Rules for Virgins by Amy Tan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Amazon page
This Kindle Single is written in the form of advice by a Madam to the newest member of her brothel. It’s historical fiction, and is set ambiguously in the past. It is presumably set in China, but I don’t recall that that is ever explicitly determined.
The Madam shows a mix of maternal protectiveness for the girl and straightforward, harsh candor. She tells the young girl how to game the men, and how to get the most out of them. She instructs the girl in how to defend her virginity until such time as it is sold to someone who can afford to richly compensate them for it.
There is nothing in the way of a plot in the book. It does read just like rambling advice, so there is also not a lot by way of setting. We do get character development of the Madam, but not so much of the title character.
It’s well-written and seems to be well-researched as well. While I don’t know a great deal about the subject, it rings authentic. Despite the subject, the book isn’t gratuitous in its talk of sex. However, don’t be surprised that the entire work revolves “around” the intertwined subjects of sex and money.
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Tags: Amy Tan, Book Review, books, brothel, fiction, historical fiction, literature, madam, prostitute, Rules for Virgins, sex and money, virginity
By B Gourley in Book Reviews, Books, fiction, historical fiction, Literature, Review, Reviews on May 27, 2013.
