Triads [Hardcover]

Poppy Z. Brite (Author), Christa Faust (Author), Miran Kim (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Brite (Lost Souls) and Faust (Control Freak) combine tragedy, history, a touch of the supernatural, a bit of soap opera and, finally, hope in a surprisingly tender, if violent and sexually explicit trio of gracefully written, interwoven tales. In part one, set in 1937 Hong Kong, Ji Fung, who's in love with Lin Bai, the Peking Opera School's star pupil, kills the troupe's sadistic Master Lau, who's been raping Lin nightly. The boys flee and enter the decadent demimonde disguised as girls, eventually ending up in Shanghai at the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War. In part two, set in 1945 Los Angeles, Ji Fung, now named Jimmy Lee, is attracted to female impersonator Victor See, who reminds him of Lin Bai, but Victor is a doubly lost soul as a Japanese-American pretending to be Chinese in Japan-hating wartime L.A. Meanwhile, butch detective novelist Nan Blake pursues a manipulative starlet who believes she's a man. Despite buckets of blood and the possibility of a vengeful ghost, the true horror lies in homophobia and anti-Asian bigotry. In the short final section, set in a relatively tolerant, present-day Hollywood, hunky martial artist Jake Ryan falls for a half-pearl of the orient, Miki, but it takes a ghost and a near-death-experience to get him out of the closet. If boy-boy or girl-girl isn't your cup of tea, then take a pass. But broad-minded genre fans won't find a better brew. FYI:The first part of Triads appeared originally in Douglas E. Winter's 1997 anthology, Revelations.
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From Booklist

In 1937, two boys, lovers, escape the Peking Opera, only to find that life within it, though cruel, was also too sheltered to prepare them for the brutal streets of Hong Kong, on which they are nearly killed on their first night of freedom. Fortunately, a wealthy playboy rescues them, and they briefly enjoy luxury before the Japanese bomb China, dealing the lovers an unendurable blow. Cut to Hollywood in 1945; to Nan, a tough lesbian writer in love with a beautiful, straight starlet; and to a tragic, bloody murder. Why is that stuntman--the Chinese guy, Jimmy-- so intent on helping Nan? Finally, nearer the present, meet gorgeous, outrageously talented Jake Ryan, terrified that the studio will discover he is gay, who keeps seeing the ghost of an old Chinese guy. Brite and Faust's trio of bright, edgy, seemingly discrete stories are actually interwoven by red threads of passion and violence and the spirit of one quiet Chinese man. Paula Luedtke
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Subterranean Press; Sgd Ltd edition (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931081409
• ISBN-13: 978-1931081405
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,193,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeously written story of love, murder, and ghostly contact, September 17, 2005

By 

Kenneth Paul Cory (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Triads (Hardcover)

I hate spoiler reviews which divulge the entirety of the book in question, so expect none of that here. Let me simply say that Triads is a gorgeously written, haunting, and moving story. Told in three parts, Triads is a collaboration between Christa Faust and Poppy Z. Brite, originally conceived as a novella for the anthology Revelations. In fact, the first part of the story, taking place in 1930's China, is the original novella. Parts 2 (set in 1940's Hollywood) and 3 (set in the present day) expand upon the story, continuing the themes of ill-fated love and the miseries of living as an outsider in a world intolerant of difference. Of course, the small-minded, racist, insecure, and those suffering severe religious mania will find nothing to enjoy in a story which so sensitively and beautifully handles the subjects of love, compassion, and the fragility of human life. Though this is no soft-focus historical drama, for all the lush detail and bittersweet romance, this is also a tale of gruesome murder, passionate sex, and contact with the supernatural. Fans of Poppy Z. Brite will find much to enjoy, and hopefully Christa Faust will find new fans in those who accept the challenges of this stunning work.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gripping Collaboration, September 16, 2004

By 

Josh Hitchens (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Triads (Hardcover)

"Triads" is written by Poppy Z. Brite and Christa Faust, who have expanded an earlier story into a beautiful, gripping, three-part novel. Brite is one of my favorite authors, and "Triads" makes me want to read more of Faust's work as well. The book contains an exquisitely written trio of stories, all of which are connected by characters and circumstance. It's violent, erotic, romantic, and fascinating to read. "Triads" also deals with the issues of homophobia, transvestism, and bigotry as they change over time.

The first story takes place in Hong Kong in 1937, where Ji Fung and Lin Bai perform in the Peking Opera. They fall in love, but first must escape the predatory advances of Master Lau. They meet a mysterious man named Perique and Ji Fung discovers that he has a very powerful family.

Hollywood, 1945: Nan Blake is a lesbian detective story writer who falls for a young starlet, who believes that Nan is actually a man. Ji Fung has changed his name to Jimmy and is now working as an actor. He falls in love with a troubled crossdresser named Victor, who reminds him of his tragic love for Lin Bai. The situation spins out of control and ends with violence.

In present day Los Angelos, Jake Ryan is an up and coming action star who represses his homosexuality. He meets Miki, a makeup artist who is also a drag queen. Jake is forced to choose whether he wants love or a movie career, and is haunted by the apparition of a mysterious Chinese man. Things come full circle, and several characters reappear.

"Triads" is a wonderfully written book. It really is a treat to read, filled with compelling characters and evocative writing. Don't miss out on this amazing book by two amazing authors.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Classic Love Story, November 3, 2006

By 

C. Davis "PoppyHead" (Spokane, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Triads (Hardcover)

I was skeptic coming into this book because Poppy is wonderful as she is on her own. Upon recieving this work i noted that the cover art looks alot better when actually seen then it does on the internet. the detailing alone is imaculate. then i started reading the stories. it was the first time in a long time that something was written so beautifully and heavy that it did actually make me cry at the end of each threeparts, all though the 3rd time was not in dismay. Would highly Recomend