false<![CDATA[Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geisha]]>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170716580m/70049.jpg700499Ever since Westerners arrived in Japan, they have been intrigued by Japanese womanhood and, above all, by geisha. This fascination has spawned a wealth of extraordinary fictional creations, from Puccini’s <i>Madame Butterfly</i> to Arthur Golden’s <i>Memoirs of a Geisha</i>. But as denizens of a world defined by silence and mystery, real geisha are notoriously difficult to meet and even to find. As a result, their history has long been cloaked in secrecy. <br><br>Lesley Downer, an award-winning writer, Japanese scholar, and consummate storyteller, gained more access to this world than almost any other Westerner, and spent several months living in it. In <i>Women of the Pleasure Quarters</i>, she weaves together intimate portraits of modern geisha with the romantic legends and colorful historical tales that shape their fascinating past. Contrary to popular opinion, geisha are not prostitutes but, literally, "arts people." Accomplished singers, dancers, and musicians, they are, above all, masters of the art of conversation, soothing the worries and stroking the egos of wealthy businessmen who can afford their attentions. Looking into such traditions as <i>mizuage</i>, the ritual deflowering that was once a rite of passage for all geisha, and providing colorful descriptions of their dress, training, and homes, Downer transforms their reality into a captivating narrative, and reveals an enthralling world unlike any other.1843032000Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geishatotal:153|5:29|4:62|3:50|2:10|1:2|15356523018700490767904907978076790490211816Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geisha3.69http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170716580m/70049.jpg
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00falseThu Sep 04 22:27:32 -0700 2008Thu Sep 04 22:31:06 -0700 2008
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10falseWed Oct 17 19:08:21 -0700 2007Sat Oct 27 11:23:41 -0700 2007
Memoirs of a Geisha in the acknowledgements. Memoirs was a good book (and a worthwhile movie) but I'm rather wary of nonfiction writers who gush over it. It's fiction. Period.]]>
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30falseTue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2002Sat Jul 28 10:45:19 -0700 2007Sat Jul 28 10:45:19 -0700 2007
Liza Dalby's Geisha instead.]]>
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