Madame Butterfly

the long version

"Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly is one of the world's most beloved operas. In this expertly researched book, Jan van Rij uncovers the secret origins of the story: the fact and fiction that have converged to create opera's iconic heroine, the doomed Cho-Cho-san." "Madame Butterfly: Japonisme, Puccini, and the Search for the Real Cho-Cho-San is a pleasurable and enlightening journey, from the mercantile world of old Nagasaki to the heart of modern opera: the conjunction of the tragic, ridiculous, and sublime, in life and in art. It is the perfect gift for opera lovers, students of Japanese history, and admirers of fin-de-siecle European culture."--Jacket.