Rating: 
Summary: Well-Structured and Well-Informed
Review: Although I have to admit that I felt the story heading was often more than a little predictable, this book has a extraordinarily well-structured storyline and the information on Japanese history & Geisha life is spectacularly enlightening! (I actually had little interest or knowledge in Japanese lifestyle before this book, but am now fairly intrigued by the country & cultural mentality.) Some invented details were even difficult to tell from fact [the existence of artist Uchida Kosaburo, is the example I know of], the story was so well interwoven!
I rate this book with four stars because I found I greatly enjoyed the comprehensable structure of the story & the very well-explained details of the culture. However, I must personally deny the final star mostly because of either one of the following two reasons: I was often disappointed in many simple/cliche descriptions in which I believe--though fine to do in everyday speech I guess (as this story was being told, I do realize)--a 5-star rated book should not have done so. AND/OR I may someday read this book again for the information, but if I should read it later in my life--As I've done with many books I've read in the past.--I don't feel I will learn anything new or perceive it any differently. In the end: It's a rather good book to read(!), but I know I'll re-read many other books of mine before desiring to read it again.
Rating:
Summary: enthralling
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Only flaw is the ending seemed a little to contrived/happy. In life things don't always work out the way you want them to.
As a whole, good story.
Rating:
Summary: A day in the life
Review: Like other reviewers, I read this book quickly. It is definitely a page turner, despite its length. One of the reasons I kept reading was that, when I wasn't reading the novel, I was wondering what was going to happen next! The plot moves quickly, driven by the personalities and the foibles of the various characters. The story Golden weaves definitely draws the reader in.
Unlike other reviewers, however, I certainly don't believe that the novel is thin regarding character development, and I definitely do not think that the protagonist, Sayuri, has "everything handed to her on a silver platter"! Nothing could be further from the truth! Golden, the author, takes great pains to show the reader the harshness of Sayuri's upbringing, and he frequently comments on how difficult the life of a working geisha could be, both before, during, and after World War II.
One of the novel's primary strengths is the window into the life of a geisha that it offers. For me, this world was both foreign and fascinating. To learn about the details of dress, hair, custom, and daily life of a geisha in the context of an entertaining story was a welcome part of my experience reading the novel.
Several reviewers have also noted that the end of the novel seems contrived or phony. I'll admit that I felt similarly, too, at first. However, I think that the ending in no way diminishes the power of the story. In fact, with the way much of contemporary fiction ends these days, it can be refreshing to hear a "happily ever after" once in a while.
Rating: 
Summary: An amazingly beautiful book...
Review: I can't believe that it took me this long to read Memoirs of a Geisha, but I am so very glad I did. If you are like me and have waited this long, please wait no more. This book captured me immedietly and kept me enthralled throughout the entire piece. I fell in love with Chiyo/Sayuri and her world. Extremely well written and impeccably well informed on the history of Geisha and the Japanese Geisha district of Gion, this book is a MUST READ for anyone and everyone.
Rating:
Summary: I liked this book a lot.
Review: Whether accurate or not, I have no idea. The story is very good, though, and it is very easy to get caught up in this book. There is so much more to this world, and perhaps to the characters in the book, but it was an excellent read and a great story. I enjoyed it and would higly recommend it for its entertainment and excellent story-telling, if nothing else.
Rating: 
Summary: thoughts on Memoirs
Review: I could not put this book down. I was so taken with Suriya and her story, that I just kept reading until my eyes blurred. After the first few chapters, I resigned myself to the fact that I was reading an entertaining and well-told story, not a excellent piece of literature, but I loved it anyway.
Until the end.
What a horribly disappointing ending to a good book. I had gotten used to the fairytale that was Suriya's life.Really, she was an entertaining character, but not strong or deep. And darn lucky, if you ask me. So to have luck swoop in again in the last few chapters is such an unbelievable manner... ugh.
I won't read it again, but I sure am glad I read it once.
Rating:
Summary: One Excellent Novel!
Review: Memoirs of a Geisha is an extraordinary and lovely novel. It tells the story of Sayuri, a geisha from Kyoto's golden age. It is written as a memoir dictated to a friend of hers who begins by telling us how he came to know this woman.
The main portion of the book begins with Sayuri's childhood, at a time when she lives not in Kyoto, but in a small fishing village called Yoroido. At the time, her name is not Sayuri, but Chiyo. As a child, her mother becomes terminally ill. When she finally succumbs, Chiyo and her older sister end up being sent off to Kyoto. In Kyoto, they are sent to separate places. Her sister is sent to a brothel. She is sent to a geisha house.
Up til this point, the book has been fairly ordinary, but at this point, it becomes extraordinary. Here, we begin to view the day to day life in the world of the Kyoto geishas. In here we see the training school, the daily life and the work that the geishas do. We also see the political intrigues and the duplicity that was inherent in the world of the Kyoto geishas. Chiyo herself is both on the receiving end and trapped in the middle of much of what happens. In her house is a very successful geisha named Hatsumomo. She sees Chiyo's beauty as a threat and works against her. Eventually, a rival of Hatsumomo's named Mameha takes Chiyo under her wing and helps her.
Chiyo begins as a maid while the "mother" of the geisha house tries out her ability to work. She is then promoted to a student and begins her training in the geisha school. In the school, we see the discipline required of the geishas as they study dance, singing, musical instruments and tea ceremonies.
Chiyo finally does become a geisha and takes on the name Sayuri. Of course, the world of the geisha is not separated from the rest of the world. When World War II comes around, life changes for the geishas. The normal things of life become scarce. After the World War, Americans come to visit. They do not know the traditions of geisha, but they become major customers to the geishas then.
The stories told here are very interesting.Author Arthur Golden paints a rich picture of an exotic age long gone, inhabited by characters who seem real. As I began to read this book, I knew little about the real world of the geisha. If this book is accurate in its portrayal of geisha's golden age, I cannot judge. However, the picture Golden paints is detailed enough to allow us to picture it well.
Furthermore, these are characters with depth who we actually care about. Before I was done, I felt Ireally knew Chiyo/Sayuri and the residents of the house where she lived: Mother, Hatsumomo, Auntie, and Pumpkin. I also grew to know the people outside the house and to care about them: Mameha, the chairman, the baron and all the others.
If you enjoy biographies, this novel will probably appeal to you as it feels like a genuine biography. There is no violence in this book, and only the most minimal sexual discussions. However, there is intrigue and betrayal and plotting and planning here to spare. I loved the exotic local and people. I highly recommend Memoirs of a Geisha the next time you need something new to read. Along with Geisha, another Amazon pick I highly recommend -- although completely different -- is The Losers Club by Richard Perez, a wonderful, odd, entertaining "romance" of sorts.
Rating: 
Summary: Ex-geisha takes objection to "Memoirs of a Geisha"
Review: Just thought that readers will find it interesting to see what a JAPANESE person thinks about the authenticity of this book. Who would have thought? All those reviewers on the back of this book are caucasian. Not one is Japanese. Oh, yes, and the JAPANESE person with her opinion below is the woman that this book is written about. If YOU REALLY want to find out about the world of the GEISHA from a GEISHA, why don't you read her book? "Geish, A LIFE" by Mineko Iwasaki.
In Mainichi Daily News
By Keisuke Hirano
Mainichi Shimbun
"Ex-geisha takes objection to "Memoirs of a Geisha" "
November 30, 2001
"Geishas are professionals who make a living by using their artistic skills, but many people have a mistaken image of the world of mystery and shadows," says Mineko Iwasaki. Arthur Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha" (translated in Japan as "Sayuri") was published in 1997 and has sold 4 million copies in the United States.
Iwasaki agreed to an interview by the author because she thought she could help dispel "the Fujiyama-geisha image of a woman who sells herself to her customers." She was shocked when Golden's novel turned out to be a narrative that contradicted her very intentions.
"I want people to have a true understanding of the Karyukai ("the flower and willow world" of the geisha) of Kyoto's Gion quarter." This is why Iwasaki published her own memoirs, "Iwasaki Mineko no hana ikusa - honma no koi wa ippen dosu" (The flower wars of geiko Mineko -- True love happens only once). In the book, Iwasaki writes without reservations about the personal relationships and complex give-and-take that go on between the women behind the ornate scenery of the "flower and willow world." She also writes about the pride these women take in their artistic skills.
Rating:
Summary: Enlightening
Review: Memoirs of a Geisha is a fantastic exploration into the lives of these women during the last century. Arthur Golden tells a story like no other. The life of Sayuri is told in such vivid detail that the reader can actually sense and feel the drama, tragedy, and successes of this woman as she travels down the paths that were chosen for her. I was captivated by the beauty of the land, the refinement of the culture, and the heart of the people. This is a work of historical fiction that will truly brings the past to life. This is one of my favorite books.
Rating:
Summary: Captivating
Review: Whether you know anything about japanese culture or not, this book is enthralling not simply because the characters are relatable and real, but because the culture is a wonder to behold. By the end, I think every reader felt a little japanese, understanding motives and circumstances as someone japanese of that time period would have understood them.
I actually stopped reading this book in the middle because I was looking for a more intense, nail biting book. But when more aptly in the mood, I picked it up again and read the rest of it in one sitting. It's nail biting in it's own way, I discovered, especially as you begin to not only sympathise with our main character but grow with her. The latter half of the book is even more engaging than the first.
|
