Memoirs of a Geisha

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Summary: A good thought provoking story; wonderfully written.
Review: When the friend who gave me this book to read said "let me know how you like it " I thought, "oh no I'm actually going to have to read it!" By reading the title, I thought it was going to be another sex book. On the contrary, it is a novel that is tastefully written. In a nutshell, it is a story about a girl's life and how she came to be a Geisha. It is written in first person and it is as if she is sitting across the table talking about her thoughts and feelings about her life over a cup of tea. It is wonderfully written, each chapter taking you to the next, you will not want to put it down. Someone should make a movie out of this one.

Rating:
Summary: An Intriguing and Most Enjoyable Book
Review: It's a long time since I have read a book which has intrigued and excited me as much as Memoirs of a Geisha has done. I finished it the other day, want to read it again very soon, but feel I must let what I have read sink in before I read it again and possibly gain even more insights into the lives of geisha during the thirties and forties. On the one hand their lives were glamorous, yet on the other, they were very bleak, as they dedicated their lives to entertaining the somewhat chauvinistic men of that time. Sayuri, the heroine, is intelligent and caring, but nevertheless learns to accept her life of service as befits a true geisha. Golden seems to have been able to enter the very feminine world of the geisha, he portrays the life with sensitivity and understanding. A great achievement considering he is a man looking at a very specialised women's way of life. I would recommend this book as a wonderful, thought provoking read.

Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: I haven't picked up a book this enjoyable in a long time

Rating:
Summary: From the moment I started reading it I couldn't put it down!
Review: Beautifully written, with a very detailed historical background of Geisha life in the 1930's Japan. A very well done descriptive job of characters, scenarios, feelings and even smells and tastes. I really love this book. I will highly recommend it and I sincerely thank the author for providing invaluable hours of amusement and entertainment. Really captivating!!!

Rating:
Summary: Interesting and very entertaining
Review: I enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the story. What a great book! This is one of my favorite books this year.

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Summary: 434 pages of pure Poetry
Review: Though I wasn't much of a reader before, I read this book in just under two weeks. I did the thing I have always done in the past in english class. How many pages are in this chapter? How long will it take me to read this section? But after only a few pages, I could not take my hands off hte book. It captivated me from beginning to end, and gave me a new appreciation for every aspect of Japanese culture. Soon, you don't even care what page you're on, or what time it is back in the real world. At times, I read until 3am. And I never have before. The poetry and beauty of the book made me sympathize wiht the characters, hate the characters, and fall in love with the characters. This book made fish, dresses, and make up see, more than amazing. I could smell the fish in the villages, and feel the cake of the make up on my face. I more than loved this book, I felt this book. And I not only read it fast, it has once again made me a reader. Thank you Arthur Golden!!!

Rating:
Summary: An Entertaining Story
Review: Many people have reviewed this book as if it were traditional Japanese literature. That is probably not a good idea considering it is a nonfiction novel. I read this book for a great story and that is exactly what I got. It was written with a very simple style and the story flowed quite magnificently. I read the entire 400+ pages in 2 working days. It was fabulous.

Rating:
Summary: fascinating story about the mysterious tradition of Geisha
Review: I first learned about this book from listening to Arthur Golden's interview on National Public Radios' "Fresh Air". A story about a Geisha written in first person by a western MAN sounded intriguing. A most difficult feat, but Golden manages to pull it off. In the interview, Golden described how he completed the research for this book and why his earlier attempt at writing in another voice besides first person failed. The details Golden adds when describing the rituals and training of young Sayuri, the Geisha-to-be is what I enjoyed most about this book. The Geisha tradition is very foreign to me as an American who has never traveled to the far east, and has limited exposure to Asian culture, firsthand. The story of Sayuri's life is very sad, but the reader is rooting for this strong willed woman to survive and overcome the tragedies of her early life. I think this book is destined to be a classic like Pearl Buck's "The Good Earth."

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put the book down!
Review: A wonderful story that takes you right into the world of a Geisha. Highly recommend.

Rating:
Summary: What a beautifully written story
Review: Memoirs is a beautifully written story of pre and post WWII life of the Geisha in Japan. The characters become very real to the reader. It's impossible to put the book down while reading the last 50 pages. Wonderful!