Memoirs of a Geisha

published	1999 by Vintage Books
first published	1997
binding	Paperback
isbn	037570440X (isbn13: 9780375704406)
ebook
description	According to Arthur Golden's absorbing first novel, the word "geisha" does not mean "prostitute," as Westerners ignorantly assume-...more [close] According to Arthur Golden's absorbing first novel, the word "geisha" does not mean "prostitute," as Westerners ignorantly assume--it means "artisan" or "artist." To capture the geisha experience in the art of fiction, Golden trained as long and hard as any geisha who must master the arts of music, dance, clever conversation, crafty battle with rival beauties, and cunning seduction of wealthy patrons. After earning degrees in Japanese art and history from Harvard and Columbia--and an M.A. in English--he met a man in Tokyo who was the illegitimate offspring of a renowned businessman and a geisha. This meeting inspired Golden to spend 10 years researching every detail of geisha culture, chiefly relying on the geisha Mineko Iwasaki, who spent years charming the very rich and famous. The result is a novel with the broad social canvas (and love of coincidence) of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen's intense attention to the nuances of erotic maneuvering. Readers experience the entire life of a geisha, from her origins as an orphaned fishing-village girl in 1929 to her triumphant auction of her mizuage (virginity) for a record price as a teenager to her reminiscent old age as the distinguished mistress of the powerful patron of her dreams. We discover that a geisha is more analogous to a Western "trophy wife" than to a prostitute--and, as in Austen, flat-out prostitution and early death is a woman's alternative to the repressive, arcane system of courtship. In simple, elegant prose, Golden puts us right in the tearoom with the geisha; we are there as she gracefully fights for her life in a social situation where careers are made or destroyed by a witticism, a too-revealing (or not revealing enough) glimpse of flesh under the kimono, or a vicious rumor spread by a rival "as cruel as a spider." Golden's web is finely woven, but his book has a serious flaw: the geisha's true romance rings hollow--the love of her life is a symbol, not a character. Her villainous geisha nemesis is sharply drawn, but she would be more so if we got a deeper peek into the cause of her motiveless malignity--the plight all geisha share. Still, Golden has won the triple crown of fiction: he has created a plausible female protagonist in a vivid, now-vanished world, and he gloriously captures Japanese culture by expressing his thoughts in authentic Eastern metaphors. [close]
date added	05-10-07 edit book

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Megan B. rated it:

(review of isbn 0739326228)

02/13/08

bookshelves: april-22-book-review

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in March, 2007

recommended to Megan B. by: no one
recommends it for: everyone

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

The world of Geisha is a secret and forbidden world. The shell is beautiful and seems to be a life of luxury, but the core is pure suffering. Geisha do not love, they do not choose their fate, and their life is owned by the men they entertain. They are not meant to feel. The very word geisha means moving art. That’s all they’re meant to be. Not humans but paintings. Like a sculpture, beautiful but cold as the stone their made of. Memoirs of a Geisha is a book that is based on a true story an...more The world of Geisha is a secret and forbidden world. The shell is beautiful and seems to be a life of luxury, but the core is pure suffering. Geisha do not love, they do not choose their fate, and their life is owned by the men they entertain. They are not meant to feel. The very word geisha means moving art. That’s all they’re meant to be. Not humans but paintings. Like a sculpture, beautiful but cold as the stone their made of. Memoirs of a Geisha is a book that is based on a true story and let’s us catch a glimpse of the world where the women paint their faces and don’t deserve to love.
Based in the 1920’s in Kyoto, Japan a young girl named Chiyo lives with her sister Satsu, in a poor town called Yoriodo along with her sick mother and elderly father.
Her father sells Chiyo and her sister to Mr. Tanaka to be taken to an office where they decide that Chiyo will become Geisha for her good looks and blue eyes but Satsu will be taken to a prostitution house in the pleasure district. Chiyo is taken to the Nitta okiya (Geisha House) to become a Maiko (apprentice geisha). She breaks her leg from trying to run away and her training is stopped. Chiyo is then told that both of her parents have died. She meets the Chairmen of Iwamura Electric Company and falls in love with him. She dedicates her life for him to become her danna (not a husband but similar, the danna gives geisha kimono, and money to afford an apartment. Danna are usually wealthy men). Hatsumomo is the lead Geisha in the Okiya and is jealous of Chiyo’s good looks and the attention she gets. Thus, she treats Chiyo like the dirt she walks on. The only person in the okiya kind to Chiyo is Pumpkin, an aspiring geisha the same age as Chiyo. Her dream is to be adopted by oka-san (owner of the okiya) and be the lead geisha of the okiya. Mameha, a renowned geisha, comes to the okiya to offer to be Chiyo’s onee-san (older sister). She teaches Chiyo all of the secrets to becoming a great geiko or geisha. She is no longer known as Chiyo but, Sayuri. Sayuri meets Mameha’s danna, the Baron. He takes an unusual interest in Sayuri, and when she goes to the cherry blossom festival held at his estate he brings her into his quarters. He presents to her, a beautiful kimono. He offers to give the kimono to her if she merely would take hers off. Sayuri panics and the Baron starts removing her obi. He did not violate her, just merely looked at her. Rumors spread that Sayuri is now a worthless Meiko (Meiko must be virgins for their mizuage; their first sexual experience which is sold to the highest bidder). With her debut not far away Sayuri has to mend all wounds with the patrons who heard the rumors that Hatsumomo spread. The bidding begins and Dr. Crab, one of Sayuri’s patrons, wins her mizuage. Sayuri then becomes a geisha, and unexpectedly is adopted by oka-san and is the head of the okiya. Pumpkin is extremely upset for that was her dream. Sayuri is given yet another name, Nitta Sayuri (taking the name of the okiya is a custom in the geisha world). She then obtains a danna, a general in the army whom she doesn’t really like.
War is declared on Japan. Sayuri’s danna leaves to fight in the war and is killed. Nobu, a patron and good friend, takes Sayuri into hiding in northern Japan. She lives there for years working at a dye factory owned by Nobu’s friend. Nobu comes for her and offers to become her danna. Sayuri, still in love with the Chairman, doesn’t know what to say. Nobu says that before she answers Sayuri and Pumpkin need to entertain a party with an American general to try and make peace. She accepts and tries to look like the geisha she was years before. Nobu clearly doesn’t like the General so Sayuri uses the general to make Nobu hate her. Sayuri tells Pumpkin to bring Nobu to the warehouse later at night. Sayuri brings the General with her and starts to be intimate with him. The door opens and instead of bringing Nobu as Sayuri asked, Pumpkin brought the Chairmen! The Chairmen sees and walks away. Sayuri runs to Pumpkin and asks why she would bring the Chairmen. Pumpkin says that Sayuri stole the one thing that she wanted, to be adopted by oka-san. She took what Sayuri wanted as vengeance.
Sayuri is depressed. She almost certainly lost the one she loved. She gets invited to a small get together and is surprised to find that the only person in the tea house is the Chairmen. He begins by saying that Nobu was supposed to come but heard about what happened and now is livid at her. He continues that he was the one who told Nobu because he understood Sayuri’s intentions. He says that Pumpkin explained and begins to kiss Sayuri. He confesses his love to her and offers to become her danna.
A danna is not a husband. Danna’s are usually married and have a geisha as a mistress. No matter how much she would like to marry the Chairmen she can’t. Sayuri moves to America because of a feud with who would inherit the Iwamura Electric Company, the Chairmen’s son-in-law married to the daughter he had with his wife or a rumored son with his mistress, Sayuri. She moves to New York and the Chairmen visits regularly.
The book ends with Sayuri saying that the day Mr. Tanaka took her away was the worst and best day of her life. She says, “As a young girl I believed my life would never have been a struggle if Mr. Tanaka hadn’t torn me away from my (house Yoriodo). But now I know that our world is no more permanent than a wave rising on the ocean. Whatever our struggles and triumphs, however we may suffer them, all too soon they bleed into a wash, just like watery ink on paper.”
I would highly recommend reading this book. It’s a window into a different world and makes you admire but pity the geisha. ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ is an empowering novel that every person should read to appreciate what they have.

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Juushika rated it:

(review of isbn 1400096898)

03/26/08

Read in February, 2006

Memoirs of a Geisha is an American novel, and as such the attempt at West does East, especially on the complex and delicate subject of the geisha, is compelling, interesting, but also heavy-handed and ultimately ineffective (even more so in the case of the film). It is a wonderful introduction to geisha, Japanese culture, and the East for the uninitiated Western reader, and I can see why the book is popular, but I found it disappointing. For the reader already familiar with the culture, w...more Memoirs of a Geisha is an American novel, and as such the attempt at West does East, especially on the complex and delicate subject of the geisha, is compelling, interesting, but also heavy-handed and ultimately ineffective (even more so in the case of the film). It is a wonderful introduction to geisha, Japanese culture, and the East for the uninitiated Western reader, and I can see why the book is popular, but I found it disappointing. For the reader already familiar with the culture, western influences are all too clear and the book comes off as a bit clunky and imperfect. I also had some problems with the general perception of the characters by readers versus the way the characters were actually portrayed in the book—Memoirs is far from the good-willed fairy tale that people assume it is. By all means, read it, but leave it open for critique and remember that a more authentic representation of eastern culture, especially in the details, will come from the east itself.

A lot of my critique stems from the fact that this movie has attained such wide-spread fame and been made into a movie, to be sure. I feel like it is being perpetuated as something it is not. Even the introduction to the book (a faux translator's note) perpetuates the myth that Memoirs is an accurate, beautiful, in-depth reflection of the life of a geisha, when in truth it is no more that historical fiction and is written by an outsider. Golden has done his research and is well-educated on his subjects, and I have no problem with people reading from, taking interest in, and even learning from this book; I do, however, think it is important that readers don't conflate the American novel with Japanese reality. They aren't the same thing, no matter how much research Golden did, and if we take the book as an accurate representation we're actually underestimating and undervaluing geisha, Japan, and Japanese culture.

Because Golden attempts to write from within the geisha culture, as a Japanese woman, he must do more than report the "facts" of that life—he must also pretend to be a part of it. Pretend he does, acting out a role as if he has studied inflection, script, and motivation. He certainly knows what makes writing "Japanese" but his attempt to mimic it is not entirely successful. The emphasis on elements, the independent sentences, the visual details are too prevalent and too obvious, as if Golden is trying to call our attention to them and thus to the Japanese style of the text. He does manage to draw attention, but to me, at least, what I came away with was the sense that Golden was an American trying really hard to sound Japanese—that is, the effect betrayed the attempt and the obvious attempt ruined the sincerity of the novel, for me. I felt like I was being smacked over the head with beauty! wood! water! kimono! haiku! and I felt insulted and disappointed.

The problems that I saw in the text were certainly secondary to the purpose of the text: to entertain, to introduce Western readers to Japanese culture, and to sell books (and eventually a film). They may not be obvious to all readers and they aren't so sever that the book isn't worth reading. I just think readers need to keep in mind that what Golden writes is fiction. Historical fiction, yes, but still fiction, therefore we should look for a true representation of Japanese culture within Japanese culture itself and take Memoirs with a grain of salt.

I also had problems with the rushed end of the book, the belief that Sayuri is a honest, good, modest, generous person when she really acts for herself and at harm to others throughout but of the book, the perpetuation of Hatsumomo as unjustified and cruel when she has all the reason in the world, and in general the public belief that Memoirs is some sort of fairy tale when in fact it is heavy-handed, biased, and takes a biased or unrelatistic view toward situations, characters, and love. However, all of those complains are secondary, in my view, to the major complain above, and should be come obvious to the reader.

Memoirs goes quickly, is compelling, and makes a good read, and I don't want to sound too unreasonably harsh on it. However, I believe the book has a lot of faults that aren't widely acknowledged and I think we as readers need to keep them in mind. This is an imperfect Western book, and while it may be a fun or good book it is not Japanese, authentic, or entirely well done....less

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Denise rated it:

(review of isbn 0739326228)

01/03/08

bookshelves: bookgroup, made-into-movie

Read in September, 2002

recommended to Denise by: Book Group
recommends it for: Everyone

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Read it in four days, couldn't put it down. I had to keep remembering that it wasn't 100% true. But I think that it was as close as we could have gotten. Mineko - The geisha that Golden interviewed did a great job on educating him on the way of a Geisha according to a lecture he gave.

I wasn't as shocked as everyone else seemed to be about the way things were in Japan. Women were not permitted to think or act for themselves. And just like everywhere else, there really wasn't any use for a da...more Read it in four days, couldn't put it down. I had to keep remembering that it wasn't 100% true. But I think that it was as close as we could have gotten. Mineko - The geisha that Golden interviewed did a great job on educating him on the way of a Geisha according to a lecture he gave.

I wasn't as shocked as everyone else seemed to be about the way things were in Japan. Women were not permitted to think or act for themselves. And just like everywhere else, there really wasn't any use for a daughter except to marry her off to a husband with money in hopes of securing future for the daughter's parents and family. There was also a strict code of honor and respect among geishas and the Japanese culture. That is what prevented Sayuri from acting out on Hatsumomo and why she couldn't reveal her feelings nor could the chairman disrespect his friend to be with Sayuri. I admired that about The Chairman and Sayuri, they did what they knew was right and did not follow their feelings. In the end, look where it got them. They were happy, growing old together, probably had a child, she lived peacefully and very well in New York taken care of until the day she died. I wonder what would have happened to Sayuri if she acted out and exchanged Hatsumomo's make-up with rat poison. More than likely, she would have been thrown out of the house and made into a prostitute until she died. In the end, Hatsumomo ended up suffering because she didn't follow the code of honor. Also, fate punished Sayuri for disobeying, when she tried to escape and fell off the roof and I'm sure that had an effect on her future decision makings.

I wish that Sayuri was able to reunite with her sister but in a way I'm glad that they didn't and avoided the typical Hollywood ending. Sayuri reminded me a lot of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. She had her own way of seeing things but they were always clever and accurate. I loved the part when she says that her the back of her father's head was as old and his face but it was smooth like an egg, not deep set in wrinkles. There's living proof in every bald head of why stress and worry creates wrinkles in the face.

Other characters: The Doctor - warped and twisted at least he was useful in help Mameha win the bet against Mother and secured Sayuri place in the house.

The Baron - Hated that he hurt Mameha by going after Sayuri - His disrespectfulness got him in the end.

The Chairman - A man that believed in honor and respect above all. And he was rewarded for it until his death.

Nobu - Despite his rudeness and abruptness, he did care for Sayuri and made sure she was safe. I wish we learned what happened to him in the end but based on the pattern of the story those who lived with honor, died with honor.

Mameha - Loved her, she was smart, sweet, strong - she didn't let anyone push her around and her subtleness was just as effective in getting what she wants as any man. Actually it was better because no one realized that they helped her so they never came back to be repaid.

Pumpkin - Started out sweet and nice but finally acted out after years of betrayal. She was abused and used by Hatsumomo and the household, lied to about being adopted, forced to prostitution during the war. If Sayuri wasn't so wrapped up in her own issues she might have been able to see past herself and try to help Pumpkin more. Despite Pumpkin's betrayal to Sayuri, I hope she went against the pattern of the book and lived the rest of her years happily. Probably the smartest, after all, up until the end, Sayuri thought that Pumpkin made a mistake in bringing the Chairman to the theater instead of Nobu. Never thought that Pumpkin did it on purpose.

http://www.randomhouse.com/vin... - The official site about the book
http://www.theherald.org/issue... - Recap of a lecture Arthur Golden gave
http://www.cnn.com/books/dialo... - Interview with Arthur Golden about the book....less

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Khalid rated it:

(review of isbn 0739326228)

04/15/07

bookshelves: already-read

Read in April, 2005

Memoirs of a Geisha is an amazing novel that discusses the life of a Geisha, a Japanese artist-entertainer. Both its very exotic setting, with its extremely different value system, and its fascinating plot, which grabs your interest early on and keeps you waiting for more all along, contribute to making this novel a special book worthy of reading.

The best quality in this novel, in my opinion, is the way the narrator (Chiyo), tells the story. Her reflections concerning much of the events in t...more Memoirs of a Geisha is an amazing novel that discusses the life of a Geisha, a Japanese artist-entertainer. Both its very exotic setting, with its extremely different value system, and its fascinating plot, which grabs your interest early on and keeps you waiting for more all along, contribute to making this novel a special book worthy of reading.

The best quality in this novel, in my opinion, is the way the narrator (Chiyo), tells the story. Her reflections concerning much of the events in the novel are very similar to those of the reader. At least I felt I could connect with her, and approved of – even if I didn't always agree with – many of her actions. The pain she suffered is well-depicted in the novel, we almost start to feel that pain with her; we often share the same surprises with her about the different things a geisha should or should not do, and even share the pleasures of success regardless of the fact that most of us despise the geisha way of life.

A slave, sold by your own family, and trained for the sole purpose of pleasuring men, whether you like it or not. Imagine living such a life; I know I cannot. Yet, at some point, you are happy that Chiyo succeeded in becoming a geisha. If that's an indication of anything, it's the skills of the author.

They say a geisha is no prostitute; well, that may be true, but as the story truly shows, the main revenue for a geisha is through sex, at least when she is a successful one. To me, sex for money, no matter how much you sugar coat it, is still some form of prostitution.

I don't like what she did with Nobu, but I understand her perspective. Our emotions are not necessarily affected by how other people treat us, but by how we feel about their behavior. The chairman in my opinion was much more the Chiyo type than Nobu is, and her dedication to reach him amazes me, though not the methods she used to achieve it after her desperation.

The destruction of Hatsumomo was, in my opinion, the brightest point in the story. I feel that the story, and the geisha life, has changed forever after the Second World War, so Chiyo, or any other geisha at the time for that matter, could not have been more successful after the war, nor could the story be more fun.

Yet, another bright point was the encounter with the Chairman. Since Pumpkin caused the Chairman to run into Chiyo and the Minister, I knew the Chairman and Chiyo are going to have a future together. In fact, when Iwamura Electric called for Chiyo to the Ichiriki Teahouse, I guessed – correctly – that Nobu won't be there, but the Chairman.

The most disappointing thing in this novel, in my opinion, is the way the author talked about the US. If the novel had talked about any other place than his country, this might have been tolerable, but when an American author, writing a novel that takes place in Japan for the most part, makes the main character fall in love with the US, and talks about it like a country much better than Japan, there is something wrong. Unless, and I hope this is the case, he did this mainly because the actual geisha upon which he based his novel had described this to him. Then I might accept it.
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Fenixbird rated it:

(review of isbn 0739326228)

01/18/08

bookshelves: books-into-movies, cultural-awareness, to-read, wanna-buys

Read in October, 2007

recommended to Fenixbird by: Bree Clarkson
recommends it for: culturally fascinated

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Responding to Bree in Book Buying Addicts Anonymous...

Bree...Memoirs of a Geisha I could not possibly imagine it fallling short of anyone's expectations! I was blown away by it...the story..the amazing development of each of the characters. The setting--how it related significant wartime implications affecting both the country & thereby almost destroying the lifestyle that supported Geishas...

If I said much more then I would have to write **SPOILERS** & so I suppose I may. Suffic...more Responding to Bree in Book Buying Addicts Anonymous...

Bree...Memoirs of a Geisha I could not possibly imagine it fallling short of anyone's expectations! I was blown away by it...the story..the amazing development of each of the characters. The setting--how it related significant wartime implications affecting both the country & thereby almost destroying the lifestyle that supported Geishas...

If I said much more then I would have to write **SPOILERS** & so I suppose I may. Suffice it to say that right then and there....I sat through it in its entirety a second time! It was that profound to me! The whole idea of selling one's children (not giving them up for adoption to a family...but into servitude & possibly prostitution?)...such massive population problems & war! As tough as many of us have had it, perhaps only wartime orphaned children or those born in the direst of poverty could truly relate to Chiyo's experiences in this story.

My heart bled along with the lead character (Chiyo)--first sold by her family...then almost while still recoiling from the shock separated from her sister at such a young age. I am not sure how someone that young faces each new day...There is actually genuine compassion (or developed mutual respect perhaps might be more accurate) between her & the Geisha house owner who bought her! Ahhh..and her "amazing blue eyes"...the lead character is quite lovely...both her characters in her youth & as a grown young woman.

Here is my review from www.flixster.com

Rating? 6 stars..11 in a scale of 1-10!! I watched this movie in total awe. The music somehow gave this movie a dream qualty, for the events in the life of young Chiyo were too hard to accept anyway....How many awards won? Should have taken them all!! Poetic, truthful, unflinching but considerate portrayal of how not all of us have happy choices in life!! Also adds on the impact of WW II almost destroying this cultural icon of the Geisha!! Isn't there always one Hatsumomu everywhere??

Now I cannot wait to read the book! My favorite script: "You cannot say to the Sun "more sun" or to the river more rain....To a man....we are the wives of nightfall & yet to learn of kindness after so much unkindness...to understand that a little girl with more courage than she knew would find her prayers were answered. Can that not be called happiness? After all, these are not the memoirs of an empress nor of a Queen, these are memoirs of another kind."

[Dialogue from her gentler mentor (competitor with Hatsumomu, her rival within her own Geisha house) "Remember Chiyo Geisha's are not cortesans ...and we sell our skills not our bodies..The very word Geisha means an artist, and to be a Geisha means to be judged as a work of art...Water is always in such a hurry. Perhaps it is just as well. We have no time to lose..."
Here is the link for the movie site...complete with trailers...reviews...etc etc

http://www.flixster.com/movie/...

This reminds me a story I once heard of a beautiful Japanese princess who because people could only relate to her for her beauty scarred her own face--so she could be accepted as who she was!...less

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Arash marked it as to-read (review of isbn 0739326228)

04/05/07

bookshelves: to-read

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about me زن عشق مي كارد و كينه درو مي كند ديه اش نصف ديه توست و مجازات زنايش با تو ب...more

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Diana rated it:

(review of isbn 0679781587)

06/06/08

bookshelves: fiction

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: everyone!!!

This is just a damn good story. This may be the best fiction I've read in a long time, or at least it's my style, anyway. I completely gobbled it up. I like how they made the point of setting up the book as a dictated memoir because it made the language a lot simpler and more elegant. It also gave Sayuri the opportunity to explain things about Japanese culture simply to a Western audience. I know some other reviewers complained that in terms of Japanese history and culture, it was too simpl...more This is just a damn good story. This may be the best fiction I've read in a long time, or at least it's my style, anyway. I completely gobbled it up. I like how they made the point of setting up the book as a dictated memoir because it made the language a lot simpler and more elegant. It also gave Sayuri the opportunity to explain things about Japanese culture simply to a Western audience. I know some other reviewers complained that in terms of Japanese history and culture, it was too simplistic but it was just right for me--someone who knows nothing about it. I felt like I learned a lot just by absorbing it from the story, and that's my favorite kind of fiction.

I also liked the way that the characters, especially Mahema and Sayuri, spoke with abundant similies from the natural world. Each one seemed simple and perfectly suited to the situation they were describing. It made me think that even though they lived in a big city, they were still connected to nature in their thoughts and views of the world. It also gave me the impression that it was natural for them to speak with the beautiful imagery often found in haiku--this could be a stereotype of Japanese culture but I enjoyed it. Did other people find this annouying? (I know I was really pissed off when I watched the movie Pearl Harbor--which sucked for many other reasons--and they showed the Japanese military commander strategizing their naval warfar by pushing oragami boats around in an elegant tray of water. Really, guys??? But I'll save that rant...) I thought this imagery woven into the text made it a more satisfying and richer read.

*possible spoiler*
I really like the fact that Sayuri got her happy ending (THANK YOU LORD, a book with a happy ending, FINALLY!), but it made me feel really bad for Nobu. Then again, even though he helped her a lot, he still treated her in a very brusque manner, and I wouldn't have wanted to end up with him as my danna either. Sayuri was right--he really didn't take the time to get to know her, and showed his limited affections in strange and superficial manners. I also liked the fact that eventually Hatsumomo and Granny were out of the picture. I didn't realize geisha could be so bitchy, but I guess there are a few rotten apples in any barrel. I think their abuse early on made Sayuri's success even sweeter.

I feel like by giving this book 5 stars, I need to go back and reduce all my other 5 star ratings, haha. I highly recommend it to *everyone!*...less

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Chris rated it:

(review of isbn 0739326228)

02/09/08

bookshelves: culture, japan

Read in July, 2006

It's interesting that it took me six years to get around to reading this. I mean, it's one of the things that people always mention when they wonder if Japan is just like they thought it was. This and Lost in Translation, which I can't watch without becoming cripplingly depressed.

This book, though, is wonderful. At the same time, it was well worth the wait.

Why, you might ask? Because I can probably, within two streets, pinpoint the location of the main character's home in Gion. Wh...more It's interesting that it took me six years to get around to reading this. I mean, it's one of the things that people always mention when they wonder if Japan is just like they thought it was. This and Lost in Translation, which I can't watch without becoming cripplingly depressed.

This book, though, is wonderful. At the same time, it was well worth the wait.

Why, you might ask? Because I can probably, within two streets, pinpoint the location of the main character's home in Gion. When she talks about the Minamiza or Kaburenjo theatres, I've been there. When she performs in the "Dances of the Old Capital," I've seen it. She walks across the small bridge over the Shirakawa, and so have I.

I cannot tell you what a rush that is. It gives me a warm feeling to know that people all over the world are imagining Gion as they read this book, and coming up with images of sublime beauty and utter Japanese style. They imagine, but I know, and I know it's all true.

At least when the tourists are thin on the ground.

This is a very good book, and Golden, I have to say, is a hell of a writer. How an American man, living at the end of the 20th century could write in the voice of a Japanese geisha in the pre and post war years is astounding to me. For a man to write in a convincing first person female voice is hard enough work, I know. But to jump that hurdle and then proceed to go over hurdles of time, society, culture, tradition, and still have it sound utterly and completely real when you read it.... He did a lot of research, yes, including one-on-one interviews with former geisha in Gion, but still.... Kudos.

For those of you who haven't actually read the book, go out and get it. As the title suggests, it is the story of a young woman who, when she was a child, was sold to a geisha house in Gion, the most famous geisha district in Kyoto - and Japan. It goes through her struggle to adjust to life in Gion, so very different from the little fishing village in which she had lived, and her attempts to find out both who she is and who she wants to be. There are some laughs, there are some heartbreaking moments, and some very, very difficult choices she has to make. But it all works out in the end, I guess.

I haven't seen the movie yet, though I probably will once it comes to DVD. I already know there's no way it can be as good as the book....less

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Raquel rated it:

(review of isbn 0739326228)

02/10/08

This book was on my list ever since Oprah gave it her stamp a few years ago. When I began to see the trailers and posters for the movie, I decided to finally read it. The books I read are usually written by Black female authors. I've wanted to diversify my reading for a while and after reading The Secret Life of Bees and now Memoirs of a Geisha, I'm more convinced I'd like to branch out. Both books are narrated by young girls, white and Japanese respectively. A number of the thoughts and feeling...more This book was on my list ever since Oprah gave it her stamp a few years ago. When I began to see the trailers and posters for the movie, I decided to finally read it. The books I read are usually written by Black female authors. I've wanted to diversify my reading for a while and after reading The Secret Life of Bees and now Memoirs of a Geisha, I'm more convinced I'd like to branch out. Both books are narrated by young girls, white and Japanese respectively. A number of the thoughts and feelings expressed by both girls, I recalled thinking and feeling as a young girl myself. Both authors did an amazing job giving a voice to the universal young girl, no matter what race. I was most impressed with Author Golden's work because he's male, white, and American, yet the way he treated the voice of this Japanese peasant girl-turned geisha is so...authentic.

Confession: I usually skip the foreword and acknowledgments in novels I read, but I'm SO glad I read them in this one. They're very necessary and make reading the book such a complete delight. I actually exhaled when it was done.

Every moment I was reading this book, I was drawn into the world of this blue-grey eyed Japanese girl. I remember trying to explain to a friend how this book drew me in: When I was reading the book, I was IN it. When I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about it. The imagery is SO vivid. The scenery and objects and people are described so well that I almost feel like I've been to Yoroido and Kyoto, Japan, and have smelled the smells and seen everything Sayuri, the geisha, has seen, and like I know so much about the training and work of geisha...is that weird? I guess not. That's the whole point of fiction right? To give you an "elsewhere" experience?

The storytelling is poetic. It was a wonderful reading experience. It was beautiful. I can only imagine what the movie experience will be like. I can't wait to see what they've done with this novel. As beautifully as the pictures were painted in the pages of the novel, they definitely had a challenge before them. I'm looking forward to seeing this story in motion.

I'm having my stitches removed on opening day, so I hope I'm in good enough shape to see the movie at some point during opening weekend.

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Alana rated it:

(review of isbn 0099771519)

07/31/07

bookshelves: fiction, historical

When her family ends up in financial difficulty, nine-year old Chiyo is sold to an okiya where she is to learn to become a geisha. Because of her startling blue eyes, Chiyo soon attracts the attention and enmity of the most valuable geisha in the district, who does everything she can to keep Chiyo from outshining her and her protégé.

The author documents the suffering, beauty and heartache that are part of the world of the geisha. The friendships, the scheming and the politics that threate...more When her family ends up in financial difficulty, nine-year old Chiyo is sold to an okiya where she is to learn to become a geisha. Because of her startling blue eyes, Chiyo soon attracts the attention and enmity of the most valuable geisha in the district, who does everything she can to keep Chiyo from outshining her and her protégé.

The author documents the suffering, beauty and heartache that are part of the world of the geisha. The friendships, the scheming and the politics that threaten to take over; the war that seems to end everything; and the impossible dream that drives the young Chiyo to become the geisha Sayuri and helps her withstand the suffering inherent in that life.

I had seen the movie about a year before I read the book, so I knew some of the basic plot outlines, but I had forgotten the details. Given how much of being a geisha means presenting a mask to others, it came as no surprise that the movie gripped me far less than the book. In the book I got to live along with Sayuri’s thoughts, emotions, and her views of the geisha district Gion is a compelling one. She shows the loneliness and despair behind even the most successful geisha and how it does not allow for personality, love or self-determination. Everything around Sayuri seems to be propelling her to a destiny she fights but cannot seem to escape.

SPOILERS:
I think the ending spoiled the book for me. It would have been poignant as a tragedy – if she had ended up going to Nobu despite everything – or if the situation with the Chairman had ended up differently. For years she has chased a dream, a shadow, and after so many years of idealization I wanted a – with what you wanted most contented least-feel. Not this unrealistic Happily Ever After, glamorized and romanticized a despairing almost sordid reality.
Indeed I found the whole plot angle with the Chairman kind of creepy once it was requited… (and several others too, but in a sordidly real way – which was good). Not my cup of tea, but I found the insights into the culture, the preparation and the life of a geisha fascinating. I wish more time had been spent at the school or at the dances, the tea ceremonies. There the movie does more to satisfy my curiosity – I’ll want to see it again now. ...less

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Anandita rated it:

(review of isbn 9796866528)

06/09/08

Read in October, 2006

recommends it for: All my friends

Novel Memoar Seorang Geisha menceritakan kisah hidup seorang geisha bernama Sayuri. Kisah dimulai dengan menceritakan masa kecil Sayuri (yang ketika itu bernama Chiyo) di perkampungan nelayan miskin Yoroido. Kondisi keluarganya yang miskin memaksa orangtua Sayuri untuk menjualnya dan kakaknya ke Gion, distrik pusat hiburan malam. Malam kedatangan Sayuri ke Gion mengawali cerita perjuangan Sayuri mengatasi kesulitan hidupnya dan mewujudkan cita-citanya menjadi seorang geisha.

Cerita dalam buku...more Novel Memoar Seorang Geisha menceritakan kisah hidup seorang geisha bernama Sayuri. Kisah dimulai dengan menceritakan masa kecil Sayuri (yang ketika itu bernama Chiyo) di perkampungan nelayan miskin Yoroido. Kondisi keluarganya yang miskin memaksa orangtua Sayuri untuk menjualnya dan kakaknya ke Gion, distrik pusat hiburan malam. Malam kedatangan Sayuri ke Gion mengawali cerita perjuangan Sayuri mengatasi kesulitan hidupnya dan mewujudkan cita-citanya menjadi seorang geisha.

Cerita dalam buku ini dibuka dengan tulisan berjudul ‘Catatan Penerjemah’. Tulisan ini merupakan trik yang sama dengan yang digunakan oleh Dan Brown pada Da Vinci Code-nya, menyajikan tulisan yang mengesankan fiksi tersebut adalah fakta. Mau tak mau, pada awalnya saya sempat percaya bahwa cerita tersebut diangkat dari kisah nyata. Tak dapat dipungkiri bahwa saya sangsi penulis mampu menggambarkan dunia geisha yang sangat unik mengingat penulis adalah orang Amerika, laki-laki dan hidup di jaman sekarang pula.

Riset mengenai sejarah Jepang yang dilakukan penulis menyajikan fakta-fakta menarik mengenai dunia geisha. Mungkin sebelumnya tidak banyak orang memerhatikan bahwa bentuk sanggul rambut dan gaya kimono yang digunakan geisha berbeda dengan wanita Jepang pada umumnya (non-geisha). Dalam buku ini, penulis menjelaskan perbedaan-perbedaan tersebut.

Pada awalnya, tujuan saya membaca buku ini adalah mengharapkan pembenaran mengenai anggapan bahwa geisha tidak berbeda dengan pelacur. Namun, penulis melalui tokoh Sayuri mengemukakan beberapa bantahan mengenai anggapan tersebut. Penulis lebih suka memadankan geisha dengan fenomena istri simpanan pada budaya lain. Toh, penulis juga tidak menutupi adanya tradisi mizuage yang menjadi penanda “matangnya” seorang geisha magang.

Seperti banyak novel-novel laris lainnya, novel ini juga diangkat ke layar lebar. Namun, sebagai seorang pecinta buku, terus terang saya kecewa dengan filmnya. Banyak perubahan di banyak hal, yang membuat saya lebih suka dengan gambaran yang dibentuk oleh imajinasi pribadi, bukannya visualisasi oleh film. (an2)...less

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Russell rated it:

(review of isbn 0739326228)

10/14/07

Read in January, 2006

It was decent book, a fairly interesting look at the life of geisha, the characters were developed well enough that they all had distinctive voices and mannerisms, the plot moved along briskly enough to keep my interest, he threw in a number of fascinating details and facts as the story unfold in a way that fit in and didn’t stand out like a “Ha-ha! Lookee how smart I am!” factoid.

The first 100 pages moved somewhat sluggishly, but the author found his voice and style about then and...more

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Abdullah rated it:

(review of isbn 1400096898)

03/22/08

bookshelves: favorites

recommends it for: Ahmed therwi , Bader , HoPe , Nalsudairi , Heba , Ahlam

It's my favorite novel. I consider it the best I have ever read. I love it so much that every time I read it I find myself living within it, as if I was one of the characters.
The movie wasn't as good as the novel. In fact it wasn't even that good ! I advise you to read the novel FIRST !

I highly recommend you to listen to the audio book for the novel, read by: Carole Boyd.
She did a great job. It's amazing the way she interacts with the characters, and also I love her accent !

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liz.lacy rated it:

(review of isbn 0739326228)

09/09/07

Read in September, 2007

Like eating fancy dessert at a gourmet restaurant, Memoirs of a Geisha is beautiful, melts lightly off the tongue and will be forgotten shortly after it's done. The language is strikingly lovely, and Golden paints a remarkable picture of a time and place.

If you're looking to learn something deep about the psychology of Japanese culture, or meet nuanced characters, then I'd steer you elsewhere. The story only skims the top of the more complicated aspects of a Japan in decline, focu...more

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ima rated it:

(review of isbn 0739326872)

07/26/07

Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: you

Cerita tentang memori seorang geisha terkenal di Gion sekitar tahun 30-an, Nitta Sayuri, dengan nama kecil Sakamoto Chiyo. Bukunya bagus, karena saya suka cerita tentang memori kehidupan seseorang. Saat kecil ia sangat menderita, yang kemudian dia dan kakak perempuan satu2nya dijual untuk dijadikan geisha oleh Tuan Tanaka, lelaki yang dikagumi Sayuri. Disamping wajahnya yang cantik, Sayuri yang memiliki mata abu2 memikat banyak lelaki di Gion saat ia menjadi geisha. Ternyata untuk menjadi geisha...more