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A review by artmushroommoth
The Demon in the Teahouse by Dorothy Hoobler
3.0
This was a wonderful book with some SOLID quotes about women, love, and a new light that shined on the villain.
I am slightly disappointed that the author mentioned samurais in the preface as “he OR she.” The only woman who wore a “samurai hairstyle” that was assumed masculine was the main antagonist, Suzu.
There were a few female samurai warrior groups referred to as onna-bugeisha, who served in harems and protected cocubines (the book toned down the whole prostitution part by just calling them geishas who “pleased men with their talents”) SPECIFICALLY from male samurais. This was because of 1. When a geisha’s husband leaves for war that means she has an opportunity to cheat, and 2. Male samurais are more likely to take advantage of a woman who is trained in the arts and dancing, rather than a onna-bugeisha who is trained to a tea in self-defense.
See the issue here? It’s the woman being portrayed as the antagonist, a cheater, and a weak character. “Female samurai,” was not even mentioned in this book once. I had to take a star away for this.
I do appreciate the way the author described geishas with the ability to be so powerful yet appear completely innocent. That is a superpower if I ever saw it.
I don’t have a problem with women having goals to be a “geisha,” “prostitute,” or any “girly job,” because that gives more power to the player. The only reason I bring this up is because the only other little girl that is focused on, Nui, has absolutely no character development whatsoever. She becomes an apprentice of a geisha and even then, there are no changes in her transparency. The author lists her only goal as “being a geisha.” There seems to not be much thought on designing a female sidekick character here.
The other reason I took another star away is the way Seikei got his job at the tea house. Oba Koko had JUST kicked out Kiru and sees this random boy asking for a job in a all-women’s tea house. And she just accepts him?? She only checked to see if he was a demon, nothing else. She didn’t even check for weapons. It didn’t make sense to me.
I wouldn’t recommend this book, but I did enjoy reading it. Some of the quotes are truly noteworthy and made the book, so I’ll share some here:
“Seikei new well, the meaning of the cherry blossoms. In the spring, they bloom in a great abundance on the trees. But their time is short..takes them away, scattering their loveliness upon the ground.
In the same way, life itself lasts for a moment in eternity. Men and Women in their turn bloom, display their beauty, and then fall. Is life beautiful? Or sad? The cherry blossoms remind us that it is both.”
I am slightly disappointed that the author mentioned samurais in the preface as “he OR she.” The only woman who wore a “samurai hairstyle” that was assumed masculine was the main antagonist, Suzu.
There were a few female samurai warrior groups referred to as onna-bugeisha, who served in harems and protected cocubines (the book toned down the whole prostitution part by just calling them geishas who “pleased men with their talents”) SPECIFICALLY from male samurais. This was because of 1. When a geisha’s husband leaves for war that means she has an opportunity to cheat, and 2. Male samurais are more likely to take advantage of a woman who is trained in the arts and dancing, rather than a onna-bugeisha who is trained to a tea in self-defense.
See the issue here? It’s the woman being portrayed as the antagonist, a cheater, and a weak character. “Female samurai,” was not even mentioned in this book once. I had to take a star away for this.
I do appreciate the way the author described geishas with the ability to be so powerful yet appear completely innocent. That is a superpower if I ever saw it.
I don’t have a problem with women having goals to be a “geisha,” “prostitute,” or any “girly job,” because that gives more power to the player. The only reason I bring this up is because the only other little girl that is focused on, Nui, has absolutely no character development whatsoever. She becomes an apprentice of a geisha and even then, there are no changes in her transparency. The author lists her only goal as “being a geisha.” There seems to not be much thought on designing a female sidekick character here.
The other reason I took another star away is the way Seikei got his job at the tea house. Oba Koko had JUST kicked out Kiru and sees this random boy asking for a job in a all-women’s tea house. And she just accepts him?? She only checked to see if he was a demon, nothing else. She didn’t even check for weapons. It didn’t make sense to me.
I wouldn’t recommend this book, but I did enjoy reading it. Some of the quotes are truly noteworthy and made the book, so I’ll share some here:
“Seikei new well, the meaning of the cherry blossoms. In the spring, they bloom in a great abundance on the trees. But their time is short..takes them away, scattering their loveliness upon the ground.
In the same way, life itself lasts for a moment in eternity. Men and Women in their turn bloom, display their beauty, and then fall. Is life beautiful? Or sad? The cherry blossoms remind us that it is both.”