All's not what it seems for the unfortunate protaganist Pete who falls in love with the beautiful pole dancer Joy against the advice of his so-called drinking buddy's at Fatso's bar. Drink, drugs, sex, violence and deception all abound in this intriguing thriller which shows the darker side of Bangkok's notorious red light districts, notably the Nana Plaza complex. The album was released on May 29, 1984, and became an outstanding global commercial success. [21] [22] [23] The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 chart for ten consecutive weeks [24] and remained in the top ten for 39 weeks from August 1984 to May 1985. In the United States it was certified 5× platinum. [25] In Germany, the album went 5× gold becoming one of the best selling albums in history. It peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart, where it was certified 3× platinum, remaining on the charts for 150 total weeks. It was certified 7× platinum for the shipment of over 700,000 copies in Canada by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. The album has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. [26] [27] At the 1985 Grammy Awards, Private Dancer won four of the six awards for which it was nominated.

Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2022-11-03 21:02:43 Autocrop_version 0.0.14_books-20220331-0.2 Bookplateleaf 0002 Boxid IA40753216 Camera Sony Alpha-A6300 (Control) Collection_set printdisabled External-identifier But to have two major English-language newspapers declare that Private Dancer should be compulsory bibliography for everyone landing in Thailand it’s just wrong. I mean, do they really assume that all tourists who arrive in Thailand come here for the girls? Has Thailand really become a destination known just for its red light districts? I wholeheartedly hope not! There are thousands of other things Thailand can offer, apart from Bangkok’s three main red light districts and Pattaya’s Walking Street. I have not read any of Leather's other works, so I cannot say if this is his pinnacle, his 'Catcher in the Rye', or if this is merely the level he usually writes at. However, after finishing this book in three swift sitings I am raring to read more of his other offerings. The plot line was good. It kept me interested and I liked the idea of someone becoming infatuated with someone that they really couldn't ever "be with." The development of the main characters was good, though -- again -- some of the sub-characters were just in there. American album certifications – Tina Turner – Private Dancer". Recording Industry Association of America.clubs, street vendors, and of course, foreign sex tourists. Thailand nightlife in an average Go-Go bar. Capitol/EMI - Exciting Prospects '86" (PDF). Music & Media. December 23, 1985. p.4 . Retrieved June 26, 2023. The novel is divided into small segments – each narrated by its respective character along the way. And it is absolutely intriguing to see how each person feels and thinks about the exact same situation as the story unfolds. This is a great book, not only because there is an obvious amount of research Mr. Leather invested but it is amazing from an anthropological and cultural stand point. Well done, Mr. Leather; I look forward to diving in many more of your gorgeous novels. Us Yanks don't know what we have been missing from not discovering this awesome British writer. Love it! Pete falls for drop-dead beautiful Joy but she isn't what she seems. Like that is a surprise. Homegirl plays her farang like a violin all the way up until the end but these leads to murderous consequences no one could have foreseen coming.

What I liked: Its a wonderful depiction of the life of a bargirl, and the life of the Bangkok expat who loses the plot. For me, Steve Leather had been my favourite author ever since I read Solitary Man and for me to read a book set in Thailand's naughty nightlife AND written by my favourite author, is something special. Further to the previous point, Leather does not fall into the obvious trap of exonerating the 'water-buffaloes' who trawl Bangkok's sleaze, he is fair and balanced in holding up mirrors to both sides. And his conclusion is the ultimate truism. You reap what you sow; if you go looking for a prostitute in a red-light district, you will find one, and don't be surprised when she turns out to be one. Likewise if you meet a sex-tourist in a sleazy bar, don't be surprised he is a sex-tourist. If both parties accept their rôles then they can establish some kind of 'relationship', if they don't all is ultimately doomed - which it might well be anyway. These women by no means should be under-estimated or disrespected. They are in their own right powerful creatures of desire – who main purpose – is to survive this evil world. So in as much as I would like to point fingers – I have to say, I myself personally do not have a stellar record to do so. Private Dancer – THE CONCLUSION This is the story of Pete and Joy. Pete is a British expat living his best life in Bangkok while writing up a travel book. Joy is a dancer in a local bar reliant on sex tourism to support her family. I like the way Mr. Leather has divided the book up, not in chapters but sections for each character in the story, so we get to know in detail every character and what they are thinking. The author seems to have a lot of knowledge about the nightlife in Bangkok, I know this because I used to live in Thailand many years ago! Some parts of the story may be exaggerated a little to make it more exciting, but a lot of what goes on in the book is true. (many bargirls really do have Thai husbands...beware!) Stephen Leather has nailed it with this book and the detail is spot on!I feel a need to disagree with you about the meaning and the relevance of this book. I think the book is a very good one to read for anyone travelling first time to Thailand or any other Asian country for that matter. Yes, the story itself is built around prostitution and Western men taking advantage of the girls there but I see the meaning of the book lying far more deeper than that. You can see it in the way Pete and Joy comment the developments in their relationships and how despite good intentions a common understanding is not found. But, there’s a twist in the tail and, although towards the end the narrative kind of loses focus, the message of the book is clear: you’re never going to win an argument with the Thais. Unfortunately, the book doesn’t make justice to the millions of ‘normal’ Thai women who live a decent life, and keep away from drugs, orgies and prostitution. Private Dancer has a brilliant cover (photograph by Paul Owen), which suggest exactly what the book is all about. I have compiled a full list and guides for the Oil massage shops, soappy parlors, dirty bars etc. I focus in Pattaya, Bangkok but I also have guides on Udon Thani and Isaan, Phuket, Chiang Mai, etc. Ma lugesin küll uut trükk, mis see aasta ilmus aga sisu poolest tõenäoliselt samad. Mulle meeldis, ma eriti Taimaast ja selle tavadest muud ei teadnud, kui et Euroopa meestele meeldib sinna seksiturismile sõita ja päikest lisaks nautida. No Minu Tai on muidugi loetud aga see räägib hoopis muust sest peategelane on lastega inimene, ilmselgelt prostitutsioon teda ei puuduta :) National Recording Registry Class Produces Ultimate 'Stay at Home' Playlist". Library of Congress. March 25, 2020 . Retrieved March 25, 2020.

The book is interesting because it also presents the story from the Thai point of view, and the Thai bar girls point of view. Which gives a tremendous hindsight and is very interesting. What made me raise an eyebrow: Perhaps the reader needs to have an Anglo-Saxon or Thai mentality so that it could be understood what keeps going wrong on both sides: Pete keeps being stupid and naive because he assumes Joy has similar moral norms than the Western girls and the same applies to Joy having strong ideas about the roles of men and women which clearly don’t apply on Pete. Hence, the object of the book is to illustrate the underlying differences between two cultures. Stephen Leather has written many other books situated in Asia and perhaps this popular topic was chosen only to get as much publicity for the book as possible. Well chosen topic it was as the book gained over 40 000 readers worldwide already when it was published only in the Internet.What is amazing is the manner in which the writer has managed to capture the essence of each character. He really hits a homerun in trying to decipher the cultural influence and thinking of each character. Top 100 Albums of 1984". RPM. Vol.41, no.17. January 5, 1985. p.8. ISSN 0033-7064 . Retrieved August 6, 2018– via Library and Archives Canada. Marrying a Thai hooker is dangerous stuff, actually marrying a hooker from anywhere else in the world has is weird stuff too. a b "Remarks at the Kennedy Center Honors Reception". Vol.41, no.49. United States Government Publishing Office. December 4, 2005. pp.1812–18151 . Retrieved June 18, 2022. Don’t get me wrong – I am not trying to say that the poor white man is a ‘angel’ and the bad bar girl is ‘evil’. Absolutely not. It always takes 2 hands to clap. So if the white man travelled hundreds of thousands of miles just to do everything hidden and in total secrecy – he too has his dirty little secrets and dirty little intentions. So the book – in a way, it’s the kind of book any and every man should read before coming to Thailand and getting involved with these bar girls.