Book Information
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ISBN-13: 9780679781585 - ISBN-10: 0679781587 Publication Date: 1/10/1999 Pages: 448 |
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Book Reviews of Memoirs of a Geisha
249 Book Reviews submitted by our Members
sorted by voted most helpful
Jane (
26 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book would have gotten 5 stars from me, except that it ended with a fizzle. The opening 2/3 of the book when she's sent to become a Geisha, learns the trade, and the politics within the Geisha house was just fascinating. But toward the end it became tedious and I was finally glad that it ended. Both of my parents read this book as well, and had the same opinion. But this book is still definitely worth a read!
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
I thought this was a remarkable book. The voice of the geisha and the authenticity of the times are consistent throughout the book. I carried it with me to read at odd moments -- something I don't usually do these days with books. The book was completely engaging.
Somehow I managed to not read it for the first 10 years since it was published!
Ivy
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
Without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read. I still have it in my collection and won't part with it.
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
A profound look into the world of Geisha. It's written as a memoir though it's a work of fiction. This is a very moving story.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is what historical fiction looks like when it grows up! Of course everyone knows the tie-in with the movie, but the book gives such lyrical detail of these girls and womens lives. Even if you've seen the movie, there's so much more here to know. Prepare to enter another world, one of enchantment but that will definitely take you beyond your comfort zone. It's a love story, a history lesson.....like falling down the rabbit hole into another time and place. The details here are phenomenal. I couldn't put it down, didn't want it to end, cried for the characters, and want to go to Japan. I may just keep this, on second thought......
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
i'm so glad i read this, it's a wonderful book. the imagery, the lifestyle, everything comes to life in this book. the story itself is beautifully written, Sayuri is so real i find myself riding along on her emotional roller coaster. there are so many misconceptions that americans have about geisha -- this book blows them to bits.
i look forward to seeing how the movie stacks up.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Excellent book! The language is vivid and the characters really draw you in.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I love books that totally take me to a different place or time or both. This one did.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I read Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden over Christmas break. I really enjoyed reading this book. I saw the movie a couple of years ago and remember enjoying it, even though it got interrupted :( It was kind of nice because I couldn't remember what happened in the end! This was a really fast read - I read most of it on the plane flights to and from Chicago. It's a sad story, but I still enjoyed reading about Japan. I thought this books was really well written and the story keeps you interested throughout. I would totally recommend it (at least to a mature audience - there is quite a bit of sexual content)
Amber J. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one of the best books I've ever read. It is very interesting to see how the geisha lived (even though it's fiction obviously). The author does a good job of transporting the reader back in to the time of the geisha.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
In my opinion one of the greatest books ever!! This book is 100% a must read, and probably one you'll end up reading time and time again. The story transports you to a different time and place, it will break your heart and warm it all at the same time.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I enjoyed the personal story of the main character and the history lesson along with the Japanese culture.
Shanan O. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Excellent historical fiction. One of my favorites.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
One of my favorite books of all time. It is so well written that I couldn't put it down. The visualization of what it was like to live at that time is terrific.
Karen D. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I thought this book was terrific and I couldnt believe a man wrote it because he gets into telling the story from the womens point of view.I liked this book so much I told my sister to read it and she also said it was great.I liked learning also about a life as a geisha in that time period. Very fascinating.What a hard life.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Great book that really engages you into a different time & culture.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The story is well researched and as result it is easy to get lost in the life of the geisha and begin to empathize with the character. It is well written and I found it hard to put down the book to go about life.
Krista
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
So many adjectives describe this book. It is an intensely rich, intricately woven memior filled with such a detailed look into life as a geisha and the Japanese tradition. I was so naive, and what I thought I knew about geisha was sooo wrong. The book read slowly for me, but not in a negative way. It took me almost a week to finish because it just had to be read slowly and thoughtfully as to not miss a single thread of the fabric of each page!!! This very review reflects how I was taken back by Sayuri's narrative...(i loved her analogies). Although this is fiction, it is expalined by Golden that it's historical facts are completely accurate, and boy did he do his homework!!! I feel like I've been to Japan and back. I honestly can't explain it, this book MUST BE READ!!!!
Lyn H. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Cultural truths regardless of which rumour you believe reagrding the author and her real life experiences. What is reawarded may change day to day. An interesting insight into a world steeped with tradition and cloaked in a shroud of secrets. What goes on behind the closed doors is perhaps not a surprise, but the mystery that has been maintained through centuries is the source of the intrigue anyway.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I did not enjoy this book. While it was beautifully written, the tale of poor Chiyo disturbed me. I was disturbed by the way that she was treated from the day she entered Kyoto and more disturbed by the ending which to me seemed like a cop out. I know many love this book, but unfortunately, I cannot say that I enjoyed it. I was happy to have finished!
Anonymous reviewed on 3/1/2008...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a heart wrenching story about the life of the life of a young Japanese girl. It combines the elements of a historical novel with exotic romance.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Beautifully written novel about the life of a geisha. The descriptions really brought you into the novel, though I felt the ending was almost a little abrupt.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I couldn't put this book down--I read it in 1 and half days.....
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I thought this was a very nice and emotional story... I know it had come out into a movie... that I have not seen... but, this book was very detailed based on truth and a very hard life. dg
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wonderfully descriptive and almost flowery writing. I would certainly recommend this book to get lost in.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A lot of my friends see this a great classic, but I could not stay with it.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
One of the great ones! Wonderful descriptions, I really felt taht I was experiencing the story with this young woman, what an amazing journey her life was. A must read!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
If you haven't read this yet, don't wait. Wonderful rich story, great characters and details. Makes you wish you were there at that time.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Fascinating read, very descriptive writing. Would recommend.
Cheryl R. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book had been sitting on my shelf for a LONG time and it periodically catches my attention so I finally decided to listen to its plaintive cries and read it. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed after all the rave reviews and hype about it. It took me awhile to get into it, but the middle portion of the book was quite spell-binding. The book was admittedly beautifully written, but for me the downfall of the book was the ending. I felt it fell somewhat flat and was more than a little predictable and wishy-washy.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Since I was overseas(Japan) for 4 years.You are not aware that it is still happening in this time of age/era...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A must read for everyone. I couldn't put this one down.
Susan G. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I read this a number of years and just loved it. Carefully written, beautiful story.
Golden creates a vivid, sensual world that the reader can hear and see and touch. A beautiful, wrenching story that gives a glimpse into the exotic world of Japanese geisha. A must-read.
This is one of those books that you read and then wish you could get it out of your head. What a colossal waste of time! The geisha tradition is historic and this makes it sound fairly contrived and sleazy.
Audrey reviewed on 7/14/2009...loved this book
Excellent, excellent book! It's impossible to believe this book was written by a man. I have always been intrigued by Geisha's... and the history! A must read.
Tricia - Shakopee, MN reviewed on 6/25/2009...A look into the world of the geisha, told from a former geisha's point of view.
Susan M. This is a beautiful book. It's a great read!
I enjoyed this book very much. The characters are well developed. I found myself rooting for them to have the life they long for. It is a bitter sweet read.
I read this book a few years ago and remember being totally swept away into the world that the main character lives in. The book is well written, you truly get involved nd invested in the characters. I absolutely reccoment this book.
Angela T. (I loved this book. It was much better than movie (as most books are). Beautifully told.
Rachelle S. (I loved this book. It presented an entertaining way to learn about Geisha and about Japan. The movie was a rare treat as well. I felt it stuck to the book and left me wanting more, that I quickly read the book afterwards!
fascinating story! It seems as if it's an autobiography rather than a ficitonal account of a young girl's rise to the status of geisha
Fascinating piece of history, the impact of war and another culture. Definitely recommend this.
Althea M. (A well-written, engaging story, with a good mix of interesting, well-researched information and fictional story, revolving around (as I'm sure everyone is aware) the life of a successful geisha in 1930s & 1940s Kyoto.
My one quibble: why did the author find it necessary to make Sayuri (the protagonist), a Japanese woman, have blue/gray eyes? It really wasn't necessary to the plot, and just reminded me too much of so many stories that are set in an "exotic" culture, but find it necessary to place a "Western" individual in a starring role, as if "we" wouldn't be interested in reading about a protagonist who was unlike "us." (James Clavell's "Shōgun" is one example; there are many others).
Melissa P. (I loved every detail of Memoirs of a Geisha. Not knowing much about Far East culture, I feel like I understand it a little more now through the book. The way the geishas were described in their clothing and gracefulness is wonderful. It was also heartbreaking to realize the girls didn't have a lot of choices once they were selected to become a geisha.
Deborah F. (I was sucked into this book immediatley! This is a glimpse into a whole new life style and ethnicity. Very Good!
Christy C. (Very fast read, much better than the movie!!! You really connect and fall in love with the characters. Couldn't put it down. This book is really a ticket to another world.
I couldn't put this book down. Best book I've read in a long time! I found it fascinating, even if though it's fiction. I thought the last few chapters seemed to be lacking something compared to the rest of the book, but I was still sad to see the story end. I loved it! And it's SO much better than the movie.
One of my favorite books and movies of all times! I just loved every minute of it, the author makes it feel like you are right there in the story with her! love love love it!
10 times better than the movie - couldn't put it down!
Engaging, well written. The life of a geisha in a historical, cultural spin that I couldn't put down. Excellent read.
A wonderful story you won't be able to put down. Everyone should read this book at some point!
A wonderful story. Very captivating and interesting. While the story is fiction, the historical aspects are very interesting.
Patricia S. reviewed on 4/25/2007...very interesting! Can't get to sleep becuase you want to find out what happens next in these people's lives. fully developed characters.
I read this book ten years ago and again last year. Both times I could not put it down until I had read the last page. The book is better than the movie in my opinion
This novel presents the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
I enjoyed the history of Japan and was a great read as well.
1999 printing. This book has been passed around quite a bit and shows a little wear. It is a wonderful, engaging story.
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.
Really interesting story, a good, fast read. I read it in a day or so. Better than the movie!
Very interesting insight into the life of a geisha. I read it a couple of years before the movie... never seen the movie so not sure how it compares.
This book is soooo good! It is hard to believe that it is fiction!
I loved this novel. I can't believe a man wrote it, since it was infused with a feminine sensibility. A very enjoyable read.
Very interesting-gives the reader a glimpse of another culture although it is part-fiction and part-fact. Two young Japanese girls are sold by their father to another man who then sells them to different homes. The story is about how one girl rises from a lowly servant in the home to a the main geisha in that home.
very good book. has a lot more information on the geisha lifestyle than the movie.
Our book club read this book and all enjoyed it. It opens your eyes to a different culture and time.
This is an outstanding story and an amazing look inside the world of geisha - something quite foreign to our culture. I had trouble putting it down.
Kelly S. (One of the most beatiful books I've ever read. I didn't want it to end
Oh my god! I loved this book, I felt like I was there. The movie did not do this book justice. The book is much much better.
The book is a much better read than the movie gave it justice. You need to take your time and savor the world of the Geisha in the early part of the 20th century.
i loved this book.....it was hard to get into , but once i did, i enjoyed it greatly......the movie followed the book almost to a tee!
Riveting story, true to life. This was written by a man? Unbelievable.
the movie did the story justice because it was filmed well however the book is as usual, much more detailed and intense.
Danny N. (Wonderful book! Every woman I know who read it, loved it! We all agree - it's hard to believe it was written by a man!
Loved this book. Great story and learned alot about the geisha world.
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 is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction---at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful---and completely unforgettable.
A literary sensation and runaway bestseller, this brilliant debut novel tells with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
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. It begins in a poor fishing village in 1929, when, as a nine-year-old girl with unusual blue-gray eyes, she is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. 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.
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 is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction--at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful--and completely unforgettable.
Excellent book. breathtaking details and beautiful descriptions.
Great book, a classic giving insight into the Japanese culture of geishas
Elizabeth B. (~romantic,erotic and suspenseful,wonderful book~
Seems like a pretty good story if you can deal with the hateful personality of one of the main characters. She does some pretty mean things to the young girl who is the main character. This made it hard for me to read and finish the book.
Great book. I've been wanting to read this for a long time and I was not disappointed!
"A literary sensation and runaway bestseller, this brilliant debut novel presents with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha."
Beautifully written and very addictive. I couldn't wait to find out where she went next!
Sherri H. (Starts out a little slow but keep reading! VERY interesting book that really keeps your attention once it gets going. Highly recommended read.
I rarely read fiction however this book was highly recommended by an erudite friend. It did nothing to change my mind about fiction.
I enjoyed this book more than I ever imagined I would! A great book!
Sad, funny, and full of love. My heart went out to this young girl for all she suffered during her lifetime.
This is one of the best novels I have ever read. I enjoyed the movie, particularly as a visual treat, but the book is far better. It is captivating and beautifully written. It will fascinate you (even if you've seen the movie) from the very start.
I couldn't put this book down! I can't wait to see the movie now.
It's been awhile since I read this book. I held onto it for a long time because I just loved it. The characters are well developed and it really pulls you in!
One of my favorite books ever. Wonderful could not put it down
Loved being transported to a whole different era, country and sub-culture. Unique and believable love story.
This is by far one of my favorite novels of all time. If you saw the movie...it just doesn't come close to doing it justice. I have read and re-read this book more times than I can remember. Wonderfully written about the loves, struggles, accomplishments, and sorrows of a woman who was once a poor young girl sold by her parents into slavery.
Danielle V. (This novel is so much better than the film. A must read!
This book was much better than the movie (as is usually the case). The detailed description of the class of the Geishas in that time period demystifies stereotypes that one could have of Geishas. Albeit not a book for readers who need action on every page, it is a beautiful story that unfolds over the lifetime of the main character.
"I wasn't born and raised to be a Kyoto geisha....I'm a fisherman's daughter from a little town called Yoroido on the Sea of Japan." How nine-year-old Chiyo, sold with her sister into slavery by their father after their mother's death, becomes Sayuri, the beautiful geisha accomplished in the art of entertaining men, is the focus of this fascinating first novel. Narrating her life story from her elegant suite in the Waldorf Astoria, Sayuri tells of her traumatic arrival at the Nitta okiya (a geisha house), where she endures harsh treatment from Granny and Mother, the greedy owners, and from Hatsumomo, the sadistically cruel head geisha. But Sayuri's chance meeting with the Chairman, who shows her kindness, makes her determined to become a geisha. Under the tutelage of the renowned Mameha, she becomes a leading geisha of the 1930s and 1940s. After the book's compelling first half, the second half is a bit flat and overlong. Still, Golden, with degrees in Japanese art and history, has brilliantly revealed the culture and traditions of an exotic world, closed to most Westerners. Highly recommended.
Absolutely excellent! Read the whole book in 3 days. I just couldn't put it down. The imagry while reading this is just wonderful.
A little slow, but overall a great look into a different culture and a different life.
A literary sensation and runaway bestseller, this brilliant debut novel tells with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
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. It begins in a poor fishing village in 1929, when, as a nine-year-old girl with unusual blue-gray eyes, she is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. 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.
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 is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction—at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful—and completely unforgettable
fast, yet fascinating read! Once you start it, you won't want to put it down 'til the end.
Leah (Great story. Well written. It was fun to be immersed in a place and time you otherwise would never experience.
Paige D. (Excellent visit into Japanese culture and tradition. Helps give an understanding of a woman's place in a man's society. Much better than the movie!
I just could not get into this book... I tried... Everyone else seemed to like it though.
Debbie B. (Loved this book! A MUST READ if you have seen the movie. The movie just can't compare to this - it's so much richer and more detailed.
I loved this book! I got totally involved in the lives of the geisha. Very well written.
I loved this book. It is a great work of historical fiction.
Loved it. I have a fascination for the Japanese culture and found this interesting as well as a wonderful story.
I had heard the movie was good so I thought I would read the book. I don't ususally care for this type of book, but I could not put this down. It was really, really good. It was sad, funny and some history too.
Michelle K. (This book was great. If you liked the movie you will LOVE the book. I highly recommended.
A wonderfully absorbing story of the life of a young girl who is chosen to become a Geisha. Full of intimate detail regarding the training of these "hostesses." It is captivating, romantic, erotic and unforgettable.
I found the details of a geisha's life and feelings to be very moving and beautifully expressed. However, I found the events leading to the ending to be totally disappointing, disgusting, and unrepresentative of the protagonists previous behavior throughout the book. I'm afraid that this ruined my good opinion of the book.
I couldn't put this book down.Icredibly interesting to see how the Geisha perform their duties.
I thought it was amazing. I read it last when I was about 20, but I can recall in vivid detail the story and the characters. (I can't say this about many books.) It's written in a very concise way, yet it's still very artistic. Can't believe it's written by a man! Hope he doesn't get any backlash from Oprah-- it's called a "Memoir" and it's not true. LOL
Memoirs of a Geisha is a first-person account of how nine-year-old Chiyo becomes Sayuri, one of the most popular geishas in Japan.
Barbara B. (This is a WONDERFUL book! It is quite possibly the best book I've read in years. The story is so engaging and the characters are hard to resist. At one point I found myself feeling very disappointed with the main character's behavior, but then realized this is how other characters must have felt towards that same behavior. A truely wonderful and unforgettable story!
This book was so interesting and I felt for the main character so much that when she was sad, I was sad, when she was hopeful, I was hopeful. I had a hard time putting this down to go to sleep at night! It's is an interesting look into the life of a geisha in the 1930-1940's
This is one of my all time favorite books! I was hesitant to read it because I didn't think I would find it interesting. I ended up glued to the pages and couldn't put it down!
Fabulous look into that time period in Japan. Wonderfully written! Our book clkub watched the movie and we were very pleased! Excellent read!
Wow. This is a gorgeous book. I was drawn in immediately and did not want to put it down. Opened my eyes to a corner of Japan in the 1930's and 1940's.
Wonderful book!! Really draws you in. I could not put it down!!
did not live up to the hype, in my opinion; very nice descriptions of kimonos and certainly reflected on geisha activities of which I was not previously aware
I read this book before it became so popular and now I know why i loved it!
Loved this! Just wanted the story to keep going. Supports what I always say - "the book is better than the movie".
I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. After all the hype, I had set myself up for dissapointment, but this book was en enjoyable read. I found the peek into another culture quite fascinating. The book was well written, and the characters were developed enough to make the reader emjoy them. The plot was well presented. Not a book I have to run out an buy so I can own it, but definately worth the credit I spent on it.
Jackie H. (I loved this story. I'd also like to see the movie. It was a wonderful sad story.
I loved this book. It was one of the books that I couldn't put down. I enjoyed exploring the geisha life with the main character. The characters are very colorful.
A true painting made with language. Such a beautiful story, full of rich detail. I've read it over and over.
This novel is written beautifully, an account of Japanese life we never knew.
Wonderful and interesting book to read. I loved it. It was hard to put down once you started to read it.
This is a very unusual book which I hope you might enjoy. Frankly I didnt but to each his own.
This is a beautifully written book, that pulls you in immediately. At the end I truly could not believe that this writer had put the whole story together himself. It truly reads like a memoir, and gives a very interesting glimpse into Japanese culture during that time period. Highly recommended.
#1 International Bestseller that spent over one year on the NY Times Bestseller list. - "captivateing, minutely imagined..a novel that refuses to stay shut. "
Kelly P. (I really enjoyed this book - as did my husband & my mother. It grabs you quick, is very interesting & entertaining ... and I even learned a thing or two along the way!
One of my all time favorites. I did not see the movie but think the book was probably better.
Awesome book!! A male author has never recorded the emotions of a female so well!
This story is exotic and takes the reader into a world very unlike our own. Although it is well written, I still don't understand why it is thought to be a great love story; you might disagree.
Probably one of the best books I have read in a long time. Loved, loved, loved it! Great reading as well as educational!
I loved this book! The descriptions and vocabulary were magnificent. An exquisitely written novel.
Jackie C. (A great eye opener into Japan's past. I loved it & can't wait to see the movie.
I loved this story - very well written, very interesting look into the whole culture of the Geisha.
A very well written look into the life of a geisha! I loved it!
This book is so good. It well writen. After reading the book I saw the movie and it is in no way as good as the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was hard to put down. Would definitely recommend it.
I loved this book,I really hated for it to end. One of my all time favorite.I can't say enough good about it...A Must Read!!!
Excellent book, facinating story! I can't wait to see the movie now.
It's a novel I recommended for all my friends. It's a quick read, but wonderfully written. The storyline is interesting and the characters come alive in the pages. For me the cultural and historical aspects were quite fascinating. A great read.
A fabulous story of struggle and overcoming adversity, Memoirs of a Geisha will transport you to a different place and culture.
Kim N. (
Yvonne M. S. (Absolutely one of the best books that I have read this year. Still wondering why it took so long to get to reading it. I am so looking forward to the movie. What a beautiful portrayal of the difficult life of a Geisha.
Lisa E. (I could not put this book down,Honestly one of the best books
i have read this year.
In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girls virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction - at once romantice, erotic, suspenseful - and completely unforgettable.
S W. (interesting story - is slow in a few places, but very informative and written so that you become involved in the lives of the characters. Shows a culture that foreign to most Americans.
While normally it takes me several weeks to get through a novel, I tore this one up in a matter of days. Gorgeous prose and a topic I'd never thought to consider made it very hard to put down.
Little slow towards the last half but still couldn't put it down. Good Read!
Evokes the atmosphere and the time very convincingly. Good character development.
Lisa P. (A well-written and intriguing tale. I could hardly put it down.
I had low expectations, but the writing draws you its world immediately. A great read.
I loved this book could not put it down!Was so interesting real page turner!
I loved this book could not put it down!Was so interesting real page turner!
Beautifully written prose--a very touching and tender tale.
Melissa R. (This is a really wonderful book. The story is great and draws you in immediately, and every paragraph is very descriptive. It is one of those books that stays with you after you're finished and you find yourself thinking back to it. I highly recommend it.
really liked this book -it was so interesting and such a great story . it's a read you won't regret.
Suzanne H. (Absolutely riveting book - I had to go out and read all about geishas, I was so fascinated by the subject.
Probing, thoughtful look into the life of the classic Geisha. Kept my interest throughout, though a tragic tale right to the end. Bold move by a male writer to write as a female.
A wonderful story - great descriptive writing you'll feel as though you are actually there
Kikuyo C. (this is a good book about a girl's life...she was sold to become a geisha
The strikingly pretty child of an impoverished fishing family, Chiyo is taken to faraway Kyoto and sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house where she is renamed Sayuri. Initially reluctant, Sayuri must finally invent and cultivate an image of herself as a desirable geisha in order to survive in Gion's cruel hierarchy. Through her eyes, we are given a backstage view of the ancient and secretive geisha district, Gion, and of the lives of the women who learn and practice the rigorous arts of the geisha. Behind its facade of haunting beauty the district turns out to be a viciously competitive place where women vie desperately for men's favor and largess, where a young girl's virginity is auctioned off to the highest bidder, where personal trust is almost nonexistent, and where no woman can afford even to dream about love or happiness. A timeless pocket of the world, Gion cannot remain cut off from the bustle of the modern era forever. When Japan enters the Second World War, Gion's isolation is finally breached and Sayuri must once again reinvent herself and her way of existence. Memoirs of a Geisha is a treasure of a book, an unparalleled look at a strange and mysterious world which has now almost vanished. It is also, and unforgettably, a dazzling portrait of a singular and most seductive woman who tells her story in a compelling first person voice.
Laurie S. (This ook was fabulous. I read it a few years ago & purchased it on audio because I enjoyed the story so much. It's a look into a very unique world.
Written as though it really is a memoir. Very interesting telling of the world of a Geisha.
I could not put this book down. A fascinating look into the world of the geisha. My book club raved about this book. Highly, highly recommended!
Novel about a young girl and her introduction into life as a Geisha.
Note: All my books are first registered at bookcrossing.com and bear stickers inside with BC number.
Stacey G. (I thought this was such a great book. It was hard to put down because I wanted to know what was going to happen to Sayuri (the main character). It was fascinating learning about the life of a geisha. This book is also being turned into a movie.
Really interesting - a pretty quick read. I wanted to know more about this subject after finishing the book. Well done.
A look into the customs and traditions of the geisha in Japan. It is romantic, suspensful and erotic.
Marci S. (I really enjoyed this book until I read Mineko Iwasaki's "Geisha, A Life" which is a non-fiction account of being a geisha and from which Golden got much of his material. Still, this is an enjoyable piece of fiction.
This is a riveting tale of the life of a geisha, coming of age in an unfamiliar envirnment which she makes her own.
I really enjoyed this book. Although this is a work of fiction, you\'d swear it was a true story. I became bonded with the characters immediately. Some I loved, others I hated. Made for a good read!
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