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Title: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur S. Golden, Bernadette Dunne ISBN: 0-375-40537-2 Publisher: Bantam Books-Audio Pub. Date: 01 September, 1998 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 11 List Price(USD): $49.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.35 (1906 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A Novel to Savor!!!
Comment: This is one of the most beautifully written novels of the past 20 or more years, and definitely one of my personal favorites. Arthur Golden, a student of Japanese art and language, paints a remarkably true-sounding account of one woman's training and practice as a geisha. There's not a false note in the writing: The characters, dialogue, and emotional content all ring true. Aside from some slightly plodding descriptions of the protagonist's introduction to the geisha district of Gion, the pacing is excellent.
I kept waiting for Golden to slip, for some implausibility in character or plot development, some anachronism or "artistic license" that would have made me feel cheated-but it never happened. Without further research, it's difficult for me to comment on the book's historical and cultural accuracy, but it always felt true, and Golden's simple but powerful language is absolutely compelling. The book surpassed my already high expectations, and increased my appreciation of--and curiousity about--historical Japanese social structure in general, and geisha culture in particular. Above all, this is a completely satisfying book about perseverance within boundaries. Both the story and the writing are filled with grace, power, and beauty.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Joy to Read, absolutely beautiful!
Comment: I don't know why it took me so long to finally get my hands on a copy of "Memoirs of a Geisha" but I am glad that I finally took the plunge and bought it. Once you open the book, you will find yourself absorbed in Sayuri's world; a world full of decadence where men shower geisha with expensive gifts and engage in betting wars over a geisha's virginity. Besides the expensive gifts, Golden does not completey glorify the geisha profession, but also shows the dark underside of it: the beatings, harsh training, sexual harassment, and the objectification of women.
"Memoirs of a Geisha" is the 'memoir' of a peasant girl Chiyo who trains to become a geisha in Japan during the Depression. However, the book does not just detail Chiyo's training and schooling, but her struggles to find her sister who was sold into prostitution and her assimilation into the geisha culture. There are also some pitfalls along the way as Chiyo must deal with her rival Hatsumomo, who tries to ruin Chiyo's chances to become a successful geisha.
I'll stop there with the plot because I do not want to give much of it away but I definitely think that this book is worth a read. I found it more engaging and beautiful than Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club," which is an excellent novel, but does not compare to the originality and brilliance of Golden's ability to write from the perspective of a nine year old girl as she matures into a woman. "Memoirs of a Geisha" is the type of novel that you wish would never end!
Rating: 5
Summary: A Beautiful Story of the Life of a Geisha
Comment: I usually don't read books like this one, but after hearing various recommendations for this book, I decided to try it.
I was pulled into the story right away. I loved the metaphors the author used, and the story was enthralling. You learn so much about the Japanese culture.
The story is about a girl who was kidnapped from her town of Yoroido and sold into "slavery." At her okiya, Chiyo meets a nasty geisha named Hatsumomo. For some reason, Hatsumomo decided that it is her job to make Chiyo's life miserable. She accused Chiyo of accusing jewelry, which of course she didn't, and puts her into a great deal of debt.
I don't want to give any more of it away, but Memoirs of a Geisha is a truly amazing book.
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Title: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant ISBN: 0312195516 Publisher: Picador USA Pub. Date: 15 September, 1998 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier ISBN: 0452282152 Publisher: Plume Pub. Date: 08 January, 2001 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver ISBN: 0060930535 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 October, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Geisha : A Life by Mineko Iwasaki ISBN: 0743444299 Publisher: Washington Square Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Autobiography of a Geisha by Sayo Masuda, G. G. Rowley ISBN: 0231129505 Publisher: Columbia University Press Pub. Date: 15 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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