Memoirs of a Geisha

Rating:
Summary: All surface no substance
Review: From a cultural and historical perspective this book was of some interest. However, Geisha never truly gets into the mind of its narrator. In fact, it seems to brush over major events in her life. And the reader never really gets to know her all that well. It was quite obvious that the author was a white male. While Golden may be a student of Asian culture, he does not possess enough insider knowledge of what it's like to be Japanese let alone a Japanese woman. If you want a well-done glimpse into the mind and world of Asian women stick to authors such as Amy Tan who really know their subject matter.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely incredible!!!!
Review: What a wonderful story of a young girl being transformed into a beautiful woman. I was captivated by the learnings/lives of the geisha & the narrative style combined nicely with the story line. I was sorry the book had to end, but am excited to see the upcoming movie!!!

Rating:
Summary: The best book in years!
Review: The best book I have red in a few years. I was sad when I finished it, I never wanted the book to end. Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: I don't understand what all the hype is about ...
Review: Thankfully I didn't spend money on this one, but borrowed it instead. Over a year on the hardcover bestseller's list, finally in paperback and jumping off the shelves, still up at the top of the list, Spielberg's new project - should be a hummer, right?? Wrong. Boring, tedious, un-engaging, way too long, overblown and unconvincing. (Besides that it was great!) Obviously the author lived in Japan, conducted meticulous research and over a period of years collected mounds and mounds of information which he wanted to share with the world, and decided that the novel was the form that would grab a reader's attention. On that score he was right, judging by its success, but for me it just didn't fly. There must be millions of people who are interested in Japanese culture, and that is what is fueling it to the top of the bestseller's lists. But as a story? As a novel? I'm sorry, but it just doesn't cut it. A good novel should keep you interested regardless of the subject matter. Even 'Bridges of Madison County' would rate higher, even though it was possibly the worst book I've ever read. Why? It had a story, and the story carried you along. This will be Spielberg's "Joy Luck Club", I just know it. There's no way he will stick to what's written, there's not enough there...

Rating:
Summary: A Book I Couldn't Put Down and Yet Didn't Want to End.
Review: I loved it !

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful look at a different life/time
Review: It's wonderful to find a book to lose yourself in - this is one of those books. I found myself so enthralled by the characters, situations, and emotions, I could barely put it down. Though it is fiction, I'm sure this quite an accurate picture of the mysterious life of a Geisha. I think I'll keep this one in my collection.

Rating:
Summary: Depressing
Review: An extremely disappointing and pedestrian novel that simply does not warrant the media hype it has received. The language is flat and without depth. The prose is mundane. A good editor would have cut the redundant sentences and tightened the narrative. This story of severe child abuse and misogyny is not redeemed by moral insight or cultural lesson. If it hadn't been a bookclub selection, I would have set it down after the first three chapters and spared myself the sickening sense of voyeurism that comes with witnessing senseless human cruelty.

Rating:
Summary: Not the tour-de-force the literary reviewers claimed.
Review: This book is easy to read, and at times the prose is delicate and provocative. But ultimately, the thin characterizations (and absence of motivation for any of the characters), and our heroine's complete lack of an inner life--she goes through life with blinders on, never learning, never changing, never growing--damage this book. I never thought of our narrator as "female"; she seemed sexless, and she often reacted to things like a man. Arthur Golden, despite the reviews, failed to find a woman's voice and sensibility in which to tell his tale. I found "Memoirs" superficial and frustrating; I forced myself through to the contrived ending. Golden is an able enough writer; he's just shallow. We've all been duped by great reviews garnered because the subject matter is unusual and exotic. I'm glad I borrowed a friend's copy and didn't buy it!

Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: I had recently read the book, and I must say I was completely taken back by it. I (like many other people-I'am sure) completely misinterputed the true meaning of a "Geisha". I had always thought a Geisha to be a "prostitute". I was amazed tha that whole world was much more than I had ever hoped to expect! I found the novel to be detailed without being monotonous, I found myself put under a spell of storytelling at it's best. I found the characters to be like none other. The stunning image of these persons stick out in my mind like a sore thumb. I could not help but be reminded of another novel that I had read (Rushdie's "Midnight's Childred") in where Rushdie's "Saleem" is like "Sayuri" in Golden's "Memoirs". The idea of characters like these are a wonderfuld asset to stotytelling, and a relief in this day and age where it seems that alot of characters in alot of novels hold no mystery or depth. I have to give myself fully to this because without interesting characters there is a very slim chance of there being an interesting story.

Rating:
Summary: one of the best books I have ever read
Review: great book