Memoirs of a Geisha

Rating:
Summary: I know it doesn't sound as if it would be,. . .
Review: BUT this is a wonderful book. I was hesitant, almost bought it, didn't, almost bought it again, and then a friend came to me saying, "I know this does not seem like the type of book we usually read, but I loved it!" I took it from her and devoured it in one night. A week or so later my cousin called. She said,"I just read this wonderful book! I know the title sounds like something you might not be interested in but . . ." Yes, it was 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. Don't hesitate. Buy it. This is a great story, well written and historically informative. I am so happy I read it. It is now on the list of my all time favorite reads.

Rating:
Summary: Creative Writing
Review: Mr. Golden's ability to express the main character is a very intriguing and imaginative writing style. I have to admit that I would not have read this book if I was not required to find a contemperary author and read a bood of his. I found this book in my school library, I thought that it seemed different. I was right, only after reading a short section of the book, I had been rapped up into the text. This book and the way that it is handcrafted does not seem like a ficticious novel, but I feel as if I was sitting down next to this old geisha as she weaved her past history into a story in the fabric of my mind. Mr. Golden's understanding of Japanese history is a great amount of help in this book, giving it a more dimentional character and story all together. One can truly feel and empathize with the young Chiyo-chan. I believe that this book is not buting a false light on the cultural tradition of these Japanese Geishas, but rather holds them up because of some of the adversities that they have had to but up with through out their life. I wish that my writing could be as descriptive and lush as Mr. Golden's. All I say is Bravo for capturing a dying form of life as we continue to move on through time.

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: Beauty goes all the way through.
Review: It's been a few years since I've read this one, but it's made a lasting impression on me. I enjoyed the text's effective manner of getting me lost into the story and the conflicts of the characters. I laughed and cried and kept reading. It's a facinating story of a lost antiquity. After I finish reading Gone With the Wind to my daughter, I will likely read this one to her next.

Rating:
Summary: very high quality book
Review: I picked this up by chance in my buildings laundry room library and immediately found it to be a great book. I found it thoughtful, elegantly written and entertaining. The author clearly has a profound understanding of human behavior and the skill to transcribe ideas. He creates the surreal world of a Japanese geisha with a rich balance of imagination and history. I am not an avid reader of fiction and don't pretend to have a thorough knowledge of the body of western literature which covers Japan, but this is the finest book I've read in the context of Japan since the I finished the non-fiction work by Karel van Wolferen "The Enigma of Japanese Power" (c1990) which outlined many of the commercial, economic and cultural issues that are currently challenging the great nation of Japan. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Held my interest throughout
Review: I was torn on whether to read this book or not. Yes, the geisha do have a mysterious aura of sexuality around them that I'd like to know about. On the other hand, did I want to invest a lot of time learning about a peculiar form of culture from a foreign country that has probably seen it's peak? OK, the sex part won out, and I'm glad it did.

First of all, it's amazing that a white male from Tennessee could write such a believable tale. I hear he specialized in Japanese studies and went to Harvard, so I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt that the culture these people lived in was more or less accurate. But even if it is, the story would not have worked if the author had not created characters that you really want to know more about. That he does this with a handful of them makes it a surprisingly interesting book.

As for what drew me into the book in the first place, one does learn about how the Japanese of this time treated sexuality. You learn from the book that the geisha were not prostitutes as we know them, but they were not innocent by any means. Commercial sex was available through regular channels, as we learn when the herioine and her sister are chosen for different paths in their lives.

The geisha represented attaining a certain status in Japanese society, although this practice would seem silly when viewed by an outsider. As a father of four, with no time for such dalliances, it's very amusing to see how the top pillars of Japanese society, many with wives and families, would spend so much time and money trying to make an impression upon the geisha. I guess men are men everywhere, and will go through great lengths and expense to get the right look from the right lady. The Japanese just made an art out of it.

By the way, sex with a geisha, while infrequent, was possible. It's just that it's gonna cost you an arm and a leg. The few experiences our heroine has are described as tastefully as something like this is going to, but it also makes it clear that this woman probably never had a positive experience here in her lifetime. Sad, but it's part of what makes this an excellent book.

Rating:
Summary: Memoirs of a Geisha amazing and different
Review: this Fiction novel interested me and amazed me. I'm not much of a reader but I read this book for my high school english class, I read half of the book thinking it was real but I was surprised to realize all the fascinating love and suspenceful details are fiction. Arthur Golden is a great Writer and I look foward to reading more of his great books.

Rating:
Summary: yay!
Review: When Chiyo becomes Sayuri, she seems to become a different person. It is as if the person she was in her childhood no longer exists. It is as though Chiyo has died, and Sayuri is born. Even Sayuri thinks of Chiyo as a different person that has ceased to exist.

Rating:
Summary: The transition of Chiyo to Sayuri
Review: This was a good book. Also, I feel that when Chiyo becomes Sayuri, it is more than just a change of name. She becomes a totally different person. She even says herself that it feels as though Chiyo has died. She almost never thinks about her childhood-it is as if her life began at her debut as a geisha.

Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: Im a college student currently interested in Japanese culture and noticed this title because I once read an article about a modern day geisha in a girl's magazine(just flipping through) and found it interesting. I found out that this wasn't just information on geisha but a beautiful story that kept my interest throughout the entire book. Im glad I listened to the good reviews and gave it a try. You'll fall in love with the main character.