Rating: 
Summary: Emotional rollercoaster
Review: Memoirs of a Geisha is a fantastic book. Right from the first page I was transported to 1920's Japan and enthralled by the mysterious world of Geishas. The author, Arthur Golden, did an excellent job bringing Sayuri and her experinces to life. He payed great attention to detail, down to the last stitch of Sayuri's beautiful kimonos. I felt as though Sayuri was walking me through her life, from the tipsy shack she lived in with her family in Yoroido to the elegant teahouses in Gion. I found myself growing attached to her, feeling everything she was feeling. Her life of fear, desire, hope and pain is at once captivating and heartbreaking. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a work of fiction and not an autobiography. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Riveting!
Review: This book is so good, I could hardly put it down. It had a very real feel to it, although it is actually fiction. I actually bonded with the protagonist! If you are interested in the Japanese culture, or if you enjoy historical/romance type novels then you won't regret spending your money on this. Admittedly, it is a "chick book".
Rating:
Summary: Values and Beliefs
Review: Recently, I read the book Memoirs of a Geisha for my high school English class. This book takes a good look at what other cultures values and beliefs are. In America we think selling our bodies for money is not only morally wrong but also against the law. In the society where little Chiyo grows up its consider to be an honor to be a geisha or in essence a high-class prostitute. This book makes me think about how lucky I'm to live in a country were we can be free. I really liked this book, my only complaint is that the beginning is a little slow.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant work of fiction
Review: Not knowing what to expect from this book, I was pleasantly surprised. Excellent writing, great characters, and knock-out settings make this worth every cent you'll pay for it. Check it out.Also recommended: McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD
Rating:
Summary: memoirs of a geisha
Review: Set in the late 1920¡¦s, this book takes us through the life of a young Japanese girl that grew up in a small fishing village, sold and taken to the cities of Kyoto where she is trained to become a geisha. Throughout this book, Nitta Sayuri describes the hard path of life she was forced to take, bringing us into the un-spoken world of women where they were auctioned and sold to the most powerful men in society, where love is excluded and beauty as the only power they have.
This extraordinary book is described in such a way that as you read you would feel as if you could see the story happening right before your eyes. It is written with so much energy and emotion that the author humors, saddens, and angers you all at once. Every chapter of this book takes the reader down a different road to the life of Nitta Sayuri and surprises us with every turning page, up until the very last chapter of the book.
Memoirs of a Geisha, not only entertains the readers thirst for entertainment but also educates us of the nearly buried ancient traditions that were ever so common in Japanese history.
As I read this book I was so captivated by the story that I was unable to put it down! This story of geishas and the hard life they lead is so moving and heartbreaking that it would be impossible to not feel for them as you read from beginning to end.
This enchanting novel should not be missed!
Rating:
Summary: best book EVA'!
Review: this is absolutely positively the best book i have ever read. i am a young 19 year old who has read this book after it had been recoommened by my mother. she loved it and so i did i. it is super fabulous and i love it. it is my favourite book EVA'!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: We read this recently in my book club, along with two other books that knocked my socks off: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and Bark of the Dogwood. We are, if nothing else, an eclectic bunch. "Memoirs" is beautifully written and just a gorgeous book. I had no idea going in what it was going to be about. Well, perhaps a little idea, but it was nothing like I thought it would be. If there was not even a story here, the writing would be enough--it's that well-written. Poetry. Also recommended: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Bark of the Dogwood
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: One of the very best books I've read - vivid descriptions, smooth, fluid writing style
Rating:
Summary: Excellent novel, engaging story
Review: I notice that many of the negative reviews center on two criticisms: One, it was written by a man, and two, that it's not "Japanese". The first criticism is simply inane. That implies any man who ever wrote a female character, or vice versa, wrote beyond their "sphere of experience" and was by definition flawed. Of course Golden has the ability to understand and get into the mind of a Geisha. The simple act of writing a female character in first person does not make this a bad book, and anyone who thinks it does is foolish. Second, as for criticisms about the research, it is important to remember this book is a novel. Foremost it's a vehicle to convey a story while exposing the reader to a short timeframe of an incredibly complicated lifestyle; which itself is a tiny component of overall 1930's Japanese society. It is not meant to be a history book, not meant to be a dissertation on Geisha lifestyle, and it certainly isn't an attempt to emulate Geisha in Japanese literature. Again, to think this is anything other than a novel is foolish. Having said that, this IS a very well written and engaging novel. It's a page turner. Golden has a rare gift of prose - the reader is drawn in and kept in suspense. It's not complicated or deep - there are no hidden messages or deep revelations. This does not mean, however, that it is a sophomoric effort. Rather than being one dimensional, the characters are quite multifaceted, and I can only assume some of the negative reviewers didn't quite understand that. Hatsumomo is clearly a woman on top of her game, who is scared to death of her future and will use her intelligence and amoral conscience to protect herself. Sayuri is an intelligent and resourceful woman who, rather than being a submissive doll, is determined to find her own path to stand and succeed, as did her mentor Mameha. And yes, it was a sexist, degrading world they lived in with few options. Golden says this verbatim through his characters. To reviewers calling this a work of sexism, what exactly DO you think 1930's Japan was like? This is no a stellar work of literature. Golden never had any illusions as such. It's a simple, easy, engaging novel; a good story, with mildly complex characters in a well-researched setting.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book
Review: This book was both entertaining and interesting. A good story and a glimpse into a different world.
|
