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Search - Memoirs of a Geisha
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Book Description:
An alluring tour de force: a brilliant debut novel told with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism as the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.Members who requested this book also requested:
Speaking to us with the wisdom of age and in a voice at once haunting and startlingly immediate, Nitta Sayuri tells the story of her life as a geisha. In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love, always elusive, is scorned as illusion.
Sayuri's story begins in a poor fishing village in 1929, when, as a nine-year-old with unusual blue-gray eyes, she is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. Through her eyes, we see the decadent heart of Gion--the geisha district of Kyoto--with its marvelous teahouses and theaters, narrow back alleys, ornate temples, and artists' streets. And we witness her transformation as she learns the rigorous arts of the geisha: dance and music; wearing kimono, elaborate makeup and hair; pouring sake to reveal just a touch of inner wrist; competing with a jealous rival for men's solicitude and the money that goes with it. But as World War II erupts and the geisha houses are forced to close, Sayuri, with little money and even less food, must reinvent herself all over again to find a rare kind of freedom on her own terms.
Memoirs of a Geisha is a book of nuances and vivid metaphor, of memorable characters rendered with humor and pathos. And though the story is rich with detail and a vast knowledge of history, it is the transparent, seductive voice of Sayuri that the reader remembers.
A dazzling literary achievement of empathy and grace by an extraordinary new writer.
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Genres:Other Versions of this Book: Paperback, Paperback, Audio Cassette (Unabridged), Audio Cassette (Abridged), Audio CD (Unabridged), Audio CD (Abridged), Hardcover
Top Member Reviews
Karen F. (
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
I liked this book. I learned a lot about the Japanese culture while reading it, I didn't think it was a page-turner, and it took me longer to read than usual, but overall it is very good.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really enjoyed this book about Sayuri's life in Japan during World War II as she learns to become a geisha. I especially liked her relationships with her mentor Mameha, the scarred businessman Nobu, and her friend, the Chairman.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
I lived in Japan for decades and, jumping into the book without realizing it was a work of fiction, found it entirely believable. (This is not true for many books written by westerners about Japan.) The book deserves praise for that reason alone, but it is also a gripping read, and informative, to boot.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Fascinating and thought provoking look at a very different culture. I just tore through it!
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was very good. Much better than the movie!
Sara D. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Good fictional portrait of the life of a geisha pre-World War II. If you like this try Geisha by Liza Dalby and Geisha, A Life by Iwasaki.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Reading this book was like being thrust into a different dimension. The mores and values were foreign, as is the time frame and culture.
Having said that, I loved being sucked into the world of 1800s geishas. The author never hit a wrong note and I cannot understand how he could have captured the essence of the geisha world so completely.
But don't think the plot doesn't move along. The story is great and his characters very believable.
And NO it's not chick lit, although I think more women than men will find it appealing. Would I read this again? Probably - in a few years.
Janis K. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Arthur Golden brings Sayuri to life and she tells her own story. All he does is just holds the pen! The training and lifestyle of a geisha has never been made real in this manner. This book paints beautifully the culture, the people, the tradions of the time.
Maria R. from MIAMI, FL wrote on 4/21/2007...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
One of the best books I've read!
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Great book--more in depth than the movie, which books always are, but follows very closely. Interesting comparison of times and cultures.
Rate These Member Reviews
I had heard so many good things about this book but was never really interested in reading it, until I got a few chapters in. It's really good! You want to sympathize with Chiyo as the goes through so many things. And you want to hurt those who mess with her and betray her. Some of the names were a little diffeicult to grasp because they are so different than American names, but it's who they are. Some things the author seems to drag on about and in the end it finishes up super quickly. The thing that you wait for the entire book happens in about 5 pages. But it's a great book and you'll want to read it any chance you get!
Beth E. (A fascinating look at the life of Geisha that will grab your interest and keep it until the very end. Beautifully written, but never slow-moving.
Of course this book was way better than the movie.
Jessie W. (Great story. Interesting to learn about the Geisha culture and a great love story.
I loved this book! It was so interesting to read about a different culture. The characters were interesting and I kept wanting to read more. Definitely better than the movie!
Jessie G. (I had heard of Geishas but never really understood their way of life. Golden opened my eyes to this beautiful world which they live and helped me not only understand why they live this way but helped me to respect it. Every culture is different and diverse, each has it's hardships and it's beauty, Geisha lead a complicated, sad lifestyle but it is amazing how strong of women they are to do what they do.
Very interesting, compelling story.