-
Rules for Virgins
- Wherein Magic Gourd Advises Young Violet on How to Become a Popular Courtesan While Avoiding Cheapskates, False Love, and Suicide
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu
- Length: 1 hr and 51 mins
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Publisher's summary
In her startlingly sensual story Rules for Virgins, beloved best-selling 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.
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As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, Halloween approaches. Come, brave listener, pull up a chair, and spend some time with master storyteller Stephen Fry as he tells us some of his favourite ghost stories of all time, in truly terrifying spatial audio. From the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow to the tortured spirits of M.R. James, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying tale of a doppelganger to Charlotte Riddell’s Open Door that should definitely stay shut, join Stephen as he tells you some truly terrifying tales.
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Wonderful narration. Mediocre stories.
- By Michael Fuchs on 11-07-23
By: Stephen Fry, and others
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Dracula [Audible Edition]
- By: Bram Stoker
- Narrated by: Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Simon Vance, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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The modern audience hasn't had a chance to truly appreciate the unknowing dread that readers would have felt when reading Bram Stoker's original 1897 manuscript. Most modern productions employ campiness or sound effects to try to bring back that gothic tension, but we've tried something different. By returning to Stoker's original storytelling structure - a series of letters and journal entries voiced by Jonathan Harker, Dr. Van Helsing, and other characters - with an all-star cast of narrators, we've sought to recapture its originally intended horror and power.
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IS THAT NOT SO?
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 11-05-15
By: Bram Stoker
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Brain Damage
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Megan Tusing
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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As Charly struggles to recover from her brain injury, she begins to realize that the events of that fateful night are trapped in the damaged right side of her brain. Now, she must put the jigsaw pieces together to discover the identity of the man who tried to kill her...before he finishes the job he started.
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Who Else Laughed, Cried, and Shuddered?
- By Jennifer Chichester on 09-16-22
By: Freida McFadden
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Frankenstein
- By: Mary Shelley
- Narrated by: Dan Stevens
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Narrator Dan Stevens ( Downton Abbey) presents an uncanny performance of Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel, an epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.
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ARE WE ALWAYS TO BE UNHAPPY?
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-28-16
By: Mary Shelley
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The Strange Case
- By: Derek Kolstad, Mitali Jahagirdar, Laurie Kirwan-Ashman, and others
- Narrated by: Vanessa Kirby, David Oyelowo, Sofie Gråbøl, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
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Dr. Jekyll (Vanessa Kirby) is an elite international specialist in energy systems, working closely with her handler Louis (David Oyelowo) in a career that takes her across the globe to politically volatile territories such as Iran and North Korea. But when an arms dealer accuses her of having killed his family, Dr. Jekyll begins to question details of her life, who Louis really is, and whether her strange recurring dream has a greater meaning. She enlists the help of psychologist Sigrun (Sofie Gråbøl), and together they delve into Dr. Jekyll’s darker other side, a brutal assassin named… Hyde.
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Love the Originals !!
- By r2coder on 08-04-24
By: Derek Kolstad, and others
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The Cut
- By: Richard Armitage
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage, Jacob Dudman
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Original Recording
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Welcome to Barton Mallet, a remote village in the Midlands that has been chosen as the unlikely location for a new feature film from Hollywood producer Max Crow. Teenagers from the local drama group are encouraged to audition for a story about the trials and tribulations of growing up. Benjamin Knot, the CEO of a well-known architecture firm, discovers that his children, Lily and Nathan, have each been offered a role. But Barton Mallet has a deep wound that has never truly healed.
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Hard to get into
- By felicialeash on 09-15-24
By: Richard Armitage
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What listeners say about Rules for Virgins
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Fern Stuart
- 05-07-22
A short, interesting listen :)
I thought the narrator was a great fit for the role.
I know some reviewers thought it was too short, but I enjoyed it and didn't mind the length. I can definitely understand there's potential for this story to be more than it was. However, because the story was told from one POV (one-sided instructions and anecdotes, etc). I think this works well as the short story it is.
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- Thomas P. Hagstrom
- 02-18-19
Very interesting short read
A near identical treatise can be found in "Valley of Amazement". This read discusses the sexual aspect of man woman intimacy. Amy Tan has the courage to present what others only hint at, and she does so with class, style, and a command of the English language.
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- Quiltrobin
- 11-14-13
Loved it - oh so briefly!
I've got to agree with other reviewers that this story was too short. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but it was just an appetizer. Now that my appetite has been whetted, I want more! Dear Amy Tan, are you listening? I'm feeling kind of teased, but maybe that was the point, it's part of the courtesan's repertoire?
Short as it is, I do recommend this tasty morsel.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Ms Gail
- 06-30-24
Great addendum to the Valley of Amazement.
As with all Amy Tan’s novels, I didn’t want it to end. I happened upon this book by accident and was elated I already knew the main character. As expected, it’s well written, the narration is pleasant, and the story is enticing. Enjoy!
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- RealMack83
- 06-19-15
Excellent story, surprisingly great advice on how to succeed as a woman in a male dominated culture.
Excellent story, when needs must, this is timeless advice from a seasoned older woman to her young (virginal) protégée on how to both enrapture their clients and avoid the pitfalls of their profession. I loved the dichotomy of the seemingly powerless woman actually being the alpha in the relationships from begging to end. I would recommend this to other women and a few male friends. It's certainly a credit to the author that she brought the story of her own Grandmother and her interest in her family history to light. Knowing her research motivations made me even more engaged. Now that I've been introduced to them, in this delightful short story, I'm really looking forward to reading the full novel Amy Tan wrote about these characters.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Lorri
- 12-30-20
Much Too Short
Okay, to be honest, I purchased this book with the expectation of receiving a book. It was more like a pamphlet, albeit, a very well-performed pamphlet. It is my fault because I should have looked at the length, but I was so excited to see an Amy Tan book I hadn‘t already read or listened to and hit the purchase button with wild abandon. I’m anxiously awaiting the next book/novel by Amy Tan. She is an extremely talented writer and an anszinc story teller. This one just wasn‘t what I expected and my least favorite of her writings.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Miss Right
- 01-18-17
Not what I expected
This actually put me to sleep. It's the teacher talking to the newbie and it just goes on and on, never bringing the character to life. This would be more engaging had Tan told the story from the young woman's viewpoint. How did she feel about the prospect of sexual servitude to the highest bidder? It's so appalling, I'd really like to know. Good stories are about human emotions.
I'd have stayed awake for that.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Barbara Myslinska
- 09-12-23
Rules for Virgins
I enjoy the story but was so disappointed when it ended where I was ready for the main ploy to begin.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 01-28-14
Where was my Magic Gourd?
If you could sum up Rules for Virgins in three words, what would they be?
Captivating, interesting and informative.
What did you like best about this story?
I felt as if I was Violet listening to a wise mentor, envisioning myself as a courtesan.
Any additional comments?
This book is short about 2 hrs, my biggest problem was it was hard to work and listen to since it was very detailed.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 03-02-17
I wish it was longer!
It was so beautifully writen that I was constantly rewinding to hear certain passages over an over. I wish it was so much longer then it is. I love the tools and tricks of a courtesan that Amy Tan wrote about. she never disappoints me.
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2 people found this helpful