Amorous Woman (Neon) [Paperback]

Donna George Storey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 28, 2008 | Series: Neon

The day I left Japan, I stared at my reflection in the mirror in the airport ladies' room and made the following vows: I would never tell another lie, especially to myself. I would never let desire overwhelm common sense. I would never sleep with a man who was married to someone else, mime fellatio with a complete stranger on a stage, or take money for sex again. In fact, to cover all bases, I would never have sex again with anyone, man or woman, for the rest of my life.

 

For a sum much smaller than a plane ticket an American woman can travel to a rustic hot-spring inn where anything goes after midnight, don the gorgeous kimono of a Japanese bride, romp in the dungeon rooms of tacky love hotels, act out an orgy straight from manga porn, and slip inside Kyoto’s most exclusive restaurants for exquisite dinners of seduction. The Amorous Woman experiences almost every flavor of erotic pleasure Japan has to offer—and she’s happy to take you along for the ride. Inspired by Ihara Saikaku’s 17th-century satiric novel of the pleasure quarters, this story of an American woman’s love affair with Japan—and many sexy men and women along the way—gives readers a chance to journey to a Japan few tourists ever see.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In turns funny, insightful, and always erotic, this novel follows the sexual adventures of beautiful blonde Lydia through a modern Japanese male landscape. Donna Storey's eye and nose for the redolent detail is a treat for all the senses as she spins her tale into a savory concoction not unlike the "cooked-to-your-liking" pancake of cabbage, egg, and smoky fish sauce called okonomiyaki that serves as the heroine's comfort food. An Amorous Woman is literary erotica at its best. -- Liza Dalby Author of Geisha and The Tale of Murasaki AMOROUS WOMAN is definitely arousing but it is much more than a light-hearted bedroom romp through Japan. It is a believable and moving tale of one woman's journey of sexual self-discovery. I enjoyed Amorous Woman more than any erotic novel I've read in a long while. -- Lisabet Sarai The Erotica Readers and Writers Association Focusing on sex in Japan is a great departure from the more usual erotic scenes and I certainly enjoyed getting a peek into such a different culture. Storey clearly has a love for and an interest in this land, and that comes through with her writing. A piece of erotica that works equally well story-wise and for an insight into a whole other life makes this a great addition to your erotic bookshelf. I have no doubt I'll be rereading this in the future. -- Field Marshall MacBirdie LoveHoney Like her heroine, Donna George Storey has lived and worked in Japan andtheres a freshness to the descriptions and a coming to terms with her needs and desires which lifts her beyond the two-dimensional. A highly enjoyable read. -- Elizabeth Coldwell UK Forum Amorous Woman by Donna George Storey is a work of elegant eroticism with a very special perspective on elements of Japanese culture that is related with a blend of humor, social critique, and literary skill that is impressive from beginning to end. -- Margaret Lane MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW Written with sparse but passionate prose, Amorous Woman is the kind of book that demands you slow down and savor exactly how good erotica should be written.' -- Gwen Masters CLEAN SHEETS.COM

About the Author

Donna George Storey's erotic fiction has appeared in anthologies including Best American Erotica, Best Women's Erotica, and The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica. She is also the translator of Child of Darkness: Yoko and Other Stories. She lives in California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Orion Publishing (May 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905619170
• ISBN-13: 978-1905619177
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,092,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've always wanted to write fiction, but didn't have the time or the courage until my oldest son was born and I decided to leave my job teaching Japanese literature to be a full-time parent in 1997. From the start, I was drawn to erotic themes and although I resisted at first--erotica seemed too scandalous for a shy bookworm like me--I soon realized I had to write what I loved.

Fortunately, over the years the love has translated into over 120 publications in various venues, from literary magazines like Prairie Schooner and The Gettysburg Review to best-of erotica anthologies like Best American Erotica and The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica.

I'm a Princeton graduate with a Ph.D. from Stanford, which I mention not to impress--who really cares?--but to suggest how far I've wandered from the path of propriety. But I like to think my new aspirations are as lofty. I truly believe we need more writers willing to acknowledge that the sexual urge and the erotic imagination are as worthy of a complex literary treatment as anger, jealousy, ambition or love in its PG-rated form. That's what I try to do in my work, one story at a time.

My novel, Amorous Woman, is the semi-autobiographical story of an American woman's love affair with Japan. The book is inspired by a time-tested bestseller: Ihara Saikaku's classic 17th century novel of the pleasure quarters translated as "The Life of an Amorous Woman." Through my amorous protagonist, Lydia, I take my readers on a trip to Japan few tourists ever see--the Japan that captured my heart, my imagination and my tastebuds!

My other interests include delicious food, hearty wine, reading about history and cultural studies, and long walks at dawn. My author photographs were taken by the wonderfully talented Laura Boyd (www.ownyoursexy.com) who can capture the inner beauty in everyone, especially if you're wearing a gorgeous custom-made corset. Thanks for stopping by.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars smart and sexy debut!, September 27, 2007

By 

susan_d - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Amorous Woman (Neon) (Paperback)

I was a complete novice to Japanese culture and customs before I read this book. What's so marvelous about this debut novel from Storey is that it's so lushly descriptive that the narrator's experiences are nearly palpable. The sensual delights are both sexual and seductive. Whether it's the cherry blossoms in Kyoto or a tantalizing meal or a potential lover's hands, Storey's talent for words and genuine appreciation combine to capture the reader and nestle them into the middle of the surroundings. The plot is smooth, the characters are both appealing and intriguing, and the novel as a whole sizzles. Not to be missed!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delicate and exquisite work of erotic literature, June 19, 2008

By 

Erotic Elf - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amorous Woman (Neon) (Paperback)

Eminent erotica writer Donna George Storey has such a gift for offering the reader the right details. Amorous Woman, as other reviewers have illustrated, is an epic story; but the author paints with a light hand, weaving a fast-moving yet exquisite narrative out of the most essential, resonant, perfect details. The effect is breathtaking--not to mention reminiscent of the "less is more" beauty of some schools of Japanese art. And so, after reading the book's 350 pages, we feel as if we've lived and breathed with Lydia for a decade. This masterful blending of the epic and intimate is truly striking.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An erotic journey to Japan - lively and hot!, July 6, 2009

By 

Michael Jandrok (Lockhart, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amorous Woman (Neon) (Paperback)

Donna George Storey's 'Amorous Woman' is an enticing and delicious journey into the often-misunderstood world of Japanese erotic culture. Clearly, the author knows her stuff and moreover she was blessed with excellent source material for inspiration, Ihara Saikaku's 17th century novel 'The Life of an Amorous Woman'. Long considered a classic of Japanese erotica (but quite tame in it's language by today's standards), it's prose offers a vision of the Japanese woman as a fully realized erotic being, quite a feat for it's time.

Such is the case with Storey's main character Lydia, a Japanese soul in occidental clothing. Lydia is complex and vulnerable, highly likable and fully believable, a complete foil for Storey's vivid and compelling tale of sexual and personal transformation. Lydia's character is the glue that holds this book together, and she's so well drawn that at times I felt like I was reading an autobiography rather than a piece of fiction.

This is very much the thinking person's porn, written with an insider's understanding of the complexities and rituals of Japanese culture. The sex scenes are hot and descriptive, and touch upon a wide variety of situations from plain vanilla to midlevel kink. One can certainly use this as a one-handed reader if they choose to do so, but it's really more than that. The immersion into Japanese culture is vivid and entertaining in and of itself, making this a much more robust work than your average fantasy-fodder.

Extremely well done. I'd love to see more from this author. Two thumbs and one......errr.uh....well, anyway, two thumbs UP!