Began reading: 21.4.2015
Completed reading: 25.4.2015
Overall rating: 4.3 stars
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 plot is interesting, as I have not seen many novels that focus on historical Japanese culture. Downer had really done her research, as it showed throughout the novel, and was also evident in the acknowledgements and bibliography. I found it interesting to read about how women could be sold into prostitution, as well as the dangers of civil war and its effects on the country.
There were a few spelling and grammar errors, but I can overlook those. Overall, the novel was well-written.
As they lurched away across the waves Yozo turned for a last look at the ship he loved being broken to pieces on the ice-strewn sea. It felt as if all his hopes were going down with her (p. 69).
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.
Downer really knew how to keep the novel interesting — there were quite a few plot twists. One especially didn’t make sense, but overall, the plot twists were very good at keeping me interested.
I would have loved to have learned about what happened to the main characters a couple of months or so after the ending, so I was a bit disappointed. I have so many unanswered questions.
Also, I didn’t really enjoy reading Yozo’s perspective all that much. I understand that we have to learn about his experiences of the civil war to understand his character, but I would have loved to have read more about his experiences and thoughts while he was in the Yoshiwara.
The romance seemed a little rushed, which made it feel a little unrealistic. Yozo and Hana don’t even meet until towards the end of the book, and everything afterwards just seemed rushed.
I really loved Hana, and I was really interested in her experiences in the Yoshiwara. Her life as a courtesan seemed very glamorous, but also violent. I would have loved to have read more about her life as a courtesan, and her connection to her clients. When I read about her life as a courtesan, I felt as though I was there with her, and I found it really engrossing.
Hana was very caring and considerate, which was another reason why I liked her character.
Hana had never seen such beautiful things in her whole life.
At first she gazed around, wide-eyed with delight, but little by little the opulence began to make her feel uncomfortable. It didn’t seem right to be surrounded by luxury when there was so much hardship and suffering outside the gates (p. 77).
I seemed to notice how Hana’s personality changed throughout the book. In the beginning, she appeared to be reserved, but was formidable deep down.
Hana wished with all her heart that she could go too. She could fight every bit as well as any of them, she thought (p. 2).
As the novel went on, Hana began to weaken, acting overly obedient and somewhat pathetic. I didn’t understand why, and it annoyed me. It was like Downer had forgotten about the type of personality she had created for Hana — it wasn’t consistent throughout the novel.
Then, as the novel reached the end, it was as though Downer had remembered that Hana was supposed to be strong. It really left me confused.
Lesley Downer also has a novel, called “The Last Concubine”, which I will be reviewing soon. If you enjoyed “Memoires of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes “The Last Samurai”.
Happy reading!
Buy the book: http://www.bookdepository.com/Courtesan-Samurai-Lesley-Downer/9780593057940
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