Status
Available
Publication
Little, Brown and Company (2014), Edition: First Edition, 416 pages
Description
"Emma Donoghue's explosive new novel, based on an unsolved murder in 1876 San Francisco. Summer of 1876: San Francisco is in the fierce grip of a record-breaking heatwave and a smallpox epidemic. Through the window of a railroad saloon, a young woman called Jenny Bonnet is shot dead. The survivor, her friend Blanche Beunon, is a French burlesque dancer. Over the next three days, she will risk everything to bring Jenny's murderer to justice--if he doesn't track her down first. The story Blanche struggles to piece together is one of free-love bohemians, desperate paupers and arrogant millionaires; of jealous men, icy women and damaged children. It's the secret life of Jenny herself, a notorious character who breaks the law every morning by getting dressed: a charmer as slippery as the frogs she hunts. In thrilling, cinematic style, FROG MUSIC digs up a long-forgotten, never-solved crime. Full of songs that migrated across the world, Emma Donoghue's lyrical tale of love and bloodshed among lowlifes captures the pulse of a boomtown like no other"--… (more)
Media reviews
It’s easy to see why the bare bones of the murder of Jenny (or Jennie, Jeanne or Jeannie) Bonnet (or Bonnett) attracted Ms. Donoghue’s attention. A prolific writer still best known for her huge hit, “Room,” she is drawn to stories of brave, strong women who survive outrageous abuse at the
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hands of men, and “Frog Music” includes another such situation. Its hot-blooded central character is professionally known as Blanche la Danseuse, though her professional skills include a lot more than dancing Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member edwinbcn
Frog Music is the latest novel by Emma Donoghue and will be published on 31 March 2014.
Frog Music starts and ends with an identical scene, the murder of Jenny Bonnet on 14 September 1876. This event and the novel are a fictionalized account of the actual historical unsolved murder. While the
The plot of the novel is fairly simple, but there are quite a number of intriguing details, which keep the reader fascinated. The novel is set in the milieu of French immigrants in the United States, particularly in San Francisco. The story and almost all flashbacks refer to a period of time of just about one month. Parts of the novel have a very cinematographic feel, so that when Blanche, a can can star dancer and prostitute is hit by a high-wheeler bicycle or vélocipède that scene is almost visible in one's imagination. The cyclist is Jenny Bonnet, a young woman notorious in San Francisco for cross-dressing and other mischief, she makes a living catching frogs and selling them to restaurants. Blanche and Jenny become friends, and Blanche invites Jenny to come over and stay with her in the household she supports, consisting of her lover, Arthur Deneve and Ernest Girard. Apparently precipitated by the friendship with Jenny, but influenced and coerced by a variety of mishap and circumstances, Blanche rapidly loses her job, her money, her property and lover and her child until she finds herself in a completely desolate state, and has to start all over again.
Early in the novel, the word morphodite is used to describe Jenny Bonnet, whose cross-dressing would now be regarded as transvestism. The etymology of the word morphodite in the sense of "homosexual" is not very well established, but it was in use in that form when Young Lonigan was published in 1932, and likely before that.
Sexuality and gender identity play an important part in Frog Music. Despite Blanche's description that throughout his life Arthur is either 'half-hard or wanting to become hard', the close bond between Arthur and Ernest, their characterisation as Castor and Pollux, looks very much like love, especially the devotion with which Ernest nurses Arthur through the smallpox epidemic. Suspicious eyes view boyish Jenny as a gouine (i.e. "dyke"), and while most remains hidden behind the utmost discretion, the reader does wonder who exactly in the novel are the gender-benders. Hidden sexuality and the shamefuless of sex are an important motive in the novel.
The novel cleverly describes the ribaldry of the young city, of drunkenness in the saloons, and lewdness in the House of Mirrors, of shamefaced bawdry and schoolboy mischief, greed, baby farms, prostitution, gambling, the smallpox epidemic and the stewing racial aggression against the Chinese population.
As the novel is set in the milieu of French immigrants in San Francisco, most main characters have French names, and many French words and expressions are used, for which an explanatory glossary is provided at the end of the book. For Blanche's singing of French ditties and lullabies, all but a CD is missing, some of the French song texts are included at the back of the book.
Frog Music is an exciting and enticing historical and detective novel about a piquant murder set in 1876 San Francisco.
Frog Music starts and ends with an identical scene, the murder of Jenny Bonnet on 14 September 1876. This event and the novel are a fictionalized account of the actual historical unsolved murder. While the
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opening scene is chaotic, making the reader wonder who gets shot, the same scene, which is described countless times throughout, as well as at the end of the book, readers have ample opportunity to ponder the details, and reach their conclusions long before Blanche Beaunon does.The plot of the novel is fairly simple, but there are quite a number of intriguing details, which keep the reader fascinated. The novel is set in the milieu of French immigrants in the United States, particularly in San Francisco. The story and almost all flashbacks refer to a period of time of just about one month. Parts of the novel have a very cinematographic feel, so that when Blanche, a can can star dancer and prostitute is hit by a high-wheeler bicycle or vélocipède that scene is almost visible in one's imagination. The cyclist is Jenny Bonnet, a young woman notorious in San Francisco for cross-dressing and other mischief, she makes a living catching frogs and selling them to restaurants. Blanche and Jenny become friends, and Blanche invites Jenny to come over and stay with her in the household she supports, consisting of her lover, Arthur Deneve and Ernest Girard. Apparently precipitated by the friendship with Jenny, but influenced and coerced by a variety of mishap and circumstances, Blanche rapidly loses her job, her money, her property and lover and her child until she finds herself in a completely desolate state, and has to start all over again.
Early in the novel, the word morphodite is used to describe Jenny Bonnet, whose cross-dressing would now be regarded as transvestism. The etymology of the word morphodite in the sense of "homosexual" is not very well established, but it was in use in that form when Young Lonigan was published in 1932, and likely before that.
Sexuality and gender identity play an important part in Frog Music. Despite Blanche's description that throughout his life Arthur is either 'half-hard or wanting to become hard', the close bond between Arthur and Ernest, their characterisation as Castor and Pollux, looks very much like love, especially the devotion with which Ernest nurses Arthur through the smallpox epidemic. Suspicious eyes view boyish Jenny as a gouine (i.e. "dyke"), and while most remains hidden behind the utmost discretion, the reader does wonder who exactly in the novel are the gender-benders. Hidden sexuality and the shamefuless of sex are an important motive in the novel.
The novel cleverly describes the ribaldry of the young city, of drunkenness in the saloons, and lewdness in the House of Mirrors, of shamefaced bawdry and schoolboy mischief, greed, baby farms, prostitution, gambling, the smallpox epidemic and the stewing racial aggression against the Chinese population.
As the novel is set in the milieu of French immigrants in San Francisco, most main characters have French names, and many French words and expressions are used, for which an explanatory glossary is provided at the end of the book. For Blanche's singing of French ditties and lullabies, all but a CD is missing, some of the French song texts are included at the back of the book.
Frog Music is an exciting and enticing historical and detective novel about a piquant murder set in 1876 San Francisco.
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LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
Frog Music is not a slow-paced and measured novel. It's set in San Francisco in 1875 during a heat wave and a smallpox epidemic and it begins with murder. Then it really gets going, featuring former circus performers, burlesque dancers, a cross-dressing woman riding a penny-farthing, French
Emma Donoghue's historical novels are scrupulously researched, and Frog Music is no exception. But it wears it's research lightly, so that the sure-footed mastery Donoghue has of the time and place enhance the story she's telling. I found this novel to be a great deal of fun.
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lullabies, a murder investigation, mob riots, and a missing baby. It's not a question of what happens on the next page, but how many things will happen. Emma Donoghue's historical novels are scrupulously researched, and Frog Music is no exception. But it wears it's research lightly, so that the sure-footed mastery Donoghue has of the time and place enhance the story she's telling. I found this novel to be a great deal of fun.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
In 1876 San Francisco, a heat wave and a smallpox epidemic means tempers are frayed. Jenny Bonnet, a frog hunter notorious for wearing men's clothing, collides on her high-rider bicycle with Blanche Beunon, a dancer in a strip club and a prostitute. This chance encounter sparks an unlikely
This is an immersive novel for those readers who enjoy plunging into a different time and place. Donoghue brings San Francisco to life with a wealth of details about everyday life in this chaotic city. Her characters are real historical figures, and this is a real unsolved mystery; Donoghue's solution may be somewhat convoluted, but it does work. The protagonist, Blanche, is a difficult person to sympathize with, a mother who first abandons her baby and then can't live without him, a prostitute who lets herself be taken advantage of by her kept man and his best friend. Jenny is a much more engaging character, but unfortunately is not in the book much, since her murder is the central point of the plot. Donoghue switches back and forth between the time leading up to the murder and the time after it, which can be awkward and confusing, and her strange choice of present tense doesn't help (a book set in the past should use past tense, in my opinion). Overall, though, this is an engaging read, showcasing Donoghue's clear talent for historical research.
Read in 2015.
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friendship that is cut short a month later, when Jenny is gunned down in front of Blanche. Now Blanche is destitute and scrambling to find her baby while trying to figure out who killed Jenny.This is an immersive novel for those readers who enjoy plunging into a different time and place. Donoghue brings San Francisco to life with a wealth of details about everyday life in this chaotic city. Her characters are real historical figures, and this is a real unsolved mystery; Donoghue's solution may be somewhat convoluted, but it does work. The protagonist, Blanche, is a difficult person to sympathize with, a mother who first abandons her baby and then can't live without him, a prostitute who lets herself be taken advantage of by her kept man and his best friend. Jenny is a much more engaging character, but unfortunately is not in the book much, since her murder is the central point of the plot. Donoghue switches back and forth between the time leading up to the murder and the time after it, which can be awkward and confusing, and her strange choice of present tense doesn't help (a book set in the past should use past tense, in my opinion). Overall, though, this is an engaging read, showcasing Donoghue's clear talent for historical research.
Read in 2015.
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LibraryThing member debnance
Be prepared. Donoghue is going to take you into the real world of misfits of the San Francisco of 1876. It isn’t ruffles and lace. Before you close this book, you will frequent a tawdry burlesque, you’ll retrieve your baby from a caregiver who has left tens of children to lie in their own
It’s not a pretty world. But it is, I suspect, very, very real.
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waste, you will befriend a woman who catches frogs in the mud and muck, and you will, finally, dare to cast off your sycophant boyfriend who spends his days gambling away your hard-earned money.It’s not a pretty world. But it is, I suspect, very, very real.
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LibraryThing member LindaWeeks
Wow! What a wild ride of a book. Written with all the bawdy bluster and showmanship of life in San Francisco after the gold rush, this story takes place over just a couple of weeks in the life of a former Parisian Circus performer, her lover and a woman she literally runs into on the street and the
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transformations of these characters is whirlwind. At the same time the author makes the two main characters, Blanche and Jenny so alive, sympathetic and believable that you find yourself living their lives along side them. Part murder mystery, part story of redemption, part scandalous news story, this book will make you wish you didn't have to get up to even go to the bathroom. Show Less
LibraryThing member AmaliaGavea
"Care to receive a bullet through your brains" ,Jenny quipped to St.Clair, "or have you got plans for this evening?"
First things first.I feel the need to say from the start that I loved this book.I am an avid reader of everything that is raw and gritty and realistic,especially when it comes to
The time is 1876, the place is San Francisco.Blanche, a French young woman, is a famous burlesque dancer and an occasional night butterfly for the upper society.Following her from Paris, we have Arthur, her dandee paramour and overall gigantic leech and Ernest who is Arthur's lackey,companion in just about everything and second leech in command.Oddly enough (or maybe not...) life seems agreeable to these three Bohemians until Blanche meets Jenny,a young woman who dresses herself in men's attire and catches frogs for a living.It is precisely this encounter that causes Blanche to rethink and reevaluate her life as it is.The sad thing is that it takes a murder for her to wake up,but who's the victim and who's the perpetrator?This is something you'll have to discover yourselves,waiting until the final chapter.The depiction of the setting and the era is marvellous.Do not expect poetic language.It is not this kind of story.There is an afterword by Donoghue in which she explains the basis of her story,the actual events that inspired the novel and the way she shaped them to fit her vision.
This book is vastly different from Room or The Wonder. Donoghue structures her mystery on a true crime case that remains unsolved and offers her own version of the events.I found this work just wonderful.Not only the mystery itself -which is guaranteed to have you guessing, then altering your opinion and then guessing again- but the way she inserts the themes of motherhood and independence in the centre of the story.Besides waiting anxiously for an explanation of the crime,I wanted to see how Blanche's fate would turn out.I won't hide the fact that I cared more for her than for the discovery of the guilty party and the motive.
So motherhood and independence.What constitutes a "suitable" mother?To what extent would a woman go to claim and protect her child? And independence.Blanche believes she is free just because she earns her living by herself -regardless of the manner in which she gains the daily bread- but cannot see the leeches drinking her blood before it's too late.Jenny dares to go against the "rules" of society and is punished for that.The bottom line is that to gain independence, you'll have to sacrifice a part of yourself.It's an eternal battle where strength and honesty are required and even then it may not be enough.
Donoghue creates powerful,often disturbing, stories and populates them with characters that may not be likeable or their actions may come in direct contrast with some of our principles, but they attract our attention.It doesn't matter whether we love or hate them.Blanche gathers a lot of hatred,judging from some of the reviews I've read.I can understand why,but I disagree utterly and completely (yeah for emphatic adverbs...)She may not be sympathetic per se, she may not be as clever as we'd like to see her, but I found her to be a realistic character and truthful to the era depicted.She reaches a point when she realises the futility of her way of living and tries to salvage what is good in her.Why doesn't she deserve a second chance?
*rant warning*
I'll tell you why.Because there are still some people who are afraid of a woman who's comfortable with her sexuality.And these people belong to both sexes.They utter the word "promiscuity" -which belongs to a bygone era- and retain a "holier-than-thou" attitude,pointing the finger.We are readers, we're supposed to be open-minded and accepting.Judging a character within the historical context and not by today's standards is a major "rule" in Historical Fiction,and yet somehow,there is a minority (thank God) who "seems" to forget this.Same goes with the critique on Jenny's character who is plainly brilliant and sassy and excellent.Well,of course, she needs to create a persona to live.This is the 19th century, any woman wearing trousers was arrested and put in prison.
This came out longer than expected,but there were some things I felt the need to state.As I said in the beginning, this book isn't for everyone.I can't recommend it to all readers because it isn't suitable to all.However, it should be ideal to brave souls who don't shy away from challenging, disturbing books that make us feel uncomfortable and yet remain Literature in the true meaning of the word.Think of it as a mix of Dickens, The Crimson Petal and the White and the brilliant TV series Ripper Street.Just a bit more gritty and dirty and more powerful...
First things first.I feel the need to say from the start that I loved this book.I am an avid reader of everything that is raw and gritty and realistic,especially when it comes to
Show More
Historical Fiction.However, I know that this novel isn't for everyone.If one is offended by the issue of prostitution,of abuse and if (very few) graphic sex scenes may disturb you, then this isn't a suitable read for you.If you consider these themes provocative, there are plenty of historical mysteries that will suit your tastes.But if you enjoy a combination of mystery and a brave glance to the extent a woman may act to save herself and try to correct the mistakes she has committed, if you look for a faithful representation of the USA during the 1870s, then give Frog Music a try.The time is 1876, the place is San Francisco.Blanche, a French young woman, is a famous burlesque dancer and an occasional night butterfly for the upper society.Following her from Paris, we have Arthur, her dandee paramour and overall gigantic leech and Ernest who is Arthur's lackey,companion in just about everything and second leech in command.Oddly enough (or maybe not...) life seems agreeable to these three Bohemians until Blanche meets Jenny,a young woman who dresses herself in men's attire and catches frogs for a living.It is precisely this encounter that causes Blanche to rethink and reevaluate her life as it is.The sad thing is that it takes a murder for her to wake up,but who's the victim and who's the perpetrator?This is something you'll have to discover yourselves,waiting until the final chapter.The depiction of the setting and the era is marvellous.Do not expect poetic language.It is not this kind of story.There is an afterword by Donoghue in which she explains the basis of her story,the actual events that inspired the novel and the way she shaped them to fit her vision.
This book is vastly different from Room or The Wonder. Donoghue structures her mystery on a true crime case that remains unsolved and offers her own version of the events.I found this work just wonderful.Not only the mystery itself -which is guaranteed to have you guessing, then altering your opinion and then guessing again- but the way she inserts the themes of motherhood and independence in the centre of the story.Besides waiting anxiously for an explanation of the crime,I wanted to see how Blanche's fate would turn out.I won't hide the fact that I cared more for her than for the discovery of the guilty party and the motive.
So motherhood and independence.What constitutes a "suitable" mother?To what extent would a woman go to claim and protect her child? And independence.Blanche believes she is free just because she earns her living by herself -regardless of the manner in which she gains the daily bread- but cannot see the leeches drinking her blood before it's too late.Jenny dares to go against the "rules" of society and is punished for that.The bottom line is that to gain independence, you'll have to sacrifice a part of yourself.It's an eternal battle where strength and honesty are required and even then it may not be enough.
Donoghue creates powerful,often disturbing, stories and populates them with characters that may not be likeable or their actions may come in direct contrast with some of our principles, but they attract our attention.It doesn't matter whether we love or hate them.Blanche gathers a lot of hatred,judging from some of the reviews I've read.I can understand why,but I disagree utterly and completely (yeah for emphatic adverbs...)She may not be sympathetic per se, she may not be as clever as we'd like to see her, but I found her to be a realistic character and truthful to the era depicted.She reaches a point when she realises the futility of her way of living and tries to salvage what is good in her.Why doesn't she deserve a second chance?
*rant warning*
I'll tell you why.Because there are still some people who are afraid of a woman who's comfortable with her sexuality.And these people belong to both sexes.They utter the word "promiscuity" -which belongs to a bygone era- and retain a "holier-than-thou" attitude,pointing the finger.We are readers, we're supposed to be open-minded and accepting.Judging a character within the historical context and not by today's standards is a major "rule" in Historical Fiction,and yet somehow,there is a minority (thank God) who "seems" to forget this.Same goes with the critique on Jenny's character who is plainly brilliant and sassy and excellent.Well,of course, she needs to create a persona to live.This is the 19th century, any woman wearing trousers was arrested and put in prison.
This came out longer than expected,but there were some things I felt the need to state.As I said in the beginning, this book isn't for everyone.I can't recommend it to all readers because it isn't suitable to all.However, it should be ideal to brave souls who don't shy away from challenging, disturbing books that make us feel uncomfortable and yet remain Literature in the true meaning of the word.Think of it as a mix of Dickens, The Crimson Petal and the White and the brilliant TV series Ripper Street.Just a bit more gritty and dirty and more powerful...
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LibraryThing member Carlathelibrarian
Once I got used to the back and forth through past and present, I enjoyed the book. It was not what I expected, but it was intriguing. Blanche is the main character, who arrived from France in San Francisco with her man Arthur and his partner from the circus Ernest. Blanche dances in a burlesque
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hall and is also a courtesan who supports herself and both men. She has had a baby who is living on a "farm" being nursed and raised. Blanche meets a very strange young woman, Jenny, who dresses as a man, rides a high wheeler around, has not home and catches frogs for a living. Blanche begins to question her choices after making her first friend and sets in motion a series of events. The book is historically accurate and for an unlikeable character, I really liked Blanche at the end of this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member gaskella
I found reading this book a bit of a slog. The premise was exciting - a murder in 1876 San Francisco, Chinatown, smallpox, a heat-wave and three French ex-circus performers at the heart of things.
Blanche is an exotic dancer and enthusiastic whore, Arthur, ex-trapeze artist is her lover. One day
Jumping about from all over the past to the present, and written in the present tense - the structure of this novel was too messy, just like Blanche's petticoats. Added to that Blanche was a pain, always fussing and moaning (moaning in more than one way too! Jenny was a brilliant character and I'd have loved much more of her and less Blanche. The French glossary was useful though for exotic swear-words.
Blanche is an exotic dancer and enthusiastic whore, Arthur, ex-trapeze artist is her lover. One day
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Blanche bumps into Jenny - a notorious character in SF, and this meeting will change everything.Jumping about from all over the past to the present, and written in the present tense - the structure of this novel was too messy, just like Blanche's petticoats. Added to that Blanche was a pain, always fussing and moaning (moaning in more than one way too! Jenny was a brilliant character and I'd have loved much more of her and less Blanche. The French glossary was useful though for exotic swear-words.
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LibraryThing member mrlzbth
Some of the undertones in the explicit sexual scenes in this gave me pause, particularly the moment during a threesome in which a woman thinks about how nice it is that the men don't ask for her consent--"the trampling on her will rather excites her; her body likes having its mind made up for it."
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*shudder* However, the novel as a whole is quite good and takes an interesting look at gender performance in 19th century San Francisco. I liked the song lyrics woven throughout the text and knew I wasn't going to be putting the book down as soon as the "baby in peril" plot started--I had to know the fate of Blanche's "P'tit"! Show Less
LibraryThing member Citizenjoyce
This work of historical fiction is based on some disturbing facts that are expanded in the afterward: there's a "doctress" who runs a baby farm in 19th century San Francisco - she existed and made herself a fortune on the trade. Later in life she offerred her home and business to the city to be
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used as a foundling home if the city guaranteed that she and her son could run it, amazingly the city declined. The Socratic Jenny Bonnet's murder remains unsolved, but her character has gained some popularity as a cross dressing woman who rescued prostitutes from their profession - Donoghue discusses various views of her character. Blanche Beunon (under several different names), her son, her treacherous fancy man and his treacherous minion were all real. The smallpox epidemic, rendered in detail, was real. It's an eye opening and enlightening book with a real kick recommended to anyone with a strong stomach and interest in woman's history. Show Less
LibraryThing member ozzer
Emma Donoghue’s fine novel reimagines an unsolved murder, which took place in the summer of 1976 in San Francisco. The murder scene was a rundown resort on the outskirts of the booming city. The victim was Jenny Bonnet—a well-known female activist in the community who was shot through the
Donoghue uses the historical record to effectively evoke boomtown San Francisco in the summer of 1876 emphasizing the heat wave, smallpox epidemic, race riots aimed at the Chinese immigrants, rampant poverty, exploitation of children and the folk music that was prevalent at the time. The use of frogs as food and as the common ethnic slur of French people lacks subtlety, but this was only a minor flaw, if one is willing to accept its prominence in the title.
The crime was never solved, but this does not deter Donoghue from imagining a satisfying solution that resonates well with all of the major themes of the book.
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window of the seedy hotel while staying there with her friend, Blanche Beunon. Donoghue effectively uses this historical incident with a narration by Blanche to explore women’s issues prevalent at the time, especially societal projections and exploitation by men. This was a time when wearing men’s clothing was a crime and accepted female attire was anything but convenient or comfortable. The 25-year-old Blanche migrates arc from erotic dancing, prostitution and exploitation by Arthur, her lover (pimp) and his friend Ernest to becoming an independent woman taking responsibility for herself and her young son P’tit. This evolution was ignited by her befriending the iconoclastic Jenny and matured by the many challenges she faces in trying to retrieve her son from Arthur and Ernest and her fear that Jenny’s murder may have been a mistake with her being the actual intended victim.Donoghue uses the historical record to effectively evoke boomtown San Francisco in the summer of 1876 emphasizing the heat wave, smallpox epidemic, race riots aimed at the Chinese immigrants, rampant poverty, exploitation of children and the folk music that was prevalent at the time. The use of frogs as food and as the common ethnic slur of French people lacks subtlety, but this was only a minor flaw, if one is willing to accept its prominence in the title.
The crime was never solved, but this does not deter Donoghue from imagining a satisfying solution that resonates well with all of the major themes of the book.
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LibraryThing member Romonko
This is a truly wonderful book! I absolutely loved it. The setting is 1846 San Francisco. The book is based on a true story and the characters in the book, with the exception of three or four, are real historical characters. The book is also an expose of a true crime that occurred in a little
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railway town outside of town. San Francisco in 1876 is a boom town and a real melting pot of immigrants who have come for work and to try to find new lives in order to escape the events occurring in Europe and Asia. It's a scorching hot summer in San Francisco that year. The main voice in the book is Blanche Beunon, a very popular burlesque dancer. The book is about Blanche and her colourful, but very sad life. She is living with a ne'er do-well by the name of Arthur and his companion Ernest. The two men are dandies about town and they are quite happy to live off the proceeds of Blanche's earnings as a burlesque dancer and sometime lady on the town. Blanche is hurrying back home after a performance one day and is bowled over by a girl on a high-wheeler bicycle. Her life changes forever from that point. Jenny Bonnet forces Blanche to reexamine her life and some of the choices that she has made. We follow Blanche as she reclaims the son that she had given up a year ago. All of a sudden Blanche is thrown into a confrontation with her paramour because he doesn't want the baby around even though he is is son. Jenny continues to force Blanche to look at things with a different eye and Blanche is suddenly on the run for her life. The book is so well-written and so realistic. Blanche is a tragic heroine and it was difficult to watch her fall from grace, but wonderful to see her as she finds the strength to pull herself up out of the gutter after the tragic episodes that occurred in September 1876. Ms. Donaghue is pitiless in bringing out the emotions of her readers and wringing them out. I find that when I read this book as well as her bestseller Room that I truly lived in the story and didn't want to be bothered with things happening in the real world. It's a book that demands to be read like that - all-consuming and real. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm12
This highly anticipated novel from the author of Room takes readers into the sordid world of San Francisco in 1876. Using the known facts of an unsolved murder, Donoghue weaves the intricate story of Blanche Beunon, a former circus performer turned burlesque dancer with a bit of prostitution on the
Blanche is suffering through a harsh heat wave and a smallpox epidemic when she meets the feisty Jenny Bonnet, who we learn in the first chapter is murdered. Before meeting Jenny, Blanche’s life consists of an unhealthy relationship with Arthur, a brute who is hard to stomach and a constant string of “jobs” with random men. The constant shifts in the time in the narrative were hard to follow. In one moments we’re in the hours following Jenny’s death and a second later we’re month or years in the past.
I found the historical aspects of the book fascinating. Learning about the smallpox epidemic, burlesques, Chinese neighborhoods, and French circus was so interesting. It was the fictional elements of the book that fell flat at times for me. Blanche became an exhausting character to read about. She seemed to constantly put herself in bad situations or be surprised when awful people betrayed her. Jenny is the heart and soul of the book and I wish she had played a bigger part in the action. Her fiery demeanor and lust for life infected everyone around her.
**SPOILER**
I was incredibly disappointed when Blanche and Jenny slept together. I understand that it was important to the plot, but it was such a letdown. Blanche sleeps with everyone, from Arthur to his friend Ernest to her clients; she uses her body to make money. But Jenny was the person that was a true friend to her. She wasn’t scared to give her an objective point about her life and she was there for Blanche in a way to no one else was. I was frustrated that they slept together because to me it cheapened their relationship. I felt like there was more depth to their friendship when sex was not on the table because sex was so common and cheap in Blanche’s world.
**SPOILER OVER**
BOTTOM LINE: Interesting, well writing and great on audio, but I tired of hearing about Blanche’s troubles and I wished we heard more from Jenny.
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side.Blanche is suffering through a harsh heat wave and a smallpox epidemic when she meets the feisty Jenny Bonnet, who we learn in the first chapter is murdered. Before meeting Jenny, Blanche’s life consists of an unhealthy relationship with Arthur, a brute who is hard to stomach and a constant string of “jobs” with random men. The constant shifts in the time in the narrative were hard to follow. In one moments we’re in the hours following Jenny’s death and a second later we’re month or years in the past.
I found the historical aspects of the book fascinating. Learning about the smallpox epidemic, burlesques, Chinese neighborhoods, and French circus was so interesting. It was the fictional elements of the book that fell flat at times for me. Blanche became an exhausting character to read about. She seemed to constantly put herself in bad situations or be surprised when awful people betrayed her. Jenny is the heart and soul of the book and I wish she had played a bigger part in the action. Her fiery demeanor and lust for life infected everyone around her.
**SPOILER**
I was incredibly disappointed when Blanche and Jenny slept together. I understand that it was important to the plot, but it was such a letdown. Blanche sleeps with everyone, from Arthur to his friend Ernest to her clients; she uses her body to make money. But Jenny was the person that was a true friend to her. She wasn’t scared to give her an objective point about her life and she was there for Blanche in a way to no one else was. I was frustrated that they slept together because to me it cheapened their relationship. I felt like there was more depth to their friendship when sex was not on the table because sex was so common and cheap in Blanche’s world.
**SPOILER OVER**
BOTTOM LINE: Interesting, well writing and great on audio, but I tired of hearing about Blanche’s troubles and I wished we heard more from Jenny.
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LibraryThing member acanuckreader
This book pulled me into it, the writing was so vivid and the characters so sensitively portrayed.
Emma Donoghue has clearly done her research, something I found myself looking into after i'd finished my book, wanting to know more about this cast of characters who had once lived, breathed and been
Emma Donoghue has clearly done her research, something I found myself looking into after i'd finished my book, wanting to know more about this cast of characters who had once lived, breathed and been
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given a fictional afterlife. Show Less
LibraryThing member cabockwrites
A historical novel by the author of the best-selling ROOM....a departure from Room... to late 19th century San Francisco...Chinatown....one that I enjoyed...though warning: bawdy tale of friendship of two women... atomospheric and lovely....
LibraryThing member bibliovermis
The most interesting part of this book was the afterword. The main character was a huge idiot, and the breathless vapidity of her inner thoughts was exhausting to read. About half the book could have been cut without cutting out any of the plot.
The historical background is well established, and the
The historical background is well established, and the
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folk songs were a nice touch. It's obvious that the author did a lot of research (as evidenced by the aforementioned afterword). Sadly, that is not enough to save this book from being a slog. Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
In the mid 19th century, two women were born, Blanche Beunon and Jenny Bonnett. Both grew up abused by men and the system. Both were obsessed with their own personal sexual needs. Both seemed to be weak victims of circumstances that were almost beyond their control; both were misunderstood and
Blanche was born in France. At the tender age of 15, she meets Arthur Deneve. He is a circus performer, an accomplished acrobat. She becomes his lover and runs away with him to become part of the circus. She learns to ride bareback performing with horses while he performs on the trapeze until a fall injures his back so severely, he is no longer able to perform. Arthur has a protégé, Ernest, an orphan he adopted and trained as his partner. They all leave France for America after he recovers, and there, Ernest has his own paramour, Madeleine. Blanche supports both men with her salacious dancing and behavior as a lady of the night, doing whatever is required of her for paying customers and for both Ernest and Arthur. Truth be told, she enjoys the raunchy life with all of its raw sex, and she relishes the control she feels that she has over men. She believes that men are her tools and she can use them as she will to gain her advantage. Blanche, at 24, is a natural courtesan.
It is the summer of 1876, when she meets Jenny Bonnett, dressed in masculine clothing, possessed of a disarming openness. She impetuously asks blunt questions that are usually asked only by closer friends or relatives. She is lighthearted on the outside and adds humor to the story. She earns her keep by catching and selling frogs to restaurants. You might call her a “frog whisperer” since she believes they can communicate. Jenny never really divulges much information about her own self, even as she questions Blanche and learns the details of her life, although neither woman really completely reveals themselves to the other. Both are habituated to keeping secrets. Blanche is a song and dance performer and Jenny often sings ditties. Music, therefore, often erupts from both of them, and with the excellent reader that is on this audio, the pages often burst into song.
Jenny discovers that Blanche and Arthur Deneve have a child, now a year old. He, Petit Arthur, has supposedly been kept on a farm all these many months. After Blanche gave birth she had milk fever; later on, she had to work, so the baby was cared for elsewhere. Jenny inspires Blanche to find out where her son lodges, since he is always brought to her for visits. When she discovers he is not on a farm but in terrible circumstances where he is neglected and mistreated, she rescues him. He is already malformed and undernourished, not a very handsome, particularly happy or friendly baby.
At this time, in San Francisco, there is a Smallpox epidemic. Arthur contracts the disease and is in serious condition. Blanche, afraid for the baby, and advised by a doctor to stay away from Arthur to protect herself and Petit Arthur, enrages Ernest who sacrifices himself completely to care for Arthur without regard for his own safety. When Arthur recovers, he has turned against Blanche. He is furious that she is not working and supporting them and jealous of the attention she has given to their child. When both men try to force her to engage in vulgar and offensive sexual conduct with a stranger and themselves, she flees, leaving the child behind to save herself. Tragedy, betrayal, theft and murder follow her as she joins her friend Jenny, whom she knows now for about a month, in a remote location where she has gone to unwind, and Blanche has gone to hide.
As the story plays out, it travels back and forth in time, and sometimes the time and place is hazy and unclear until several sentences pass. The language is crude and the sex is explicit. The descriptions and details are often gruesome and graphic. It seems like it was a time of lawlessness and wantonness, disease and despair. Although the novel gets confusing at times, the story, with all its disparate parts, is woven together very neatly in the end, even if not totally satisfactorily. I was happy to read a novel that was original and not a variation on the same theme of many of the books populating the bookshelves in bookstores today, namely stories encompassing dystopian cultures, supernatural beings, excessive violence and bloodshed, sadism, masochism, diabolical schemes, irreverence, and unethical and immoral dysfunctional characters that reside within the pages.
The audiobook did not include the Afterward that is in the printed book, according to what I read online, therefore, the modern day environmental concerns are not elaborated on, like the frog depletion caused by frog catchers and its effect on the ecosystem, or the fact that the tale was based on the true story of an unsolved murder of a woman who did indeed dress as a man and did earn her living catching frogs, and that there really was a child rescued by its mother, and of course, there was no glossary, which wouldn’t have helped in the audio anyway. It would have been helpful, however, if there had been a voice translation, immediately following the foreign expression, for some words were not discernible to my ear although I have a small knowledge of French.
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mistreated and both would lie, cheat, and steal when necessary, yet both were very likeable characters which is a tribute to the author’s skill. The women meet quite by accident when Jenny, on a towering bicycle, collides with Blanche, who is on foot. Soon, they become unlikely friends. For Blanche, Jenny is the only friend she has ever really had and her outspokenness alternately unnerves and empowers her. Blanche was born in France. At the tender age of 15, she meets Arthur Deneve. He is a circus performer, an accomplished acrobat. She becomes his lover and runs away with him to become part of the circus. She learns to ride bareback performing with horses while he performs on the trapeze until a fall injures his back so severely, he is no longer able to perform. Arthur has a protégé, Ernest, an orphan he adopted and trained as his partner. They all leave France for America after he recovers, and there, Ernest has his own paramour, Madeleine. Blanche supports both men with her salacious dancing and behavior as a lady of the night, doing whatever is required of her for paying customers and for both Ernest and Arthur. Truth be told, she enjoys the raunchy life with all of its raw sex, and she relishes the control she feels that she has over men. She believes that men are her tools and she can use them as she will to gain her advantage. Blanche, at 24, is a natural courtesan.
It is the summer of 1876, when she meets Jenny Bonnett, dressed in masculine clothing, possessed of a disarming openness. She impetuously asks blunt questions that are usually asked only by closer friends or relatives. She is lighthearted on the outside and adds humor to the story. She earns her keep by catching and selling frogs to restaurants. You might call her a “frog whisperer” since she believes they can communicate. Jenny never really divulges much information about her own self, even as she questions Blanche and learns the details of her life, although neither woman really completely reveals themselves to the other. Both are habituated to keeping secrets. Blanche is a song and dance performer and Jenny often sings ditties. Music, therefore, often erupts from both of them, and with the excellent reader that is on this audio, the pages often burst into song.
Jenny discovers that Blanche and Arthur Deneve have a child, now a year old. He, Petit Arthur, has supposedly been kept on a farm all these many months. After Blanche gave birth she had milk fever; later on, she had to work, so the baby was cared for elsewhere. Jenny inspires Blanche to find out where her son lodges, since he is always brought to her for visits. When she discovers he is not on a farm but in terrible circumstances where he is neglected and mistreated, she rescues him. He is already malformed and undernourished, not a very handsome, particularly happy or friendly baby.
At this time, in San Francisco, there is a Smallpox epidemic. Arthur contracts the disease and is in serious condition. Blanche, afraid for the baby, and advised by a doctor to stay away from Arthur to protect herself and Petit Arthur, enrages Ernest who sacrifices himself completely to care for Arthur without regard for his own safety. When Arthur recovers, he has turned against Blanche. He is furious that she is not working and supporting them and jealous of the attention she has given to their child. When both men try to force her to engage in vulgar and offensive sexual conduct with a stranger and themselves, she flees, leaving the child behind to save herself. Tragedy, betrayal, theft and murder follow her as she joins her friend Jenny, whom she knows now for about a month, in a remote location where she has gone to unwind, and Blanche has gone to hide.
As the story plays out, it travels back and forth in time, and sometimes the time and place is hazy and unclear until several sentences pass. The language is crude and the sex is explicit. The descriptions and details are often gruesome and graphic. It seems like it was a time of lawlessness and wantonness, disease and despair. Although the novel gets confusing at times, the story, with all its disparate parts, is woven together very neatly in the end, even if not totally satisfactorily. I was happy to read a novel that was original and not a variation on the same theme of many of the books populating the bookshelves in bookstores today, namely stories encompassing dystopian cultures, supernatural beings, excessive violence and bloodshed, sadism, masochism, diabolical schemes, irreverence, and unethical and immoral dysfunctional characters that reside within the pages.
The audiobook did not include the Afterward that is in the printed book, according to what I read online, therefore, the modern day environmental concerns are not elaborated on, like the frog depletion caused by frog catchers and its effect on the ecosystem, or the fact that the tale was based on the true story of an unsolved murder of a woman who did indeed dress as a man and did earn her living catching frogs, and that there really was a child rescued by its mother, and of course, there was no glossary, which wouldn’t have helped in the audio anyway. It would have been helpful, however, if there had been a voice translation, immediately following the foreign expression, for some words were not discernible to my ear although I have a small knowledge of French.
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LibraryThing member queencersei
Blanche is a French transplant living in San Francisco in the 1870's. Working as a popular burlesque dancer and prostitute, Blanche is the sole support for her dilettante lover Arthur, his friend Gérard and their son, Petit Arthur. Blanche has convinced herself that she is happy with the
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arrangement until she is accidently struck down by Jenny riding a wonderful new contraption, a bicycle. After forming a fast friendship, Blanche finally beings to question why she is using her body to support to handsome but lazy men. Meanwhile San Francisco seethes under an intense heat wave and a small pox epidemic. Events come to a boil and soon Blanche finds herself simultaneously trying to find her missing son and uncover the identity of a murder. Show Less
LibraryThing member lauriebrown54
‘Frog Music’ takes place in two times: a month in one time line and a handful of days in the other. Donoghue alternates between the past month and the present few days as Blanche Beunon, exotic dancer in San Francisco in 1876, tries to survive and get justice for her best friend of a month,
Formerly, Blanche lived in relative comfort, supplementing her income as a dancer/stripper with semi-high class prostitution; supporting her idle, sociopathic but beloved Arthur and his friend Ernest in style; and even buying the building they live in. At that point, the only mistake she figured she’d made was having a baby, P’tit, who, lest he interfere with Blanche’s ability to work, is put out by Arthur to a ‘baby farm’, horrific places where most of the infants died. Once Blanche finds out the circumstances of P’tit’s care, he suddenly becomes the most important thing in the world to her. At this point, Jenny has-literally- run into Blanche, and, despite this unpromising meeting, they become friends. But Jenny speaks her mind, which makes her a dangerous friend for Blanche.
Set against a heat wave that won’t let up, race hatred against the Chinese, and a smallpox epidemic, the pace never lets up. Blanche goes through a lot of changes and faces hard things. The killer turned out to be a total surprise to me, as did the reason Jenny was killed and not Blanche. This is one of the tensest books I’ve ever read, yet it is filled with the little details of what life was like in that time and place. I was surprised to find that the author based the book on a real event; don’t read the afterword before you read the story or it will be ruined for you! Not as good as Donoghue’s ‘Slammerkin’ but then, not many books are as good as ‘Slammerkin’.
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Jenny Bonnet. A cross dressing young woman who carried a gun and rode a stolen high wheel bike, Jenny seems a less likely target for murder than Blanche herself. Blanche frantically scrambles to stay safe from her former pimp and his sidekick, fighting to get her child back (whom she cared not a bit for until reminded of him by Jenny), and get the truth about why Jenny was killed. Formerly, Blanche lived in relative comfort, supplementing her income as a dancer/stripper with semi-high class prostitution; supporting her idle, sociopathic but beloved Arthur and his friend Ernest in style; and even buying the building they live in. At that point, the only mistake she figured she’d made was having a baby, P’tit, who, lest he interfere with Blanche’s ability to work, is put out by Arthur to a ‘baby farm’, horrific places where most of the infants died. Once Blanche finds out the circumstances of P’tit’s care, he suddenly becomes the most important thing in the world to her. At this point, Jenny has-literally- run into Blanche, and, despite this unpromising meeting, they become friends. But Jenny speaks her mind, which makes her a dangerous friend for Blanche.
Set against a heat wave that won’t let up, race hatred against the Chinese, and a smallpox epidemic, the pace never lets up. Blanche goes through a lot of changes and faces hard things. The killer turned out to be a total surprise to me, as did the reason Jenny was killed and not Blanche. This is one of the tensest books I’ve ever read, yet it is filled with the little details of what life was like in that time and place. I was surprised to find that the author based the book on a real event; don’t read the afterword before you read the story or it will be ruined for you! Not as good as Donoghue’s ‘Slammerkin’ but then, not many books are as good as ‘Slammerkin’.
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LibraryThing member HeatherGill
I both liked and disliked this book at the same time. What I liked: The historical facts about the city and the time period I found very interesting. I lived in San Francisco and her description of the city back then I could really picture it. I found the story unpredictable which was refreshing.
What I didn't like: While the French was important to really paint the picture of immigration in the city, the unfamiliar language made me have to stop and go a lot. The flashbacks also were important and enjoyable, but in the beginning I had a harder time with it when I wasn't fully familiar with the character just yet. I don't want to spoil anything so I will be vague, but who ended up killer her and why...was disappointing.
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The was it was written really added to the unpredictability of the plot. The way the author moved back a fourth in time gave me one piece of the puzzle at a time and kept me wanting more. What I didn't like: While the French was important to really paint the picture of immigration in the city, the unfamiliar language made me have to stop and go a lot. The flashbacks also were important and enjoyable, but in the beginning I had a harder time with it when I wasn't fully familiar with the character just yet. I don't want to spoil anything so I will be vague, but who ended up killer her and why...was disappointing.
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LibraryThing member pburger
Couldn't get into it.
LibraryThing member melaniehope
I thought this was a great book. Surprisingly, I have yet to read Donoghue's popular novel, Room. This book is a historical fiction novel that takes place in 1876 during the middle of a known heatwave and smallpox epidemic in San Francisco. The story is actually based on the real life unsolved
Blanche is pretty much supporting her lover Arthur and his tag along best friend, Ernest. Until she met Jenny, Blanche never really questioned her lifestyle or the decision she made in letting her young infant be raised at a "child farm."
Jenny stirs things up, but it seems as though Blanche was just waiting for the slightest nudge. Tragically, Jenny is murdered by gunshots, but Blanche, in the same room, survives. What follows is the few days afterwards where Blanche tries to figure out who did this and where her child is being hidden.
The novel does flip flop back and forth between present day and the past and how Blanche and Jenny met and the days leading up to her murder. You have to pay close attention between the timeshifts as it often happens in the same chapter. This was a raw, gritty look at life in the late 1800's in San Francisco. It may not be for everyone. It does lightly touch on the graphic nature of Blanche's sex life and the odd living arrangement of her, Arthur and Ernest. I thought it was a fantastic story and interpretation of what may have occurred. Can't wait to read more from this author. I received a complimentary copy in exchange for a review.
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murder of Jenny Bonnet. In the story, we are introduced to Blanche, a dancer and prostitute who befriends Jenny, a know cross dresser and frog catcher(which she sells to local restaurants).Blanche is pretty much supporting her lover Arthur and his tag along best friend, Ernest. Until she met Jenny, Blanche never really questioned her lifestyle or the decision she made in letting her young infant be raised at a "child farm."
Jenny stirs things up, but it seems as though Blanche was just waiting for the slightest nudge. Tragically, Jenny is murdered by gunshots, but Blanche, in the same room, survives. What follows is the few days afterwards where Blanche tries to figure out who did this and where her child is being hidden.
The novel does flip flop back and forth between present day and the past and how Blanche and Jenny met and the days leading up to her murder. You have to pay close attention between the timeshifts as it often happens in the same chapter. This was a raw, gritty look at life in the late 1800's in San Francisco. It may not be for everyone. It does lightly touch on the graphic nature of Blanche's sex life and the odd living arrangement of her, Arthur and Ernest. I thought it was a fantastic story and interpretation of what may have occurred. Can't wait to read more from this author. I received a complimentary copy in exchange for a review.
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LibraryThing member tandah
Great concept, and structure - however, despite all the research, think the book was padded out. Each section hits it's denouement about 10 pages before it finishes.
LibraryThing member dd196406
Strange but interesting novel about the early days of San Francisco. Interesting characters and plot twists that keep you guessing. And interesting read, but not really beach read material. You have to pay attention to understand this novel.
LibraryThing member CasualFriday
Emma Donoghue does a bang-up job with historical fiction about complicated women. This one, about a burlesque dancer and prostitute who befriends a woman who catches frogs for restaurants, is based on a real murder in 1876 San Francisco. It's a riveting page-turner with a rich historical setting.
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The dancer, Blanche, is typical of Donoghue's flawed, sometimes infuriating heroines. You cannot help but sympathize with her even as you shake your head at many of her choices. While definitely a fiction, the book benefits from Donoghue's extensive research. The Afterword, which describing many of the facts behind the fiction, is definitely worth reading. Show Less
Awards
Stonewall Book Award (Honor Book — Literature — 2015)
Bisexual Book Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2014)
Booklist Editor's Choice: Adult Books (Fiction — 2014)
San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year (Fiction — 2014)
ALA Over the Rainbow Book List (Selection — Fiction — 2015)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014
Physical description
416 p.; 6.25 inches
ISBN
031632468X / 9780316324687
UPC
884427591163
Local notes
Fiction