Memoirs of a Geisha

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Summary: A Japanese learned the vanishing Japanese culture.
Review: I have been only aware of this book for some time because I thought wrongly that it must be just one of the frustratingly shallow Westerners' writings on Japan with much misunderstanding. But I bought it last week in California on my wife's request, and tried to use it as a sleeping pill in my jet lag night. It backfired. The book kept me awake all night. I have seen the diminishing number of respectable geishas for 40 years, mostly in company parties. But this book reinforces all my knowledge of geishas and covers much more I didn't know. Now I have a great respect to the author and this book of the exciting story which I think is very valuable also as the record of vanishing things.

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Summary: WARNING: may require sake
Review: Maybe a little dash of sake would help bring this book to an enjoyable level. I haven't read anything so bad since I was twelve and went through a short-lived (thank god) Danielle Steel phase. It read just like a romance novel: contrived and depthless. The metaphors made me wince. They seemed to slip in every 100 words as if Golden thought "Oh: time for another metaphor". I'm delighted to see that there are other intelligent people who don't believe this book should have been on the best seller list for over a year. This will be the last time I let overzealous marketing get the best of me.

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Summary: As a Japanese-American I am insulted...
Review: Everyone screams praise of Golden, but most of the Japanese women I know who have read this hated it, as do I. Golden may have researched and trained for ten years, but my own music and dance training by a geisha taught me that geishas take twice that to train. A Westerner who attempts to write about Easterners is fine, but do not claim you can ever understand the nuances of a culture or that you are an expert on something when its obvious you are not. I was so insulted and continue to be that such horrible indiscretions about my culture continue to exist and are pedalled to be true by so many uneducated people. Being half American I am so ashamed that we believe a work of FICTION as truth so desperately. Its not about political correctness, its about misunderstanding a people.

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Summary: EXCELLENT, amazing what you can learn
Review: I couldn't put this book down. It's heartwarming, funny, sad, and happy. Can really appreciate all that we have today. Highly recommend reading this book!!!!!! Been awhile since I have enjoyed a book this much.

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Summary: It read too much like a romance novel
Review: i have always had great respect for the Japanese culture. It appears very rigid and suffocating -especially for women. But we always truimph with our innate and intuitive abilities. This is apparent in Geisha which I did enjoy and yet it was obvious at several passages,this was written by a male.I felt he missed the mark-not by much but still.

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Summary: one of the best novels I have read
Review: I did not want to put the book down. The story grabs you from the beginning and wont let you go. You feel as if this is a story of a true Geisha. A definite must read !!!!

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Summary: Appeals to a broad range of readers
Review: This work holds an appeal for any who are interested in Asian history. Incredibly detailed in its descriptions of the geisha lifestyle and culture. It also gives an interesting, un-eurocentric view of WW2.

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Summary: Mezmorizing!
Review: I am one of those people who takes forever trying to find the right book to read, one of those people who don't take much interest at all to even care what beholds in a book--but when I saw this book, I was blinded by the mysterious and enchanting spells. I am telling you from the very bottom of my heart that you cannot ignore or forget about the beauty of one's story.

Rating:
Summary: YAWN
Review: Seeing this book week after week on the best sellers' lists I thought it would be worth a good read. Well, it started off fine enough but I was bored by the end. Her character never rang true to life for me. She gave the same bad treatment back to people that she had received from some. The ending was trite. I think Mr. Golden didn't know how to end this story so he just wrapped up loose ends. My bookclub read this book this month. Glad I wasn't the one that recommended it. This could have been a truly grand novel. Too bad.

Rating:
Summary: A "must read"
Review: I couldn't put this book down! The vivid descriptions of Sayuri's life in Japan made me feel like I was there. With each chapter, my curiosity grew. Would she succeed as a geisha? Would Nobu become her danu? Would she become more powerful than the evil geisha she lives with? What would become of her sister? Of Pumpkin? The ending was almost too good to be true. Get ready to crave rice.