I'm happy this was the first novel I've read by Elizabeth Berg, because it has piqued my curiosity about her other books. Focusing on several people i...moreI'm happy this was the first novel I've read by Elizabeth Berg, because it has piqued my curiosity about her other books. Focusing on several people in their late fifties about to attend their 40th high school reunion, it's a surprisingly enjoyable study of their characters. I was cynical at first, thinking they'd be easily dismissed as uni-dimensional, but I'm glad that did not turn out to be the case. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Berg's work.(less)
I don't know if it's fair that I only gave this two stars, considering I couldn't even get past the first 100 pages.
I like to think I'm an educated, i...moreI don't know if it's fair that I only gave this two stars, considering I couldn't even get past the first 100 pages.
I like to think I'm an educated, intelligent, literate person (I have two graduate degrees, if that means anything). But I found it so difficult to read this book. Maybe I just didn't get far enough into it, but to me, the plot just never got going, bogged down by all the detailed descriptions of time and place. I know I read a lot of chick-lit, but I also appreciate books that aren't light and fluffy. I just couldn't sink my teeth into this one (no pun intended), which was disappointing, as I was really looking forward to it.(less)
I read this lovely novel on the plane home from Japan, finishing it upon my return to the US. I was surprised - given that it was written by a Western...moreI read this lovely novel on the plane home from Japan, finishing it upon my return to the US. I was surprised - given that it was written by a Western man - how accurately the Japanese culture was portrayed (at least from the limited knowledge I gleaned during my short time living there, and given that it was set in a time when Japan was, in many ways, very different from today).
Perhaps it was because I'd just left this beautiful country, but I was clearly able to imagine the vivid depictions described by Chiyo/Sayuri. When I was in Kyoto, my friends and I were lucky enough to see a maiko-san walking back to her okiya (a relatively rare event these days), and I will forever associate my memory of that elegant young girl with this book.
All of that said, if the author did violate a confidentiality agreement with his primary source, it is abhorrent that he did so. He allegedly also embellished the truth of certain aspects of life as a geisha, which is disappointing; and yet many authors take artistic license. Whether 100% accurate or not, the story is poetic as a work of fiction.(less)
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