Rules for Virgins: Wherein Magic Gourd Advises Young Violet on How to Become a Popular Courtesan While Avoiding Cheapskates, False Love, and Suicide

by Amy Tan Narrated by Nancy Wu

Overview

In her startlingly sensual story, Rules for Virgins, beloved bestselling author Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club, The Bonesetter's Daughter) takes us deep into the illicit world of 1912 Shanghai, where beautiful courtesans mercilessly compete for the patronage of wealthy gentlemen. For the women, the contest is deadly serious, a perilous game of economic survival that, if played well, can set them up for life as mistresses of the rich and prominent. There is no room for error, however: erotic power is hard to achieve and harder to maintain, especially in the loftiest social circles.

Enter veteran seducer, Magic Gourd, formerly one of Shanghai's "Top Ten Beauties" and now the advisor and attendant of Violet, an aspiring but inexperienced courtesan. Violet may have the youth and the allure, but Magic Gourd has the cunning and the knowledge without which the younger woman is sure to fail. These ancient tricks of the trade aren't written down, though; to pass them on to her student, Magic Gourd must reach back into her own professional past, bringing her lessons alive with stories and anecdotes from a career spent charming and manipulating men who should have known better but rarely did.

The world of sexual intrigue that Tan reveals in Rules for Virgins actually existed once, and she spares no detail in recreating it. But this story is more than intriguing (and sometimes shocking) historical literary fiction. Besides inviting us inside a life that few writers but Tan could conjure up, the intimate confessions of Magic Gourd add up to a kind of military manual for the War of the Sexes' female combatants. The wisdom conveyed is ancient, specific, and timeless, exposing the workings of vanity and folly, calculation and desire that define the mysterious human heart.

Editorial Reviews

AUGUST 2012 - AudioFile

For the first 13 minutes of this short book, author Amy Tan talks to listeners about her grandmother, her research, and the origins of her story about a retired Shanghai courtesan, Magic Gourd, who is giving advice to a young woman just beginning her career. Narrator Nancy Wu convincingly voices Magic Gourd's blunt and detailed instructions to Violet, a virgin whose future livelihood depends on her ability to win the favors of rich patrons and outmaneuver rivals. Although Wu's Western accent sometimes comes across too strongly and listeners may notice the sound of her breathing, her portrayal of the mature woman is appropriately bittersweet, as Magic Gourd, once a desired beauty, recalls her own experiences in turn-of-the-century Shanghai. The historical details about how to succeed in the competitive world of the courtesan are enthralling. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169758344
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	07/24/2012
Edition description:	Unabridged

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