I'm sure many of you will have heard of the book, Memoirs of a Geisha, just as I have. I've never really had much of an interest in the book, probably because my usual novel of choice would be crime fiction and also due to my lack of understanding of the Geisha and Japanese culture. However, ... Read review
According to Arthur Golden's absorbing first novel, the word "geisha" does not mean ... more
"prostitute," as Westerners ignorantly assume--it means "artisan" or "artist." To capture the geisha experience in the art of fiction, Golden trained as long and hard a...
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The first thing you notice about the audio version of Memoirs of a Geisha is that Arthur ... more
Golden's 428-page novel has been reduced to a scant two cassettes. But dismay quickly gives way to mounting pleasure as Elaina Erika Davis (Contact, As the W...
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According to Arthur Golden's absorbing first novel, the word "geisha" does not mean ... more
"prostitute," as Westerners ignorantly assume--it means "artisan" or "artist." To capture the geisha experience in the art of fiction, Golden trained as long and hard a...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
According to Arthur Golden's absorbing first novel, the word "geisha" does not mean ... more
"prostitute," as Westerners ignorantly assume--it means "artisan" or "artist." To capture the geisha experience in the art of fiction, Golden trained as long and hard a...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
According to Arthur Golden's absorbing first novel, the word "geisha" does not mean ... more
"prostitute," as Westerners ignorantly assume--it means "artisan" or "artist." To capture the geisha experience in the art of fiction, Golden trained as long and hard a...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: Check Site.
According to Arthur Golden's absorbing first novel, the word "geisha" does not mean ... more
"prostitute," as Westerners ignorantly assume--it means "artisan" or "artist." To capture the geisha experience in the art of fiction, Golden trained as long and hard as any geisha who must master the arts of music, dance, clever conversation, crafty battle with rival beauties and cunning seduction of wealthy patrons. After earning degrees in Japanese art and history from Harvard and Columbia--and an M.A. in English--he met a man in Tokyo who was the illegitimate offspring of a renowned businessman and a geisha. This meeting inspired Golden to spend 10 years researching every detail of geisha culture, chiefly relying on the geisha Mineko Iwasaki, who spent years charming the very rich and famous. The result is a novel with the broad social canvas (and love of coincidence) of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen's intense attention to the nuances of erotic maneuvering. Readers experience the entire life of a geisha, from her origins as an orphaned fishing-village girl in 1929 to her triumphant auction of her mizuage (virginity) for a record price as a teenager to her reminiscent old age as the distinguished mistress of the powerful patron of her dreams. We discover that a geisha is more analogous to a Western "trophy wife" than to a prostitute--and, as in Austen, flat-out prostitution and early death is a woman's alternative to the repressive, arcane system of courtship. In simple, elegant prose, Golden puts us right in the tearoom with the geisha; we are there as she gracefully fights for her life in a social situation where careers are made or destroyed by a witticism, a too-revealing (or not revealing enough) glimpse of flesh under the kimono, or a vicious rumour spread by a rival "as cruel as a spider." Golden's web is finely woven, but his book has a serious flaw: the geisha's true romance rings hollow--the love of her life is a symbol, not a character. Her villainous geisha nemesis is sharply drawn, but she would be more so if we got a deeper peek into the cause of her motiveless malignity--the plight all geisha share. Still, Golden has won the triple crown of fiction: he has created a plausible female protagonist in a vivid, now-vanished world and he gloriously captures Japanese culture by expressing his thoughts in authentic Eastern metaphors.
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Advantages: hard to put down, easy to read Disadvantages: hard to put down!
...have heard of the book, Memoirs of a Geisha, just as I have. I've never really had much of an interest in the book, probably because my usual novel of choice would be crime fiction and also due to my lack of understanding of the Geisha and Japanese culture. However, I found a slightly tatty copy of this book in a local book sale for 25p and decided to broaden my horizons!
The story begins in 1929 during the great depression. Yoroido, ... ...Japanese art.
Memoirs of a Geisha was first published in 1997, the paperback copy I have is published by Vintage in 1998 and has 434 pages. The cover is grey showing the brightly painted red lips of a geisha. The RRP is £6.99 but obviously, given its age, I recommend searching for a very cheap second hand copy!
It was also made into a film in 2005, if anyone has seen it please let me know if it's worth watching!
... more
I'm sure many of you will have heard of the book, Memoirs of a Geisha, just as I have. I've never really had much of an interest in the book, probably because my usual novel of choice would be crime fiction and also due to my lack of understanding of the Geisha and Japanese culture. However, I found a slightly tatty copy of this book in a local book sale for 25p and decided to broaden my horizons!
The story begins in 1929 during the great depression. Yoroido, a small peasant fishing village, is home to Chiyo, her elder sister Satsu and her mother and father. From a young age, Chiyo seems so aware of the world she lives in, describing her little 'tipsy' house built on a cliff to perfection and really giving you a strong feel for her happiness there, although there was very little money or food. The bond between Chiyo and her mother is very strong and Chiyo has inherited her mother's eyes, a remarkable grey/blue colour. Unfortunately, her mother becomes seriously ill and life takes a dramatic turn for little seven year old Chiyo and her sister. When Chiyo falls over in the village she attracts the attention of Mr. Tanaka an important business man. Chiyo sees Mr Tanaka as her saviour, the rich business man, saving her from a life of poverty and shortly before her mother's death; the girls are taken from their little 'tipsy' home and embark on their first trip out of their home town. Obviously it would be wonderful if Mr Tanaka was to adopt the girls, but that would have made a much shorter tale! They soon realise all is not as it seems and they end their journey in the care of a complete stranger, in Kyoto. Satsu is a young teenager at this point and is sold to a jorou-ya -a brothel, while Chiyo has been sold to an Okiya, which is a home for geisha and geisha in training.
Chiyo definitely has been the luckier sister, although life is most certainly made very difficult for her. The owners of the okiya, 'mother', 'auntie' and 'grandmother' make Chiyo work like a slave, with the promise that if she behaves, she may be lucky and the okiya will send her to school to learn the geisha arts. One problem stands in her way, Hatsumomo is the okiyas principle geisha, she is beautiful and extremely popular which means a high revenue for the okiya, therefore Hatsumomo can get away with murder and she takes an instant dislike for pretty little Chiyo with her unusual eyes and decides to make life as difficult as she possibly can.
We follow Chiyo's struggle and although the path is not easy, she is eventually taken on by another Geisha, Mahema, who also just happens to be Hatsumomos arch rival. Mahema is a very popular geisha with many contacts who sees Chiyo's great potential. As Chiyo is now an apprentice geisha she is given a geisha name, Sayuri. Although you expect life to become easier for Sayuri now, she is still just a young teenager who doesn't really understand the full meaning of being a geisha. Pouring tea in the correct manner and engaging in entertaining conversation with boring business men is only one side. Selling your virginity to the highest bidder at the tender age of fifteen is another. Finding a much older and very well off gentleman (I use the term loosely!) to be your danna is yet another. Sadly, these decisions are made by the okiya and poor Sayuri has very little sayin her future. Nevertheless, she dreams of her 'saviour', a kind gentleman she met before becoming a geisha, but as she has such little control over her own life, will there ever be a happy ending for Sayuri?
The book is written in the first person from Sayuri/Chiyo's perspective. She is such an easy character to like, she is a very dreamy girl, describing her surroundings so vividly they are easy to imagine. Sometimes her words almost slip into poetry, but she is also very sharp witted and feisty. It is not always clear if she fully understands what is going on around her, certainly through much of the book she is a very young girl who has been pushed into a very adults way of life although she rarely comes across as naive, usually just accepting of her situation and looking for the best way to get through it.
The book explains so much about the geisha culture, the rules, regulations and various ceremonies to be followed, their superstitious nature, the importance of their popularity, exactly the kind of work a geisha does and how they actually make their money. Much detail is given about the different levels of geisha, the way Kimono is assembled, how the heavy make up is applied, the extravagant hairstyles and yet, not once did I feel the urge to skip a page or even a paragraph. I always thought Geisha were the handmaids to the emperor, so you can imagine the shock I had reading this!
I couldn't put this book down and lost myself in it so completely I was quite disappointed when I realised it was a work of fiction! It is written by Arthur Golden and after reading the author's acknowledgments I felt quite reassured that he had researched the book very well and had gathered information from some popular geisha of their way of life, although he was later sued by one, Mineko Iwasaki, she claimed he had promised her anonymity due to the traditional code of silence between a geisha and her clients. Golden has worked in Tokyo, has an MA in Japanese history and a degree in art history, specialising in Japanese art.
Memoirs of a Geisha was first published in 1997, the paperback copy I have is published by Vintage in 1998 and has 434 pages. The cover is grey showing the brightly painted red lips of a geisha. The RRP is £6.99 but obviously, given its age, I recommend searching for a very cheap second hand copy!
It was also made into a film in 2005, if anyone has seen it please let me know if it's worth watching!
(The criteria is for the audio book which I have not listened too, although I have filled it out as best I can to get this review published!)
Advantages: The portrayal of an extraordinary world, and amazing, evocative writing. Disadvantages: Unsure about the ending, but very fitting to the novel.
A few days before I was due to fly to the Maldives, for a week of reading and relaxation, I stumbled across this book in a charity shop. For the ludicrously low price of £1 and the shop assistants pleas that I really ought to read the book before even considering watching the film, I felt that I should give it a go. So I bought it, and made it my priority to read it whilst I was away. Prior to this, you realise, I had had absolutely no knowledge ... ...in which it is set, so I opened the book knowing nothing and full of curiosity. The book begins in the early 1930's, set in the small fishing town of Yoroido, and spans decades until it's end somewhere in the 1980's. During this period we encounter a number of incredibly different settings, such as the much larger city of Kyoto, and Gion. The focus, however, remains with the same main character - Chiyo, or Sayuri, as she becomes known. As the title ...
beckmeh 28.07.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Advantages: Wondeful and engaging tale Disadvantages: Thought the end was a bit rushed
I purchased this book on a whim and it has sat in my bookcase for quite some time, I finally came around to reading it because I was having a spring clean and thought 'well, why not'
I think maybe the whim why I purchased it is because it has a lovely cover, I am referring to the paperback version of the book, and on the cover is the painted red lips of a Geisha girl in full white make-up, I found the image quite transfixing and nicely erotic too.
... ...it had sat on my bookcase for so long without my even looking at it, and when reading it, once I had got past the first couple of chapters I could hardly put it down at all.
The book begins in a very small village named Yoroido, a fishing village, the narrator of the story, the daughter of a fisherman begins to recount her tale here, telling of her family, her sister Satsu, father and ailing mother.
She and her sister are transported rather suddenly ...
kitty17 19.03.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Advantages: Wonderfully written, interesting and mystical subject matter Disadvantages: Ending felt a bit rushed
Memoirs of a Geisha has recently been released at the cinema and reminded me of a book I had never quite got round to reading yet. I went out and purchased the book with every intention of reading it before seeing the film, however things didn't quite go to plan.
My mother came to visit and we wanted to go to the cinema and this was the only film we could agree on so we went, the book still sitting unread on the bookshelf. I really enjoyed the film ... ...definitly attractive and inviting.
Memoirs of a Geisha is the debut novel of Aurthur Golden, he studied Japanese Art at Harvard and lived for ten years in Tokyo before moving back to the States.
The story starts with a little girl by the name of Chiyo, she is nine years old and lives in a fishing village with her mother, father and sister Satsu. Her mother becomes ill and when it seems certain that she is going to die, their father sells Chiyo ...
maz2909 09.02.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Advantages: beautifully descriptive story about an ancient tradition Disadvantages: none
'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Arthur Golden is an enchanting story which follows the life of a beautiful, young Japanese girl named Chiyo in her quest to become a geisha. The story begins in 1929 in Chiyo's birth town of Yoroido, a small fishing village on the Sea of Japan. Chiyo lives here until the age of nine, with her mother, father and sister Satsu in a little 'tipsy house' on the cliffs. Everything is normal is Chiyo's life, until one day she and ... ...train to Kyoto. Once in Kyoto, Chiyo is sold to a renowned geisha house in Gion and is separated from her sister, who is later to be found working as a prostitute. To begin with Chiyo hates the idea of becoming a geisha and is tormented by Hatsumomo, the other geisha in the house. Chiyo rebels and tries to escape Gion with her sister but is unsuccessful, and as punishment she is told she can never be a geisha and must work as a maid instead. During ...
helenmayclark 22.06.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Advantages: A great insight into another world. Disadvantages: None, overall good appeal for all readers.
I had never read Arthur Golden before, although I was tempted to read this book through recommendation. Thus I had no pre-conceptions of the writing style of the author. Neither had I seen the film, and although I bought the film, was glad that I decided to read the book first, since the film pales in comparison.
The story tells of Chiyo, a young girl (aged 8), living in the fishing village of Yoroido in 1929, with her mother, father and sister, ... ...life she is leading to being a successful Geisha. From the moment I started to read the book, I was captivated by the writing style, though more than this the picture that it wove. Many authors succeed in describing characters, though few that I have read can conjure up the atmosphere to the extent that this book did. Whereas with other books, you are tempted sometimes to miss the odd paragraph and jump ahead of yourself, what I found was that I ...
thingywhatsit 08.02.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
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Advantages: Intriguing, gives an insight into the geisha world Disadvantages: Occasionally stilted, author bias is pronounced.
"Geisha of Gion" is Mineko Iwasaki's autobiography. Notoriously, this book was written in answer to ArthurGolden's "Memoirs of a Geisha", allegedly based on her life experiences. She sued him for defamation of character in a lawsuit settled out of court, and wrote this book with Rande Brown to set the record straight.
It is as well, because although the book is not as dramatic as "Memoirs" it is a fascinating look into the actual truth of the geisha world. Mineko was the highest ranked of the geisha, and as such had to contend with jealousy, insults and assault during her period of fame. She also has an insight into the way the geisha world was run as she was trained to take over the teahouse where she lived.
"Geisha of Gion" covers Mineko's childhood, becoming a geisha, her training and eventually leaving the Geisha world ...
Advantages: The true account of one womans struggle with Japan's oldest tradition, very moving and honest Disadvantages: Could be a bit factual at times, and author sometimes has an air of superiority
After reading Memoirs of a Geisha, I was told to read Geisha of Gion, as the author of this book is apparantly the geisha on who ArthurGolden based his storyline for Memoirs of a Geisha. Now I have read Geisha of Gion, I can see that there are some similarities, however it is written very differently, and in a more informative, less romantic manner.
The story is as follows:- As a very young girl, the author goes to live and train as a geisha. She finds it very difficult, being away from her parents, and having such strict ideas and lessons put onto her. But she perseveres, and goes on to become one of the most successful geisha, and Japanese dancers, and finally retires and settles down with a man she originally met at a party she was entertaining at in a tea room.
Overall, I think the book was very good. The author seems to ...
This seductive and evocative epic tells the extraordinary story of a geisha girl. It reveals the cruelty and ugliness of life behind the rice-paper screens, and summons up more than 20 years of Japan's most dramatic history.
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