John Luther Long (1861–1927)

This is the story on which Puccini's famous opera was based. It's not well written and is hideously racist. I don't much recommend it. Personally, I'd avoid the opera as well. I saw it and it was much more boring than one's average opera. Gah!

Well, perhaps I'm a bit harsh. The second half wasn't so bad. So, I'd give it a ** were that possible, so as to indicate the less bad second half.

Basically, one has a sailor stationed in Japan, Pinkerton. He decides to "take a wife", Cho Cho San, who is Japanese. They set up housekeeping. Then, he's off back at sea. Cho Cho San thinks he'll come back, but he really has no intention to do so. She and Pinkerton have a child together, although the child was born after Pinkerton has left. The child has purple eyes.

Anyway, Cho Cho San keeps waiting for Pinkerton to return, but when he does, he doesn't visit Cho Cho San. He does send his actual wife up to Cho Cho San's to fetch his son. Cho Cho San feels betrayed and commits suicide. Gah! What beasts these military types can be when pleasuring themselves at the expense of the "natives".
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