Memoirs of a Geisha

Rating:
Summary: Too hard to put down - a race to finish it!
Review: "Memoirs" is one of the most enjoyable and intelligent books I've read in some time. It is rare to find a novel which is a joy to follow, a page turning addiction and an education all in one. This is one of them. I've always been interested in Eastern cultures, and here I find one of the seemingly best researched books on a geisha. Not only does Golden's work clear up some misconceptions and stereotypes, but it provides an abundance of information about the life of a geisha. It's fiction, but reads much like an autobiography. Even in the earliest chapters, we can hear Sayuri telling us her story, and we try to cheer her and steer her through the trials and tribulations of her young life. The reader in me was quite fulfilled through a majority of the book. The characters, with the exception of the Chairman, are very well developed, and each possesses a strong personality. This book, aside from the story itself, taught me a lesson: that sometimes the way we want a book to end is not necessarily the best ending. Those of you who have finished it may agree. I was hoping for this particular ending from very early on, but for some reason, I think now that I've read it, it might have been a stronger finish had it taken another twist. That aside, this is a thoroughly entertaining and fulfilling read, which I've already recommended to three of my closest reader friends.

Rating:
Summary: False advertising
Review: I think that "Memoirs of a Geisha" is highly overrated. If you want to write a novel, write a novel, but don't try to pass it off as a memoir. Suggesting that this is actually a memoir is a disservice to the reading audience. I was particularly irritated that Golden inclued a "translator's note." That just pushes the memoir idea too far! To suggest that the book is a memoir is to suggest that the reader is given unrestricted access to the perspective and insights of a Geisha. However, because this is a novel, the reader hears only Golden's voice! I think that the publisher and author have both tried to cash in on the popularity of memoirs to promote this book. To do so diminishes the importance of true memoirs that are on the market.

Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Entry Into the Most Foreign of Cultures
Review: It is rare for an author to bring us so completely into another culture and time, but Mr. Golden has done it this time. *Memoirs* brings you completely into the life of a nine-year-old Japanese ophan sold into a foreign world of her own -- the upper-class Gion Geisha District of Kyoto. The multiple culture shocks of class and urbanity that little Chiyo experiences as she transforms into the elegant geisha named Sayuri bridges the culture gap that an American experiences in reading about the artisans skilled in music and conversation. Warning -- this book can take up a lot of time -- don't open it unless you are ready to finish the 430+ pages soon.

Rating:
Summary: Historical fiction at its best!
Review: I couldn't wait to read this book detailing the life and times of a young girl's journey through childhood (abruptly ended) and then into years of difficult training to become a successful geisha. Being told in the first person by Sayuri herself leads the reader into the fascinating world of Japanese culture. It's possible that I found this exceptionally well written and researched since I have been living in Japan for almost six years now;however, I have never been to Kyoto and could easily picture each village in my mind. I was amazed to some degree to learn this novel was written by a man because it was so detailed and beautifully worded! I don't mean that to sound sexist...you'll just have to read it to understand what I mean! I anxiously look forward to his next book!

Rating:
Summary: A great book, but a trite ending.
Review: Memoirs was an astoundingly accurate look into the mind of a woman. It was hard to believe that this amazing novel was written by an American man. The story was completly satisfying until Sayuri returned to Gion after WWII. It seems as though Mr. Golden was in a hurry to finish and did not pay the same attention to the conclusion as he did to the body of his novel. The tragic life of a geisha would have been better suited by a tragic ending.

Rating:
Summary: Major Disappointment
Review: My Book Club chose Memoirs of a Geisha to read this month, so I was looking forward to the read, and was majorly disappointed. The little cat fighting and tricks the in-training geisha did to each other were so trite and sophomoric. It seemed like a man's idea of what women do to each other, and I found it insulting--not to mention shallow, flat and poorly written. I was hoping for a rich, many layered history and story of what, I am sure, is a respected and artistic endeavor unique to the Japanese culture. Instead, I read about silly squabbles a la Joan Collins and Linda Evans on Dallas! Too bad.

Rating:
Summary: Began loving it, but it turned into a romance novel!
Review: I thought the book was well written, informative and interesting. But then it changed tone at the end and turned into an unbelievable romance novel! It didn't flow. Could it have been edited to appeal to the masses?

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful read.
Review: This text of Memoirs of a Geisha is as nicely paced as the measured stroll of a geisha. It moves in smoothly flowing rhythms that seem never to let up. Beyond the pleasures of the read, though, is the sheer excitement of learning about a culture so mysterious to westerners. This is not an "exciting" book, in the sense of a thrill-a-second, but it is truly exciting in the deepest sense of engaging ones head and heart. I found myself reading page after page and only stopping when absolutely necessary. I understand Golden spent ten years working on this novel, and he did not waste a single moment.

Rating:
Summary: Great story with shallow characters
Review: The book certainly weaves a rich and captivating tapestry of Geishas' lives. The book should have been more adequately named as "Everyday life of a Geisha". I certainly learned a lot about the geishas' job descriptions and their roles and responsibilities. However, I finished the book without learning more than just the names of the characters in the novel. The ending is especially trite. You are not going to find out why the Sajuri's chairman is smitten by Sajuri, because the author is more interested in detailing the Geisha rituals than in writing a memoir.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Twist at the end!
Review: a VERY satisfying read. The story held my attention, and some of the cultural details (such as Geisha superstitions about having a spark struck on them before going out for the evening) were delicious! And, best of all, the story has a wonderful twist at the end!