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Flowers by Night
A vivid, meticulously researched novel that depicts unconventional lives during the first half of the 19th century in Edo—the city that would become Tokyo—a city wracked by frequent natural disasters, but where one can find bawdy, thrilling entertainment of every kind. Love affairs between men are completely accepted in Edo, even among men married to women, but low-ranking samurai Uchida Tomonosuke has never pledged himself to another man. Until one day he accidentally crosses paths with a beautiful blind masseur who challenges everything he thought he knew about love between men. Ichi is a member of the Todoza, the guild of blind men, who are trained in massage and music. The Todoza taught Ichi how to be independent and self-sufficient, but he's still at the very lowest rungs of society. For the samurai and the masseur to be together, it will mean not only crossing class lines and negotiating Tomonosuke's unhappy wife, but also surviving earthquake, fire and famine. Step into a world in which the gay-straight binary doesn't exist, where androgyny in both men and women is celebrated. This thoroughly researched historical novel presents a realistic, deeply moving view of samurai, geisha, Japanese culture, and disability. It's also a steamy, explicit gay love story that knowingly bends the m-m romance genre.
298 pages, Paperback
Published December 15, 2020
37 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Lucy May Lennox
5 books115 followersLucy May Lennox is a connoisseur of novels featuring men with physical disabilities. After growing frustrated with all the cliches, ignorance and stereotypes, she decided to write her own positive take on disability. She also loves immersing herself in earlier historical periods and imagining the lives of people who don't usually make it into the history books. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest USA with her husband and children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
dnf
May 24, 2021Audio - 5 Stars
Story - dnf @ 37%
Unfortunately, I have to call it quits. The story is rich in culture and history. I loved that part. But the characters were just to caricature for my tastes so I really couldn't enjoy the story.
Story - dnf @ 37%
Unfortunately, I have to call it quits. The story is rich in culture and history. I loved that part. But the characters were just to caricature for my tastes so I really couldn't enjoy the story.
July 9, 2023
How could I have forgotten to rate this little gem of a book? Read this a while ago and it was incredibly interesting. Could have been better but still, its uniqueness and social & cultural depictions were stunning.
December 20, 2020
This is such an amazing and well researched book! I felt transported back to this time period. But my favorite aspect was the romance. The relationship between a samurai and a masseuse was just so sweet and moving. Check this book out… You won’t regret it!
July 9, 2023
This audiobook was interesting from the first untill the last word. I liked the story about 4 people ending up in 1 household. I had a hard time liking Tomonoke, him being weak, indecisive and self absorbed. The plot was realisticly meandering and all the details about Japan were well researched, according to the end notes. No big drama or heavy emotions but still a love story as the core.
The narrator had a pleasant voice and read well. No performance, what I like best. His voices were very similar but the expression was according to the text.
The narrator had a pleasant voice and read well. No performance, what I like best. His voices were very similar but the expression was according to the text.
February 9, 2022
5 Stars for the story AND 5 stars for the narration.
I have been to Japan more than 50 times, mostly for business. I fell in love with Japan on my first visit. I love the beauty of the countryside and the cities and most of all the friends I made and still keep. During my work there I made it as far north as Onikobe and Sendai and south to Kobe, Kyoto and Osaka. I regularly kept up with current politics so I could have deeper conversations with my Japanese friends. There were many things I did not understand about the big industrial leading companies and families of Japan even with explanations by my friends. I regret that I have not yet delved into Japan's history. This book has seduced me into researching more. In fact, I plan to read it in written form so I can research all of the terms, places and see if I can find art for the period. This book showed me some of how the big Japanese companies came from families of the Shogunate period. I read Shōgun 40 years ago, maybe there is more in my memory than I currently can recall. Anyway I am now hooked and will do further research.
I love historical books that allow me to be immersed in that time period and culture. The narrator also has a charming Japanese accent that adds immeasurably to the beauty of the audio book. The plot is very unique, I cannot think of any book remotely like this. All 4 of the main characters grow immensely because of all that befalls them over the course of action.
MC, low-ranking samurai Uchida Tomonosuke starts out very handsome, stoic and non verbal. You at least like him at the start, and I came to love him when he finally takes charge of their situation and leads. Ichi is a beautiful young man, blinded by a childhood illness. He was trained to be a masseuse and musician by the Todoza and is fully independent and productive member of society. These improbable guys fall head over heals for each other. Supporting characters are Tomanosuke's wife Okyo and her maid Ri. These women where harder for me to form attachments to, but I eventually loved them as well. Ms Lennox skillfully shows the strict class system of Edo period Japan. At first this keeps all MC's apart. The more I have traveled the world, the more I see this is true even now for all cultures, or at least all I have come into contact with. A major earthquake and fire cause an instant change of circumstances for this newly formed family and all have to grow and change and improve themselves to just survive. Through it all, Ms Lennox adds poetry and prose that gives grace to important milestones. At the lowest low, I wished I was reading actual words, so I could skip ahead to assure myself of a decent end. Even though a HEA is part of this genre, the dire straits made me very concerned.
I think this would make an amazing movie or mini-series. Costumes, fireworks, earthquake, swords, theater, music, imperious dragon lady (Tomo's mother), etc.....
At the close of the book, the author gives a tremendous listing of English translations for the poetry, almanac for Edo era women, etc... A true gift for those who want to continue to research.
I think I will visit this book both written and narrated for many years to come.
I have been to Japan more than 50 times, mostly for business. I fell in love with Japan on my first visit. I love the beauty of the countryside and the cities and most of all the friends I made and still keep. During my work there I made it as far north as Onikobe and Sendai and south to Kobe, Kyoto and Osaka. I regularly kept up with current politics so I could have deeper conversations with my Japanese friends. There were many things I did not understand about the big industrial leading companies and families of Japan even with explanations by my friends. I regret that I have not yet delved into Japan's history. This book has seduced me into researching more. In fact, I plan to read it in written form so I can research all of the terms, places and see if I can find art for the period. This book showed me some of how the big Japanese companies came from families of the Shogunate period. I read Shōgun 40 years ago, maybe there is more in my memory than I currently can recall. Anyway I am now hooked and will do further research.
I love historical books that allow me to be immersed in that time period and culture. The narrator also has a charming Japanese accent that adds immeasurably to the beauty of the audio book. The plot is very unique, I cannot think of any book remotely like this. All 4 of the main characters grow immensely because of all that befalls them over the course of action.
MC, low-ranking samurai Uchida Tomonosuke starts out very handsome, stoic and non verbal. You at least like him at the start, and I came to love him when he finally takes charge of their situation and leads. Ichi is a beautiful young man, blinded by a childhood illness. He was trained to be a masseuse and musician by the Todoza and is fully independent and productive member of society. These improbable guys fall head over heals for each other. Supporting characters are Tomanosuke's wife Okyo and her maid Ri. These women where harder for me to form attachments to, but I eventually loved them as well. Ms Lennox skillfully shows the strict class system of Edo period Japan. At first this keeps all MC's apart. The more I have traveled the world, the more I see this is true even now for all cultures, or at least all I have come into contact with. A major earthquake and fire cause an instant change of circumstances for this newly formed family and all have to grow and change and improve themselves to just survive. Through it all, Ms Lennox adds poetry and prose that gives grace to important milestones. At the lowest low, I wished I was reading actual words, so I could skip ahead to assure myself of a decent end. Even though a HEA is part of this genre, the dire straits made me very concerned.
I think this would make an amazing movie or mini-series. Costumes, fireworks, earthquake, swords, theater, music, imperious dragon lady (Tomo's mother), etc.....
At the close of the book, the author gives a tremendous listing of English translations for the poetry, almanac for Edo era women, etc... A true gift for those who want to continue to research.
I think I will visit this book both written and narrated for many years to come.
February 17, 2021
Japan in the Edo period is a setting I find intensely fascinating, so it should come as no surprise that the prospect of a historical M/M romance set there immediately caught my attention. As it turned out, I didn't actually care all that much for the romance aspect in this book, at least when it comes to the romance between Ichi and Tomonosuke (mostly because I found the latter to be a very hard to like character) - both the minor F/F relationships that play a role in the story were more interesting to me. That said, I wasn't all that bothered by not really being into the lovestory at the centre of the book because I loved everything else about it. It's clear that an immense amount of research went into the wonderfully rendered settings, the story never got boring, and I really enjoyed the developing relationship between all the characters as well as the development of the characters themselves. Okyo turned out to be the one that surprised me most. I went from (presumably intended) intense dislike of her when she first stepped onto the page to loving her. By the time I was halfway throught the book, she had become my favourite character - that brilliantly acerbic woman has no time for her useless husband's nonsense, and I was so here for it! I loved seeing them all come together into a true family over the course of the story.
*** I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
*** I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
October 13, 2022
A quiet thoughtful plot with a strong sense of culture, time and space. There was much norms, mores and duties to be gleaned and appreciated with no less than four well developed MCs (two male and two female). I was surprised at the pre-European tolerance of male same-sex partnering. Through earthquake, fire and famine - the author deftly builds the emotional bonds between these four as they struggle to survive and build an unconventional but amazing family group. 4.5 worthy stars.
December 17, 2020
Everything one could want in a historical romance.
Feudal Japan comes to life with rich an meticulously detailed descriptions.
The characters are compelling and believable and the story and visualizations flow like a well written manga.
Ms Lennox is in her element with historical details about a fascinating past culture.
I'll read this one again and again
Feudal Japan comes to life with rich an meticulously detailed descriptions.
The characters are compelling and believable and the story and visualizations flow like a well written manga.
Ms Lennox is in her element with historical details about a fascinating past culture.
I'll read this one again and again
January 5, 2022
Excellent read. This was so well-researched and really does give you a glimpse into 19th century Japan. While I am versed in some of the cultural and historical nuances covered rather extensively in the book, it was only a glancing rudimentary knowledge so it was fascinating to read more in-depth on so much of what was covered. More than that the characters really came to life and endeared themselves to me as a reader. Though I think the character I struggled with the most was Tomonosuke. He's such a plodding...MAN (!) throughout a good majority (I'm talking right until the ending chapters) of the book, sometimes it's hard not to want to reach through the pages and knock him upside the head. You definitely begin to understand, and sympathize most sincerely with Okyo's plight. But having Tomo be any different to how he was written would have detracted from the realism that it was apparent the author was going for. Surprisingly, I think I was most gratified and heartened by the growth and ever-evolving dynamic between him and Okyo by the end.
I also very much loved and appreciated the characterization of Ichi, what a beautiful soul written in the pages of a book. He really was the backbone to not only the entire story but every relationship he made and nurtured. He's a heroic character if there ever was one. While the beginning of the novel starts out quite slow, stick with it, much like the exalted Legend of the Eight Dogs (if you know, you know) it gets better with each turn of the page. Most particularly once more characters start being introduced. If you're not terribly interested in the cultural history of Japan it might be difficult to get through as it's a heavily saturated fact-based fiction, but if you are or would like to give it a try I would highly recommend this read.
I also very much loved and appreciated the characterization of Ichi, what a beautiful soul written in the pages of a book. He really was the backbone to not only the entire story but every relationship he made and nurtured. He's a heroic character if there ever was one. While the beginning of the novel starts out quite slow, stick with it, much like the exalted Legend of the Eight Dogs (if you know, you know) it gets better with each turn of the page. Most particularly once more characters start being introduced. If you're not terribly interested in the cultural history of Japan it might be difficult to get through as it's a heavily saturated fact-based fiction, but if you are or would like to give it a try I would highly recommend this read.
February 1, 2021
This is such a wonderful read, and such a great tale. I fell in love with Tomonosuke and Ichi right away, both so well-rounded, well-written characters, and got invested in their relationship and their fate which doesn’t happen often for me. The secondary protagonists, Okyo and Ri, took a bit longer to warm to, but then I thoroughly enjoyed how well their issues and motivations were also addressed, and how things worked out for them. At times, I wanted to slap Tomonosuke for his condescending or ignorant behaviour towards Ichi, although it was pretty clear he behaved just as you’d expect from a male in his position in his time and culture. In fact, one of my favourite parts of this story is how well the cultural and historcial context was relayed through the narration style, and how easy it was for me to get a feeling of this culture, and to understand foreign-to-me details and concepts through expertly-used context, without the need of spelling things out plainly as you find so often in stories these days. I’ve been mostly ignorant of Japanese culture before, and historic culture in particular, and didn’t expect to find it so easy to get immersed in the story. Another highlight was how the author treated the cultural customs about relationships, (homo)sexuality, and disability. It’s rare to find these subjects treated so well and be clearly well-researched in historical fiction. Highly recommended!
March 9, 2022
Lovely! A sweet and sensory-rich meander through early 1800s Japanese culture, this was a soothing read that I was always pleased to come back to each day. Even when more dramatic things happened, it never got too brutal, and the sense that these characters would take care of each other always shone through. It's a m/m love story between a samurai (in terms of his social class; hardly any actual swordplay takes place) and a blind masseur-musician, and while the samurai is married, I especially liked that his wife does not become the villain. In fact, she and her maid are dedicated lovers, and the four of them become something of an unlikely family when one upheaval after another rolls their way. The writing felt sweet and gentle despite some of the harsh aspects of society at that time, and the story taught me some fascinating things I didn't know regarding gender, sexuality, class, and theater of the era. Plus as any good historical novel set in Japan should, it contains especially delicious details regarding cherry blossoms, poetry, silk kimonos, and tea.
February 8, 2022
Loved itl
I marvel at how much studying of 19th century Japanese culture Lucy Lennox must have done in order to have written so evocatively. I was there. I could see our surroundings as though I were walking beside the MCs, Ichi, Tomonosuke, Okyo, and Rin. I loved this book and I highly recommend it. However, it you're looking for a romance novel, although there is a love story, this book is not for you. It's not so much about the characters romantic relationships as it is about the misadventures of their lives; how they grow as a result of adversities and not only survive but triumph to live as they wish.
I marvel at how much studying of 19th century Japanese culture Lucy Lennox must have done in order to have written so evocatively. I was there. I could see our surroundings as though I were walking beside the MCs, Ichi, Tomonosuke, Okyo, and Rin. I loved this book and I highly recommend it. However, it you're looking for a romance novel, although there is a love story, this book is not for you. It's not so much about the characters romantic relationships as it is about the misadventures of their lives; how they grow as a result of adversities and not only survive but triumph to live as they wish.
January 23, 2021
I enjoyed this so much! Great setting, fascinating and well-done characters, intriguing development of the characters and the plot - I was drawn into the story right from the start and couldn't put the book down until I finished. I particularly enjoyed how the narration style suited the cultural and historical context, how well you drew the reader into the historical Japanese culture, and how you treated the unfamiliar-to-most cultural customs about relationships and (homo)sexuality.
This was a great read, I'm looking forward to your next works!
This was a great read, I'm looking forward to your next works!
Read
January 5, 2021Strap in ladies and gentlemen for one of those glorious all-nighter reads. Flowers by Night by the remarkable Lucy May Lennox is a piece of art that depicts life and love in 19th century Japan. The characters and their relations are enthralling, coupled with the vivid depictions of pre-modern Japan and its unique unwesternised culture, makes a truly transfixing read. The portrayals of gender and sexuality, social hierarchies as the characters live and grow is mesmeric. This is officially one of my favourite historical romance reads, an astonishing feat. I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book, if I could give 6 stars I would.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 9, 2021
Nicely researched and interspersed throughout with references to actual places, events, and people, this tale is almost a summary of a heroic saga of a long-gone era. Although the"heroes" are fairly common people, from the varying social classes of the times, their existence is brought to life in a story that winds through hardships shared, misunderstandings and affinities.
A detailed glossary and bibliography at the end offers the enchanted reader the possibility to further investigate the interest in this culture that may have been felt budding and blossomed during the adventures and trials of the four protagonists.
A detailed glossary and bibliography at the end offers the enchanted reader the possibility to further investigate the interest in this culture that may have been felt budding and blossomed during the adventures and trials of the four protagonists.
April 16, 2022
This novel is exquisitely written and includes lots of historical detail. The plot goes in unexpected (to me) directions and, although a trope I detest comes in at about the 25% mark, things don't go as they usually do, thank goodness. The audiobook narrator, Payton Huang, is expressive and precise. Hope to hear more from him. And this is my kind of romance, where the couple gets together early on in the story, not in the last ten pages, and they don't fight/break up every ten pages either. I'd like to re-read or re-listen to this in the future.
July 31, 2022
Flowers by Night is an incredible book based in Edo Japan. The author did a lot of research, and she was able to provide information about Japan without it being anything like a textbook. Rather, it was an incredibly engaging story. Her writing style is great, in my opinion, and descriptive enough to let the reader have a better grasp of the history and environment in the novel. I'm passionate about Japanese history and the Japanese language, and I learned so much from this book. Five stars overall.
February 20, 2021
Flowers by Night is a thoroughly transporting read. The combination of wonderful characters, an engaging plot, and rich descriptions of 19th century Japan come together for a highly entertaining and well-written story.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC for free and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC for free and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.
March 29, 2021
Amazing
Such an informative, enchanting book. So well researched. The characters so complex and interesting. Multiple levels of love, desire and respect shown. Never have read of this era and place. Very interesting
Such an informative, enchanting book. So well researched. The characters so complex and interesting. Multiple levels of love, desire and respect shown. Never have read of this era and place. Very interesting
October 24, 2021
Meticulously researched and beautifully written tale of unusual love stories. Great characters and wonderfully plotted story. Recommend reading in as few sessions as possible to maintain the aura of the historical era.
February 20, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. Tomo (I shortened his name) is a third son and samurai warrior in the 1800s in Japan. He walks into a tearoom and comes across a blind young man who is trying to order a drink. But because Ichi is blind he is a non person and treated like dirt. Tomo sticks up for him and their relationship starts there.
In the beginning, Tomo looks at Ichi like Ichi needs him and that since Ichi is blind, he is helpless. But he is so wrong.
I love how everything changes and Tomo becomes dependent upon his lover, his wife, and other friends. He finally sees Ichi clearly.
This is a lust to true love story. Tomo and Ichi go through so much together (with Tomos wife and her girlfriend as well) poverty, famine, and family rejection. So good.
In the beginning, Tomo looks at Ichi like Ichi needs him and that since Ichi is blind, he is helpless. But he is so wrong.
I love how everything changes and Tomo becomes dependent upon his lover, his wife, and other friends. He finally sees Ichi clearly.
This is a lust to true love story. Tomo and Ichi go through so much together (with Tomos wife and her girlfriend as well) poverty, famine, and family rejection. So good.
September 28, 2024
This is an exceptionally beautiful novel that is a complete immersion into more ordinary life in the Japan of the early 1800s but its contradiction is that ordinary Japan is still very exotic to Western readers. I have to assume from her name that the author is not Japanese but it's precisely because she isn't that she writes so well about historic Japan. With an outsider's view, Lucy May Lennox brings the reader the kind of granular details that makes her setting come very much alive. The era of the novel is the early 1800s, just a few decades before Japan would be pried open by the West and transformed by industrialization.
In the novel Shogun, we get a depiction of Japan from an earlier era and see it through the Western eyes of its English protagonist. In Flowers By Night, we have no Westerners so the author has taken on the challenge of showing us this world without clumsily explaining it and in this she has been highly successful. I've always been fascinated by Japan and know something of its history but this is the first novel I have read in which I was immersed in the Floating World of Edo before it became Tokyo. Later, I was taken on an adventure with a troupe of traveling entertainers led by a flamboyant and androgynous chanter/story teller. What makes the narrative work so well is that the characters are all strongly defined and relatable. All but a few them are confined by the rules of a rigid hierarchy and it is these restrictions which power the narrative and give the protagonists their obstacles to overcome.
I've never read anything quite like this book but in some ways it's a little like Gary Jennings' Aztec in that the main character, Tomonosuke, is forced into a series of migrations which show us the different regions of a bygone world. The most harrowing chapters are in the snowy north which has some extreme challenges for our samurai and his unconventional family. The author is also greatly skilled at getting inside the mindset of a blind man. One of many brilliantly vivid moments is when he gives directions to his sighted "elder brother" and does so by what he heard, smelled and touched on the way to the destination.
The love affair between a samurai and a blind masseur (a hinin or non-person) is fresh and intriguing. Prudish readers should be aware that there are some very explicit descriptions of sexual acts between men. I also have to note, to my surprise, that this novel has very little violence in it, something I expected given that its main protagonist is a samurai who like everyone in the warrior class, always carries a sword. Instead, the dynamics revolve around issues of friendship, family, safety and survival -- the battles are with rigid traditions, not warlords. The writer has lavish details about clothing and food and I will soon have to visit Little Tokyo where I live in Los Angeles to see if I can get some toasted mochi flavored with soy sauce and wrapped with seaweed. The research for this novel has indeed been quite meticulous.
This is one of those novels where you are so sad to say sayonara.
In the novel Shogun, we get a depiction of Japan from an earlier era and see it through the Western eyes of its English protagonist. In Flowers By Night, we have no Westerners so the author has taken on the challenge of showing us this world without clumsily explaining it and in this she has been highly successful. I've always been fascinated by Japan and know something of its history but this is the first novel I have read in which I was immersed in the Floating World of Edo before it became Tokyo. Later, I was taken on an adventure with a troupe of traveling entertainers led by a flamboyant and androgynous chanter/story teller. What makes the narrative work so well is that the characters are all strongly defined and relatable. All but a few them are confined by the rules of a rigid hierarchy and it is these restrictions which power the narrative and give the protagonists their obstacles to overcome.
I've never read anything quite like this book but in some ways it's a little like Gary Jennings' Aztec in that the main character, Tomonosuke, is forced into a series of migrations which show us the different regions of a bygone world. The most harrowing chapters are in the snowy north which has some extreme challenges for our samurai and his unconventional family. The author is also greatly skilled at getting inside the mindset of a blind man. One of many brilliantly vivid moments is when he gives directions to his sighted "elder brother" and does so by what he heard, smelled and touched on the way to the destination.
The love affair between a samurai and a blind masseur (a hinin or non-person) is fresh and intriguing. Prudish readers should be aware that there are some very explicit descriptions of sexual acts between men. I also have to note, to my surprise, that this novel has very little violence in it, something I expected given that its main protagonist is a samurai who like everyone in the warrior class, always carries a sword. Instead, the dynamics revolve around issues of friendship, family, safety and survival -- the battles are with rigid traditions, not warlords. The writer has lavish details about clothing and food and I will soon have to visit Little Tokyo where I live in Los Angeles to see if I can get some toasted mochi flavored with soy sauce and wrapped with seaweed. The research for this novel has indeed been quite meticulous.
This is one of those novels where you are so sad to say sayonara.
March 5, 2021
Took time for me to become invested, but I'm glad I did.
At first I thought the only draw would be the archaic acceptance of homosexuality in Japan. I was expecting all of stereotypes that come with that perception (the jealous "demon" wife, the lovers' suicide, etc.). By the first thirty pages, my interests dimmed.
Reading on, however, I realized Flowers by Night is a broader romp into LGBTQ+ history and culture that once existed, one that doesn't shame the characters involved. Lennox also delves into the crueler realities and social prejudices for anyone with physical disabilities, women, and the poor, which (sadly) persist in modern Japan today. Yet even with these limitations, these characters continue to be charming and proceed with integrity. Such depth was unexpected in this short book, and I quite welcomed it.
While I think certain plot points were resolved with surprising speed (like the main leads' romance and the second half's major conflict), I appreciate that there was proper build up to them. Events that take place aren't last minute games of chance. Lennox wrote every story beat with careful attention. Regardless of whether they landed for me or not, I am impressed by her solid consistency.
Since I was already familiar with this period of Japanese history, I appreciated the richness of the imagery and terminology. I was concerned by for readers who weren't at first, since too much might make them a bit lost. Then again, maybe the ones who are the most willing to stick to the story will forgive it. There are highly helpful author's notes and a glossary at the back of the book, which I believe will help paperback readers. Not sure about the ebook ones.
I liked how Hakkenden and Bakin's historical blindness are used to set a good time frame for the narrative. Yet I felt the characters' meeting with the famous author was a bit off and borderline Magic School Bus territory. Like Nina staring down Stalin in The Huntress , the entire conversation felt like wish fulfillment rather than historical accuracy. Even so, I accept that it does a service for the fictional narrative.
Flowers by Night is a heartening read that left me on a fine note. The ending will make many LGBTQ+ readers pleased, I'm sure. And considering how often these sort of stories typically end with death and/or heartbreak, I can at least point to one narrative set in Edo period Japan that doesn't do that. Perhaps those desires are far too contemporary for the setting. It's lovely to me. Hoping to read more of Lennox's work!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
At first I thought the only draw would be the archaic acceptance of homosexuality in Japan. I was expecting all of stereotypes that come with that perception (the jealous "demon" wife, the lovers' suicide, etc.). By the first thirty pages, my interests dimmed.
Reading on, however, I realized Flowers by Night is a broader romp into LGBTQ+ history and culture that once existed, one that doesn't shame the characters involved. Lennox also delves into the crueler realities and social prejudices for anyone with physical disabilities, women, and the poor, which (sadly) persist in modern Japan today. Yet even with these limitations, these characters continue to be charming and proceed with integrity. Such depth was unexpected in this short book, and I quite welcomed it.
While I think certain plot points were resolved with surprising speed (like the main leads' romance and the second half's major conflict), I appreciate that there was proper build up to them. Events that take place aren't last minute games of chance. Lennox wrote every story beat with careful attention. Regardless of whether they landed for me or not, I am impressed by her solid consistency.
Since I was already familiar with this period of Japanese history, I appreciated the richness of the imagery and terminology. I was concerned by for readers who weren't at first, since too much might make them a bit lost. Then again, maybe the ones who are the most willing to stick to the story will forgive it. There are highly helpful author's notes and a glossary at the back of the book, which I believe will help paperback readers. Not sure about the ebook ones.
I liked how Hakkenden and Bakin's historical blindness are used to set a good time frame for the narrative. Yet I felt the characters' meeting with the famous author was a bit off and borderline Magic School Bus territory. Like Nina staring down Stalin in The Huntress , the entire conversation felt like wish fulfillment rather than historical accuracy. Even so, I accept that it does a service for the fictional narrative.
Flowers by Night is a heartening read that left me on a fine note. The ending will make many LGBTQ+ readers pleased, I'm sure. And considering how often these sort of stories typically end with death and/or heartbreak, I can at least point to one narrative set in Edo period Japan that doesn't do that. Perhaps those desires are far too contemporary for the setting. It's lovely to me. Hoping to read more of Lennox's work!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 30, 2021
I enjoyed this story – partly for its length (readable in a day) and its economy of prose. It had similar a rhythm and structure as translations from Japanese novels I have read, which have always appealed to me, so I had zero problems with the author's style or execution and actually am pretty impressed that they managed to mimic that well the style of an English translation of a Japanese novel that the tone at no point was inconsistent or jarring.
But more than that, I found the plight of the characters quite absorbing. The tale wasn't savagely gripping or amazingly passionate, I wasn't sitting on the edge of my seat or articulating any responses out loud, but the twists and turns of the plot felt quite realistic to me - and reminded me of that apocryphal saying: May you live in interesting times. Everyone in this tale is having a relatively nice, predictable and uninteresting life, not perfect but certainly with lots of room for it to be worse, which is kind of what happens.
I would say the story is very much less of a romance than the synopsis makes it sound. It's more like a family tale, and perhaps even a social account. There was a strong emphasis on how people of that time were very much at the mercy of climate, that their lives revolved around – and more importantly depended upon – the seasons, that there was a great deal of tradition and expectation involved in everything they did if they were in a position of even slight privilege, and the book painted a very vivid picture of life for people in that place and time.
I think some criticism I have read about the book perhaps expected things this book didn't deliver, but for me it was an impulse purchase based on the sample chapter and I can say I did not feel like the time spent reading it was wasted. I think if you are not concerned with relationships and families that conform to heteronormative rules, and you like semi-historical tales, this little snapshot of fictional life and personal drama in Edo Japan will entertain sufficiently in the time it takes to read it.
But more than that, I found the plight of the characters quite absorbing. The tale wasn't savagely gripping or amazingly passionate, I wasn't sitting on the edge of my seat or articulating any responses out loud, but the twists and turns of the plot felt quite realistic to me - and reminded me of that apocryphal saying: May you live in interesting times. Everyone in this tale is having a relatively nice, predictable and uninteresting life, not perfect but certainly with lots of room for it to be worse, which is kind of what happens.
I would say the story is very much less of a romance than the synopsis makes it sound. It's more like a family tale, and perhaps even a social account. There was a strong emphasis on how people of that time were very much at the mercy of climate, that their lives revolved around – and more importantly depended upon – the seasons, that there was a great deal of tradition and expectation involved in everything they did if they were in a position of even slight privilege, and the book painted a very vivid picture of life for people in that place and time.
I think some criticism I have read about the book perhaps expected things this book didn't deliver, but for me it was an impulse purchase based on the sample chapter and I can say I did not feel like the time spent reading it was wasted. I think if you are not concerned with relationships and families that conform to heteronormative rules, and you like semi-historical tales, this little snapshot of fictional life and personal drama in Edo Japan will entertain sufficiently in the time it takes to read it.
July 7, 2021
REVIEW TIME!!
🌻
Flowers By Night by Lucy May Lennox is a LGBTQ historical fiction set in the background of Japan. The story follows the life of two humans, Ichi who belongs to the Todoza and gives massage service and Uchida Tomonosuke who is a lower rank samurai . Everything goes fine until oneday their paths cross and sets their soul on fire with love and desire for each other. In those days, having "elder brothers" for pleasures were common and accepted even among married men, but for these two to be United, would involve class clash and Tomonosuke coming in terms with his real self.
📖
This comprisee the plot of the story. I found this #synopsis very appeling and also having read #aristotleanddantediscoverthesecretsoftheuniverse I was craving for a story like that. Hence the pick.
🔷
The story is well researched when it come to the historical account and also the character development is amazinggg. Both have their ways of dealing with themselves and with the world. Definitely a big clap to the writer for the above two stuffs.
🔷
Now what I disliked about the story are that,
First of all, it drags in many parts. I felt many things and characters were unnecessarily introduced which just slowed down the book . So that's one.
Another thing, the love story, which I felt was more dependent on physical intimacy. The emotions were not very nicely upgraded. Of course, I get that, certain times, physical closeness manifests the emotion of love, but in this story, the latter was very scarcely available. It felt all in the physical level. I would have loved it more, had the emphasis was given more on the latter.
But it's okay! There's always a scope for improvement and hence reviews and ratings. The story was really good with amazing historical Japan and these two amazing characters. So yes, do give the book a try😄
Ratings : 3.5/5🌟
Lastly, would love to thank @booksirens
for giving this as #arccopy .
Happy reading!
🌻
Flowers By Night by Lucy May Lennox is a LGBTQ historical fiction set in the background of Japan. The story follows the life of two humans, Ichi who belongs to the Todoza and gives massage service and Uchida Tomonosuke who is a lower rank samurai . Everything goes fine until oneday their paths cross and sets their soul on fire with love and desire for each other. In those days, having "elder brothers" for pleasures were common and accepted even among married men, but for these two to be United, would involve class clash and Tomonosuke coming in terms with his real self.
📖
This comprisee the plot of the story. I found this #synopsis very appeling and also having read #aristotleanddantediscoverthesecretsoftheuniverse I was craving for a story like that. Hence the pick.
🔷
The story is well researched when it come to the historical account and also the character development is amazinggg. Both have their ways of dealing with themselves and with the world. Definitely a big clap to the writer for the above two stuffs.
🔷
Now what I disliked about the story are that,
First of all, it drags in many parts. I felt many things and characters were unnecessarily introduced which just slowed down the book . So that's one.
Another thing, the love story, which I felt was more dependent on physical intimacy. The emotions were not very nicely upgraded. Of course, I get that, certain times, physical closeness manifests the emotion of love, but in this story, the latter was very scarcely available. It felt all in the physical level. I would have loved it more, had the emphasis was given more on the latter.
But it's okay! There's always a scope for improvement and hence reviews and ratings. The story was really good with amazing historical Japan and these two amazing characters. So yes, do give the book a try😄
Ratings : 3.5/5🌟
Lastly, would love to thank @booksirens
for giving this as #arccopy .
Happy reading!
March 11, 2024
“The Buddha taught compassion for all people, but non-persons were exempt from such considerations.”
Richly detailed and effectively told, Flowers by Night tells the story of Ichi, a blind hinin or non-person, and his love affair with a mid-level Samurai. Together with the Samurai’s wife and her female lover, Ichi’s new family survives aristocratic intrigue, injustice, earthquakes, fire and famine in the 19th century Japan. The novel features dazzling descriptions of Japanese life for both sighted and non-sighted people, including visits to the famous Yoshiwara pleasure district, an illegal, traveling troupe of performers, and to the Tōdōza, the guild for the blind that trained children and adolescents to survive in a sighted world.
This remarkable story takes place towards the end of the Tokugawa or Edo period of Japan, in the latter 1820’s. It’s told in third person, which helps the panoramic view of life we get in the novel, yet in a way that gives insight into the strong personalities and experiences of Ichi along with Tomonosuke, Ichi’s Samurai lover or “elder brother,” Ōkyo, his wife, and Rin, a former prostitute whom Ōkyo saved and who becomes her lover.
The author’s level of detail and knowledge of this period is impressive. The author, Lucy May Lenox, knows each turn when the characters are navigating the Yoshiwara pleasure district, for instance, as well as the lives and accomplishments of the historical figures she builds into the story. Her descriptions of the clothing, hairstyles, and manners of the period are a treat into themselves. She skillfully enables us to imagine what life might have been like during this era:
“…the row house was very noisy—the voices of the neighbors, doors and wooden sandals clattering in the alley at all hours, the whistles of anma in the evening and the tofu vendors in the morning, the wooden clappers of the neighborhood watch striking at all hours with shouted reminders to be careful of fire.”
Brilliantly done.
Richly detailed and effectively told, Flowers by Night tells the story of Ichi, a blind hinin or non-person, and his love affair with a mid-level Samurai. Together with the Samurai’s wife and her female lover, Ichi’s new family survives aristocratic intrigue, injustice, earthquakes, fire and famine in the 19th century Japan. The novel features dazzling descriptions of Japanese life for both sighted and non-sighted people, including visits to the famous Yoshiwara pleasure district, an illegal, traveling troupe of performers, and to the Tōdōza, the guild for the blind that trained children and adolescents to survive in a sighted world.
This remarkable story takes place towards the end of the Tokugawa or Edo period of Japan, in the latter 1820’s. It’s told in third person, which helps the panoramic view of life we get in the novel, yet in a way that gives insight into the strong personalities and experiences of Ichi along with Tomonosuke, Ichi’s Samurai lover or “elder brother,” Ōkyo, his wife, and Rin, a former prostitute whom Ōkyo saved and who becomes her lover.
The author’s level of detail and knowledge of this period is impressive. The author, Lucy May Lenox, knows each turn when the characters are navigating the Yoshiwara pleasure district, for instance, as well as the lives and accomplishments of the historical figures she builds into the story. Her descriptions of the clothing, hairstyles, and manners of the period are a treat into themselves. She skillfully enables us to imagine what life might have been like during this era:
“…the row house was very noisy—the voices of the neighbors, doors and wooden sandals clattering in the alley at all hours, the whistles of anma in the evening and the tofu vendors in the morning, the wooden clappers of the neighborhood watch striking at all hours with shouted reminders to be careful of fire.”
Brilliantly done.
June 23, 2021
Well told, well written, and apparently well researched, although I know nothing of Japanese culture to clarify this.
The Japanese detail of the story was engrossing; out of interest I found myself looking up a few things on Wikipedia to extend my interest in the real events of the period.
For readers who enjoy gay romance in an historical, and alternative to the western world culture, this novel should appeal. I did find it a fascinating read, although I was not so interested in the relationship between the two main characters, Ichi and Tomonosuke, the latter of whom I did not particularly warm too, but all the characters were well drawn and seemed very ‘human’, possibly because they were not stereotypical or one-dimensional. The plot was a little slow to get started, but once drawn in, especially where the secondary characters were concerned, Okyo and Rin the wife and servant, the story takes off at a steadier pace, although some threads, I felt, were a little skated over or rushed.
For readers with an interest in gay romance, or who are intrigued by the history of Japanese culture, this novel should be an entertaining read.
Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
The Japanese detail of the story was engrossing; out of interest I found myself looking up a few things on Wikipedia to extend my interest in the real events of the period.
For readers who enjoy gay romance in an historical, and alternative to the western world culture, this novel should appeal. I did find it a fascinating read, although I was not so interested in the relationship between the two main characters, Ichi and Tomonosuke, the latter of whom I did not particularly warm too, but all the characters were well drawn and seemed very ‘human’, possibly because they were not stereotypical or one-dimensional. The plot was a little slow to get started, but once drawn in, especially where the secondary characters were concerned, Okyo and Rin the wife and servant, the story takes off at a steadier pace, although some threads, I felt, were a little skated over or rushed.
For readers with an interest in gay romance, or who are intrigued by the history of Japanese culture, this novel should be an entertaining read.
Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
January 8, 2021
It’s my first Japanese read. Though a work of fiction it has impressed me a lot because I came to know a lot of Japanese terminology, their culture, caste system and history. This novel begins in Bunsen era(1818-1830). Tomonosuke( Tomo ) is a samurai of little lower rank as compared to his two elder brothers. He live with his wife Okyo and Rin ( female servant ). Tomo meets Ichi an anma. Ichi is blind, Tomo develops feelings for Ichi. Samurai calls him often for massage and to fulfill his carnal desires. Okyo has no objection in this type of relationship of her husband and Ichi. Why? Is Okyo having an affair? Is Tomo a homosexual? To know all this you need to read the novel. At times the story becomes bit slow, some twist and turns could have been there. But definitely a well informative read for a first time Japanese culture in fiction category.😊
January 26, 2023
I grew up in Asia, visiting Japan frequently. While no one can know the accuracy of a novel written about Japan in the early 1800s’ Lucy Lennox’s astonishing “Flowers By Night” has the authentic feel of a classic Samurai odyssey.
Tomo and Ichi’s Japan decaying. The empire is filled with petty embezzlers, the poor and disabled are ignored to perish in famines and fires, love is rare amongst arranged marriages, and earthquakes abound. But they, Tomo’s wife Okyo and her maid Rin are determined to thrive. Against all these disasters and the strictures of class, they “awaken” from their hardships.
Their love stories called to me for their timelessness, true to all cultures. Here love is not a simple emotion, great sex or happily-ever-after, it is four individuals who must dig deep to help one another survive, bond and thrive. I’m blown away!
Tomo and Ichi’s Japan decaying. The empire is filled with petty embezzlers, the poor and disabled are ignored to perish in famines and fires, love is rare amongst arranged marriages, and earthquakes abound. But they, Tomo’s wife Okyo and her maid Rin are determined to thrive. Against all these disasters and the strictures of class, they “awaken” from their hardships.
Their love stories called to me for their timelessness, true to all cultures. Here love is not a simple emotion, great sex or happily-ever-after, it is four individuals who must dig deep to help one another survive, bond and thrive. I’m blown away!
December 30, 2020
I’m really grateful for ARC sites, you know? They offer me a wide range of books tailored to my tastes – sometimes the algorithm goes boom, but we’ll talk about that on a different post, yeah? – and they give me the opportunity to unheart little gems here and there.
Plastic bead, plastic bead, shiny but still plastic bead– oh hey, a pearl!
Meet one of the aforementioned pearls, please: Flowers by Night.
(I should have used a flower example and link back to the title. Good pun chance, wasted. Anyway!)
Historical. LGBT. Plot-driven. A sensible cover. I mean *handwave* Lucy May, you had me at hello.
[Keep reading @ Bookshelves & Teacups]
[I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.]
Plastic bead, plastic bead, shiny but still plastic bead– oh hey, a pearl!
Meet one of the aforementioned pearls, please: Flowers by Night.
(I should have used a flower example and link back to the title. Good pun chance, wasted. Anyway!)
Historical. LGBT. Plot-driven. A sensible cover. I mean *handwave* Lucy May, you had me at hello.
[Keep reading @ Bookshelves & Teacups]
[I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.]
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews