Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully descriptive, captivating...
Review: I have not yet finished reading this terrific novel but I am completely enthralled by the wonderful story Golden tells. The characters are vivid and the story is engrossing. I am looking forward to finishing the book but I know that I will be a little sad when it's over...
Rating: 
Summary: Promises much, delivers much less
Review: I came to this novel with, as I see now, expectations unrealistically heightened by its hype. It simply failed to live up to all the acclaim : while parts were fascinating, by and large the narrative tone struck me as flat and monotonous, and the plotline was far too thin to be stretched over 400-odd pages. I kept expecting a deeper immersion in the unusual rites and rituals of the geisha life, but in the final analysis the immersion was only shin-deep (and I'm only 5'10!) I simply wasn't captivated, and I finished the book with a sad, but solid, lack of enthusiasm, hoping for richness that never came.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyed this book tremendously
Review: Like most people, I find it astonishing that this book was written by a western male. The author must certainly have done his research. But even beyond the difficulty of writing from such a different personal perspective, I think he did a marvelous job in creating a very compelling, evocative page-turner of a book. The characters in this book are extremely well developed. At the end of the book, you feel like you know them all. As someone who loves to travel to Japan and who is fascinated by Japanese culture and history, I found this book to be tremendously enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: I didn't want it to end....
Review: I am not typically drawn to books about Japanese culture, but my friends convinced me to give this book a try. I found myself totally caught up in the characters and the story. My only criticism of this book is that a life-long relationship with a much older man (obviously a father figure) which begins as a child's crush is a little too far fetched. It's the only hint that the book was written by a man!
Rating:
Summary: I'm normally not a fiction reader, but on this I was hooked!
Review: I was there. I was in the heart of Gion with all of the characters. I was rooting for Sayuri. I felt the pain. I shared her tears. I sunk in my chair with sadness and shot out of it with gladness. Make sure you have the time to read because you won't want to put the book down until you reach the final page. Enjoy!!!
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing, very real characters, leaves you wanting more!
Review: This was a great book that I just happened upon. Normally, I would not read a book about Japan, but this book just jumps out and grabs you! I'm glad it did. I bought it on Saturday and finished on that Monday. This book will make the rounds in my circle. My only disappointment was the last 100 pages of the book, they seemed rushed and not as carefully crafted as the beginning and middle. Still, a must read!
Rating:
Summary: A magical experience you can see, feel and almost touch
Review: You will become part of the scenery in this vivid book. You will feel like you are there as a guest in a teahouse. You become Sayuri's mind as she talks to you and as you feel life through her. A love story, a survivor's story and a magic carpet ride all in one.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!!!!!!!
Review: I have never read a book that was as intriguing, informative, or well-written as Memoirs of a Geisha. I couldn't put the book down! At times it had me in tears (both from laughter and crying) as I related with Chiyo-san. The entire book kept me on a winding path where I had no idea what I'd come across next. The ending both pleased and upset me, but I wouldn't have changed a thing. I give this book an enormous 5-star rating! I highly recommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, but . . .
Review: I enjoyed this book every bit as much as I'd hoped, but it's true that the final third does not live up to the promise of the first two-thirds. Golden has clearly done a great deal of research and has created a credible world with interesting characters, at least in a Dickensian sense. Even given it's considerable charm and entertainment value, though, it's hard not to be appalled that this will be regarded by many as an authentic representation of another culture. No matter how well researched, it's still fiction, and fiction about a tiny, highly circumscribed segment of a society. More interesting are "The Tale of Genji" (a tough read, though) and, especially, "The Confessions of Lady Nijo" (the Karen Brazell translation is, lamentably, out of print).
Rating:
Summary: I WAS SORRY TO SEE IT END
Review: I am grateful that my book club chose this book - otherwise, I might never have. I didn't have any particular interest in Japan or in geishas, and the book's title sounded to me like a cheap novel.But, I must say that I was overwhelmed by this book. I found it touching, fascinating, and a very enjoyable read. My only real criticism was the hasty exit of the character, Hatsumomo. She was such a prominent figure throughout most of the novel that I felt she had been given short shrift at the end. I expected some type of major confrontation between her and Sayuri, and when that didn't happen, I was a bit disappointed. Also, I would have liked more information on Satsu, Sayuri's sister. I agree too with some of the other criticisms printed here. The novel did end rather abruptly, racing through the last years of her life with breakneck speed. I do not want to reveal what eventually happened between Sayuri and the Chairman (as I know some people read these reviews before reading the novel!), but there was a part of me that wanted something more for the two of them, and a part of me that wanted something less. I found the writing to be excellent. The tone was conversational and warm. And Golden offered a great many philosophical insights that I found myself reading again and again. Anyway, to sum it up, I enjoyed this novel immensely and am very very happy that I read it.
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