Memoirs of a Geisha : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Artfully written
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was refreshing to venture outside Western culture. Mr. Golden succeeded in capturing the fascinating and intricate life of a geisha. A must read!

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written,
Review: I felt as though I was living her life and ...until the last several chapters, the story line began to breakdown. A wonderful literary journey, but I was disappointed at the ending, too predictable

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I loved the book I couldn't put it down. I have always been intrigued with Japanese cultual and this book gave me a taste of it. This book captured the history, romance and adventure. I especially enjoyed the part where Mameha explains to Sayuri the facts of life. And the way that Golden describes the komonos of the Geishas. It only took two weeks to finish this book. If I don't find another book as interesting as this, I will re-read this book again. This should be made into a movie. Where can I find the "Glittering Jewels of Japan" book that was mentioned in Golden's "Translator's note?"

Rating:
Summary: Transports you to another place, another time!
Review: Loved it! Compelling story of one woman's life in pre and post WWII Japan. Beautifully written with wonderful descriptions that create memorable images.

Rating:
Summary: Poetic, beautiful and no excuses
Review: This is such an eloquent book about the harsh realities of life and how one deals with her hand. You don't have to understand a Geisha's life to place the imageries and manipulations from this story into your own life. It was so candid, I loved it!

Rating:
Summary: remarable,exteremly enjoyable,well written.
Review: Although I found the novel elegent and agood read I still have a lingering doubt about the validity of discribtions made by a westren man about early 19th century japanese geisha culture. I coud offcourse be very worng and find that the author have been able expose us to the fears, aspirations,dreams and culture of Japanese people. I am hoping to hear from Japanese people who have read the book and are kind enough to spare the time to give their opinion on this matter. offcourse all are invited to participate with all thanks. Mohammed

Rating:
Summary: A great book for anyone!
Review: Memoirs of a Geisha was one of the best books I've ever read. Sayuri takes you back to Japan to the time when you couldn't walk down the street without seeing a beautiful geisha on her way to a party or outing of some sort. Through the challenges the war brought upon her, to her challenging times spent with Nobu and Hatsumomo, Sayuri found the stregnth to to continue. This is definently a book I'd sugest buying. For ages 13 and up.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This book reminded me of a wolf in sheep's clothing. Yes, an original idea and some interesting language, but if you take away the dressing, you have a very stereotypical book. Stereotypical of what? Of both Cinderella, and of your typical romance novel.

Rating:
Summary: It is Cinderella Asian style.
Review: I began this book with great exictement, and the first three quarters of the book did not disappoint me. Golden packs the beginning of the novel with wonderful descriptive prose and fascinating detail. Unfortunately his early promise falls flat. The protagonist, Sayuri, is an Asian Cinderella, orphaned by circumstance, left in the care of the okiya's cruel 'stepmother', tormented and betrayed by the wicked 'stepsisters' (Hatsumomo & Pumpkin), while longing for her 'Prince Charming' (The Chairman). This in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make the story predictable. The ending is rushed and lacks the luxurious prose that marks the early part of the book. Despite these flaws, Golden creates wonderful characters who are interesting, and sympathetic. The novel is ripe with information about the mysterious world of the Geisha and offers the reader a fascinating glimpse into Japanese society.

Rating:
Summary: This is not a story about prostitutes!
Review: I want to tell non-Japanese people who think that geishas are prostitutes that Japanese geishas are NOT prostitutes. Compared to western prostitutes, for example, geishas are completely different. The Japanese geisha world is a closed, mysterious one even for the ordinary Japanese people. This, probably, makes many people including foreign people wonder about geishas' real-lives and imagine that they are prostitutes. In a way, I feel it is a shame that I, a Japanese woman, don't know anything about the geisha world, therefore, I'd like to say thank you to the author for his hard work to reveal this hidden world. I still, however, feel sorry that some of the comments here show that even after reading this book, people still misunderstand the geishas and their culture. Reading people's comments here reminds me of how very difficult it is to understand different cultures without having enough background knowledge. A. Golden has described the daily life and culture of the Japanese geisha in great detail and reading his book has greatly increased my basic knowledge of them. I know, however, this is probably because I am Japanese, or because I live in Japan and know Japan from my soul. Actual geisha history is a history of a special group of Japanese women who lived in that time in a very unique environment, which was hard, sad, miserable, and sometimes ambition-filled. I always want to remember these points, to cherish their culture, and have a true understanding of their lives. As a result, I can never accept their being called prostitutes by anyone.