'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.' The erotic secrets of one woman's sexual awakening and her subsequent passions in Japan as an 'Amorous Woman'
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
A few years back I was propelled into an interest in eastern culture by its poetry. First Tang China (not fine dinnerware for a breakfast drink) then Edo Period Japanese Haiku. As I am not a speaker of any eastern languages, this exploration has been limited to being cast through a lens of translators. Ive found that this distillation can have profound impact.
Donna George Storeys Amorous Woman is about American woman who becomes enamored of Japan and begins a quest to immerse herself in it. Parallel to this quest, the main character, Lydia continues a quest to immerse herself in, well, amour. While exotic and highlighting differences in cultures, it is infinitely accessible to western experience. Lydia is a fascinating, complex, earthy and sexy character. I sensed her being exotic in Japan, and felt a part of her battle to become a part of Japanese society, in a sense overcome her American-ness. Storeys writing is passionate but measured, and evokes the brevity and power of Japanese poetry. The erotic scenes are tactile and arousing. The plot is rich and well developed. The sense of new experiences, erotic and otherwise, is immediate. Sentences convey deeper meanings.
The Japanese characters in Amorous Woman displayed both differences and similarities to their American counterparts, and step beyond the hackneyed stereotypes that some Americans seem so fond of. And yet, these stereotypes are addressed, to an extent, in Lydias vast imagination. And the voyages through Lydias imagination are wonderful excursions unto themselves!
Master translators like Burton Watson convey the energy and expanse of compact Eastern poetry with an authenticity that can engage a western imagination while keeping true to the original works. Donna George Storeys Amorous Woman likewise translates the experience of an American womans voyage through Japanese society in the same manner. -
Craig SorensenThis story, told as a narration from the foreplay of a threesome in San Francisco, chronicles the adventures of a young woman as she first discovers sex, then travels to Japan on a voyage of discovery. The majority of the action takes place in Japan, with settings that range from exotic, to mundane to curiously Japanese. The main character, Lydia, an American woman who also goes by the alias Meg, starts out as a demure and studious girl but, with the helpful nudging of a wild cousin, soon discovers sex and pursues it in earnest as both a hobby and a vocation.
Lydias time in Japan sees her move from the seduction of young men, to a struggle to be the perfect Japanese bride, and learn and internalize the customs of the land. Though she seems to be pursuing this with complete sincerity, in the end it comes to nothing. She leaves home, works as a full service hostess and becomes a kept woman before the final action that brings her back to America, and the opening scene.
The characters in this book especially Lydia, are compelling in their own humanity and moral uncertainty. The sex is great, and quite graphic. Further more, there is an underlying story of discovery, betrayal and searching that brings it all together as a great book. The writing is first rate and the pace is enjoyably varied. All in all a very good read. -
R. EberleinIn her quest for good sex, Lydia, the Amorous Woman of the title, finds love, adventure, and heartbreak with all manner of partners, both real and imaginary. Donna Storeys page turner takes us on Lydias erotic journey from her first sexual escapade in the USA through her lusty years as a gaijin in Japan. There she not only satisfies her appetites and curiosities but learns about herself as she navigates the boundaries and complexities of a different culture through her interactions with her varied lovers. Beyond its hot sex, this engaging novel delights the reader with its sensual descriptions of unfamiliar places, foods, customs, and situations, artfully woven into a well-structured story with a sympathetic central character. I'm can't wait to revisit Japan! -
Belle Brett Read all reviews (6)
Write a
review
Enlarge
