pace of the book speeds up in the second part and has a couple of unexpected twists at the end. The descriptive writing style was such that I found myself talking out loud to the characters!

This debut novel is sure to be the first of many and marks the emergence of a very talented author.

[Liv Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME book about murky world of Tokyo hostess bars. Refreshing to see women who drink, take drugs and have sex In the way actual women do, not like in chick-lit. Love the two older Japanese characters who explain about geishas and prostitution. A book about foreigners with respect for Japan. Great twist, too.

[Chantelle Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

While an interesting subject and easy to read, I found the protagonist most irritating in her pursuit of information. Many events were fairly predictable but the twist at the end was not one I saw coming. The letters i thought added nothing to the story. It's ok for some light reading.

[Camilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having lived in Japan as a teenager, I found the descriptions of adult Roppongi life quite different from what I experienced. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is unfamiliar with Japanese culture because it gives such a gloomy view of a beautiful people and their traditions.

[Maryam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Main character comes across as thoughtless and unsympathetic. Plus point is the book reads very quickly.

[Adelyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had quite high hopes for this one – the premise was interesting, set in a place which I have a log of interest in, and covering themes (like the hostess trade) that I’m not very familiar with – but unfortunately the book itself came short of that. While Quinn did well in maintaining an interesting overarching theme, with the use of both Mama’s and Steph’s points of view to show the distinction and similarities between the different eras, I thought both narrators were completely unlikeable and that really diminished how invested I was in either of the storylines. The unlikeable-ness of both narrators has nothing to do with the industry in which they are in, they both just seemed to have an incredible air of selfishness and entitlement. As for the use of a third narrator, Chastity, I really did not get her function in the story as a whole. The parts narrated by her (only taking the form of letters to a friend) were so brief that there was no way to get to know the girl she was, nor did she really add a third perspective as most of what she was saying was gossip anyway that was revealed through one of the two other narrators anyway.

The story starts off relatively well, with Steph making the trip to Tokyo in hopes of reuniting there with her friend Annabel who works as a hostess, only to find on arrival that things aren’t anywhere close to what she was expecting. That is fine, but she first gets on the nerves of pretty much every other local character that has been introduced thus far, with her obsession with finding her friend. There is no sense of responsibility (if you are looking to rent a room, the landlord cares primarily about renting out his room, not about helping you find your friend – especially when at this stage there was no concrete proof of anything potentially suspicious), and, like rightly pointed out by other characters in the book, soon enough Annabel was the last thing on Steph’s mind. We then go through a whole series of chapters which, frankly, seemed like Steph swinging back and forth between “finding Annabel is the most important thing in the world” to “I couldn’t care less, since my own survival is the priority”. The latter position I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with, as of course there is no way she could be of any help to Annabel had Steph found herself in trouble, but the way in which she flitted back and forth between the positions got annoying at one point. And when the Annabel reveal finally came… let’s just say that someone who was (at least in some parts) so obsessed with finding her friend should never have fallen for that. For me, the best part of the story were the bits involving Madam Kimono – I loved how she was training the maikos and explaining to Steph the rationale behind many of the practices which are traditional to Japan, and only in these scenes did I start to warm up a little to Steph, as I did feel like she was making an effort to understand all of what Madam Kimono was trying to teach.

After all this, the ending was disappointing to say the least. There were so many minor plotlines started throughout the book, and I thought was just crammed into the most minimal of endings possible. The Annabel reveal came and went in the space of about half a paragraph, after quite literally taking the reader around in circles around Roppongi. I’d sort of guessed the part about Mama, but again it was brushed under the carpet as “unforgivable”, without really elaborating as to why she was unable to let things go after so long, or even how she felt about things at the present time. As for my favourite character Madam Kimono, here the abrupt ending was even sadder for me, although I did anticipate a change in the mood of the story, somehow I had expected (or maybe hoped) for a better resolution – closure at least if not the ability to reconcile. For the insight into the Roppongi culture (though I know close to nothing on this topic to be a judge on accuracy) I give this one 3 stars, could have been at least a 4 had the ending been thought out a bit better.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I love Japan and tales there of, so was very keen on this book. A snap shot into the sex for sale scene in Tokyo. A chick Lit read with something interesting to offer about a culture not so many know much about.
But sadly the characters were very flimsy and unlikable and had no real depth. Maybe just what you need for a light easy read. But for me it made the story not so believable, and it is a real story happening in cities across the globe. Steph is vulnerable after bad experiences at home and yet she is incredibly cocky and shows such bravado in her first day in Tokyo, it doesn't add up. She takes big risks in dangerous situations without think of any consequences, something a vulnerable lass would surely question. But yes, I know, she is desperate!
The story moves on at a rapid and exiting pace and it is a good read from that point of view, it is a page turner, if lacking in any real depth and insight. There is no friendship or sense of camaraderie that would have made for a bit more feeling. Every one is quite cold.
Cultural references are skimmed over in an attempt to weave them into the story and offer up the delicate Japanese philosophy to us clumsy Westerners, who are too much in a hurry to earn quick money, money, money. The girls can also drink, drink, drink!!!! UURRGGGHHHH feel sick just thinking about being forced to consume so much booze! Scary that there is such a BIG market place for men wanting to buy girls in this way.
It is a good high pace drama of young western girls getting caught in the sex industry trap, but it's not much more than that. I am afraid.

[Reix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love reading about Japanese culture, maybe since I watched Memoirs of a geisha, long time ago. I was a teenager then, and I remembered the next thing I did after leaving cinema, was going to a bookshop and buying the novel in which the film was based. Later on, I started reading more books about geishas' way of life, and novels by Japanese writers like Kawabata, or Murakami. And a few years ago, I found this book in the place where I worked, in English, and I decided to buy it.
After a few years, I've finally decided to read it and I've really loved it. This is not a romantic book or something like that, as many people could thing just by the title or the photo... Is about sex traffic and Japanese mafias treating with Western girls, who go there searching to do a lot of money.
The book starts with a druged drunk woman who works as a hostess in one of the famouest clubs in Roppongi... One of her school friends, Steph, is supposed to meet her in Tokyo for sharing a room while working there, but when Steph comes to the place, there are no signs of Annabell: she's disappeared leaving behind her a lot of possessions and a diary full of secrets.
Steph will start to trail back the traces of Annabell, but something disturbing seems to be happening in Roppongi... Girls continuously disappear and the ones who continue there, seem to forget who they are, submerged in a spiral of prostitution, drugs and alcohol.

[Красимира · Rating 4 out of 5]

Увлекателен роман, който дава интересен поглед към секс квартала на Токио Ропонги и разнообразните услуги, които се предлагат там за заможните японци и техните западни бизнес партньори. Млади и симпатични западни момичета са изключително търсени, за да работят като компаньонки - съвременни гейши, които забавляват мъжете, но без да правят секс с клиентите си т.е. лесни пари и безкрайни забавления. Или поне така изглежда на пръв поглед... Оказва се твърде лесно да се плъзнеш по съсипваща низходяща спирала от алкохол, наркотици, дългове, секс, загуба на самоуважение и компулсивно пазаруване, което не оправя нещата. Книгата разказва историята на три жени с различни съдби и макар че никоя от героините не ми беше особено симпатична, атмосферата е добре изградена и научих любопитни нови неща за японската култура. Еротичната индустрия там доста се различава от всичко, за което съм чувала в Европа, и някои факти силно ме изненадаха.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells a story about Stephanie, a British foreigner who came to Tokyo Roppongi to try her luck getting money. She was due to meet her 2 friends: Julia and Annabel there. However, not only did Annabel disappear, but Julia was also acting strange toward her. She was determined to find where Annabel was while at the same time earning enough money to continue her acting classes.
The story started okay but as the chapters went on, I found Steph's obsession to find her friend too repetitive and inconsistent. Though it offered a detailed background of Roppongi, the story plot itself didn't really line up well in my opinion. Maybe it's meant to be this way, who knows!

[Sheu Quen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some things in this world that aren't meant for mortal eyes. Or ears. It was a good book. I learnt new things about Japan that I never knew existed (yes, I had to Google them too). There were times when things got a little too heavy and frightening because of what happened to the girls. And then there was the ridiculously annoying Steph who wouldn't stop bugging people about her friends Julia and Annabel no matter how many times these people told her to knock it off. A little mystery and a discovery at the end of the book nicely capped the story off. Yes, I enjoyed it anyway.

[Gina Sheldon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed being in the world of Glass Geishas and seeing a different side to Tokyo. To me this book was a modern insight to life in Roppongi and being a geisha-of-sort (hostess) in today's world. The different narratives within story worked well together. One negative to the plot was that I didn't think the email correspondence narrative was required because it didn't add to the story. However, this is a fantastic read, especially for those who love mystery, crime and adventure and those who are fans of Memoirs of a Geisha.

[Melody Egerton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed that this book had very few nods to Japanese culture, although it was set in Japan. I found the main character to be extremely unlikeable, and all of the other characters spoke in the same voice with no dynamic traits to set them apart. The best part of this book was the smutty drug- fueled Japanese underworld, but it was portrayed in such a way that I found I didn't visualise the setting to be in Japan at all.

A quick beach read without much depth.

[Fatin Nabila ⚡️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this on 2014. Tried to read it but I give up in the middle. This time I decided to start again and surprisingly I am enjoying the book so much 🍾 The writer described every scene perfectly! You got to discover and learn a new dark life in Japan. Scary, dark and twisty. Thank God for the happy ending ❤️

[kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful insight. As usual suzy shows an insight to a culture i wasnt aware of. Well researched sad in places and it makes you think of how lucky you are. Although its fiction, i think suzy has researched well and it has made me want to look into the Geisha and tokyo sex trade more. As usual, well done. Love your work

[Alison Woodland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as Girls Night Out. I was disappointed with it. I found it hard going and unfortunately for me the plot was a little boring. It was not until about 20 pages from the end that I became interested but the abrupt ending left thinking WHY did I read this. It is sad that I feel this way because I usually love the books by this author. Sorry Suzy

[Teija · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just had so many things wrong, from using Japanese incorrectly and people behaving in a non-Japanese ways to lacking characters and repetitive "plot". The main character especially lacked depth and her actions didn't make any sense. The climax and the answer to the mystery was frustrating and poorly written. The atmosphere had some redeeming qualities but over all this was messy.

[miss a r denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book!!!

After seeing the author on a programme about the Japanese ‘red light district’ I knew, although it was fictional book she knew what she was talking about!! Couldn’t put the book down and would think about it when I wasn’t reading it! Wish there was another one to follow… you won’t be disappointed…

[Uzair Roshdi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice change of narration and cultural elements that the usual 'down to earth' that I have been exposed to, and also the revelation of the other side of society.
However, the introduction of certain characters and the plot development between the characters somehow made the plot predictable. The ending itself is incomplete, which is a missed opportunity.

Regardless, it is a good read.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the way this book takes you right into the world of hostesses in Tokyo. Glass Geishas felt like it was written from experience, the scenes were so vivid. It has really stayed with me

[Dimana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Чиста загуба на време. Много обичам да чета за Япония и нейните традиции, но тази книга е само бегло подобие на нещо автентично. Замисъл има, идея- също, но изпълнението е безумно слабо! Абсурдни диалози, абсурдни образи, абсурден сюжет. Направо тъпа книга!

[Hansanie Kora · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept getting annoyed by the main character’s attitude towards the Japanese culture and practices. It was very weird how she starts detective work moment she doesn’t meet her friend. Was a boring read.

[Katarzyna Latawiec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Książka była wciągająca. Narracja jest prowadzona wielowątkowo. Wszystkie wątki się ze sobą zazębiają. Książka była bardzo ciekawa, można się z niej wiele dowiedzieć o seksbiznesie w Japonii na przestrzeni lat.