book data
381 ratings,
3.89
average rating, 49 reviews
(more data...)
edit
published
March 7th 2003
by Payot
(first published 1983)
details
Mass Market Paperback, 440 pages
setting
isbn
2228897132
(isbn13: 9782228897136)
description
In the mid-1970s, an American graduate student in anthropology joined the ranks of white-powdered geisha in Kyoto, Japan. Liza Dalby took the name Ich…more
find at:
Amazon • WorldCat • more options…
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 book challenge: Aga's Books for 2009 | 187 | 239 | Dec 31, 2009 09:17AM | |
| 100+ Books in 2010: Aga's Books for 2009 | 187 | 357 | Dec 31, 2009 09:15AM | |
| The Next Best Boo...: What You Wish You Read in High School | 49 | 323 | Jul 30, 2009 10:44AM |
friend reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 597)
All ratings
|
5 stars (103)
|
4 stars (163)
|
3 stars (91)
|
2 stars (19)
|
1 star (5)
|
avg 3.89
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
Read in June, 2000
[Note: At the time I wrote this review, I had not yet read Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. And I think I may be the only person in America who still hasn't.]
Of course, it's now a full week after A&E aired _The Secret Life of Geisha_, a show nominally based on Dalby's 1983 account of her time in Kyoto as the only non-Japanese ever to train and serve as a geisha. But I kept reading anyway. The show's material came, for the most part, from the first four chapters of the book, which cover a ...more
Of course, it's now a full week after A&E aired _The Secret Life of Geisha_, a show nominally based on Dalby's 1983 account of her time in Kyoto as the only non-Japanese ever to train and serve as a geisha. But I kept reading anyway. The show's material came, for the most part, from the first four chapters of the book, which cover a ...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in January, 2004
i read this book quite a long time ago, but was recently reminded of it today. i skipped arthur golden's memoirs of a geisha and went straight to dalby's anthropological account of living with geishas. the book is beautifully made and dalby describes geisha culture very accurately. i would guess that to this day this is probably one of the better recounts of geisha culture from a western perspective.
edit: definitely NOT for people looking for memoirs of a geisha or any such ficti...more
edit: definitely NOT for people looking for memoirs of a geisha or any such ficti...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in January, 2009
I loved the book Memoirs of a Geisha as a fictional account and it was my first introduction to the Geisha lifestyle. I feel that Liza Dalby's "Geisha" is a book version of a FAQ on Geisha. Everything I ever wanted to know is in this book. I think the most interesting parts are when Ms. Dalby explains the differences between a prostitute and a geisha, although, with my westernized upbringing there are still some hazy areas. It was amazing that she, as a foreign woman, was allowed t...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in January, 2009
A fascinating account of a mysterious and, sadly, disappearing culture. The only thing that I didn't really enjoy about this book was the fact that it seemed kind of jumbled and thrown together. The more autobiographical chapters did not mesh well with the strictly anthropological information. I suppose that's part of the issue when combining two such contrasting writing styles, but it all could have benefitted from a strict re-edit, or perhaps been separated into two different works.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in January, 2004
This bestseller offers an intimate glimpse into a unique female community. Liz Dalby, the only non-Japanese woman ever to have trained as a geisha, reveals the realities of geisha life. I read this book thinking it would be following the style of Memoirs of a Geisha. However, this book was totally different, in that it was a factual biography. I found it interesting to read about the life of Geisha in Japan, but overall I found this book a little monotonous.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2009
recommends it for:
everyone interested in human exchanges, japan, geishas, anthropology
This is a wonderful book. Part anthropologic study, part the recount of a life experience, it blurs the line between studying and living and makes for a fantastic read. The author, an American woman, spent two years as a Geisha in the 1970s to gather information for her thesis. In this book she recounts her life with her 'mother', the things she had to learn and relearn, explains differences between cultures and bridges those gaps with understanding and love. She respects the culture she was imm...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in January, 2009
I picked this up off the shelf thinking it would be of use in understanding (attempting to understand) the library at Amatsu-Shima in Second Life. Whether that's so or not remains to be seen. I liked the author's refusal to draw cheap conclusions, however. Thank heavens for anthropologists and the evaluative rigor they impose on themselves.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in January, 2008
I read this as one of the books in my Japanese phase and I really loved it. It is much better than Memoir of a Geisha. Liza Dalby spent a lot of her youth in Japan and speaks Japanese. As an anthropology PhD student she went back to Japan to study Geisha. As part of her work, she was able to live and work as a Geisha. The book is at its best when she is describing her own experiences. Although parts are a bit academic, she is basically a good, clear writer and it never becomes too dry and a...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2009
recommended to Liz by:
selfrecommends it for: anyone who wants to learn more about the life of a geisha
This book was very inciteful of the geisha lifestyle, traditions, and the opinions of an outsider. Liza actually goes to japan and becomes the first non-japanese geisha. The book switches from her actual accounts to history and traditions in the geisha world.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2005
This was a excellently-researched and thorough book on geisha. It removes the romanticism from the profession that appears in books such as Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha and provides a fascinating insight into the geisha culture and its place in Japan.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in May, 2009
Fascinating and insightful look into the mysterious world of the Geisha in Kyoto.
It is amazing how close Dalby got to this world as an outsider.
It is amazing how close Dalby got to this world as an outsider.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in January, 2006
A western woman goes to geisha school in Japan in modern times. I recommend it. I re-read Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden at the same time.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in January, 2000
A fantastic look at Geisha culture and one Western woman's experience living in that culture and becoming a Geisha.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2003
If you have ever read "Memoirs of a Geisha" then you should read this book too. Liza Dalby gives a whole different perspective on being a Geisha as she herself, a foreigner, became an actual geisha!! Excellent book!! What an eye-opener!
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in April, 2000
recommends it for:
sociologists, human interest readers
I like this much, much more than Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha, but ti's still a bit problematic. A 1970's sociologist studying Japan's geisha culture, Liza Dalby presents an intriguing, nuanced look at the subject. Whether discussing the finer points of tying kimono or handling tipsy customers, Dalby manages to craft an engaging, elegant read that is insightful and illuminating. Part of me had trouble shaking the feeling that this was still vaguely Orientalist in its orientation, but h...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Interesting look into what goes into making a geisha...at least one that isn't Japanese!
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in October, 2003
So blandly written, and yet so cool. Who's to say what's right?
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Wonderful glimps into a very secret and exotic world. Somewhat academic, but very entertaining and insightful to read cover to cover, or flip through.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in February, 2007
I very interesting anthropological study of the Japanese world of the geisha. This book is very insightful as it is based on both first-hand experience and very careful research. Liza Dalby was the first ever western woman to become a geisha, and her experiences are well-documented in this book.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
