Memoirs of a Geisha

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully told
Review: This audio cassette program is terrific. Bernadette Dunn does a fabulous job narrating this fascinating story. It's hard to believe that it was written by a man. I found the story riveting. And I would highly recommend the audio version.

Rating:
Summary: INTERESTING DETAILS, WRITTEN FOR EMOTIONAL FOUR YEAR OLDS
Review: The NY Times got it right- if this was a non-fiction book it would have been a lot better. It already reads like someone's PHD turned into fiction at the last minute- with a few dramatic turns of plot and emotional motivating forces taken straight out of a Marvel comic and transposed onto the life of the otherwise believable girl at its centre. The ending was beyond disappointing- it read as if Mr. Golden was trying to imagine what the movie people would make of his book and tailored accordingly- 'happy' things happen at the end, but they seem tacked on instead of seeming natural consequences of what came before. It was a delightful book at the start because no one knows about Geisha and one starts out by judging its subject. It was terrible by the end because it was emotionally unsatisfying and hollow- one ends up judging the author. I would be very surprised if Mr. Golden writes another book people will actually read- this one is gimmick-based and so, one suspects, is his career.

Rating:
Summary: What's all the hype about?
Review: Well-written and with an authentic aura, but not nearly as life-changing as most of the world (including Madonna) would have you believe. Golden's ability to craft an Asian woman's life tale is remarkable, but ultimately its sense of Eastern reserve will leave many without any emotional investment in the story.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most memorable books I have ever read.
Review: Beautiful, haunting prose. An entree into a culture few Westerners know anything about, with a heroine as determined and self reliant as Scarlett O'Hara. The language and the landscape will stay with th reader long after the last page is read.

Rating:
Summary: A brilliant novel
Review: This book makes you feel like you are living in the world of the main character, Sayuri the geisha. Every detail is depicted intricately and told with a sense of beauty and eroticism. I strongly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Wow !
Review: I passed over this book several times when choosing a new read. Finally, I bought it in an airport. This book is engrossing, well-written, and was extremely difficult to put down. It has been passed around to several of my friends - they all love it.

Rating:
Summary: Historically interesting, emotionally barren
Review: The development of the main character never actualizes her early precocity, and despite all her travails and triumphs I never really cared about her. As a history, it does create the physical flavor of those times. I actually felt as though I had read it before, I don't think it is much different than any other,"Geisha" book I have read.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've read all year
Review: It is a beautifully written story that is captivating from the begining. The descriptions are vivid and have stuck with me long after I finished the book -- the tipsy house by the sea, the make-up ritual, the beautiful Kimono's...Anyone looking for great summer reading should look no further. You've found a throughly enjoyable book!

Rating:
Summary: I want more like it!
Review: I bought this book to widen my horizons, and because I've always been intrigued by Japanese women and thier cultural standings. I felt this book was well written, I couldn't put it down! Passionate and educational, it makes you want to become a Giesha just to see if you'd survive the training!

Rating:
Summary: Great portrayal of a geisha
Review: The ending was fabulous, it is a great portrayal of a geisha. It brought to the surface so many emotions, emotions of sadness, joy, triumph, but most of all an intriguing novel. I would highly recommend it, it is a book that cannot be put down.