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Memoirs of a Geisha

Arthur Golden

Start date: February 1, 2018

Finish date: February 28, 2018

Discussion: Monthly Group Reads

Why we're reading this: February's Group Read is Classism
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[close] February's Group Read is Classism
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

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What Members Thought

Jun 14, 2020 La Tonya Jordan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: good-read

If words can come off a page and stun you senseless, this is the book to read. When Chiyo a young peasant girl was sold to the Nitta okiya in Kyoto to one day become a geisha. She could not imagine the depths of the water in the sea her life would embark. From the harsh treatment from Hatsumomo, the primary geisha of the house; to apprentice geisha Mameha as her big sister; to the shamisens; to the tea houses; to the Japanese dances; to the hands of Nobu-san the cold kind business man; and final ...more

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Jan 14, 2014 Shay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018, reviewed, my-precious, holly, 2015, 2016, frankie, shelved, 2019, 2020

***Updated with potential Spoiler at the bottom***

This is one of my favorite books. The artistry written onto every page never ceases to amaze me. It's vibrant descriptions, the tantalizing dialog, the stunning tale, all of it perfection.

Memoirs is an exquisite look into the life of Sayuri, a celebrated geisha. See her humble beginnings as Chiyo, a girl from a small village and watch her rise into Sayuri, the strong woman who took her life back. Embark on a vivid journey into the splendor of th ***Updated with potential Spoiler at the bottom***

This is one of my favorite books. The artistry written onto every page never ceases to amaze me. It's vibrant descriptions, the tantalizing dialog, the stunning tale, all of it perfection.

Memoirs is an exquisite look into the life of Sayuri, a celebrated geisha. See her humble beginnings as Chiyo, a girl from a small village and watch her rise into Sayuri, the strong woman who took her life back. Embark on a vivid journey into the splendor of the inner workings of a geisha's life. Watch as she is taught the art of entertaining by becoming a living piece of art. Hear her coy voice as she develops her skills for beguiling men. Feel her spirit as she finds the strength to do what she must to make her dreams come true. From her life in the tipsy house as Chiyo to her mizuaga ceremony and beyond, this was a masterpiece!

*****As I reread this enchanting story this time around I paid more attention to the relationships. No idea why, I just did. As I did, I realized the amount of loss to gain ratio that Sayuri faced through the years. It's quite staggering! On the plus though, the friendships cultivated I feel outweigh those that were lost for the most part. The one friendship that I ache the most for was for Nobu. I found myself that with this read through, I kept putting myself in his shoes and I just hurt so much for his loss most of all. He finally FINALLY found someone whom he thought was destined to be together with him and was ultimately betrayed in the worst possible way. This was the first time that I looked at Sayuri through a negative light. I understood her motives and yet... She is the one that kept stringing him along and sought him out again after he distanced himself from her. It makes what she did all the more deplorable. Again, I totally get why she did it! I can not fault her for following her heart and I understand that without this course of action she couldn't succeed. That doesn't stop the sorrow I felt for Nobu. ...more

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