Geisha of Gion - Mineko Iwasaki > Reviews

Advantages: Offers a first hand account of life as a geisha
Disadvantages: Poor quality of prose

...correctly correctly used for a geisha in the district of Gion Kobu) hundreds of people were waiting outside her okiya (house where trainee geiko live) to catch a glimpse of her. This was not, though, a late development: the tradition of the geisha has existed several hundred years and it was not unusual for the most popular geisha to have "fan clubs". It is also incredible to know that Mineko Iwasaki is the first geiko to produce an autobiography: ... Read review

Advantages: Intriguing, gives an insight into the geisha world
Disadvantages: Occasionally stilted, author bias is pronounced.

...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 and her retirement. It is a fascinating ... Read review

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

...I was told to read Geisha of Gion, as the author of this book is apparantly the geisha on who Arthur Golden 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 ... Read review