Memoirs of a Geisha

by Arthur Golden
Memoirs of a Geisha  
published November 15th 2005 by Random House Large Print
first published 1997
binding Hardcover
isbn 0739326228   (isbn13: 9780739326220)
pages 768
description In this literary tour de force, novelist Arthur Golden enters a remote and shimmeringly exotic world. For the protagonist of this peerlessly observant...more
date added
09-08-06



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Did anyone think it would have been better if it was really a memoir? 13 6 hours, 39 min ago
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 77702)



Megan B.
Megan B. rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
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
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Juushika
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
Like this review?   yes   (8 people liked it)
  4 comments

Denise
Denise rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
01/03/08

bookshelves: bookgroup, made-into-movie
Read in September, 2002
recommended to Denise by: Book Group
recommends it for: Everyone
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Khalid
Khalid rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
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
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  1 comments

Fenixbird
Fenixbird rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
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.
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Arash
Arash marked it as to-read
04/05/07

bookshelves: to-read
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name Aylin -- http://www.goodreads.com/user/...
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member since March 2007
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
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
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Chris
Chris rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
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
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Raquel
Raquel rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
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
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Abdullah
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 !

--------...more
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Russell
Russell rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
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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liz.lacy
liz.lacy rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
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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T.J.
05/13/08

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in February, 2000
Damn if you aren't one of the most problematic things I've ever read, Memoirs of a Geisha.

Like much of non-Asian America, I was swept up in the delight of reading this book in 2000. I was fifteen and precocious, and the narrative was arresting. I couldn't put the book down. I wrote this in 2000:

"Golden has hit pay dirt with this masterpiece. An insightful, curious, and caring look into the mysterious world of geisha, Arthur Golden peels away the ignorance and labeling that wester...more
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ima
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
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  1 comments

Trudy
06/22/08

Read in June, 2008
Keeping in mind that this is historical FICTION (and I thank another reviewer for reminding me), I now find myself interested in reading more stories about Geisha and this sub-culture as I am with harems after reading "the Seraglio."

While I agree that movies aren't generally as good as the book, I think in this case I appreciated the visual aspect of this story more through the movie. Not being very familiar with the culture, I don't think my mind could do justice to the descripti...more
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Jessica
Jessica rated it: 4 of 5 stars