Under the Poppy: a novel [Hardcover]

Kathe Koja (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 2010

From a wartime brothel to the intricate high society of 1870s Brussels, Under the Poppy is a breakout novel of childhood friends, a love triangle, puppetmasters, and reluctant spies.

Under the Poppy is a brothel owned by Decca and Rupert. Decca is in love with Rupert, but he in turn is in love with her brother, Istvan. When Istvan comes to town, louche puppet troupe in tow, the lines of their age-old desires intersect against a backdrop of approaching war. Hearts are broken when old betrayals and new alliances—not just their own—take shape, as the townsmen seek refuge from the onslaught of history by watching the girls of the Poppy cavort onstage with Istvan's naughty puppets . . .

Under the Poppy is a vivid, sexy, historical novel that zips along like the best guilty pleasure.

Nominated for the IMPAC Award. Winner of the Gaylactic Spectrum Award.

Kathe Koja's (underthepoppy.com) books include The Cipher, Skin, and Extremities; her young adult novels include Buddha Boy, Talk, Kissing the Bee, and Headlong. Her work has been honored by the ALA, the ASPCA, and with the Bram Stoker Award. Her books have been published in seven languages and optioned for film. She's a Detroit native and lives in the area with her husband, artist Rick Lieder, and their cats. Under the Poppy is currently being adapted for the stage.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The brothel of Kathe Koja's Under the Poppy requires no time and space coordinates. It is a fictional universe unto itself—rich and bawdy and violent and sad, with a beating human heart underneath. I love Koja’s daring and flair."
—Louis Bayard, author of The Black Tower

"Koja can pack a lot Dickensian humor into a sentence . . . [she] takes a page from Victorian lit in her writerliness, and she reveals human nature like someone slipped her the manual."
—Cleveland Plain Dealer

"This book made me drunk. Koja’s language is at its poetic best, and the epic drama had me digging my nails into my palms. It’s like a Tom Waits hurdy-gurdy loser’s lament come to life, as sinister as a dark circus."
—Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing

"Unlike anything I’ve ever read, a world unto itself, spun out of fevered, sensual prose and vivid, compelling characters."
—Lewis Shiner

"A gothic, glam-rock take on love and sex and death that reads a little like what would happen if Sarah Waters and Angela Carter played a drunken game of Exquisite Corpse in a brothel . . . will make you want to get out your very finest crushed velvet, drink a couple bottles of wine, and do something a little bit illegal with someone very good-looking. In other words, it’s a winner."
—Tor.com

"All the elements of a great novel are present in Koja’s work: from suspense and intrigue to undying love and toxic jealousies, this highly developed read is brimming with imaginative flair and originality."
—Lambda Literary

"People will probably love this book or hate it–possibly both. But let me just say that it would take an author of extraordinary talent to open with a scene of a woman being sodomized by a ventriloquist’s dummy and make me want to keep reading. And Kathe Koja is that talented. Five stars."
—Speak Its Name

"The velvet and brocade, the rips and tears, the music and theater, you see it all as you read about what the denizens of the Poppy do to stay in business, stay ahead of the tide, stay alive."
—Colleen Mondor, Chasing Ray

"Frequently changing viewpoints and fluid segues in and out of flashback illuminate actions readers have already witnessed. Part of the fun is heading into the past after knowing the future; even when you know where the story will go, you wonder what will happen next."
—Ann Arbor Observer

"I loved Under the Poppy. It pours like chocolate—laced with brandy; sexy and utterly compelling!"
—Ellen Kushner, author of Swordspoint

"An atmospheric tale for those who like their historical fiction on the dark and lurid side. Those readers who enjoyed Emma Donoghue’s Slammerkin or Sarah Water’s Fingersmith will find similar themes.”
—Library Journal

“A page turner with riveting language and close attention to sensory detail. Set in late 19th-century Brussels, the story follows the adventures of puppeteer Istvan and brothel owner Rupert who bond as friends and lovers.”
—Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Kathe Koja’s books include The Cipher, Skin, and Extremities; YA novels include Buddha Boy, Talk, Kissing the Bee, and Headlong. Her work has been honored by the ALA, the ASPCA, the Parents’ Choice Award, and the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. Her books have been published in seven languages, and optioned for film. She’s a Detroit native and lives in the area with her husband, artist Rick Lieder, and their cats. Under the Poppy is currently being adapted for the stage.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: Small Beer Press; 1 edition (November 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931520704
• ISBN-13: 978-1931520706
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.5 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #972,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Tour de force November 27, 2010

By Lewis Shiner

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

UNDER THE POPPY is unlike anything I've ever read, a world unto itself, spun out of fevered, sensual prose and vivid, compelling characters.

The Poppy is a brothel in an unspecified Victorian-era city, offering theatrical performances as well as sex. The first half of the book moves at a lightning pace as lovers are reunited, war threatens and arrives, and mounting crises end in a bloody climax.

In the second half of the book the Poppy is only a memory; major characters have disappeared, never to be heard from again. The setting has now expanded to the whole of Western Europe. The war is over, but the intrigues and linked fates that began at the Poppy (and earlier) are still being played out. It's a reversal of the normal structure for a novel on this size canvas, starting with world-shattering events and then shifting to the personal--more like a novel and its sequel under a single set of covers. But Koje is not playing by anybody's rules other than her own, and I never felt the urge to argue with her.

The most obvious influence is Brecht and Weill's THREEPENNY OPERA, with a bit of Dickens and a hint of CABARET, but none of those comparisons prepare you for Istvan's grotesque and unsettling puppets, or the machinations of the General, who might have stepped from a play by Yevgeny Schwartz, or the agonized romanticism of the doomed poet Benjamin.

If you are only familiar with Koje's wonderful YA novels, be aware that this is a very adult novel--but no less passionate, intense, and moving.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars You have to read this!!! October 27, 2010

By Bookventures Book Club

Format:Hardcover

Am a virgin when it comes to novels by Kathe Koja. When i first received my copy of Under the Poppy, i thought that this was Koja's debut. After doing a bit of research (a.k.a google), i found out that the author has written quite a few other books including The Cipher and YA novels such as Budda Boy and Going Under. The most amazing part of my research was finding out that some of the author's books were considered for film or the theater. In fact Under the Poppy (which by the way is being released on November 9th) is one such novel that is being adapted for theater production. If this wasn't an indicator of the author's literary prowess then the rave reviews for her other books certainly tipped me over the edge.

So now that i have set the stage for this novel, let me delve in by saying Under the Poppy is a story unlike anything you have ever read. Its a historical fiction that reads like a drama complete with all of the sophisticated prose reminiscent of Shakespeare. I loved the fact that after reading a sentence i sometimes paused to think about the subliminal messages in it. The setting is 1800s Brussels and while i didn't so much get a feel for the location, i did however enjoy all of the juicy drama that took place within and surrounding The Poppy.

There is a large amount of sex in the story (and it comes with the territory since The Poppy is a unique brothel). Sex between men and women, men and men, men, women and puppets, women and puppets. If you get alarmed at this point, don't. The scenes are all tastefully done and the author sticks to the time period so words that would usually make us blush when said out loud are actually written in code. Puppets are also a huge feature in the story and i found at times they were juxtapose to their human counterparts to show how free will is sometimes flung out the window and we are subsequently at the mercy of other forces.

Readers will really enjoy the characters in this story. Throughout the book you are exposed to several characters who at times play supporting as well as lead roles. The story really develops by way of alternating person views and we get an insight into each character when the author switches to their point of view. I was at a disadvantage with this book since i read it mostly on my way to work and i had to continuously come back to the story. As a result of that i missed out on the effect of really absorbing the story. But i have no doubt that you guys will have a totally differently and favourable experience with Under the Poppy.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Requires Effort October 28, 2010

By Jason J. Carlock

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is not easy to read. By that I mean it's not like most "popular" books most people are reading nowadays. Many passages required several re-reads (Not unlike reading Shakespeare). This book requires your full attention. But it's so good you'll lash out at anyone who dares disrupt your concentration.