Rating: 
Summary: Why on earth do people like this?
Review: I am toatally baffled about all the attention this book has received especially all the underserved praise for the author. The narrative style was as dry as unbuttered toast and over-ladden with unnecessary and repetative details. The style is almost amateurish and the overuse of certain ajectives to descride everything from facial expressions to kimonos is annoying. The extent of the historical research is commendable, but the amount of it in the novel is almost oppressive at times (if he described how to tie an obi one more time I was bound to do something drastic). It is completely lacking in the basic elements of good storytelling: plot, characters, and theme. The plot was utterly uncompelling and went nowhere. I wasn't expecting any great twists or turns, but a few little surprises would have been nice (don't get me started on the ending). The characters are all cardboard cutouts with one or two defining characteristics. The most disappointing of all was the character, or lack thereof) of the geisha herself. She dosen't grow at all as a character or learn anything from her experiences. She is essentially the same at the end as she is a the beginning. This novel is about a mile wide and an inch deep. Maybe I've read too many well written books with well developped characters and meaningful themes to get any enjoyment out of this mess. I was reluctant to read this book because it was a bestseller, but after being pleasantly surprised by other bestsellers (notably Cold Mountain and Snow Falling on Cedars), I decided to give it a try, what a mistake!
Rating: 
Summary: excellent cultural reading
Review: this is the best book i've read in a very long time. it was very imformative on the life of a geisha. if your only going to read 1 book this year read memoirs of a geisha. i can't say enough about. i learned all about the daily life and life in genral of a geisha. in a fictional point of view but it has facts and dates. i loved it.
Rating: 
Summary: A fasinating look into a different world
Review: Highly engrossing from the very first page, Mr. Golden has painted a picture of a geisha's training for us. One thinks of beautiful Japanese women who would do anything at a whim, all sorts of exotic and erotic things. What we learn is that is not the case at all. We follow the tale of Sayuri beginning at age 9 when she is sent to live with a 'geisha' family. She then begins the vigorous training involved in becoming a geisha, learning many arts like dancing, music, the art of conversation, culture and much more. We learn what it is like to put on the kimonos, much more involved than I would have thought, the intense rivalry between the geisha, the superstition of the geisha, and much more. This book reads like it could have been Sayuri's biography, which in a way it is. A first rate debut for Mr. Golden, I look forward to many more novels by him.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: While I read this book over a year ago I felt I had to add my thoughts on it to this page. This is simply one of the best books I have ever read and would recommend it to all. It is wonderful and once you start it you will find it impossible to put down!
Rating: 
Summary: Depends on what you're looking for...
Review: While stuck in an airport, I visited the limited bookstore and purchased "Memoirs...". Great book for easy reading. Kept me interested (finished it in 2 days). I fell in love with the characters early on and believe that they matured and changed as the book progressed. But I can't get passed the flaws. I feel now as if I've misled people, for I recommended it to everyone I spoke to while I was reading it and my feelings toward it have changed now that I've read the end. I was duped by the "translator's note" that claimed the story was dictated by a geisha and was disappointed (and a bit annoyed) when I read the last page to find this wasn't the case. Also, as others have noted, the beginning is superb and locks you into the story, but the ending is lacking. Although through most of the story I was glued to the page, I had to force myself to read the last ten pages (which is very unlike me). So, if you need an interesting story for train or beach reading (or if you are stuck in an airport), go for it. I don't regret reading it. But if you are looking for a factual account of life as a geisha or a substantial classic novel, pass this one up.
Rating:
Summary: Detailed Depiction of a Geisha's Life
Review: Extremely well-written, this is a tale of the making of a country girl into a powerful geisha, and the exacting standards she faced. I'm amused by the marketing ploy of the testimonial on the back cover that proclaims it to be erotic, the gist of the book is pretty much of showing how restrained and regimented a geisha's life was. (Presumably whoever wrote that hadn't read the book, and knew nothing of the culture.) The book is well worth reading for the writing and the immersion in the Japanese culture of an era now past, and it's easy and pleasant to read. It was a terrific achievement in terms of recreating atmosphere. The ending is sudden and contrived, but I didn't mind that so much. I did feel that the research shows through a bit too much, as if after having gone to so much effort, the author wanted to use as much of it as he could, and the plot feels as if it's been pasted onto a thesis. Still, it is rich in style and finely drawn detail, and distinctly different and better than most of the novels out there.
Rating:
Summary: Review by Japanese female reader
Review: I came across this book when I traveled Australia.After I read this book completely , I understood why this book was published only in English, oversea. I am age 39, but even I, could found out names of customors of Sayuri and they were well-known people in Japan, we can easily see their names at primary text book. Especially, Sayuri's danna was famous man. My american friend doubted it was a fake story but I know it is a true story.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing
Review: A captivating well-told tale of a young woman in mid-century Japan who is sold into virtual slavery as a girl. She tries unsuccessfully to escape but eventually resigns herself to the fact that her past is gone forever and her only chance to escape unendurable drudgery is to devote herself to becoming a geisha. The details of the geisha training, their public faces and private worries are compelling and seemed very real. As some have pointed out, the characterizations do not go too deep but I believe this is intentional on the part of the author, after all, he is telling the story as if it were a memoir. Sayuri and the other characters are all people who had to keep their very souls secret, not just from the public, but from themselves, too. In the world of Gion, especially for a geisha, better not to dwell too much on the true self. I agree with the reviewer who called it a fairy tale. Chiyo/Sayuri is the put-upon Cinderella, Hatsumomo is the quintessential evil stepsister and The Chairman is the virtuous Prince Charming. Under those terms I believe it only fitting, if a little disappointing, that Sayuri, a lively, intriguing woman, ends up with the bland Chairman. For a geisha, it is the ultimate success. If Sayuri has mixed feelings, she's not telling.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking with lucid details
Review: Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha" is one of the best contemporary books I have read in a long time. It tells the story of a popular geisha during the early 20th century. While the end is lacking and disappointing, what precedes it is fascinating. Golden delves into the culture of Japan and how geisha fit into it. He writes the story richly and convincingly, a most excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: beautiful and enchanting
Review: Several of my friends recommended this novel to me, so I went out and bought it. I was enchanted with Sayuri's story from the first chapter. Golden somehow got into the mind of a geisha and is telling her story. I don't know how he did it, but I am in awe of his talent. When Sayuri longs for the Chairman to recognize her, and dreams of one day being with him, I felt the pangs in my heart. When she lived in fear of Hatsumomo, my own stomach clenched. This novel is full of emotion and so wonderfully written.
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