Under the Poppy

August 23, 2010
The latest from Koja (Skin) is 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. The first half of the novel is set at Rupert's brothel, Under the Poppy, a haven for bawdy puppet shows and loose women. With war in the air, the brothel is forced to house soldiers led by a corrupt general. A mysterious assault on Rupert leads to more violence and an exodus of prostitutes from the establishment. Istvan and Rupert, with one of the former working girls, who morphs into a theater owner and puppeteer, leave as well and arrive in a new town, where they cavort with a family of aristocrats that includes Isobel, who falls for Rupert (as does her young brother, Benjamin, the family heir). Koja's style is unconventional, resulting in a melodrama with deep insights into character and a murky plot balanced with prose as theatrical as the world it portrays.

September 15, 2010

In an unnamed 19th-century European town about to be overcome by war, Rupert and Decca, who run a brothel that specializes in stage shows, await the return of Decca's brother and Rupert's lover, Istvan, a master puppeteer. When Istvan does appear, he and the brothel crew must perform in several ways to keep their lives safe from the military, the ruling elites, and the endemic violence. The ornate prose has a sometimes confusing syntax, but the chapters told in first person by Rupert, Istvan, and their acquaintances are clear and draw the reader into a web of relationships, betrayals, love, spies, and murder. Despite all the trappings of puppets, sex shows, stabbings, and drawing-room treachery, this is a love story about how, sometimes despite themselves, Rupert, Istvan, and their friends have created a family. VERDICT Koja has written several YA novels and horror-tinged fiction (The Cipher; Skin) for adults. Here, she creates 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.--Devon Thomas, DevIndexing, Chelsea, MI

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