Memoirs of a Geisha

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: This is one of the best book I've read in a long time and it has quickly become one of my favorites. Arthur Golden has a wonderful way with words. He gives an enchanting look into life of geisha in the 1930's and 40's. I highly recommend this novel for anyone who loves a good story.

Rating:
Summary: A classic that will be from my time.
Review: I don't know of anyone that can put this book down from the moment they start reading it. I read the entire book then read about the author. It is shocking to me that it is written by a man. The detail that went into describing what Chiyo is going through I thought could have only been told by a woman. Was I ever wrong!

This book is going to be a classic. Meaning that I know one day I'll have a daughter and grand-daughter that will read it. I bought the first copy in paperback and went back to get the hard cover. It's not one that I want to sell or trade at the used book store.

I too thought I knew what a "geishas" life was like. History did not educate us. The lifestyle that you read in this book, makes our every day lives seem planets away.

I didn't mind paragraphs starting off "If you don't know......" I actually was so mesmerized I didn't even notice.

I would love if the author would write a follow up. I want to know what happened later for Chiyo. Then again when Gone with the Wind was followed up by Scarlett it was ruined. Maybe it is better this way.

Either way buy this book and prepare think differently after reading it.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most beautiful novels I've ever read!
Review: This novel is a true work of art. Memoirs of a Geisha drips with one of the most exquisite languages ever written. Arthur S. Golden's take on the Geisha culture before the Second World War is insightful and thought provoking. I couldn't put this book down. It had me from the opening of the first chapter! Various critics have complained that the author uses cliche descriptions to illustrate the Japanese government -- I couldn't disagree more! I was able to discover many things I hadn't known about the aforementioned government. This is one of the most intelligent novels I've read. And I urge everyone to give this wonderful and literary work a whirl.

Rating:
Summary: A 16-year-old's view of this book
Review: Imagine being a seven- or eight-year-old little girl, ripped from what little family she has left and sold to a mean old woman. The only hope she had was to become a glorified and respected whore, a geisha. On the long road to geisha-hood, Chiyo later known as Sayuri, finds herself in a bittersweet position torn between love and practicality.
In Arthur S. Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha,one travels with this young girl to a partially fairytale, partially nightmare world, a world where she makes no decisions and has no choices. She must simply endure hardship and disappointment, hoping for a better day.
I chose to review this excellent book because I am fascinated with oriental customs and history. I have read many other wonderful books, books like Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth and Amy Tan's Kitchen God's Wife, but none have left me with such a vivid understanding as Memoirs of a Geisha.
An excerpt from the back cover: " In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion."
The author has done a terrific job in writing this modern day masterpiece and upon finishing this book one is left with an accurate, vivid image of what life for a Japanese Geisha was like. If I were to rate this book from one to ten it would receive a perfect ten for the wonderful style the author used along with the extreme clarity used to develop characters in the classic good guy/bad guy routine.

Rating:
Summary: absolutely gorgeous
Review: Beautiful book, "impossible to put down," wonderful eastern philosophy, sexy, rivals Jane Eyre and other coming of age classics from the 19th century

Rating:
Summary: Utterly compelling and gripping.
Review: Never in my life have I read a book that so thoroughly immersed me into a subject and society which I knew next to nothing about (and half of what I did think I knew was wrong!).

You get a full education into what the life, the society and the behaviors of geishas was. You also get a great feeling for life in pre-WWII Japan, particularly among the upper classes. And, during the course of the book, WWII comes to that country, and we see its effect on the world we've come to know and appreciate.

But don't think this is a dry text book. NOT AT ALL. We get totally caught up in the lives of our heroine, as well as with the political machinations of the world of the geisha. It's a juicy novel, full of twists and turns and tricks and treachery. It's a fast read, too, and when it's done, you'll be sad that you can't spend more time with these characters.

If you're thinking this book will have lots of sex, then you'll be disappointed. There is some, but it's not handled in a lascivious way. But it holds SO many pleasures for the reader, and it gets my highest possible recommendation.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Book--Hard To Put Down!
Review: I'm reading this book for the second time--and probably not the last. It has become one of my favorite books.

The way it is told from the first person almost seems, at times, as if the geisha herself is speaking to you. The author does an excellent job of explaining things that people not familiar with the culture can understand.

It is a very well-written book, regardless of the types of books you like to read. I only used to read suspense-type books. After reading Memoirs, I have opened my mind to more books like this and have found another favorite because of it.

I very highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Unrealistic
Review: After hearing so much praise of "Memoirs of a Geisha," I found that it did not live up to all the hype.

First, The characters in the book are too extreme. For example, Hatsumomo, Sayuri's archnemesis, is a genuinely "evil" character, with no other side. She's always out to get someone and to wreak havoc on Sayuri's life. Of course, this is completely unrealistic. Sayuri and Mameha, however, seem perfect in every way.

Second, the plot was very weak. In this book, the main character Sayuri has been pining for the "Chairman" since she was a little girl, and ends up with him in the end. The book is basically about her exploits as a geisha, and what she does to win the Chairman's heart. How often in life do women actually end up with their childhood idols? And to finally be with the Chairman, Sayuri betrays people who cared for her.

On the other hand, I must compliment the author on his writing style. The whole time I felt as though a Japanese woman was telling her tale, instead on an American man. I also learned a lot about the career of a geisha. However, this does not make up for the unlikable, unrealistic characters and the weak plot.

Rating:
Summary: A captivating page- turner!
Review: Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha, tells the fascinating story of a young country girl named Chiyo-chan and her transformation into a well-respected geisha. The story is told on a very personal level, as if the reader and the main character, Chiyo-chan, are friends discussing her past. Golden's style creates a relationship between the reader and Chiyo-chan, drawing the reader further into the novel and adding more depth to the text. She begins her story from about the age of nine when she is abruptly taken form her home in Yoroido, on the Sea of Japan, and sold to the busy city of Gion. She is then separated from her sister, and later discovers her mother and farther have died. From this point on Chiyo's life is revolved around becoming a geisha. However, becoming a geisha takes years of training and hard work and Chiyo is constantly presented with obstacles standing in her way of her future. She is forced to live life masked from all emotions and use her intriguing appearance and artistic talents to entertain men for money. The intricate details of her life experiences make it impossible to put the book down. By the end of the novel, you feel you have made a new friend and learned everything there is know about her and her shocking experiences, captivating secrets, and her life as a geisha.

Rating:
Summary: Grab this for "by the pool"!
Review: This is an entertaining story, and a quick read. It doesn't go too deep, so it is perfect for those summer days trying to read by the pool while a group of 10 year-olds are screaming and splashing nearby. You don't need much concentration to follow along. The characters are pretty flat, but somehow I was able to stay interested because the subject matter was so unfamiliar to me. If you are looking for shocking plot twists and juicy revelations, read something else!